The path to a US College for an international student is never an easy one. Applications are more competitive for international students, and often have additional components. US Colleges also differ greatly from their international counterparts in terms of what they expect from applicants, and what factors they consider when deciding to admit a student.
The challenges don’t stop once you’re admitted either. Transitioning from high school to college is always something of a culture shock, but this is all the more the case for international students. In this article, we’re specifically going to be looking at students from Saudi Arabia, and elsewhere in the Persian Gulf. While these states are all distinct, they have some cultural commonalities, and often face similar hurdles when transitioning to US Universities. We’ll cover these each in turn, so you know what to expect, and are able to hit the ground running. Let’s get started!
The Academic Transition
How severe this transition is depends on the school you attend. Many students in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere in the gulf attend private or international schools. These are often organized using the British System, where pupils take A-Levels and schools are otherwise run and ordered as they are in the UK. While these schools are primarily attended by the children of foreign nationals living in Saudi Arabia, there is a significant presence of Saudi nationals in these schools as well.
For notes on transitioning from British-style education to an American one, see our article on the UK to US transition. This will be more relevant here; while the government does have regulatory oversight of these private schools, they have broad leeway to institute their own curricula.
For students who do not attend international or private schools, language is often the primary barrier. There is far less of a focus on learning English in the public education system throughout the gulf than you find in other countries, in both Europe and Asia. This makes sense for the needs of the students, but can make the transition to English-only instruction at American universities difficult. You need to be sure that your own English skills are up to par when applying; this is why US Universities require international students to complete English proficiency testing as part of their application process.
Another major difference in educational styles is the lack of religious education. Saudi Arabia is a fundamentally Islamic state, and their curriculum reflects this. Most universities in the US are secular, and the few top universities that do have a religious affiliation are predominantly Catholic. While there are departments devoted to religious studies at all of these universities, it is not central to the curriculum as you may be used to.
Only colleges with a religious affiliation even require coursework related to religion, and this generally reflects the religion they are affiliated with. Even this is not universal, but you should be aware of it before applying to staunchly religious schools such as Georgetown or Notre Dame. While they welcome students of all religious backgrounds, these universities are incredibly Catholic in their character. While being Catholic and attending mass is not compulsory, religion intertwines with life at the schools; there are numerous priests on staff, blessings are commonly given at school events, and most of the student body is Catholic.
The final major academic culture shock is the complete lack of gender segregation within the classroom. With the exception of a small number of women-only liberal arts colleges, all major universities in the US are coed. While international and private schools in Saudi Arabia are sometimes coeducational, this is not always the case, and is never the case in public education. This can be something of a shock to students who are not used to this arrangement.
The Cultural Transition
Of course, you don’t spend all your time in college in the classroom; quite the opposite in fact. You will spend a few short hours per day in class (though it may feel like far longer), but most of your time will be spent existing on and around campus, and it is here that the culture shock truly sets in for many students. We will cover the aspects of this that trip students up the most, or which require the largest adjustment from what they are used to.
Religion
Islam is by far a minority religion in the US, and this is reflected in cultural traditions large and small. There is no call to prayer issued at large, and while religious spaces are available to students, they are rarely a center of focus on campus. Most top universities, and all public colleges are sectarian, and religion only serves as part of your college experience if you seek it out.
This isn’t to say there is no place for religion at US colleges. Most colleges have a Muslim student’s association, and many have an Imam on staff to interface with students. Harvard, for example, hosts the Islamic Students Association, while Yale plays host to a number of student groups for muslims. There are places set aside for prayer, and many schools have some kind of official festival to mark Ramadan and Eid.
Ramadan is, however, not nearly as observed in the US as it is in Saudi Arabia or other states in the Gulf, nor is participation compulsory. Most dining halls will provide packed Iftar meals upon request, but you need to ask for these specifically if sundown occurs after the normal operating hours of the dining hall.
Food
College dining halls are increasingly sensitive to student’s dietary restrictions, and most will have a Halal station in their dining hall. It varies whether or not there is a Halal station in every dining hall, or if this is only an option at one. There is no guarantee that other food served will be Halal, but anything labeled as such you can trust.
Finding a Halal butcher or other groceries is going to be location dependent. Schools in larger urban areas are more likely to have access to one of these, as there is likely to be a large enough demand to support a Halal store.
Alcohol is commonly consumed at American colleges, especially in social settings. There is generally little peer pressure to drink, unless you join a peer group which has that as its purpose. You can attend these social situations without drinking quite easily, indeed, many groups enjoy having a sober friend to act as the designated driver.
Gender
As we mentioned above, all US colleges save for a number of women-only liberal arts colleges are coed. Most colleges have coed housing as well, though this is not universal. Men and women are not assigned to be roommates in their first year, though those which remain in housing can often opt to have roommates of the other gender. This varies by school; in general religious schools have more restrictive housing policies, but this is not universal.
There are different norms of dress and behavior for each gender as well; these are not universal, there is a great range of accepted behaviors in colleges. You are allowed to continue following your own traditions and edicts of dress, you may receive questions on this, but any pushback or criticism should be reported to university authorities. That said, you cannot expect others to adapt their own dress or customs to meet your sensibilities.
Politics
Colleges tend to lean liberal politically, though there are strong conservative presences on all campuses, even the most liberal. Note that American politics are often quite odd when compared to those internationally, and you may find yourself agreeing and arguing with both parties in equal measure. This is encouraged, as exposure to opposing points of view is a significant part of the college experience.
International Campuses
There is an option which allows you to attend a US style university while remaining closer to home, and in a cultural environment you are more accustomed to. These are international branch campuses, which many top American universities have opened abroad, notably throughout the Persian gulf.
As we cover in another article, these offer many of the trappings of a US university, but also have many cultural components of the states which host them. The classes and instruction are in English, and the education is coed, but the culture on campus is much closer to that of the host country than to the US.
These campuses allow for numerous study abroad opportunities at a college’s home campus in the US, so you can still get a taste of the traditional college experience. Many students enjoy this opportunity, as it allows them to expand their horizons for a time, while still remaining close to what they are used to.
These campuses also have an admissions advantage for students of the host country. As these universities are frequently founded and funded in partnership with the government of the country hosting the university, with the understanding that the campus has a duty to the citizens of that country. Of course, some countries have more campuses present than others, but these are a popular option for many international students, and are worth considering for your college experience.
Final Thoughts
The gulf states are not a monolith, and each has their own political and cultural concerns. That said, students from these states often have similar experiences at US colleges, and experience similar challenges when adjusting to an alien-seeming American cultural milieu. We hope that this article has done a thorough job breaking down these differences, and has given you a solid idea of what you can expect from your time at a US college.
Of course, the primary challenge for all students who want to attend one of these colleges is getting in in the first place. This is especially true for international students, as top colleges strictly limit the number of international students they admit compared to domestic students, making already low acceptance rates even more competitive. If you want advice on crafting your own collegiate applications, or on navigating the transition to college, schedule a free consultation today. We have a long experience helping students of all backgrounds get into their top colleges, and are always happy to hear from you.
