Applying to US colleges

Star Education Fair
Sunday October 10, 2010

Applying to US colleges

By TAN SHIOW CHIN
educate@thestar.com.my

The application process to American universities requires much research, preparation and hard work.

IT IS not an easy process to apply to a university in the United States.

For one thing, there is no centralised admissions agency like our UPU (Universities Admission Unit) or the United Kingdom’s UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service).
JOHN: Do a self-assessment and identify your passions and goals.

For another, applicants have to take specific tests like the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test), TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) and GRE (Graduate Record Examination), on their own as part of the entry requirements for undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.

Each US university — or college, as they are called there — also has its own application fee, and requires essays on certain topics as part of the admissions process.

While the Malaysian-American Commission on Educational Exchange (Macee) in Kuala Lumpur does offer educational counselling services to those intending to apply for US universities, much of the process relies on the applicant’s own initiative, research and organisational skills.

In a recent workshop called “Navigating Your Way through the University Selection Process” at the commission, Macee Educational Advising Centre coordinator Doreen John advised applicants to determine their priorities.

“Who are you? What do you want to study? Do a self-assessment and identify your passions and goals.

“Think about your personality. Are you a reserved person? Which, for example, might make it difficult for you to connect with people on a large campus. Or are you an extrovert, who mixes around easily?” she asked the audience.

John pointed out that one big advantage of the US tertiary system is that students have to take subjects unrelated to their major across different faculties.

“If you’re not sure what you want to do, it’s okay, because you have to take courses from different departments, as well as your own department.

“So you have the opportunity to explore what you want to major in.”

She added that the system enables students to obtain a more well-rounded education.

Factors like accreditation, recognition by professional bodies, location, climate, cost of living and competitiveness also need to be considered by students when selecting the colleges to apply to.

In terms of ranking and competitiveness, John advised: “You may get into MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) or Stanford (University), but will you do well there?

“Think about yourself — you want to have a good education, but not a nervous breakdown!”

She shared that the type of college life one has will vary depending on campus size, from the close-knit communities of about 700-1,000 students to the large campuses of around 55,000 people.

After taking all these factors into consideration, students should have a shortlist of about five to 10 institutions to apply to.

In a later workshop called “Rock-Hard Apps: Building Solid Applications to US Universities”, John said that there were three important sections in the application package.

They are: the application form, which is usually submitted online through the university website; hard copy documents, including educational transcripts and recommendation letters; and test scores like the SAT and TOEFL that are sent straight to the various institutions by the agencies that conduct them.

“Take note of the deadlines, that’s very important!” she reminded the audience, adding that there are different deadlines for different parts of the package.

She was joined at the workshop by American expatriate Jay Getz, whose younger son recently applied for US universities, as well as international admissions officers from Bryant University, Rhode Island, and Messiah College, Pennsylvania, who were in town for an education fair.

Getz ran through the application procedures using the Common Application form, which is used by 414 universities in the US for undergraduate admissions.

He said that although the thousands of other institutions in the US have their own individual application forms and processes, most would have similar requirements to the Common Application.

This includes information about the applicant’s personal and family details, academics, extra-curricular activities, as well as essays by the applicant.

“Two questions that often come up in the application are: what can you contribute to the university as an individual, and what can this university do for you?” said Getz.

John F. Eriksen from Bryant University also advised the audience: “The essays are the time to talk about something other than the numbers (test scores and academic results).

“Show your passion, or that you are trying to find one.

“Even if you have a diverse group of interests and are not an expert in any, it can show that you like to take risks and try new things.

“Your application is not the time to be humble. We want to see that you are involved and participate in the community around you.”

He added that the essays are also judged for the applicant’s writing skills.

Cindy Blount from Messiah College added that the essays really have to be well-written.

“Not only should you spell check it, you should have at least three people read through it for content, grammar and spelling — preferably, people who know you well and can tell if the essay reflects you as a person.”

She added that common mistakes include writing the wrong college name and writing something that is not consistent with the rest of the application.

She also reminded students that they need to send a hard copy of their documents to the institutions they are applying to, even if they have already emailed in soft copies of the documents.

“And send them via FedEx or DHL or any courier service that can track your package. Local mail may not always be the most reliable (method),” she said.

Getz also advised applicants to have an application matrix where they can list down important information related to their applications.

“You can make up your own, using Microsoft Excel or any spreadsheet programme.

“This is to help you keep track of all the things you need to do in the applications process.”

Among information that should be included in the matrix are the various deadlines for the application package, the items that need to be submitted for the application, and a contact in the admissions office to follow up on the application.

As he said early in his presentation: “Luck is opportunity and preparation.”


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