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 […]
Counselor or Agent: what’s the difference and why does it matter?
Around the world, students considering university applications outside of their home country are faced with choices about who to turn to for advice, particularly in situations where they might not have advice in their school. Broadly speaking, the services available fall into two options: commission-based agents or independent counselors. So, what’s the difference? The main […]
Five ways the US Common App essay differs from the UCAS Personal Statement
I work with many students and schools who understand how a UK UCAS Personal Statement should be structured, but who find the US Common App essay to be quite baffling. If you are in a system which prepares you to write an academically-based essay, then writing something different can be quite confusing. If you are […]
US application essays: three key points
For students and families new to the process, it’s sometimes hard to understand just how important application essays are. If you are used to systems where there’s only one essay to write, the fact that you might have to write a number of essays tailored to each university as well as an overall application essay […]
USA Spring Semester Courses
For various reasons, it’s not always possible to start university in the USA in August. Maybe you decided too late, something went wrong with your first batch of applications, or there’s been a change of plans. Typically people have felt forced into applying as a gap-year applicant, but increasingly many US colleges will offer ‘spring […]
You’ve got the offers, now where should you choose to go?
At this time of year, students are – hopefully – in a position of choice between which university offer to accept. Sometimes this can be a difficult choice, with competing interests at stake as well as potentially different entry requirements. Here are four things to consider when making your choice: What are the grades I’ll […]
What is demonstrated interest, and why do I need to know about it?
In the US there’s a phenomenon known as a ‘stealth applicant’. In the same way as a stealth fighter, it means that the first time the university knows about you is when your application arrives: before that, you are hidden from them. At some colleges, being a stealth applicant is not the ideal scenario as, […]