EducationUSA Competitive College Clubs are intensive cohort-advising programs for secondary students preparing undergraduate applications to U.S. colleges and universities. EducationUSA advisers guide participants through college research, testing, essays, and the application process.
The shared program is delivered through local or cross-regional EducationUSA centers rather than one central global cohort. Delivery, eligibility details, application windows, and selection steps therefore vary by center.
Benefits & funding
- Cohort advising on U.S. higher education, college selection, standardized tests, essays, and applications.
- Activities may include study or book groups, lectures, workshops, community service, and cross-cultural exercises.
- Participation is free in the verified Lebanon, Tunisia, and Cairo cohorts; CCC is advising, not a scholarship. Cairo participants cover their own transport and any optional extra study materials.
- Admission to a U.S. college or university is not guaranteed.
Eligibility
- The central EducationUSA page describes CCCs for students in grades 8–11 who rank in the top 10% of their class.
- Local centers may set different grade, academic, location, language, activity, and interview requirements. Verified examples range from grades 9–11 in Cairo to grades 10–11 in Lebanon.
- Applicants must be preparing for undergraduate study in the United States and able to meet the participating center’s attendance and program commitments.
- There is no single global nationality gate, but applicants must use a participating local or cross-regional EducationUSA cohort and satisfy its local access rules.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
Education required
High School
Circlebreaker is a free database of global fellowships, scholarships and programs — every one decoded like this.
We only check the criteria we have data for. Always confirm full eligibility on the official page before applying.
Application process
- 1Find the relevant local or cross-regional EducationUSA advising center.
- 2Confirm that the center runs a CCC cohort and check its current eligibility rules, format, and dates.
- 3Complete the center-specific application by its stated deadline; some centers also interview shortlisted applicants.
- 4If selected, accept the attendance and participation commitments required by that cohort.
Program timeline
Center-specific
Application opening, deadline, interviews, and selection.
During the school year and summer
Advising meetings and cohort activities, according to the local schedule.
Most recently published Lebanon cohort application deadline; other centers use different dates.
January 11, 2026