I am interested in going to university in America but am unsure when I should start the process.

Ideally, the process of applying to US universities will begin 1-1 1/2 years before enrolment. For most students, this is during the spring/summer at the end of Year 12. At this time, we recommend that you begin learning about the US higher education system and application process. Students will also want to begin researching and choosing US universities with a view to narrowing their search to from over 4,000 institutions to 4-6 universities to which they will apply.

Do not panic you are entering Year 13 and are just now getting started in this process. There is still plenty of time to put together your applications. You will just need to work at a faster pace!

Due to the Fulbright Commission requirement that applicants have at least two years' post-undergraduate work experience in order to be eligible for an MBA fellowship, I am not able to submit an application for funding.

If I am successful in satisfying all of the admission requirements, could I then look to the Fulbright Commission for assistance? Or would my current undergraduate status still make me ineligible regardless?

The Fulbright Commission offers highly competitive awards for postgraduate study and research each year. We no longer offer the MBA fellowship to which you have referred. Rather, we offer two types of awards for students interested in pursuing an MBA in the US, the Fulbright – British Friends of Harvard Business School MBA Award and Traditional Postgraduate Awards (any field of study). Applicants to MBA programmes at other universities are eligible for the Traditional Postgraduate Award category. Please note there are different application procedures for these awards categories.

For study in 2009-2010, two to four Fulbright – British Friends of Harvard Business School MBA awards will be granted and will cover tuition fees for the first year of study. For all Fulbright Awards, eligibility requirements include UK citizenship and a minimum 2:1 at the undergraduate level or equivalent. For this specific award, students must also have been admitted to Harvard Business School. When the competition opens, admitted students may download an application from the Fulbright website, which will be due by 3 April 2009. While work experience may be taken into account during the Harvard Business School admissions process, it is no longer a formal requirement for the Fulbright award.

For the Traditional Postgraduate Awards, acceptance to a US university is not required prior to application for these categories. Rather, Fulbright applications in these categories are due in the May, a year and a half before enrolment (ie May 2009 for study starting in August 2010). Selection takes place during the summer, allowing our staff to assist recipients with the process of applying to the US universities.

Which universities would be the best to apply to for maths?

There are over 4,000 universities in the US. With so many universities on offer, narrowing your search to the 4-6 universities to which you will apply is no easy task. However, it can be an exciting and surprising process. Many students end up finding a great match at a university or town they'd not previously heard of!

There are a wide variety of factors to consider in choosing a university. You will want to investigate the type of degrees available (two-year or four-year), type of university (public or private), majors on offer, competitiveness of admission, cost of attendance and funding, location and campus life. We suggest students and parents carefully consider which factors are their top priorities and then begin their search.

As you begin choosing universities, you may wish to visit the EducationUSA website, which is maintained by the US Department of State. Using the “College Search” feature, you may identify universities offering degrees in Mathematics. The search engine will allow you specify many of the factors above as well.