Podcast Episode 33: What’s it like to be a US Sports Scholar?

Holly Cram, a former US sports scholar, Great Britain hockey star and founder of AspireUSA and I discuss the realities of life as a sports scholar at university in the USA.
Podcast Episode 32: US Sports Scholarships, with Rob Thomas

Rob Thomas of Sporting Elite USA and I discuss the key features of US sports scholarships, looking beyond the myths and misunderstandings about this complicated part of international university applications.
Podcast Episode 30: A new world of US admissions?

In September 2019, the US National Association for College Admission Counseling, under pressure from the Department of Justice, was forced to change three key rules that govern how US admissions works. In this episode, I discuss the possible impact of these changes with Steve Thomas of Rhodes College.
Looking at US universities: the concept of a ‘hidden gem’

Behind me as I write in my office, I have a bookshelf with a shelf devoted to US college admissions. On it sits a number of books with snapshots of US universities: ‘The Best 380 Colleges’, ‘The Public Ivies’, ‘Best Colleges for B Students’ and ‘Colleges that Change Lives’. I have other books that cover […]
Honors Colleges, a US system you should know more about

Families approaching US admissions from a European perspective (where in most cases cost of attendance is not a factor in choosing between universities) can often get themselves in a pickle when looking at where to apply. If the system you are used to means that students with the highest grades will go to the most […]
Making the most of a US or international university fair

Around the world, students have opportunities to attend international university fairs. To support students attending these events, here is a guide to making the most out of the opportunities to make a good impression and have questions answered: Key point: Many of the people representing the universities are the actual people who will read your […]
US Admissions: What’s a ‘development case’?

The 2019 admissions scandal in the USA, involving the University of Southern California and a range of other highly-selective US universities, continues to shed light on US admissions and so-called ‘development cases’. To get a sense of the scale of the situation, this list of the top-20 colleges ranked by the amount of donations they […]
Sports and the Ivy League

I get a lot of questions about two particular topics: sports scholarships to the USA, and the Ivy League. I’ve addressed both of these individually in other posts here and here, but what happens when you put the two together? Sports at the Ivies is a very complicated issue, and regularly I hear and see […]
International Schools, the growth continues: what does it mean for higher education recruitment?

The growth of the international school sector around the world is truly astonishing, and since I’ve been engaged with the work of ISC Research though Anne Keeling and Diane Glass I’ve learnt so much about what’s happening around the world. The statistics in their recent article and the accompanying graphics and report, really do show […]
University League Tables: Fit for Purpose?

Since the rise of league tables of universities, each year seems to bring a new batch: the most beautiful campus, healthiest food, best impact on society – the list seems endless. However, the general rankings still dominate: globally, in the US and in the UK. In response to this, the UK’s Higher Education Policy Institute […]