Does the image of an Ivy League college in the US keep you awake at night? And, do you aspire to study at a top foreign university? If yes! Then this blog can help… If you are planning to study abroad after completing your schooling in India, the one thing that stands in your way is an admission process that can be quite cumbersome and demanding.
To navigate through the expectations and nuances of the admission process you need help from the experts and in this blog, we have put together a handful of tips suggested by some of the best counsellors:
- Make a target
To begin with, you need to shortlist your preferred colleges and courses and make a realistic assessment of your chances of getting in. While doing your research you need to figure out which colleges and courses are the best for you and what are the challenges for getting an admission.
By the end of your research, you should have a list of 5 to 10 colleges where you get to study the course of your choice and interest. This research process will give you the much needed clarity and keep you focused on your objectives.
- Don’t limit your options
Dont judge a college based on just the name, a particular college might not be an Ivy League but it could be extremely good for the course you are opting for. The best college might be the best fit for you but not necessarily the right fit college. It is extremely important to understand the difference between the best fit and the right fit.
- Apply carefully
Each college or university in the US has its own eligibility & admission requirements and therefore you need to apply to each college separately. You should understand the unique expectation and requirement of each college and fill the application accordingly.
You will also need to collect all the documents that are mandatory for the application process. Some of the common documents and details that you must gather include:
- Academic records from school
- Certificates of extracurricular activities
- Scores from examinations like SAT, TOFEL & ACT etc
- Letter of recommendation
- Details of application fees
- Essay
- Copy of passport
- The essay makes a mark
Most applications of colleges abroad include an essay section, and this essay can be the ticket to your dream college. Remember, you are competing with students who may have better academic credentials than you, and the one thing that can make you stand out, is your essay.
Make sure to put your own perspective, ambitions and motivations in your essay, and never plagiarise someone else’s write-up.
- Start preparing early
You should start contacting the admissions head for the shortlisted colleges at least a year in advance. You’ll also need to prepare for tests like TOFEL, SAT & ACT which are mandatory requirement in most US universities; good scores in these tests will increase your chances of getting through.
- Sports can get you there
Another way of getting into a college is through the sports route. In the US, the sport’s governing body is (NCAA National Collegiate Athletic Association) & NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics).
The process of sports admission, however, can be a little challenging and to navigate through the process one needs the support of a sports admission counsellor.
R Remember, the effort that you put in the admission process is worth a lot. After all the toil and trouble, you may find yourself studying in one of the best educational institutions in the world.
