Mentorship Cohort — next intake starts 1 October
GHS 3,000 · 8 places →
USA Architecture
🇺🇸 Destination Focus

Study in
the USA.

The widest choice of programmes anywhere, and the most procedural visa system. The rules changed substantially in 2026.

USA University Campus

The Advantage

Why Choose the USA?

The United States hosts the highest number of top-ranked universities in the world. It is celebrated for its incredibly flexible education system, allowing you to explore different fields before committing to a major.

Beyond the classroom, the US offers a vibrant, highly immersive campus life and access to cutting-edge technology and internship networks.

The Process

Pathways & Requirements

University Applications

From the Common App for undergrads to specialized grad school portals, we help you craft standout essays and applications.

OPT Opportunities

Optional Practical Training gives twelve months of work authorisation after graduating, extendable to three years total for eligible STEM fields. From September 2026 the process for applying changed, and travelling before you file now affects what you must submit.

Test Requirements

We provide guidance on required standardized tests, whether you need the SAT/ACT for undergrad or the GRE/GMAT for grad school.

F-1 Student Visa

We work through the I-20, the SEVIS payment, the DS-160 and the interview preparation with you. The interview is short and decides everything, and most refusals come down to funding that does not add up or an unclear reason for the course chosen.

Scholarships

Merit and athletic scholarships exist and are competitive. Need-based aid for international students is rare outside a handful of well-endowed institutions, so build your plan around what you can fund rather than what you hope to win.

Campus Life

From dormitories to off-campus apartments, we help you secure housing and prepare for the dynamic American campus culture.

The detail

What the USA actually requires

American student immigration changed materially in 2026. Some of what is still being repeated online describes a system that no longer exists.

Your visa now has an expiry date

Until now F-1 students were admitted for “duration of status” — you could stay as long as you remained enrolled. From 15 September 2026 students are admitted for a fixed period instead, based on the programme length on your I-20, capped at four years, plus a short grace period. Staying beyond it requires a formal extension application to USCIS rather than simply continuing to study. The rule is subject to congressional review, so confirm its status before you plan around it.

From Ghana, you cannot pay the SEVIS fee by card

Applicants from Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Cameroon and the Gambia must pay the I-901 SEVIS fee by money order, Western Union Quick Pay, or a certified check drawn on a US bank. Card payment is not available. It is a small thing that wastes an afternoon if nobody tells you.

Two separate government fees

The I-901 SEVIS fee is USD 350 and the DS-160 visa application fee is USD 185. They are paid through different systems, and the SEVIS receipt must exist before you can book an interview. Arriving at an interview without it means refusal with no same-day remedy.

You must show the full first year

Your I-20 states a cost of attendance, and you must evidence funds covering all of it — tuition and living costs together, for the first year. There is no partial route. This is why the US is the most expensive destination to prove, even where the tuition itself is not the highest.

The interview decides it

A consular interview lasts a few minutes. The officer is assessing whether your course makes sense given your background, whether your funding is genuine and explained, and whether you intend to return home. Documents matter, but a coherent answer to those three matters more.

Community college is a legitimate route

Two years at a community college followed by transfer to a university costs substantially less than four years at the university, and the degree is issued by the university. It is unglamorous and it is often the difference between the US being possible and impossible.

Requirements checked 9 September 2026. US rules moved repeatedly through 2026 and the fixed-period rule is still subject to review, so confirm anything you plan to act on. The cost calculator shows the first-year figure, separating what you spend from what you only need to show.

See the costs

Ready for the USA?

A 45-minute call to work out whether the US fits your grades, your funding and your timeline.

Book a Consultation
✨