Chance Me

Originally published in Hindustan Times, Education Supplement

“What are my chances?” Is a question I hear often. Unfortunately, I do not have a crystal ball. It is difficult to answer these kinds of questions, especially for US colleges and MBA programs, because so much goes into the admissions process on the part of the applicant and on the part of the evaluators. I hate to discredit any of the applicant’s hard work, nor does anyone ever really know exactly what a particular admissions committee wants at any given college, in any given year. With Indian applicants who are used to a ‘cut off’ system of college placement, the idea that you could get perfect scores and still not be admitted is confusing. 

Test Time! How to Prepare for Standardized Tests

Originally published in Hindustan Times Education Supplement

With free time at hand over the summer vacations, many students are planning to buckle down and study for their standardized tests. Whether you are planning to take the SAT, SAT2, GMAT or GRE, you need to make the most of the summer break to study and crack these exams.

The Value of College Fairs

Originally published in Hindustan Times Education Supplement
 
I just love college fairs! Recently (April 20th) I attended a US college fair in Mumbai with admissions representatives from Case Western University, University of North Carolina, University of Virginia, Emory and New York University. What I love about these fairs is that the reps are so friendly, approachable and eager to help. They have been sent to India by the colleges they represent, specifically to share information about their programs, answer your questions and cultivate relationships with schools and individual students who can help them attract the student body they seek. Their only agenda here is to be helpful! 

Start your essays NOW!

Originally published in Hindustan Times Education Supplement
 

Summer breaks are upon us! My consistent advice to students is to start their essays over the summer. Of course most do not; most of us are procrastinators, but success in the college application process takes discipline, and requires students to change some deeply ingrained habits that support laziness.

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.

Making the Most of Your Campus Visit

Originally published in Hindustan Times Education Supplement

If you have already been accepted into colleges and are trying to choose one, or
if you will be applying later this year and want to make an informed target list,
it is always best to visit colleges to get an idea of what to expect.