Application Season Has Finished!

On Friday 15th January I submitted my last application...ever!

The University of Georgia was the final application to be sent and while it's somewhat of a relief knowing that there are no more essays to write or forms to fill in, it's also very nervewracking knowing that the situation is now out of my hands.

The lastest I will hear back in early April so I have until then to patiently wait for the results. Of course, I'm not actually going to be patiently waiting for the results (I'm not sure what kid would!), I'm going to be frantically checking my admission status online every day in the hope of an update!

This coming Saturday is also my last exam. I'm sitting the SAT in the hope of improving upon the 1920 that I scored in November. After that there really won't be anything I can do to help my chances...I'll just have to wait.

If anyone reading this is in the same position as me, I wish you good luck!

Certification of Finances Forms

Most international students applying to study in the USA will need to prove they can afford it. Firstly, they need to do this so the university knows that they are not wasting an acceptance letter on a student who ultimately cannot afford to enroll. Secondly, you will need to demonstrate sufficient finances when meeting with your Visa advisor to get approval for an F-1 Visa.

The form that universities require is known as a 'Certification of Finances' and requires the student to state where the money will be coming from (ie. personal savings, family contribution, governmentsal sponsoring, scholarships etc) and then will require the Sponsor to sign and verify. The obstacle that I discovered with these forms is that most universities then require an official signed bank statement that confirms the sponsor can indeed support the student.

Unfortunately, there are many international applicants out there that will struggle to pay the enormous price tag that can sometimes escalate over $50,000 per year. I am one of those applicants and I am relying upon school scholarships to be able to attend. Certification of finances forms do not take this into account and, from personal experience of ringing each and everyone of my college choices, schools will not accept that you can only attend with one of their scholarships; there simply aren't enough to go round.

What to do? Well the honest answer is that I don't have a fool-proof plan for every eventuality. What I did was speak to all my family members and ask them to sponsor me. At the end of the day, they won't actually be contributing any money because I'll only attend a university where I have received a scholarship and I can actually afford to go. But for the sake of the certification of finances form, asking family members to 'pitch in' might just do the trick.

For those applying to schools that offer need-based aid to internationals, the information above is much less relevant. In this case, be honest on your certification of finances. Sit down with your parents and figure out what you can viably afford to pay. Of course, it's not guaranteed that the college will pay the rest, but at least when they do come back with a Financial Aid offer, it'll hopefully be a realistic one.

I'll post soon with a list of colleges that are viewed as the 'best' for international need-based aid. Unfortuantely these colleges also tend to be the most competitive!

New Year and a new acceptance

Yes that's right, 2010 got off to a pretty good start in my opinion! The other day I received notification that I had been accepted at Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA and yesterday I found out that I have been awarded the 'Deans Scholarship' of $15,000 a year.

The work is still far from over, however, as I am continuing with my application for Occidental College alongside preparation for the Jan 23rd SAT Reasoning Test.

I've also been researching the University of Georgia (yes, I know it's a bit late to be adding colleges to my list, but UGA looks to be a good option). The town of Athens (Georgia, not Greece!) is a typical college town and I'm really excited to be applying there, despite its status as a late addition. Unfortunately, my parents won't pay another $60 application fee, so this ones coming out of my own pocket...but I do think it will be worth it.

Heres a word of advice: Applications can be costly (especially considering the international surcharge that is often applied) so it really is worth spending some time selecting the colleges that are worth the money applying for. I've made quite a few late additions to my list and it's proving to be quite costly.

There are however a number of colleges that offer free applications, whether it be in general or only if you apply online. These are great options for safety schools as there's nothing lost in appling. Off the top of my head, I can think of three:

• Drexel University - Philadelphia, PA
  
• Marquette University - Milwaukee, WI
• Drake University - Des Moines, IA

I'll post a more complete list in the near future.

Anyway, Happy New Year.

New blog server and a catch-up post!

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 12^th

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 19^th

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 1^st 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 26^th

Application deadlines are looming!

The first deadlines I have to meet are fast approaching on the 1^st 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 1^st.

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 2^nd

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 (15^th 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 7^th 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 9^th

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 16^th

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 23^rd

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 30^th

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 7^th

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 14^th

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 4^th as I’m going on holiday, but I’ll hopefully have some news to report then.

November 17^th

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 18^th

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!