In the U.S. there is no clear definition of the term “institution of higher education.” In principle, any training for the maintenance of carrying out further training after high school, so-called post-secondary school, are equally likely to be called “college”, “school”, “institute” or “university.” Higher education is one of the most expensive things in the United States. The procedure for receiving and screening applicants to higher education in the USA depends on their prestige. There are no uniform requirements for applicants. In particular, one set of schools is carried out through competitive examinations, interviews, testing, for others the only condition is the presence of secondary education (for example, open enrollment in the two-year colleges). A common requirement for admission to college is to provide full documentation of completion of secondary school, a list of subjects studied at school and received his estimates, total scores on the tests, the characteristics, the results of interviews for admission. A number of American colleges and universities carry out the admission of students through a competitive tender of documents to complete high school. However, the most prestigious universities organize a competitive selection, since the number of incoming greatly exceeds the capabilities of educational institutions.
Colleges in the United States
These educational institutions offer two-year training program comparable to the first two training courses at the university. Community Colleges (community college) serving the region in which there are usually a city or county. Many students live at home rather than in a hostel. Also, students of these colleges are often timers who work during the day. Very often, community colleges recruit international students. Many of these schools offer special services for international students, for example, intensive English language programs. Some colleges provide housing for international students, and also offer advisory services.
Universities in the United States
The academic year usually starts in August or September and lasts until May or June. For international students the best time to begin training in the U.S. – it is autumn. Most new students begin studies at this time, so they can get to know each other. In addition, most courses typically last throughout the academic  year, they start in the autumn and end in the spring. Numerous foundations and nongovernmental organizations each year prepare a report on a kind of “quotation” of higher education institutions of the country (for example, “Carnegie Classification”, which ranks all American universities). Traditionally one of the best universities is included in the informal (primarily football) Club “Ivy League” – Harvard Princeton, Yale, Columbia, Brown, Dartsmut, Cornell and Pennsylvania. Highly rated Michigan, Stanford, Chicago, California, Berkeley, University of Illinois, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Williams College, Amherst College, Wellesley College (Massachusetts), Pomona College (Calif.), Swarthmore College (Pennsylvania) , Middlebury College (Vermont), Bowden’s College (Maine). Within this group of “super higher educational institutions” there are more private universities than public ones.