Red tape

Now that you've been accepted by a university, you'll need to do a lot of paperwork and this is sooooo boring !!

First, you'll have to find what documents you need to study abroad, how and where to find them and their cost.

Just in case you wanted to go there : do NOT go to the city hall. They won't be able to answer your questions unless you ask something about the passport.

Personally, I opted for doing some research on-line; there's plenty of -reliable- websites on which you can find the answers to your questions.

Let's start with the student visa : you must be enrolled in an educational institution to apply for it. Then, you'll need to go to the Consulate in order to pass an oral interview. The interviews are only broadcast in Paris -for the French people- and no, they don't pay the charges for you. Plus, you'll have to register into the computer system called SEVIS to get an interview. If the interview goes well, you'll receive the visa 48 or 72 hours later.

Be careful : during the interview, you'll need to prove that you won't stay forever in the country (at least, make them believe it), otherwise you won't receive the visa.

The visa price : around €300

Papers you'll need to travel to this destination : besides the visa, you'll obviously need a passport that you can obtain from the city hall. You'll also need and certification from your bank in which there's the proof that you have a certain amount of money on your bank account to take care of yourself during your studies -which can vary from €10,000 to €20,000.

An insurance is absolutely necessary to go to the U.S : once out of the European broadcasting zone, health care costs are your responsability. That's why you must take out an extended health insurance.

The insurance price : from €30 to €50

The passport price : €86

Yet, that's not all. On your arrival at the uni, there may be other additional fees : the Student card, the registrations for the "introductory week" and maybe for an association, all in all, you can reach an additional cost of €250.

Sources :

http://www.etudionsaletranger.fr/conseils-etudes-a-l-etranger/blog

http://www.studyrama.com/international/etudier-a-l-etranger/etudier-aux-etats-unis/les-formalites-pour-partir-etudier-aux-usa-12717