For International Students - Looking for U.S. Universities

Now is the time to do a “self-assessment” for applying to U.S. universities. A few key questions suffice:

1. Have you taken the TOEFL (if English is not your first language)? Have you taken the SATs?

2. Have you identified your academic interest? The geographic region of appeal? The location – urban, suburban, rural, small town? The cost for attending?

3. Have you looked at the web sites of U.S. universities? Have you completed the “inquiry” forms of the admission section of the web sites in order to receive information by post and email?

4. Most importantly – are your grades and scores consistent with the academic and admission requirements of the universities on your preliminary list? In short, what are your prospects for acceptance?

If your tentative list is short – perhaps very short – then now is the time to act. International students often focus on just one or two universities in the States. That often is a mistake.

International students should follow the lead of American students who apply to four or six or eight universities on average.

Take action!

1. If your list is short now is the time to think about consulting with a U.S.-based university advisor. Identify possible choices by looking at the professional web site for the Higher Education Consultants of America – www.hecaonline.org. For a modest cost a consultant will help you to develop an appropriate list of universities.

2. Look for an answer to the last question: is your academic record consistent with the profile of students your chosen universities usually accept? Look on the admission section of the colleges’ web sites and heed the requirements and the entering class profile (most universities list both).

If you judge your qualifications to be in the range with recently enrolled students, then plan to apply! If your qualifications do not appear to be reflective of your universities’ expectations, your self-assessment should result in developing a different and more appropriate list.

Will Dunfey
University Advisors
Member – Higher Education Consultants Association

Good News! The FAFSA Application Will Be Easier

Students and/or their parents dread filling out the long list of questions to apply/reapply for financial aid from the government every year. Well, the current administration is hoping that'll be a thing of the past.

The government is changing FAFSA questions this January for many reasons (read here for the WSJ article). The two main reasons are to make it easier for families to fill-out the application and to decrease the amount of private students loans being taken out. What strikes me the most from reading the article is that 1.5 million students may be losing out on grant money from the government!

The government and colleges know that it's not easy funding a college education. At least the new administration is attempting to take away some of the stress from the process of getting aid to help fund students' educations.

Liam Dunfey
University Advisors

U.S. Accredited

There are also fully accredited U.S. Colleges located outside of the United States and fully recognized in the United States and in other countries. These are founded upon the American model of liberal arts education. Not only do these universities enroll U.S. citizens, the majority of students enrolled at these American accredited universities hold passports from countries other than the United States. No one country has a majority. Instruction is in English and the faculty have been educated all over the world. Their own educational experiences, grounded in the tutorial and coupled with the traditional U.S. model, provides a unique opportunity for learning. Such an educational opportunity will solidify skills needed for the ever changing and fast moving global economy of the 21st Century. At an American international university, you will enroll as a citizen of one country, but graduate as a citizen of the world.

Brian E. Davis
University Advisors

Foreign Institutions

Applying to study full time for a degree at a foreign institution is an education in itself. The application process is different than applying to a U.S. college or university and every country has its own entrance requirements and exams. The SAT and ACT tests that are recognized in the United States, are usually not even considered in other countries. Many countries require an additional year of high school prior to applying to university and the required entrance exam, taken after completing high school, may prove to be your downfall. The exception: those who have completed the International Baccalaureate.

The length of time to complete a degree at many foreign universities is usually three years---not the four that is typical for a U.S. bachelor’s degree. Instruction is usually in the language native to the country and the tutorial, not the lecture, is the standard mode of instruction. Exams, given once a year, are usually pass/fail---not the continuous assessment found at U.S. colleges. A degree from a foreign institution may not be recognized and accepted in the United States especially if they are from a University not well known in the United States.

Brian E. Davis
University Advisors

Study Abroad Opportunities: Part II of IV

Traditional Study Abroad

Many of these programs are offered by colleges and universities located in the U.S. These institutions run ‘branch campuses’ overseas. Many times these are for American students and are taught by U.S. faculty making them simply an extension---an overseas extension---of a U.S. experience. Still other programs are offered by foreign institutions and are designed as programs for ‘visiting students’ and do not integrate these ‘foreigners’ into their own classes or social activities.

Various U.S. organizations and U.S. colleges run exchange programs at colleges overseas. These programs often have an American coordinator with classes taken as part of the overall university and in the language of that country. The course work offered is designed to provide credit that will be recognized by the home institution in the U.S. In addition to the educational experience, a travel component is usually built-in to the program to provide an even greater opportunity to experience more than just the location and country where the program is located.

Brian E. Davis
University Advisors

Study Abroad: Part 1 of 4

This week I attended the annual conference of NAFSA: Association of International Educators in Los Angeles, CA. While being involved with International Admissions for almost three decades, I am always encouraging students to look beyond the U.S. boarder and seek a global education.

Having worked for Universities in London, England and Rome, Italy for over twenty years, I have seen these two cities be an extension of the classroom not only for Study Abroad/Semester programs, but also for students seeking to complete their entire degree outside of the U.S.

With the rapid globalization of society and the many educational options available to you worldwide, studying abroad should be an integral part of your college education. And this option may not be just for a semester or a year. You may end up choosing to complete your entire university degree abroad!

The reasons for studying abroad differ for everyone---the chance to travel to another country for the first time, an opportunity to return to a country you visited in high school, or to immerse yourself into a language and culture you have always wanted to experience.

Your trip abroad in high school gave you a taste of what it would be like, but to actually live and study in another culture is truly an educational opportunity that should not be missed. Attending a university overseas will allow you to develop a sense of relationship to other cultures while still embracing your own.

There are several different types of educational opportunities available to you abroad as an American college student. Most students have a more traditional view of study abroad which is synonymous with Junior Year or semester abroad. Studying abroad can also mean enrolling at a foreign, non-American institution. And for others, it is studying abroad for all four years. For some of them it is enrolling and receiving an American accredited degree at a college overseas.

Whatever the international educational experience you decide to pursue, you will be making the world a part of you. As a result of the cross-cultural/multi-cultural skills required, the linguistic ability needed, the broad knowledge base acquired, and the sense of self-reliance needed to survive internationally, you will develop an expanded world view called globalism.

You will come away with an ability to observe without judgment and communicate across differences as a result of your new global perspective. A life changing and diverse challenge awaits you in what ever international educational experience you choose. With the world becoming smaller a global educational is something that should be part of your college curriculum.

Brian E. Davis
University Advisor

Things to do in the summer before senior year

Work for the summer is not only great for your wallet but also great for your resume. The more work experience you have the better as it shows responsibility and maturity. Volunteering or doing some type of community service is always a good idea as well. Get involved in your community talk to a counselor for suggestions they will suit your strengths and abilities. Camps are another great addition to your summer as you can build a lot of strong skills whether you’re attending or working at the camp.

Take the SAT/ACT at least 2 times, but you should take it at least ones in the summer and at least one more time in the beginning of the fall, as each college will give you the best on each part as your total score. Most colleges are still only looking at your Reading and Math sections and basing their average on a 1600 not a 2400 with the writing portion added in, this a great question to ask of the Admission office at each college your applying to. Talk to a counselor to find out what may be a better test for you to take either the SAT or ACT, and find out the differences between them.

Touring college campuses – a great time to meet with coaches as they are not in season and have time to meet, call the Admission office at least 2 weeks ahead of time to schedule visit and then contact coaches to let them know of your scheduled day and time and that you would like to meet before or after your scheduled tour time if they are available. Also any other special programs that you might be interested in are great to visit in the summer as this tends to be the college’s down time.

Start preparing your paperwork for the fall by outlining your resume from the past 3 years and add your senior year later when applicable. Make sure to include all your extracurricular activities like sports, clubs, work experience, community service or volunteering, anything you do outside of school that will help to show your maturity, responsibility, and willingness for getting involved.

Have an adult conversation with your parents if you have not already about your family’s financial situation and what you will be able to afford. A term to start to know is your Family’s Estimated Contribution or FEC. When working with colleges’ financial aid office they will be using this term often.

Athletes start gathering up all your sports coverage for a highlight film to have to show college coaches, get signed up on athletic recruiting web-sites, and talk to you high school coaches of club team coaches to get signed up for showcase tournaments in your area. If you are planning on playing Division I or II and looking for scholarship information you need to sign up with the NCAA clearinghouse and for Division III you only need to contact the college coaches.

Aaron Smith
University Advisors