Step-by-Step Guide of How to Choose Your Day 1 CPT University & Day 1 CPT Program

If you already know about what is Day 1 CPT and how it can help you work while studying in the U.S., the next step is to choose the program and the university that fits your needs the best.

Thinking process when choosing Day 1 CPT University and Day 1 Program

Step 1: Check when your OPT expires.

Check your OPT expiration date to figure out what is your timeline. Check enrollment windows for the coming semester across all Day 1 CPT universities.

>>>Here is the tool you can use to check enrollment windows

You can choose either the one before your OPT expiration date or the closest upcoming one.

If you choose the earlier one, you need to end your OPT earlier and switch your status to CPT to continue your internship. The benefit of doing so is that there will be no gap in your work authorization, while the downside is that you will lose perhaps a week or so of your OPT time.

If you choose the enrollment window after your OPT experiment date, you will have a gap during which you cannot work. However, it can be arranged by your employers if they agree to give you a leave of absence or allow you to use your annual leave. Then, restart the payroll once your CPT I-20 is processed.

Step 2: Location is more important than you think.

After checking the enrollment windows, you should have come up with a list of Day 1 CPT universities that can take you in in a timely manner. Now, you can do the second round of screening.

Choosing Day 1 CPT universities located closer to you is more important than you think. After the ease of the pandemic, most Day 1 CPT universities resumed on-site sections and raised the bar for attendance requirements. If you already have an internship/job, the time and money you will have to spend on the commute to your Day 1 CPT universities will add up. Of course, if this is not your concern, you will have more choices.

Step 3: Accreditation & Programs

Among your Day 1 CPT university shortlist, choose the ones that are accredited to lower your chance of RFE in the future, better have one of the following accreditations:

o   Higher Learning Commission

o   Middle States Commission on Higher Education

o   New England Commission of Higher Education

o   Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

o   Southern Association of Colleges and Schools

o   WASC Senior College and University Commission

Choose your program wisely by following these suggestions:

o   If this is your second master’s degree. Do not choose a Day 1 CPT course that is too similar to your last master’s degree.

o   The Day 1 CPT course you chose must be closely related to your internship/job description. If you’d like to do an internship and develop your career as the “IT guy”, choose MSIT.

o   Try to "go up". If you’ve already had one or two master’s degrees, consider a doctoral program. Not only it make more sense from an academic advancement perspective, but you can also use OPT afterward.

o   If you still don’t know how to choose, talk to your friends who have used Day 1 CPT before for suggestions, or book a free consultation with our experts for an evaluation.

Step 4: Cost and Scholarships

If you worry about the costs, find the cheapest Day 1 CPT universities near you here.

Many Day 1 CPT universities offer scholarships to international students now. Check their official website for confirmation. Other than that,  www.day1cpt.org also provides scholarships to eligible international students who are applying for:

• Westcliff University -> $1000

• Monroe College -> $600

• Trine University -> $600

• Harrisburg University -> $600 

Other Issues to Lookout

• Non-profit vs profit, does it matter?

Yes and No. If this is your first master’s degree, it matters. If you got your master’s degrees from for-profit Day 1 CPT universities, you will not be eligible for the H1B lottery master cap selection in the future. To maximize your chance of getting an H1B in the future, you should only choose non-profit Day 1 CPT universities for your first master’s degree.

However, if this is already your second graduate-level degree and your previous graduate-level degree was obtained from a non-profit institute, then it really does not matter if you choose a for-profit or a non-profit Day 1 CPT university now. In this case, you can always use your last degree to enter the master’s cap H1B lottery. Locations, scholarship opportunities, and on-site requirements might be more important to you at this point.

Other things to consider to help you make an informative decision >>> use our screening tool here

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