Do we accept the status quo, or try to change things that aren’t right?
So much of the work of an international college counselor involves understanding different systems: what do you need to provide, at what time, in which format. One of the most enjoyable aspects of my job is standing at a school’s careers or university event, answering questions about university entrance around the world, with no prior […]
Is an Ivy education worth it? To find out, let’s ask an Ivy League university
Now that admissions statistics are out, we can see that so many of the hyper-selective US universities are, once again, admitting a tiny proportion of their applicants. Some of the statistics (which I detail here) show that only 1 in 20 applicants is successful. Given all this stress and angst, is getting an Ivy League […]
US Admissions Statistics 2019
A major difference between the USA and the UK is just how selective some of the most highly-ranked universities are. Add to this that some of them have very few places available anyway, and you can see how tough the competition is. With some of these universities only taking in 2000 students or fewer each […]
Podcast Episode 26: in conversation with Nancy Beane, a college counseling hero
It was a great privilege to interview Nancy Beane, former NACAC President and a college counselor in Georgia, about her work, our profession, and her career in the field of college counseling.
Sports Scholarships in the USA: what’s it actually like?
At many school events I do, I get people asking me about how to get a sports scholarship to the USA. They’ve heard that they can get a lot of money to pay for an amazing educational experience, and want to know more. In my work, I am constantly having to explain that what you […]
What’s in a name? How to make US applications even more complex
Years ago, in my first ever time doing US advising, I sent a transcript to Pacific University, in support of my student’s application. A few hours later an email came back from the university, thanking me for the information, saying that she seemed like a strong applicant but stating that she hadn’t actually applied to […]
Three Common Mistakes International Students Make When Applying to US Universities
It’s tough to apply to any university system outside your country of education. It’s even tougher when the system is the US system, with such levels of complexity that it’s easy to make mistakes. Here are three mistakes that students make which should be avoided: Not knowing enough about the universities you are applying to […]
US Universities: what is a waitlist, and what do you do if you end up on one?
This is the time of year when the dreaded Waitlist appears. You haven’t been offered a place but the hope of eventually getting one is held out, tantalisingly. So, in this situation, what should one do? The first thing to understand is why universities run waitlists. Unlike in admissions in many other countries, students in […]
Coping with decisions when decision-time comes around
At this time of year, US college admissions decisions start to trickle out, and then it becomes a flood. In this digital age, students no longer wait for the fat envelope or the thin envelope, instead it’s an email, or a notification to check an applicant portal. When I was a school counselor, decision time […]
US Admissions vs UK Admissions: a case study
Sitting in my to-do list for about a fortnight has been this twitter link: If you’re not entirely sure what this means, let me lay it out. Andy Borst is the Director of Admissions at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, ranked in the top 50 in the US News & World Report rankings. In this […]