How do I apply to an American university ?   You should go to the library to find some information about American universities , and write to the Admission Office . Then the Admission Office will send you application forms and other related materials . From experience , many applicants write to several universities instead of just one .   I was told that it took a lot of time and effort to apply .   That is true . I ’ ll list for you the requirements of almost all the universities . First of all , you need official transcripts of your undergraduate work , three letters of recommendation from your professors who know your competence , and the official TOEFL ( Test of English as a Foreign Language ) score ( It ’ s usually 550 ) . Then you need a financial guarantee , and an application fee of 25 dollars .   What's to come next ? 