I just read an article by a close friend about senior year. In the article, he talks about seniors relishing in their newfound position in high school, their last year. Students often in this state of awe often forget that there is much work to be done not only related to school but to applying to college.

While some students are reveling that they are done with SAT/ACT and language exams, others still have one or more tests to complete. Everyone also needs to complete applications and fill in all the bits and pieces, which amount to a relatively arduous task of seemingly menial information. But it is anything but menial – these are the important details, which create a picture of the student. Whether it is biographical information or the resume section of the Common App. All this information is important and needs careful thought and crafting.

Even more important is the Personal Statement. Many students underestimate the time needed to really polish and write a solid PS. Typically, a student will need to write and revise the essay four or five times, depending on the quality of a student’s writing. Most of the time, an essay reads like a dull chronology of some experience. I cannot recount how many essays I have read that have put me to sleep in the first sentence. Others start out great, only to lose me mid essay with some overbearing uninteresting overly detailed explanation of that experience. Yawn!

A couple of weeks ago, I may have mentioned that a college representative stated that students need to remember they are writing this essay to a person, not the institution. Yes! Remember that PEOPLE are going to read your essay. This is not some SAT/ACT writing prompt.

One of my students the other day stated that he did not want to boast in his essay. There is boasting – “I organized the school athletic festival, and everyone cheered!” Ok, it’s fine to say that you organized the event, but did you alone organize the whole event? How did the team work together? Things like earning 20,000 RMB for a charity event are nice, but how did that change that charity? Did you do more than just raise money? Did you deliver the books or whatever you hope to see used with the money? How did you change people’s lives and how did your life change. Take credit where credit is due but be careful of taking undue credit. Money and applause are not a reason to do something. Changing people’s lives is. But more importantly, how did that event change you.

Further, most students think very superficially about the topic on which they are writing. One of my students is writing an essay about how he always wanted to sing but had no inner confidence to perform or sing to an audience. Then one day, a teacher heard him sing and was amazed. She encouraged him to take part in the school choir and eventually sang a solo in front of his school. He thought that was going to be the essay. So when I asked him to think deeper about how that one comment from his teacher changed his life, his self-image and perspective overall, he was flummoxed. He was so focused on the topic of singing that he forgot his essay was about growth.

It is important to be aware that the Personal Statement is about you, the person. It is not really about the examples. They are the “show” part of the “telling.” Tell the story of who you are giving by “showing” how you changed. Remember that your tone of voice, language, and vocabulary should reflect the language that you actually use. Answer the question. Avoid getting sucked into the eddy of over detail. At the end, the reader, should know a lot about you, not so much about that one or more examples you cited. It’s a PERSONAL statement.

My final bit of advice – write. What you think is too challenging does not get any less so by avoiding get words down on paper or a screen. And lastly, too many eyes are too many eyes. Pick one trusted person to read your essay. The other day one of my colleagues was bemoaning the fact that one of her student’s fathers had trashed the student’s essay; an essay that was one of the best this colleague had seen in her career.

There is no best essay. There is no right way. There are lots of not so good essays. But if you write from your heart and not your head, there will be passion and your reader will want to see more that you have to say in the application.

Photo: www.ivywise.com

I just got off a webinar on the state of international admissions for colleges. One could easily transfer most of the same issues to boarding school admissions. Many of the issues are exactly the same and it is no real surprise.

The session started off with a comment that, at a conference a number of years ago, a counselor stood up and said basically that international student enrollment was here to stay and would keep growing. Well, the facts don’t actually support that viewpoint now when in fact enrollment at both universities and boarding schools has either declined or flattened.

What is interesting is that the number of applications has risen, but actual matriculations at US schools are down.

What are the reasons?

• Trump and residual effects
• Nationalism and other rhetoric around the world
• Increased options and awareness of new pathways
• Safety and Mental Health
• Racism
• Currency fluctuations
• Cost of attendance
• Visa issuance concerns

These are just some of the reasons, but certainly these and others are impacting how students and families are making choices, which affect applications and enrollment around the world at both universities and schools. One of the factors here in China is the increase in options particularly for high schools. The number of schools now offering innovative (for China) education seems to grow by the day. From bilingual schools to schools experimenting with curricular concepts to schools planning to use the Mastery Transcript in the future. Families have more options and are thus more discerning in their choices. Commonly heard are comments like, “If I/we can’t get into a  “good” school I/we will stay where we are.”

One side affect of this last point is that families are, to some extent but not always, willing to use unethical means of securing a place at a top school. The Varsity Blues Scandal only highlighted some of the inequities in admissions, but strangely parents response was not only shock, but “How much do I need to donate?” Further, colleges and universities are also seeing grade inflation or unreliable GPAS and predicted grades (AP, IB, A Level to name a few). This has only increased the pressure on student’s expectations, challenged perceptions, and added more confusion to their application and research process.

Because of the reasoning above, schools and universities are now seeing more and more melt, to the point that one university mentioned they lost 5 students who had gone through the complete enrollment and visa process. They just didn’t show up. For some universities 5 students is not an issue, but for smaller institutions, it can be significant. We have seen the same thing with boarding schools. Great schools have in the last couple of weeks announced that they are still looking have lost students who had committed.

Of all these current issues, it places enrollment management in a challenging situation as they seek more stable channels for students without relying on one specific region, country, or population. With decreased budgets, expectations, or institutional priorities for greater socio-economic and ethnic diversity in the student populations, admissions staffs are challenged to meet and manage expectations of higher management, boards, and other key members of the community.

It goes without saying that the world is not what it used to be five or ten years ago. But the impact of the changes present interesting challenges to all stakeholders – students and their families, schools, and universities. In some ways this will force recruiters to look deeper at their marketing to really point out significant advantages to their schools, be clearer and cleaner in admission processes and associated benefits – merit scholarships, financial aid for universities, and also focusing on direct outcomes of their institution rather than relying on ranking to drive admissions. One can only hope this to be true!

Everyone has a stake but one thing is clear there will always be challenges in any kind of admissions. The world is in flux, just as it has always been. The response to an ever-changing world is to adapt, educate and move forward.

Photo: www.wnycstudios.org

Over the last three days, there have been a number of college visits to Beijing with the likes of Stanford, Berkeley, Dickinson, and several others. While it seems a bit early since most schools have just started up, it only marks the opening of application season.

 University visits are both increasingly important and valuable to some extent. Let’s talk about why they are important. Attending presentations is an important part of a student’s research. It is an important place to ask the expert about specific courses, programs, and information one cannot glean from a university website. It is also crucial that students complete Inquiry Cards, which indicate that you attended a reception and put your name on their radar. Finally, you should collect the representative’s name card, so you now have a contact to ask further questions, connect with current students and even professors in areas in which you are interested. These are also the same people who may be giving your application a “first read,” so having their information is a good thing.

 Why are events like this “somewhat important?” First off it is not an interview, nor do representatives have the time to speak deeply about you. They are general in nature. Nor is it about impressing the representative – that comes in the application or perhaps an actual interview. The other reason is that there usually are just too many students. As with the Berkeley, Stanford, Lafayette, and Bard presentation, most of the students attending were there for only two of the schools. Which, by the way, is really sad since the other two are amazing institutions but because they are not “ranked” students didn’t really pay attention to them.

 Overall, students misunderstand the relevance of presentations like these. Every student already knows that certain schools are “good.” Often bantered about are statements like “Top 20”, “Top 50” etc… and to be honest, I am not sure what that means exactly. Yes, of course, it points to US News, or World ranking but on a student-level what does it really mean? One of my favorite journalists, Frank Bruni, just wrote an Op-ed article When Did College Turn So Cruel which speaks to the current impact of the state of admissions. He has written other articles but also known for having written Where You Go Is Not Who You Will Be. I’ve added the Amazon link so you can have a good read.

So coming back to the importance of presentations, they should be about investigating a wide variety of schools and learning about what you do know or dispelling preset ideas that X College is not a good school because it is not highly ranked. Had a student attended one of the recent mini fairs, they might have learned that a particular college has had an engineering program long before MIT. They might have also learned about the value and importance of attending an all women’s university. Attending presentations should not just be about what you already know or think you know, but being open-minded enough to look further to understand the value of education through a broad spectrum of schools.

By the way, the visits that are happening this Fall/Autumn aren’t really meant for Seniors but are for Juniors. This is the opportunity for you to start thinking about where you might focus your research in the coming year. There will be a number of opportunities, including big universities fairs around the city. Make time and go; this is your future. Don’t let your future hang on some number in a ranking scheme that has very little to do with you. You are better than that. It takes time to be responsible for your future.

Photo: kuder.com

I think not! International schools are slowly opening around Beijing after what seemed like a long summer. As students begin anew, fresh from summer vacation, it’s time to get heads on ready for the rigors of homework, tests, exams, sports and other time demanding, but important tasks. School is here!

There are a number of things that students need to contemplate as school begins. First of all, students should spend some time evaluating their summer – not just what they did but what they learned? How did their perspective change? What value was added to their overall outlook? Who influenced them and in what ways – friends, teachers, staff, etc…? What were the main take-a-ways from their summer experience? These are just a few questions to be asked and the answers written down. This could be good fodder for application essays.

Lots of students look forward to school starting. Seeing old friends, making new ones and prepare themselves mentally for the coming school year. It is important that students set down on paper some goals (reasonable, attainable, and perhaps aspirational). If you are a Grade 11 student, it is important to remember this is, in some instances the last set of grades colleges will see (if you are applying Early next year). If you are a Grade 12 student, you have lots to do – complete researching schools, take final standardized tests (ACT, SAT, TOEFL, IELTS), write essays and do well in school. In either case, don’t sacrifice quality for expediency. Don’t cut back on the rigor of your academics to get a “higher” GPA. Take the challenge!

School is a wonderful place, yet sometimes students get complacent. Old habits re-emerge and lethargy sets in. Be vigorous, work hard, and find compelling interests. If there are few to choose from, create something new – a new club, activity, and project. If you let go of an activity you once enjoyed, restart. Find ways that you can truly engage yourself above and beyond the classroom, but not at the expense of time or grades.

Sometimes reinvigorating after summer can be hard. A student mentioned the other day that the first few weeks of school would be slow and no homework. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that teachers are going to take it easy, especially if you are entering either of the last two years of school and particularly if you are taking AP, A-Level, or IB courses. It’s time to rock!

Lots of new things come with the start of school. Over the summer, schools have been refurbishing, updating, and getting ready for the new school year. At many schools there have been lots of new hires, so you may find that you have new teachers or even college counselors. A common statement heard is that “these teachers don’t know me.” Yes, that is true, but your job is to get to know them, particularly if they are in the areas where you need letters of recommendation/references for applications. It is also particularly true of new college counselors. Schedule a meeting with them as soon as possible and make it a regular event. Share your insights on where you are thinking about applying if you’re a senior, ask their advice, give them a cheat sheet on your achievements, personal qualities, etc. If you’re a Junior, the same is true.

So while the dog days of summer are coming to a close, it’s time to refocus, revitalize, and get with the program. Make the most of the year to come. Keep up the intensity throughout the year, seek challenges, create new ones, and have a great year. Make a schedule of when and what needs to be done, so nothing gets lost. It will be a great year, but only if you keep everything in focus!

Photo: hanfordsentinel.com

Trying to avoid the politics of the current trade “issue” between China and the US is becoming a bit of a challenge, with the recent news that China has issued a warning that the US is not welcoming to Chinese students. Some of this is related to the increasing costs of applying for an F-1 Visa. Some of it is related to the news confirming what we have heard for a while, that students applying for visas will need to supply usernames and passwords for ALL social media. Included under these conditions are email addresses and phone numbers. All of this will be part of the background check and will begin this month. Finally, China issued a direct warning on Monday to citizens due to the increased scrutiny on students studying STEM subjects, the increasing US concerns about Confucius Institutes at US universities and of course, other escalating issues related to the trade war.

Sorry for the long introduction, but the rest of the article needs some context. One thing that’s certain is that the US administration is currently focused on certain issues related to the overall health of the US economy. This article’s purpose is not to take sides but point that out, or at least point out some of the concerns are valid and others just tit-for-tat posturing on both sides.

China is currently the largest sender of foreign students to the US with more than 363,000 students at universities and colleges, and even more if we include high schools and lower grades. Related to that is the amount of financial support Chinese students provide not just to the schools they attend, but local economies. Further, many of these same students are an important part of scientific research.

Suffice it to say that the interwoven nature of China/US relations is more complicated than the trade war. Both countries need to have well-educated students with broad educational experiences to maintain their vibrant economies. The repercussions of all of this are being felt around the world even though it is specific to both countries.

In reality, none of this is new news, which leads to the concept of perception. Are students being denied visas? Yes, they are. At a higher rate than before? Probably, but perhaps not significantly. News tends to heighten concerns rather than focus on actual results. Let’s just say news can amplify what is really happening to create a frenzy, which then results in panic.

It is important to note that schools want Chinese students, and not just for the money they provide. The international diversity of a school is essential on many levels. Cross-cultural education is important for the world that we currently live in. While nationalism is on the rise, most of the fear is spread by not knowing, not understanding or the inability to be open-minded. Diversity provides the space for dialogue of understanding. After all, we share this place called Earth.

So as we look forward, students who have all their information prepared for their visa appointments will most likely be successful. With all the dialogical digressions, it is important for all concerned to not feed into the perception created by posturing. This does not mean one shouldn’t be concerned; it just means everyone should be well prepared.

Photo: kerrycollison.blogspot.com

As folks may remember my daughter, Maddy, is currently a freshman at university and for the most part she loves it. Everyone may recall that when she made her final choice in schools that she would apply to several were not on the list of schools we had visited. One of those is where she is now attending.

First semester went exceedingly well. She made a bunch of good friends during orientation programs, both for international (she attended an international school in Malaysia) and regular orientation. She fully appreciated both programs since she was able to not only make strong friendships with students with her background, but also sort her way around school. Her roommate is one of those good friends and has been a vital part of her transition.

International school prepared her well for the academic side of school life and she made it on the Presidents Scholars list, of which I am enormously proud. The best grades she has ever earned. So while I say this with much pride, there are parts of her transition, which have been a bit of a challenge.

For Christmas/Winter Holiday, Maddy decided that she wanted to go back to Malaysia to see her high school buddies. She felt that is might be the last time she would be able to see them, as would be the case for many students whose families are on two to three year international business contracts. She had a great time catching up and hanging out. When she returned to university it was what they call J Term (January Term) – a period where students take one class for a month. This is where the cracks started to show up.

Before moving forward with the story, Maddy announced in late November that she was going to participate in Rush for a Sorority. When she applied and through her research of the university she came to the conclusion that Greek Life was not a big thing at her school, students could either participate or not, no big deal either way. Anyway she was quite excited about it, had her eye on one sorority and was quite anxious about going through Rush.

At the end of J Term and after a brief vacation, Maddy came back to the insanity of Rush. Rush is basically like applying for a job, but at a sorority (sororities are for women and fraternities are for men – usually). Over the three day period, starting with day one – nine interviews with each sorority, day two students interview with the callbacks sororities followed with day three the final choice day. Needless-to-say is was anxiety filled, frustrating and chaotic. Choices she had made didn’t come through, her friends were chosen by other sororities, and Maddy realizing the sororities were a much bigger deal than she was led to believe.

Through the daily phone calls and conversations Maddy came to a couple of realizations. One, that she missed her friends from high school. Friends that she had made at college were making other plans once other sororities selected them. She felt lonely and frankly disgruntled.

There were a few other issues – not being able to get the classes she needed for her intended major since Sophomores and Juniors were taking them to catch up on credits they needed and some of her professors for the coming semester were not that strong.

While some of the above are commonplace issues and concerns of all freshmen, my point is that it takes a lot of research to make sure the school students choose may not be the exact paradise one imagines. Inner workings of schools, professors, friendships – both past and present, the reality of life come to the fore and what once seemed ideal becomes a challenge. Maddy at one point during our conversations, was considering transferring.

As a parent it takes a lot of patience and understanding to help get through these moments of crises. I had to remind her that if she moved, she would still be the same person; just the location would be different. I had to coach her through reaching out to professors, her advisor and her friends to sort out and clear up the issues she was dealing with at the moment. And I had to remind her that in making the choices she’d made, that she needs to take responsibility for making them work. Running wasn’t going to solve anything.

January has always been, it seems, a time when the world comes crashing down. Winter, short days, and other factors play a role students attitude and outlook. Now that she had gone through Rush and made nice with her friends, Maddy is back on track. Thankfully!

As university decisions are in the process of coming, it is important for students and families to fully consider all aspects when choosing that final school. Location is a key factor, where friends are going and potential support systems to name a few things to remember. That dream school may have its quirks and foibles that cannot be anticipated. Be ready to ride through them by reaching out to advisors and professors and have a good support group to fall back on – namely parents who are understanding and patient.

Photo: wikipedia.com

There was recently a post by an education firm that seemed to take a rather cavalier attitude toward early decision agreements for universities in the US.

First of all, what is early decision (ED) as compared Early Action (EA)? The main difference is that ED is a contract between the student, his parents, the school that student attends and the school to which they are applying. The purpose and point of the contract is that a student agrees that admission is binding and the student will commit to attending that school. Further, the fact that the student, the parents and the school counselor sign the ED Agreement is so that everyone is aware of and understands what the contract states and further that the family has considered all the issues related to applying under such conditions, including financial obligations. Students may only apply to one school ED.  It should be very clear to all involved that this is not an agreement to take lightly or to use as a way to game the system or weigh ones chances versus another college. Finally, a student must withdraw all other applications if made and may not apply to any other schools. They are done and in to their first choice school.

Early Action on the other hand is not as rigid. It is basically an early application so that a student may know early in the admission process that they have a school in their pocket. Some schools do have a slightly more rigid Early Action program called Single Choice EA. Under this application students may only apply to this type of school early i.e. no ED and no other EA applications may be submitted. This choice is so that the student may know early and be able to make choosing this school with out conflict with other early applications. Schools like Stanford and Georgetown have this option.

Back to the post about ED. The point that it seemed to be making was that there really was no repercussion if a student decides not to attend if accepted. The article points out that there are no legal repercussions and that the contract is more like a “Gentlemen’s agreement.” Nothing could be further from the truth. Let’s break this down a bit further. Choosing a school ED is something that should come from a students research. They should, by choosing a school ED, have concluded that this school is: 1. The Best School for them 2. The school has everything they need and want from a school – including location, size and academic programming. The fact that three different people sign the agreement should indicate that this is the family’s First Choice – there are no other schools that come close to fitting the student and that of course, if admitted they will attend if accepted. Basically, there should be no reason at all to second guess this decision.

Furthermore, the college counselor is directly involved in the process of this type of application and by virtue, the school that the student attends is part of this choice. Basically, there are a lot of people, not just the student, in completing this agreement. If the college counselor is doing their job correctly, they will have advised the student along the way, agreed that this school is a good choice for ED AND explained the language of ED to the student.

So what happens if a student reneges on the ED decision? As was stated in the article, schools talk to one another, particularly in the early process. If a student backs out of the commitment, that college may inform other schools that the student has applied ED. There are two reasons for this – 1. to check that the student has not applied anywhere else ED. 2. to basically have dibs on that student early in the admission process. But in the event that the student backs out, to inform other schools that this student has not lived up to the binding agreement and beware.

Further, while not committing may have little or no repercussions on the student other than they may not get in anywhere else, opting out affects their current school. The ramifications may be felt for years to come and it would be doubtful if any student ever got in to that school in the future. The school has basically been blacklisted into the future. Oh, and the same could be said for the college counselor.

While it is true that a university cannot force a student to come, there are a number of people affected by one student’s poor decision. But one may ask if there are any conditions where it may be ok to not accept an ED offer? Not really. As I jokingly tell my students, the only possible reason is because you’re no longer alive. Beyond that, there really is not a reason. Not because your SAT scores went up in December, not because you’ve decided it is not the school for you – that should have been figured out long, long before.

Often students, particularly international students forget that applying to and attending school in the US is not a right, but a privilege. Being accepted to any school should be viewed as an honor and nothing less.  It is exceedingly distasteful that some students try to game the system and forget the seriousness of what applying to university actually means.  All too often admission feels like it is a mission to collect acceptances and fully consider that other people are involved in arriving at an “admit” decision – other students for whom that school actually was their dream school, the admission committee, their school, their counselor and finally their own reputation.

Applying ED is an adult decision, not a willy-nilly I think I just apply ED to see if I can get in. In fact, applying to college is an adult decision, so students please take responsibility for your choices.

Photo: ilumineducation.com

What time? Holiday time! Whether you are faith-based or not this is the time of the year when we all begin to think about the end of the year. It is, like Thanksgiving, the time to be thankful for all the good things in our life, even if life events are not going your way. Gratitude comes from appreciating the little things and simple pleasures in life – health, food on the table, family, friends, and so much more. Often times it feels that ones wants replace needs bringing a gloomy outlook on life. When we forget those simple things, life goes askew. It is also a time for renewal as the 1st of January rolls around in a few short weeks.

This time of the year the first round of decisions are starting to roll out from early application colleges and universities in the US. Definitely a period of high anxiety waiting for the dreaded email linking to a decision!

There are a couple of things to remember –
1. Sometimes one gets a happy face – Early applications are a challenge for many students. For the most part, this is the first time a student has been evaluated on a number of factors – academic ability, personality, writing, and test-taking skills to name a few. Often times everything matches and the decision is a Yippee! Congratulations!

2. Sometimes it is a meh face – a deferral. Many students view a deferral as rejection, and it is anything but a reject. You’re still in the game. So buckle up and keep going. There is also the belief that deferred students never get in later. Again, not true. What it does mean is that you are now in a larger pool of candidates. So, if the school is still your 1st choice, make sure you let them know that and keep updating them throughout the first couple of months of 2019.

3. Sometimes it is a big sad face – a denial. When it is a denial, it is very hard not to take the decision personally. This is not a personal condemnation at all. It is just a matter of competition. Most likely, the admission committee loved your application, everything was exactly as it was supposed to be, but in the end, someone else got the nod. It hurts, no question but hey if they didn’t want you, it is their loss.

Overall, during this period of decisions, it is vital to manage your expectations. Have a balanced view of the admission process. As an example, if a school has an overall admission rate of 10%, that means that 90% of all the applicants did not get in. And yes, early pools are smaller and have higher admission rates, but you need to remember that you are competing against a highflying pool of candidates. As a Chinese student, if you are one, your cohort is around 10% of the international population, which is probably somewhere between 10 and 15% of the overall pool with that initial 10% admission rate.

My point here is that if you put together a great application and didn’t get in, it’s ok. There is a great school out there, and hopefully, you put together a solid list of schools. Your future is not determined by where you go as much as what you do when you get to your next school.

Don’t crash and burn if you did not get in. Refocus! I have seen plenty of students who relied too much on getting into their dream school that they forgot about the reality if actually getting in.

The hope is, of course, that you do get into that one school. But even still you need to make sure that you stick with the program – just because you got in does not mean you don’t have to do well the rest of the school year. Quite the contrary – you need to do as well as your grades or predicted grades. The myth that US decisions are unconditional is exactly that – a myth. All decisions are conditional that you meet the conditions you set out when you applied.

Back to the holidays, if you have one. Enjoy being with family and friends. If you don’t celebrate and still have school or not, keep focused on the tasks at hand.

So, Merry Christmas! Good luck and don’t forget the best present is the present.

Photo: bextcollegereviews.com

Thursday in the US was one of the great holidays where family gather to eat turkey and a whole bunch of other goodies and try to cram in a few football games. That would be American football. It is always a great occasion when everyone comes together to give thanks.

This is also a time when students have a breather from school to attend to those pesky things called essays. But that is all in the US and not really a factor here in China. None-the-less, it does bring up the importance of timing, getting things done while paying attention to deadlines and other requirements.

This period of time is kind of the doldrums, midterm exams, not too far from Winter Holiday with nothing seemingly on the immediate horizon. Not true, not true at all. There is a ton to do and all of it needs doing well.

Looming in the not too distant future is the University of California (UC) deadline of November 30. That’s 10 days and if you haven’t started – four essays out of a total eight questions, 350 words each. Doesn’t seem like much, but in truth, these short 350 word essays are the key to your soul, well at least the one that may want to get into a University of California university. Honing a quality essay, filled with great perspective and examples is no small task.

Now the UC application is a bit more complicated than other applications since it is an all-in-one application for the nine universities in the undergraduate system. UC San Francisco is a graduate school only. One application, all schools, but you can choose which schools you send your application to. One note, it is not to your benefit to only send your application to one of these UC schools. Pick a few, based on your research. Most students don’t apply to all nine schools. They usually pick Berkeley, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and San Diego and more often than not add in Davis. The other schools students need to judge carefully. Irvine, Riverside, Santa Cruz, and Merced are great schools but they are a bit different and unique compared to the form list.

The application itself is a bit of a mind twist too, so take your time, and always READ THE DIRECTIONS CAREFULLY before starting down the path. Make sure you take advantage of all the advice links, which show up on the right side of your application. Most of your potential questions about how to input information will show up in that FAQ section of the application.

Unlike most other schools, they do not request a transcript.  What they DO expect is that you report your grades on your own. So it is important that you have an unofficial copy of your transcript that you can refer to while completing that section. Just in case you thought you could put in any old set of grades, if you happen to get in and you decide to attend one of the UC’s, your school will send, at that time your transcript. Your input and transcript better match.

Finally, the essays, the next most important part of your application! As mentioned, you have eight choices from which you will choose four. They are great questions. Read the Things to Consider just under each prompt to get an idea of what the UC’s are looking for. Remember essays are and should be a reflection of you AND your personality. In 350 words, answer each question thoroughly.

As this blog comes to a close, it is time to be thankful. Thanksgiving in the US is the beginning of a long holiday and festivity period. Christmas is not too far away. As we lead up to that time, we do need to be thankful that we have family, friends who support our initiative to study far away from home, even if technically it is home. Remember, applying to college is something we should be grateful for; many people in the world never have the chance.

Do well. Eat some turkey! Happy Thanksgiving!

Photo: worldkings.org