Index
Introduction – anonymous
Basic information – Audrey
Choosing a university – anonymous
How to strengthen your application – anonymous
Should I apply for financial aid? – Jiwoo
How to handle decisions – anonymous
Introduction – anonymous
Basic information – Audrey
Choosing a university – anonymous
How to strengthen your application – anonymous
Should I apply for financial aid? – Jiwoo
How to handle decisions – anonymous
Introduction – Anonymous
Choosing and applying for universities is an overwhelming and foreign process. As people that have just gone through it, and experienced our fair share of success and disappointments, we want to share a few things we learned, and hopefully make the process easier and more rewarding for you!
Basic Information – Audrey
The vast majority of university applications in the United States are submitted through Common Applications. You only need to provide an 650-word article to all universities. However, this article is different from applying for UCAS in the UK. The article is more about how you elaborate your personal experience and development than a purely academic interest. You will get 8 prompts from CA. Then, you can choose one of the seven prompts or choose the eighth question, which is a DIY question.
People in the admissions office will read a lot of articles per day. In order to arouse the interest of the AO, your CA essay n must be thought-provoking or make them remember. I wrote a personal experience that changed my life, my academic pursuit and witnessed my growth. This article can help the admissions officer to surpass your current and predicted grades and see who is behind the application.
The Common App requires you to submit detailed information about extracurricular activities. I talked about my personal experience, MUN, Selected Choir, work experience internship, article publishing, charity work, sports activities. These are just some ideas, don't think you need to do so many extracurricular activities, as long as the activities you do are meaningful and continuing.
- Fees for applying to universities in the United States
There are some costs for applying to American universities. However, most institutions have exemptions that you can apply for. Study the institution to find the cost of the application. Most fees do not exceed $ 100. Don't let these accusations stop you. Step by step, if the cost becomes an issue, contact the school directly. You also need to take the ACT or SAT test before applying, and one of the registration fees does not exceed $ 70. There may be some costs when obtaining study guide materials or going to a test site.
- In the United States, you can apply to countless universities. Applications include essay, information requirements and interview requirements. However, it is wise not to apply to hundreds of universities because both your schoolwork and application can distract you, which is difficult for you to submit high-quality applications. Although some universities will extend their application time, you should submit it early, and do not submit it until the last minute.
- In addition, please keep in mind that some universities require that you only apply to their institutions for "Early action" or "Early decision". Usually, this deadline is around November 1st, while regular negotiations are in early January. I strongly recommend applying for EA or ED. It shows your preparation and your interest in a school. The EA, REA and ED application process may be "binding", which means that if you are accepted then you must accept the offer. It is important to study the application policy of the university you want to apply to, so that you can fully understand the application deadlines, requirements and additional conditions.
- If you really like a university, email or call the Admissions Office to ask questions to show your interest, but not those that can only be answered by browsing the school website. If you can, try to meet universities' representatives or alumni. Expressing interest will never hurt your application, it will only help.
People in the admissions office will read a lot of articles per day. In order to arouse the interest of the AO, your CA essay n must be thought-provoking or make them remember. I wrote a personal experience that changed my life, my academic pursuit and witnessed my growth. This article can help the admissions officer to surpass your current and predicted grades and see who is behind the application.
The Common App requires you to submit detailed information about extracurricular activities. I talked about my personal experience, MUN, Selected Choir, work experience internship, article publishing, charity work, sports activities. These are just some ideas, don't think you need to do so many extracurricular activities, as long as the activities you do are meaningful and continuing.
- Fees for applying to universities in the United States
There are some costs for applying to American universities. However, most institutions have exemptions that you can apply for. Study the institution to find the cost of the application. Most fees do not exceed $ 100. Don't let these accusations stop you. Step by step, if the cost becomes an issue, contact the school directly. You also need to take the ACT or SAT test before applying, and one of the registration fees does not exceed $ 70. There may be some costs when obtaining study guide materials or going to a test site.
- In the United States, you can apply to countless universities. Applications include essay, information requirements and interview requirements. However, it is wise not to apply to hundreds of universities because both your schoolwork and application can distract you, which is difficult for you to submit high-quality applications. Although some universities will extend their application time, you should submit it early, and do not submit it until the last minute.
- In addition, please keep in mind that some universities require that you only apply to their institutions for "Early action" or "Early decision". Usually, this deadline is around November 1st, while regular negotiations are in early January. I strongly recommend applying for EA or ED. It shows your preparation and your interest in a school. The EA, REA and ED application process may be "binding", which means that if you are accepted then you must accept the offer. It is important to study the application policy of the university you want to apply to, so that you can fully understand the application deadlines, requirements and additional conditions.
- If you really like a university, email or call the Admissions Office to ask questions to show your interest, but not those that can only be answered by browsing the school website. If you can, try to meet universities' representatives or alumni. Expressing interest will never hurt your application, it will only help.
Choosing a university – Anonymous
Start early...so you can stop early enough
Universities, US ones in particular, tend to market themselves aggressively, creating the impression that they desperately want you at their school. I’m also an extremely indecisive person. These two factors combined bled into a dangerous complacency for me. I began to spend too much time “shopping” for schools, watching Youtube “day in the life”s to see whether I liked the environment enough to apply, leaving way too little time to focus on making strong applications. Only when decisions season came, and I got a couple of rejections, did I realise that schools are “shopping” for you, and not the other way around. There’s no point spending months and months choosing the perfect handful of universities to apply to, leaving only one month to write weak applications for them. So, I suggest thinking about, and deciding which universities you want to apply to, early enough to leave 2-3 months before the application deadline to create quality pieces (I got rejected from a uni whose app I wrote poorly because of the lack of time I created for myself. Trust me, in a weird way, it feels much better getting rejected from a uni you know that you tried your best for, because you aren’t left with the nagging hypothetical that if you had just tried more, and had more time, maybe you would be in...).
I know everyone says this, but rankings really don’t matter! Sure, try to apply to schools in the top 200 or so, if that’s what you care about. But in truth, the numbers are pretty much meaningless. And here’s why:
Universities, US ones in particular, tend to market themselves aggressively, creating the impression that they desperately want you at their school. I’m also an extremely indecisive person. These two factors combined bled into a dangerous complacency for me. I began to spend too much time “shopping” for schools, watching Youtube “day in the life”s to see whether I liked the environment enough to apply, leaving way too little time to focus on making strong applications. Only when decisions season came, and I got a couple of rejections, did I realise that schools are “shopping” for you, and not the other way around. There’s no point spending months and months choosing the perfect handful of universities to apply to, leaving only one month to write weak applications for them. So, I suggest thinking about, and deciding which universities you want to apply to, early enough to leave 2-3 months before the application deadline to create quality pieces (I got rejected from a uni whose app I wrote poorly because of the lack of time I created for myself. Trust me, in a weird way, it feels much better getting rejected from a uni you know that you tried your best for, because you aren’t left with the nagging hypothetical that if you had just tried more, and had more time, maybe you would be in...).
- Think about what type of lifestyle you want for your next 4 years. Eg. Do you want a small population in a suburb on the East Coast, with intimate class sizes and a nurturing environment for undergrads, or do you want a large population in a city on the West Coast, with many research and internship opportunities?
- But...if you’re like me, and can’t decide whether you prefer a large or small population, urban or rural or suburban, I suggest choosing the top few universities that appeal to you for each polar factor. For example, I like both urban and suburban, and I’m not sure which one I like better. So I would apply to the top two urban schools that I like, and the top two suburban schools. This way, my options remain open, my acceptance or rejection by the subsequent schools also help to make some of the decision for me, but wherever I go, it’s somewhere that I like.
- Make sure you apply to a reasonable amount of universities. Not too many, to overwork yourself, but also not too little. At the end, you want to be able to have many options available to you.
- If you’re ambitious, and feel you would only be happy somewhere “prestigious”, then don’t be ashamed in applying to many “prestigious” schools! It will only increase your chances of getting into the type of place you want anyway. Don’t let what other people think about you influence such a big decision about your future. No one can fault you for seeking a quality education. Just remember to have a couple of safeties and targets in there, that are still good, and that you would love to go to, but just have a higher acceptance rate, so that in the worst-case scenario, you will still be able to go somewhere you are proud of.
I know everyone says this, but rankings really don’t matter! Sure, try to apply to schools in the top 200 or so, if that’s what you care about. But in truth, the numbers are pretty much meaningless. And here’s why:
- Rankings fluctuate and are not standardized between the companies issuing the ranking and sample size. For example, when I was choosing between school A and school B, and initially thought I would depend on the rankings, I found that school A was higher than school B by 30 ranking positions, in the QS global list. However, according to the Niche national listing, school A was lower than school B by 32 ranking positions. Rankings are extremely variable.
- The published rankings use criteria that is likely very different from what is actually important to you. For example, one criterion on the global list is the number of citations per faculty. Personally, this means nothing to me, and I would not view a school any higher based on this. In choosing between schools, I created my own set of criteria. Eg. Location, diversity, research opportunities, employment prospects…etc. Then I ranked each school by each criteria, and added up the totals. Naturally, I found that the total rankings of schools by my own criteria were vastly different from what the published rankings claimed. Ultimately, choosing a uni and attending it for the next four years is your own experience, and not the experience of the publisher of the ranking. Therefore, it is important you choose one based on your own set of criteria, and choose the school that makes the most sense for you.
How to Strengthen Your Application – Anonymous
Again, Start Early! I know, as a sophomore, or even a junior, college seems like an eternity away. And by all means, do live in the present! But keep in the back of your mind that high school will end someday, and future-you will thank you for giving yourself extra time to prepare by starting early. Personally, I started way too late. Though I vaguely wanted to end up somewhere good, I was one of the kids who kept dismissing “college” as a faraway fantasy, and wasn’t one of the kids who had a tiger mom to drill me about the impending reality of it every day. For those of you who are like me, here are some practical tips.
2. SELF-REFLECTION. US Unis love a perceptive and introspective student, and their essays are likely going to ask you to get really personal. They want to know who you are as a person, how you think, what you went through. Especially the Commonapp essay.
- doing summer programs/research opportunities abroad/internships (these look great on apps)
- Other than hitting the books, spend time exploring and developing your interests, but with purpose. Colleges love passionate students, and they can tell immediately from your app. Having a resume 5-pages-long of participating in miscellaneous activities is nowhere near as impressive a 1-page resume of concentrated activities you have been taking part in or leading, for 4 years or more. For example, if you love writing, then make sure your app shows it! Eg. 4 years as president of journalism club, winner of a short story competition, founder of creative writing workshop…etc.
2. SELF-REFLECTION. US Unis love a perceptive and introspective student, and their essays are likely going to ask you to get really personal. They want to know who you are as a person, how you think, what you went through. Especially the Commonapp essay.
- Commonapp essay questions tend to have common themes of challenges, realizations, solving problems, and your background. Start thinking about how you would answer these now. Don’t be scared to dive deep. Think of your biggest fears, what your identity and self-esteem is built upon, what you want. A good essay can make all the difference in your acceptance or rejection.
- I challenge you to keep a diary—don’t panic, you don’t have to commit to it daily—but at least each time a realization about yourself or your culture comes to you, or something happens that shakes you, write it down so you don’t lose it. You’ll thank yourself later.
- Remember that admissions officers can smell BS from a mile away. So here, I give Mark Twain’s advice: “Write what you know”. At the end of the day, authenticity beats originality.
- The summers after freshman and sophomore year are the most important. (The summer after junior year, you want to spend touring and visiting the campuses of your potential university choices. The summer after senior year…you’re going to college!). Spend them by:
- doing summer programs/research opportunities abroad/internships (these look great on apps)
- Create a schedule to commit certain times throughout the week to work on your college essays. As an IB student, I didn’t spend half as much time as I needed to on college essays. I always thought working on my EE, or studying for the next math test was more important, perhaps because it had more immediate consequences. But take heed! The colleges that accept you, albeit a consequence that’s farther away, is a much more serious thing than getting one mark higher in your EE.
Should I Apply for Financial Aid? – Jiwoo
Okay, i hear many people asking whether to apply for financial aid or not, as for many universities, it negatively impacts whether you get admitted to a university or not. I would like to explain both sides of applying for fin aid so you can evaluate on your own + tell you a brief process of how to apply.
1. Why financial aid is important
US is well-known for their world-class education, and for a lot of digits in the tuition pricetag. Yearly tuition may range up to $60000 for typical private universities(it is cheaper for US and in-state students). But consider the fact that you’ll be spending significantly more money on other aspects, like residence and living cost.
I will give you a rough estimation: a few of my acquaintances go to UC berkeley, a public university in California. Although tuition is a bit more than $40000, they told me about $100000 is needed for their student life.
I understand that expense would vary greatly depending on one’s lifestyle, but one thing to be aware is that, don’t make a tight estimation of how much you’ll spend. You might get sick (and US medical treatment fee is expensive... their medical insurance isn’t as developed), there will be countless small expenses like textbooks and stationary, and you may want to spend some money for yourself, like enjoying your great college life!
If you are not applying for financial aid, do it only when you can sufficiently and abundantly afford the 4+ years of LIFE (not tuition) in the US, while not dangering your financial sustainability in the future. DO NOT reject the idea of financial aid simply because you think that it will reduce your chance of getting into your university.
It is important to make clear of what factors are more important. During the application process in high school senior life, it may seem like quality of education and ranking is the most dominant factor. It surely is important, but it would have no meaning if you can’t afford to go. Refer to https://www.topuniversities.com/student-info/student-finance/how-much-does-it-cost-study-us for more information
2. How financial aid affects your admission status.
There are 5 universities in US that has need-blind admission and full-need financial aid to all students, including international applicants. This means that regardless of whether you applied of financial aid, regardless of your financial status, it will not affect your admission results. The following are the five universities.
The rest, either has a slim door of financial aid to international students, or could negatively impact your admission result. (most public universities don’t provide financial aid to international students). Keep this in mind while you’re applying, best to search these information on the official website. This chart could be found if you search on google.
1. Why financial aid is important
US is well-known for their world-class education, and for a lot of digits in the tuition pricetag. Yearly tuition may range up to $60000 for typical private universities(it is cheaper for US and in-state students). But consider the fact that you’ll be spending significantly more money on other aspects, like residence and living cost.
I will give you a rough estimation: a few of my acquaintances go to UC berkeley, a public university in California. Although tuition is a bit more than $40000, they told me about $100000 is needed for their student life.
I understand that expense would vary greatly depending on one’s lifestyle, but one thing to be aware is that, don’t make a tight estimation of how much you’ll spend. You might get sick (and US medical treatment fee is expensive... their medical insurance isn’t as developed), there will be countless small expenses like textbooks and stationary, and you may want to spend some money for yourself, like enjoying your great college life!
If you are not applying for financial aid, do it only when you can sufficiently and abundantly afford the 4+ years of LIFE (not tuition) in the US, while not dangering your financial sustainability in the future. DO NOT reject the idea of financial aid simply because you think that it will reduce your chance of getting into your university.
It is important to make clear of what factors are more important. During the application process in high school senior life, it may seem like quality of education and ranking is the most dominant factor. It surely is important, but it would have no meaning if you can’t afford to go. Refer to https://www.topuniversities.com/student-info/student-finance/how-much-does-it-cost-study-us for more information
2. How financial aid affects your admission status.
There are 5 universities in US that has need-blind admission and full-need financial aid to all students, including international applicants. This means that regardless of whether you applied of financial aid, regardless of your financial status, it will not affect your admission results. The following are the five universities.
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
- Harvard University.
- Princeton University.
- Yale University.
- Amherst College.
The rest, either has a slim door of financial aid to international students, or could negatively impact your admission result. (most public universities don’t provide financial aid to international students). Keep this in mind while you’re applying, best to search these information on the official website. This chart could be found if you search on google.
I applied to financial aid to all private universities (except those that explicitly state that there isn’t much financial aid available to international students on the website), and got rejected/waitlisted to all of them. Although many factors may have affected my results, I personally think that financial aid application has affected it too. Regardless, I do not regret applying for financial aid, as it is crucial for me!
3. How to apply for financial aid.
Each application system may have different processes. For many universities in common app, you apply through CSS profile in Collegeboard. https://cssprofile.collegeboard.org/
In here, you need to refer to several official financial information and fill it in. it is best to do this is advance, as it may take some time to get those info. These information includes Income tax return, bank status etc. some of these documents will need to be sent electronically to each universities. Refer to some youtube videos and articles on tips for financial aid application! Communication with your parents is vital too, as financial records are often prepared by them, and monetary aspects of applying to university often should be often discussed with parents.
3. How to apply for financial aid.
Each application system may have different processes. For many universities in common app, you apply through CSS profile in Collegeboard. https://cssprofile.collegeboard.org/
In here, you need to refer to several official financial information and fill it in. it is best to do this is advance, as it may take some time to get those info. These information includes Income tax return, bank status etc. some of these documents will need to be sent electronically to each universities. Refer to some youtube videos and articles on tips for financial aid application! Communication with your parents is vital too, as financial records are often prepared by them, and monetary aspects of applying to university often should be often discussed with parents.
How to Handle Decisions Season– Anonymous
It’s good to be confident, but it’s also good to manage your expectations. If you’re like most people, it is easy to fall prey to the idea that you are somehow the anomaly, despite what the numbers tell you. It’s a combination of optimism bias, and the sunk-cost fallacy—you spent so much time on an application for one particular school, that it is incomprehensible that they would reject you and render all your efforts useless.
How to handle rejection
We wish you guys all the best of luck with the whole application process, and we hope you will all end up going somewhere that makes you happiest.
- Of course, who knows, you just might be one of that 5%, and congrats to you! But building your hopes up might be more devastating than managing your expectations if you are rejected, so just try to keep an open mind before your decision arrives.
How to handle rejection
- Please remember that what admissions officers are rejecting is simply the you that was presented on paper, at that cross-sectional slice of time in your life. It isn’t the whole of you. They don’t know the real you! So don’t be discouraged. The admissions process is highly random, impersonal, and far from perfect.
- Even if your application somehow was able to present all of your identity and the very essence of what you are on paper, being rejected might be a godsend. I know, you might think of it as your “dream school” now, but it’s likely that if they didn’t like you that much, then you wouldn’t like them that much either when you got there. Rejections are sometimes a helpful indicator of the right “fit”. Also, you want to go somewhere where you’re valued! Remember, college ultimately is more about growing as a person, in the company of people who appreciate you, instead of a ruthless, lonely fight to the top.
We wish you guys all the best of luck with the whole application process, and we hope you will all end up going somewhere that makes you happiest.