When can I apply to the Epro 360 ESL Program?
You could apply at any time, but keep in mind that there are certain deadlines you need to meet if you would like to start your studies in the U.S. at a certain time. The earlier you apply the better but please open this link to know more about the deadlines. The semesters start in August and January each year.
Which type of visa do I need to study my ESL Program in the U.S.?
You will need to obtain the F-1 or M-1 student visa. The Epro 360 staff will assist you in the process of getting your paperwork ready to obtain the visa you need. You could also visit the official immigration source or the website of the U.S. Embassy of your country for further details.
How long does the process to get accepted by my future university take?
The application process may take only one month, but also up to one year depending on the circumstances of the student (e.g. time taken by the student to meet the requirements).
Can I choose the University where I will study my ESL Program?
Our team will analyze your profile (e.g. academic background, financial affordability, study areas of interest, preferred cities or areas, etc.) and offer you a listing of university alternatives that we know that will offer the best value for your money. We will ensure that all these universities, offered to you, are aligned to your profile and goals. We will give you plenty of time and provide you as much support as you need so you can analyze the alternatives given and choose the university that better suit your needs and goals. All that said, we are open to any suggestion that you may have. For instance, if you know the universities you would like to study, we will make sure we obtain the best information and deals from these universities, and share those with you to help get accepted by any of those.
Where does the scholarship money come from?
Remember that, since its conception, the U.S. has always been a country that has embraced the arrival of immigrants. The U.S. Government knows that foreign students are an incredible resource to keep the success of the country. Therefore, the federal and state administrations gives financial benefits to educational institutions, mostly universities, to help them provide scholarships to foreign students, who want to continue their studies in the U.S. In addition to the revenue factor, universities in the U.S. love diversity. They know the many benefits that foreign students can bring to their local students, their communities, etc. Therefore, some of them are willing to invest in scholarships for foreign students beyond the governmental funds aimed to this purpose. For all of the prior is why, in many cases, foreign students receive financial aid easier and in higher amounts than the U.S. local students. Remember that scholarships are offered by universities, and not by Epro 360, but we will make sure you obtain the best possible scholarship.
Can I enroll in the ESL Program if my level of English is not good?
Absolutely, there are usually different programs with different levels offered by each ESL program offered by our universities. An ESL Program is an excellent idea to help you obtain the TOEFL score, regardless where your level of English is now, so you can start your future program (undergraduate or master) at the same time that you can familiarize yourself with the U.S. college life. This is also an amazing opportunity for you in case you are not sure whether you want to study an undergraduate program or you just want to improve your English skills and go back home.
What are really the benefits that Epro 360 Network will offer me?
The Epro 360 Network’s final goal is to help you become successful in the U.S. through a comprehensive menu of valuable extracurricular development services. These include mainly educational mentorship and career coaching services, but also other services such as resume revising, personalized online marketing, internship offerings, etc. You will have access to professionals specialized in your area of study and future expertise. These mentors and coaches will respond to any questions you may have related to general areas of knowledge (e.g. leadership, entrepreneurship, self-discovery, etc.) in addition to your area of study, and more important, they will share their connections, personal career advices, and, some of them, their previous experience as foreign students in the U.S. with you.
Will I have to pay for my TOEFL exam while doing the ESL program?
Each university has its own policies, but on the overall, universities offer ESL students to take the TOEFL in their facilities once or twice for free. Note that the score that you obtain in this exam can be used to apply to that specific university, and could not be used to apply to other universities.
What happens if my application to obtain the U.S. visa is declined?
In the unlikely event of a rejection by the U.S. embassy, Epro 360 will assist you again for your second attempt in obtaining the student visa. If the rejection from the U.S. Embassy persisted, Epro 360 may terminate the contract, returning 50% of the amount previously paid to Epro 360 by the customer.
Can I stay with relatives or friends off campus while I am studying in the university?
Even though exceptions may exist, universities usually require international undergraduate students to live on campus, at least, their first year of studies (i.e during their freshman year). After that year, international students are usually free to decide whether to live off campus or stay on campus.
Epro 360 students are investing not only in a formal education, but they are investing to grow personally and professionally outside of classroom, they are investing on creating an expanded network of young people who share same beliefs and values, etc. Epro 360 students will have a tremendous competitive advantage compared to college graduates who did not invest in anything else outside of their formal education.
The U.S. is probably one of the best places to launch your professional career. Our own experience (e.g. co-founders), confirms that achieving the dream to find a job as an international student is still possible and very rewarding; however, you need to start to complement your international diploma, and Epro 360 is the perfect player to help you do that. But even if you don’t get a job in the U.S. or you wish to use your U.S. degree to get a job in your home country, you are going to have many advantages against those students who remained at home and did not use Epro 360. Statistically, a college degree, especially one from the U.S. is an extremely scarce commodity outside of the U.S. According to Tom Jelke, former Executive Dean at Semester At Sea, only 1% of the people on this planet get a college level degree. Also, the connections that you are going to make around the world thanks to Epro 360 and your time in the U.S. will last forever and will open you doors that you never thought they would open. Taking everything together, Epro 360 has the potential to give foreign students unprecedented opportunities.
Can I work in the U.S. while I am doing my ESL program?
International students are not authorized to work off-campus, until their second year of studies and unless they obtain special permission from the university and the Immigration department. We will advise regarding those options (e.g. CPT, OPT, etc.) when you are eligible.
However, some universities may allow you to work on campus, for your future university even starting on your first semester and during your ESL program. Most universities have a work-study program, which allows international students with an F-1 visa, to be able to work on campus. Your future work on campus will help you gain experience in areas related to your studies and also make your education more affordable. Because each university has its own rules regarding campus employment, Epro 360 cannot promise work opportunities for ALL our participants. Some Epro 360 scholarship packages will include work opportunities that we have pre-arranged for our students and these opportunities will be noted in your listing of University Alternatives, where you will choose the university you will attend. You may work in the U.S. as long as you follow the regulations imposed by the U.S. government with regards to foreign students. Currently, foreign students may legally work up to 20 hours per week on campus. Most universities will allow you to work up to 40 hours a week during your holidays (e.g. summer, christmas, etc.) and only if you decided to stay on campus.
How does the Listing of University Alternatives work?
This listing is one of our many end products of the work that we are going to be doing together. We will want to know you better with the final purpose to find you the universities that better fits your current situation, needs, and future academic and professional goals. After we achieve the prior, we will share with you a listing with university options and their approximate cost. We achieve to provide a better service than any other competitor and this is why we will research among the thousands of universities in the U.S. and eventually offer you the universities that may better fit your needs.
All U.S. universities charge an application fee that usually goes from USD 50 to USD 250 to those applicants (local and international) who want to submit their application to be accepted as students. We will pay for it. Translation agency may charge between USD 100 and USD 300 for the translation of transcripts. We will pay for it. The reason is that due to the big volume that we have and the knowledge of the industry we are able to find the best deals. We want to transfer that benefit to you. It is that simple. Some fees that you may need to incur and are not covered neither on the fees paid to Epro 360 or the money paid to the university are: health insurance, books, flights, credential of transcripts, etc.
Applicants need to provide verification that they have been awarded a high school degree from a regionally accredited institution in the U.S. or equivalent foreign degree. You will need to provide us with the transcripts of your high school records. We will take the lead in the process and coordinate with the translation agency and pay for the translation services so you have one less thing to worry about it.
When can I arrive to the university?
U.S. regulations specify that international students with an F-1 visa may enter the United States no earlier than 30 days prior to the beginning of the university semester.
How is the University admission process and who makes the final decision of my application?
Universities admission staff will decide whether your application is accepted or not. However, remember that before we send your application for admission to the University you have chosen from the Listing of University Alternatives, there are many different steps we will need to go through, which will increase our chances of your application being accepted. Epro 360 is in a perfect position to increase the chances of success in the admission process since we will perfectly know you as well as the university that we will apply on your behalf.
We are pretty confident, based on our prior experience, our knowledge of the university system, and the comprehensive analysis we will do about your case, that you will be accepted in any of the universities that we list in the Listing of University Alternatives. However, as you probably know, the decision is ultimately made by the University. If the University declines your application, we are fully committed to process as many applications as we need to get you accepted in any of the universities we have included in the listing. Remember that before we can apply to the university on your behalf, you will need to provide all the requirements we have requested to you (e.g. high school diploma, letters of recommendation, affidavit of support, TOEFL score, etc.). In summary, if we you have provided all the documents that we required and we are unable to get you accepted in the university that we offered and you chose, we can try a different university from the listing of university alternatives that we shared with you or we could reimburse you 100% of any money you previously paid to us.