Applying to US colleges? Read & review before you submit!

It is almost the middle of December and many of you in grade 12 are now down to the last stretch before submitting your US college applications as the January 1 deadline looms near.

The last couple of months have been tough: juggling school, research and exams with seemingly endless application work – choosing colleges, filling forms, verifying academic requirements, writing and editing essays, coordinating reference letters and transcripts. As you finalise your applications don’t forget that the presentation of your application and attention to detail counts. 

Consider these 10 simple, yet critical finishing touches before you click ‘submit’.

How Many Colleges Should I Apply To?

A worried parent recently said to me – “The school is limiting the number of U.S. colleges to which my daughter can apply to ten.”  My response: “Ten?! That’s a lot of applications!”

College or MBA Admissions Interviews Coming Up? Some Useful Tips

You might be getting ready for your interview with admissions officers, other university representatives or alumni in preparations for your studies abroad. While the purpose of the interview is to help a university better understand where an applicant may fit into the campus environment, it is also a wonderful opportunity for you to ask questions, convey your sincerity and things that can’t always be put down on paper. 

Some useful tips and reminders we often share with our clients…

Angel B. Perez Says Apply To A College Early Decision Only If You Are Absolutely Sure

At Pitzer, we grapple with how many students to admit early every year.  While we want to leave enough room for students who find Pitzer through the Regular Decision process, we do find that there are significant benefits to admitting students through Early Decision.

Starting Early

Previously published in Hindustan Times Education Supplement

Lately I am seeing a lot more people tuning into the foreign undergraduate college admissions process early. This is a good trend! Preparing early is the best way to help you feel in control of the process and reduce stress at the last minute. If you plan early, you have the confidence that no matter what the outcome, you did the best you can. 

It's Not Too Late

Originally published in Hindustan Times, Education Supplement

It’s not too late! If you don’t have a plan for college either for June in India or for August abroad there are still options. Despite the promise of what the future holds, many students reach this time of year with a feeling of dread or disappointment. Due to poor planning, overconfidence or simple bad luck some students do not have an inspired plan for their first year of college. If this is you, there is still hope for study abroad options. 

Admissions Results Analysis

Originally published in Hindustan Times Education Supplement
 
During the first few weeks of April the press around the world has been buzzing with post-mortem perspectives on U.S. college admissions. First, the news came out that the Ivy League and other competitive colleges had received a record number of applications -- leading to even lower rates of admission among these already highly selective institutions. In 2012 Harvard accepted 5.9% of its applicant pool, this year it was 5.7%. The same is true for almost all colleges ranked within the top 10.

You've been admitted! Now what?

Originally Published in Hindustan Times Education Supplement

For undergraduates who applied to the US, the official notification cut off for
admissions letters is April 1st. That is only three days away! (MBA and Post-grad
applicants are also in the midst of regret/accept letters)  How can you prepare
yourself for the experience of joy, disappointment and ultimately decision?
Below are a few things to keep in mind as you navigate your way to the end of
April when you’ll have to confirm your attendance and pay your deposit.

Following Up

Originally published in Hindustan Times, Education Supplement

Happy New Year! Most college applications for the US and the second round MBA applications have been submitted by now. There are a few stray applications that are due in Mid January or February, but for the most part all should have been submitted. And for UK universities the UCAS deadline is on January 15^th. So now, with the bulk of the work behind you, what should you be doing until April 1^st when you get the decisions?

Moving On After December

Originally published in Hindustan Times, Education Supplement

The last few weeks of December is an emotional roller coaster for some applicants. Since at least December 10^th admissions decisions have been coming in for undergraduates who applied in early decision or early action programs and for MBA applicants who applied in the first round. I use the roller coaster metaphor because whether you have gotten good news or bad, you must now shift gears and think about what’s next.

Getting Your Act Together By November

Originally published in Hindustan Times, Education Supplement

You’ve been thinking about getting your college applications together for a while now. But between class work, homework, tuitions and life, you haven’t made much headway yet.  Don’t despair - if you want to apply to colleges in the US or UK, there is still time to meet the January deadlines.

Early Decisions

Originally Published in Hindustan Times Education

Many students applying to the US for undergraduate studies are intensely focused on early application rounds coming up on November 1^st.  Should you apply? The basic idea of the early deadline is that if you apply early you will get a decision before Dec 15^th (as compared with the regular decision deadline on Jan 1 where you get a decision by April 1). The variations on this deadline are Early Decision, Early Action and Single Choice Early action.

Extra Curricular Activities

Originally Published in Hindustan Times Education

I once heard an Ivy League admissions officer say “We understand that the opportunities and demands for Indian students are different than for American students. But that makes Indian students weak in extra-curriculars and, unfortunately, our process is unforgiving.”  This seemed like a harsh assesment of an Indian students, but a few years of advising I now understand his comment – many indian students lack depth in a particular extra curricular and the breadth they demonstrate is mundane and similar to all their classmates. So what can you do to make yourself stand out to admissions officers like the one quoted? 

Tips From Parents

Originally published in Hindustan Times Education

While 12^th grade students and high school counselors are ready for the college admission process, parents sometimes wake up a little late and are surprised by the rigor of the process. Applying to college abroad requires a tremendous amount of work and often the brunt of it gets shifted to parents as students get busy with exams and compulsory activities over the next 4 months. Here is some advice from parents who went through the process last year that will help this year’s support their 12^th graders who are applying to study abroad.

Who Needs a College Counselor

Originally published in HT Education 

Planning to study abroad for your Bachelor’s degree is exciting! It’s a huge decision for you and your family and taking the right steps to get through it successfully is crucial. Fortunately there are a lot of resources available to help you succeed. Among these is the option to engage a private educational consultant or college counselor. As Indian students’ interest in study abroad rises, so do number of consultants and organizations offering their services for a fee. But do you really need to hire someone? Could you get through this on your own with available free resources? And if not, what is the best way to find the right consultant and get the most out of the relationship?

The New Schools

Originally published in HT Education

New schools popping up everywhere, what does it mean for your study 
abroad plans?

There seem to be announcements on the side of every BEST bus these days advertising a new “international school”. Whether it’s the Ascend’s school’s new elementary programs, HBV’s IBDP efficiently squeezed between the Western Railway tracks and Marine Drive or the recent shift by the well established Bombay International school to transition their curriculum to IGCSE and IB, many entities are vying to prepare students with an ‘international’ education.  But the question is why are these schools growing like mushrooms? And what does it mean for your plans if you’ve set your sights on higher education outside India?

Busting Some Study Abroad Myths

Originally published in The HT Education Supplement

Who should consider study abroad?

When you think of study abroad several stereotypes come to mind: rich kids from IB schools, total brainiacs from HSC schools or IITians who want an MBA. Well here I hope to muddle those stereotypes a bit and dispel some of the myths around the kind of students who can study abroad.