This is my first post since moving to the new blog on Blogger. For those who haven’t read my old posts, I have posted them below in this catch-up post. I’ll start from the beginning and go right up to the latest blog. From now on, I’ll be using this site as I find it much easier and I hope to continue posting updates of my progress through this process on a regular basis.
October 12th
First things first, welcome to my blog! I’m Adam and I’m beginning something that is completely new to me: I’m applying to universities in the United States of America. As a student from the United Kingdom, I can assure you that this is a daunting prospect but I’m determined not to let it get to me. This has been my dream for many years and I’m finally able to get to work on my applications.
I’m writing this for a number of reasons:
1. I’m passionate about going to uni in the States and it’s somewhat comforting being able to rant into the World Wide Web about my activities – past, current and future.
2. I’m sure there’s a number of students applying to international universities (whether it be in the US or not) and, over the years as I’ve learned more and more about the process, I’ve found it to be quite confusing. So I hope this blog can act as a future reference for any brave English student hoping to make that voyage across the Atlantic!
3. I enjoy blogging! From an early age, I loved designing websites, and this I guess is a natural progression.
So there you have it, my first blog post on my process of US university applications. I hope to write at least once a week about my activites (I’m pretty sure I’m going to be dedicating a lot of time to this – whether it be writing essays or studying for the all-important SAT exam)
October 19th
It’s been a week and I’m here with my second post. Last week was a brief introduction to who I am and what I’m doing. This week I’m going to go into a bit more detail about the application process in general and the differences between the USA and the UK in terms of university applications.
First of all, there is no UCAS. All us students in the United Kingdom have heard countless times the benefits of UCAS when it comes to uni applications. After all, one central application that goes to all the universities that we hope to attend is pretty nifty! Unfortunately, in the USA they don’t have such a system and each university (or college as they often call it) has their own application forms and requirements.
Secondly, the personal statement that you may have wrote for uni in the UK is useless for the US. Over there, they are very keen on essays, essays and more essays! Applications involve writing an essay on a given topic, however it should be kept in mind that the purpose of the essay it not just to see how well the applicant writes; it is also about getting to know the student so elements of the personal statement should be included, just not in such a bullet-point fashion.
Thirdly, and slightly contradictory to point #1, there is such a thing as the Common App (www.commonapp.org) which provides a central application service for a number of colleges. There may, however, be addition supplements required that could involve further essays and form filling. I will be using this service seeing as quite a few of the universities to which I am applying support it. Unfortunately, a preliminary look indicates that I’ll have a number of additional essays to write!
Now for the dreaded SAT exam. For those of you who don’t know what it is, it is a standardised test required for most universities and colleges in the States that is used when making an admission decision. From what I’ve learned reading various articles on the web, there is no set curriculum over there and as a result, the people making admissions decisions find it hard to tell what you exactly studied and how hard it was. This exam levels the playing field. Unfortunately, us Brits haven’t had much exposure (if any) to the exam and so it seems like a bit of an uphill climb.
I’m registered to take the exam for the 1st time in November, so wish me luck! I’ve done some preparation and it seems like an extension of GCSE maths, just a bit more tricky…and with multiple choice!
So there we go, quite a long post on this cloudy Monday morning, but hopefully that will be of use to somebody! It’s nice to know that maybe what I’ve learned so far could prove useful to someone in the future.
October 26th
Application deadlines are looming!
The first deadlines I have to meet are fast approaching on the 1st November and I’m frantically trying to add the finishing touches to, what I hope to be, a successful application.
The upcoming deadline is for Early Action (EA) consideration, which means that, by submitting my application early, I hear back early…which is always a good thing seeing as this is quite nerve-wrecking!
A word on the various application options:
Early Action: Like I mentioned previously, this is an early option for those students who are willing to send in their materials before the regular deadline. Most universities will then let us know before the end of December, although I know that the University of Miami (Florida) is a slight exception in that that won’t release a decision until February 1st.
Early Decision: This is also an early option, but it is binding, meaning that if you are accepted, you MUST attend. If you break the contract, you will most likely be black-balled for all other universities in the States. I personally am not applying anywhere Early Decision as I don’t want to feel forced into one particular university. I’ve been looking forward to the day when I can look at all my acceptances and start making a decision for so long that I don’t want to spoil that!
Anyway, the next time I’ll be writing again will be after I’ve submitted the first of my applications, so I’ll have a little more insight into the process and how it went. In the meantime, I’ve got plenty of tweaking to do!
November 2nd
So yesterday was the deadline for a most of the universities I applied to Early Action, and I can now relax a little knowing that my first applications are in! Can’t relax too much though, as I’ve got another due in a couple of weeks (15th November) and then some more early December. This really is seeming to be a never-ending process.
The universities I sent applications to yesterday are as follows:
· Loyola Marymount University –Los Angeles, California
· University of Miami – Miami, Florida
· Northeastern University – Boston, Massachusetts
I had to write a supplemental essay for Loyola Marymount and I think it was good…only time will tell I guess – I’ll be sure to post if and when I receive any admissions.
Another reason why I can’t relax too much: My SAT exam date of November 7th is fast approaching and, while I’m looking forward to doing it and getting it over, I’m a little nervous at the same time!
Just a short post today as I’m off to study some more!
November 9th
The SAT exam is over! Saturday was quite a hectic day: I took the test at a different centre to the one I registered at (they didn’t have space officially at the one nearest to me so I registered in Jersey) so that meant getting up at 6am and getting there for 7am. All in all, the test took about 4 and a half hours, which is more than anything I’ve ever done before! The results will be available in a few weeks I believe so I’ll find out then how I did.
A word of advice RE: the SAT exam – register early! I was so surprised that there weren’t any seats available near me and I would imagine they filled up quite quickly. Especially being near London, I’ve heard there is a much greater demand for seats here than, say, in Manchester.
Just under a week and I’m due to send in another application. This time for Chapman University in Orange County, California. You may notice that I’m leaning towards universities in warm weather…that’s not an accident. Growing up in Spain, I learned that I really do prefer the warm! (The only exception is Northeastern. I can make an exception for them as I love the university and the city of Boston!)
November 16th
So the Chapman University application is in and I’m starting to feel like there might actually be a light at the end of the tunnel. I’ve been managing my time pretty well but it’s so easy to underestimate the amount of work that needs to be done. Before you know it, the deadline is upon you and, if your anything like me, you’ll be scrambling to add the finishing touches.
So there’s another word of advice: Applications to the USA take longer than those for the UK. (I haven’t actually applied to the UK, but I can compare with a lot of my friends who did…UCAS is very time-saving so prepare to put in a lot of effort if you want to make it to the States).
This week I’ve been mainly working on the Chapman Application, but I’ve also spent some time looking at the others that will be due late November/early December. Namely, these are:
· UCLA – Los Angeles, California
· UC Santa Barbara – Santa Barbara, California
· University of Southern California – Los Angeles, California
· Claremont McKenna College – Claremont, California
I’ve done the majority of the work for these applications, including 4 additional essays, but its astonishing how time-consuming the last adjustments are. Only one of the universities above uses the Common App so that has meant more form filling and more paragraphs explaining my hobbies, extra-curricular activates and academic achievements.
I’m feeling especially positive today, so I want to leave you with this message: My blog posts make it out to be very laborious to apply to US universities, but I’ve done it, and I know it can be done by anyone who is willing to put in the work. This has been my dream for a very, very long time and I’ve known what’s involved for some time so I’ve been prepared for the hard work. Hopefully it will pay off!
November 23rd
A word on the materials required for your application to be complete.
Along with the main application, whether it be Common App or not, there are other things that need to be submitted. These are:
· Common App Supplement (if applicable)
· Teacher Recommendation – much the same as for UCAS
· Counsellor Recommendation – now schools in the UK don’t have a counsellor (they are staff who guide students through the college application process) so a letter/completed form from the Headmaster is OK.
· Transcript – another unfamiliar word. This is basically a secondary school report. Universities take into account both GCSEs and A Levels, so the official certificates of grades and predicted scores (for A2) is required.
· Certification of Finances – Most universities don’t give financial aid to international students, so they require a form that is verified by the bank stating that you can afford the tuition (which can be very costly). This needs to be submitted either with the application or before you accept their acceptance offer (dependant on college).
· Application Fee – universities like to charge upwards of $60 for international applications, so it can become quite costly. I certainly took this into account when picking what colleges to apply to.
November 30th
Today will be a short post as I am in the process of finalising my UCLA and UC Santa Barbara applications.
Just dropping in to say that despite the stress, I do really believe this process will be worthwhile. Come January, the application process will be over for me and I have no doubts that I will reflect on it positively.
On another note, I received the results of that gruelling SAT Reasoning Test that I mentioned early on. I’m happy with my results, although I feel that I could have done better in certain areas. The scores are broken down into three sections (each score out of 800).
· Maths – 580
· Critical Reading – 690
· Writing – 650
For further iformation on the exam, I suggest you visit the official website: www.collegeboard.com
December 7th
The majority of my applications are now in, I’ve just got a couple to finalise over the Christmas break.
I took another two exams on Saturday – ones that I forgot to mention: the SAT Subject Tests. These are optional exams in specific subjects (eg. Maths, English Lit, Spanish, French etc.) that can often be useful for admissions committees to further understand a student and his/her strengths.
I sat exams in Maths and Spanish (1 hour each) and it was by far a much better experience than the SAT Reasoning Test. I’ll get my scores in a few weeks and I’ll post them up on here.
I’m also sitting another exam next Saturday: the ACT exam. This is an alternative to the SAT and I’ve heard it’s a little less ‘tricky’. It’s also slightly shorter, which is always nice. All in all, I have high hopes for the exam and, as always, I’ll post my scores when they become available.
December 14th
I sat the ACT exam two days ago and I can report that I think it went well. I predicted this in the last post and, I know I cant second-guess my scores, but hopefully it turned out alright. It’s a much more pleasant exam than the SAT and I would thoroughly recommend it to everyone. Unfortunately they don’t offer as many test dates, and they do seem to take ages processing international exam papers, but it’s definitely a viable option for those who are unable/do not want to take the SAT (I know I certainly didn’t!).
It’s getting to the festive season, so I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. I won’t be back until January 4th as I’m going on holiday, but I’ll hopefully have some news to report then.
November 17th
This is a rather unexpected post, but I’ve just received some excellent news from Loyola Marymount University. They sent me an email with news that I have been accepted to study Business. This is my first acceptance and hopefully there will be many more to come! As you can probably guess, I am thoroughly excited J
November 18th
Unexpected post #2. More news of acceptances, this time from the rather chilly Boston. After waiting up until 1am, I finally received an email with news that my decision for Northeastern University was available online. 30 mins later, after battling with a seemingly overloaded server, I found out that I had been accepted to study Music Industry!
Two acceptances in two days. Definitely not a bad start to the holiday season!
