By Kristina Carroll

If you’re an international student thinking about studying in the United States, you might think it’s impossible to learn everything you need to know about the American universities you’re interested in. However, with today’s technology and universities’ increasing online presence, it’s easy for prospective international students to research schools from thousands of miles away. Here are just a few ways you can interact with universities in the United States.

Website Research

Every US university has a website with its most basic information, so that’s the best place for you to start your research. Here, you’ll be able to see the school size, majors offered, and even extracurricular activities. You can craft your initial college list based on college websites, by filtering out universities that don’t have specific things you are looking for. A university’s website is also the place to go if you’re looking to get in contact with different departments, like admissions or financial aid.

Social Media

Following schools on social media is a great way to get a glimpse at student life on campus. Because Instagram and Snapchat are so reliant on visual content, schools typically use these channels to broadcast events happening on campus, athletic programs, and days in the life of students. It’s a quick and easy way to see a university from the eyes of a student, and can be a huge help when trying to decide between universities.

Virtual Tours

Students are constantly encouraged to visit a college campus before they enroll, and for many international students this is downright impossible. However, there are alternatives to seeing a university’s campus that don’t actually require you to go there in person. Many universities post virtual tours online, where students can see every inch of the college campus from the comfort of their homes. Here’s one example of a virtual tour of Syracuse University.

Chats with Admissions

Just because you live in another country, doesn’t mean you can’t talk to those who are responsible for deciding whether or not you’ll be admitted to the school. Most universities have their own admissions departments specifically for international students, and representatives are more than willing to answer your questions. A quick and easy way to communicate with admissions departments and get your questions answered is to chat with them online.

Virtual College Fairs

While many universities host open houses and info sessions on campus, many also broadcast similar events online. At CollegeWeekLive’s virtual college fairs, you can chat with admissions representatives from over 100 universities, watch life webcasts where admissions representatives tell you all about their universities, and get all of your questions answered. Learn more here.

This article was shared with us by CollegeWeekLive.