Evaluate a global university from afar
November 7th, 2016In the midst of application season, it’s easy to be so task-focused that we lose excitement for what the next step is all about. Yet college is exciting! It is, above all, a place where you will build your future and expand your worldview. Most of our students choose a college away from home so they can be challenged by different experiences; some students choose to be even more adventurous and attend a school outside of their home country.
Although contemplating a school outside of the country may be an excellent choice, there are some factors to take into consideration. It may be difficult to visit all of the international universities that you would like to, or you may not be able to travel abroad at all before making your final decision. According to Anayat Durrani, author of the article we’ve linked to today, there are some great ways to assess colleges overseas without visiting in person. We might add that as is so often the case, the advice in Durrani’s article is also highly relevant to families considering boarding schools outside of their home countries.
Article below published October 25, 2016
Written by: Anayat Durrani
When Singaporean-French student Claire Deplanck and her parents began researching potential universities abroad, they used all available resources – and did so from their home in the Philippines.
Not all prospective international students have the luxury of visiting university campuses abroad. They have visa issues to contend with, as well as time constraints and travel costs. But there are other ways to adequately assess a university without visiting.
Read more at US News >>
Tagged: Applications, Campus visits, College, Travel
College applications: coming down the home stretch
October 24th, 2016In last week’s blog we shared tips to help you motivate yourself if you’re having a bit of a mid-semester slump. Some students feel overwhelmed at this time of the year when it comes to completing quality work on time, and seniors have the added overlay of college applications.
In order to finish your applications with excellence it is very important to work well ahead of published deadlines, allowing ample time to proofread and make sure your work is at its highest level. In previous years we’ve heard reports of technical glitches happening on the due date for many colleges; by submitting applications ahead of deadlines, this can be avoided. Thank goodness, we’ve never had a Shrop Ed student caught at the final hour in this way. However, some seniors are still working on finishing applications due November 1, and other deadlines will come up quickly!
The article posted below, published by US News, gives great tips for avoiding application mistakes, so we wanted to share this excellent set of recommendations as you come into the final stretch.
Article below published September 11, 2013
Written by: Courtney Rubin
Colleges are sure to find your international baccalaureate degree impressive – but not if you call it an “international bachelorette” on your application. That’s a spell-check-induced gaffe cited by deans of admission at more than a couple schools.
What are some other mistakes that drive college admissions staffers crazy – and sometimes send the applicant straight to the rejection pile? U.S. News asked pros from around the country to weigh in on what they’d strongly rather you not do. Here are some of the highlights.
Read more at US News >>Tagged: Applications, College
Class of 2017, College Essays Await!
May 31st, 2016The Common Application and the Coalition for Access, Affordability and Success have both released their essay topics for next year. Now is when the fun starts! Brainstorming, daydreaming, identifying the best parts of who you are to share through your prose with admission committees can be a wonderful exercise. Become a playwright or a screenwriter; think of vibrant details that can come alive through story-telling, giving readers a wonderful sense of your voice and personality.
We’re often conflicted about offering examples of essays past, as it’s so important that students’ essays be authentic and very much their own. Some colleges, however, have done us the favor of posting “essays that worked” so new applicants can have some useful context.
- Here’s Connecticut College’s link to essays that worked: https://www.conncoll.edu/admission/apply/essays-that-worked/
- And here’s a similar link shared by Johns Hopkins University: https://apply.jhu.edu/apply/essays-that-worked/
Whether or not you’re applying to either college, the sites are well worth exploring as they offer excellent tips and examples.
***
On a more concrete level, here’s what you need to know about the Common Application and Coalition essays.
The Common App has been around for a long time and has over 600 college and university members at this time. Their essay topics sometimes change from year to year but for the 2016-2017 year they will offer the same five questions as last year. You’ll choose one essay prompt out of the five given, with a recommended 650 word limit. To find the essay prompts for the Common App, follow the link below.
Read more at Common Application>>
The Class of 2017 will be the first to have the option of applying through the Coalition for Access, Affordability and Success if they wish. This application currently serves about 90 college and university members, many of which overlap with the Common Application membership. The Coalition’s essay prompts have themes similar to those from the Common App, with the exception of the last, “topic of your choice.” As with the Common App, applicants will choose one of the five essay prompts, each with a recommended word limit of 550 words. To find the essay prompts for the Coalition for Access, Affordability and Success, follow the link below.
Read more at Coalition for Access, Affordability and Success>>
We look forward to brainstorming with our Comprehensive advisees who are rising seniors, and reading everyone’s essays when ready for review in the months to come. Summer is a great time for many things, including tackling college essays and applications.
Tagged: Applications, College, Essays
Tuning in to Students’ Dreams
May 9th, 2016Bill Fitzsimmons, dean of admission at Harvard, delivered a lively talk to a group of educational consultants at the IECA conference in Boston last week. Fitzsimmons’s focus on providing access to the world’s most talented students, regardless of economic circumstance, is something I’ve long known and appreciated. His insight about students’ and parents’ dreams is also legendary, and his tale of a parent of a student who applied to Harvard several years ago is worth sharing.
The student was not admitted, and the parent could not accept the decision. Many letters and phone calls ensued – always from the parent to the admission office, never from the student. For quite some time, this parent’s efforts were ceaseless. Then, a pause. Three and a half years later, the parent called again … to say that the student was nearing graduation at her alternate college choice. Upon reflection, the parent had come to realize that this college was indeed the better match for her daughter. Harvard had been the parent’s dream, it turns out, and not the child’s. So often, the pressure that children feel has to do with our own aspirations, doesn’t it?
Last week’s conference also included workshops on boarding school admission, new financial aid application procedures for colleges, international student recruitment issues, applications and auditions to theater programs, and the new Coalition application. Ahead of the conference, school and college visits in the area set the stage wonderfully as I saw students learning, growing, happy at schools that are right for them. I especially enjoyed visiting with a student who has found a great fit at my own alma mater, Tufts.
Each experience at this conference reminded me to listen carefully to my advisees, to help and encourage them as they clarify and pursue their personal goals. Much is changing in college and boarding school admission. And much is changing in today’s world that our students experience. Students remain students, however, and their successes, struggles and dreams will always be at the center of our work at Shrop Ed.
Tagged: Admission decision, Applications, Boarding school, College, Ivy league
