I'm considering working as an educational consultant abroad. Basically, it involves helping high school students find an appropriate university in the USA, proofreading (not writing) their application essay, coaching for any interviews, and being supportive on the whole. It all actually lines it with workshops and camps on resume skills and job interviewing that I've taught to international university students in other countries, so I'm interested in everything.

The problem is I'm about a decade removed from personally applying to universities. I don't remember exactly what ordeals and hoops I had to jump through, but I have a flowchart and deadlines spreadsheet for that information. More importantly, I don't remember what I wish I'd known earlier, if that makes sense. I'd like to hear from people who are in a better position to remember, or are younger, or both.

So... what kind of things were difficult for you when choosing and applying to your university in the USA? Did you go the route of being the model student in high school, bunch of clubs and all, or aim for good grades, or just write some kind of amazing essay? Did you do none of the above? How did university life compare to what you thought it would be like? Mistakes you'd made in high school that may have cost you a uni admission? Got any tips for students applying and entering universities?

Terrible bribe, but cards, right? Pw10Z

7 years ago

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US unis place a lot of emphasis on the essay + extra-curriculars from what I have seen, and what they ask you depends on what country or rather what sort of educational system you came from (10+2/10+3/etc.) but honestly right now no one knows what is going on with the whole Immigration embargo ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I got rejected a lot even though I had a good SAT 1/2 score because I had no extra-currs -_-

7 years ago
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Thank you for your reply. Did you end up going to a university in the USA?

7 years ago
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First pass filter: minimum SAT or ACT score.
Second pass filter: minimum grades
Third pass: why are you special? ...life experience, extracurriculars, diversity, essay, letters of recommendation

But criterion thresholds and priorities can vary widely among universities

7 years ago*
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Those gateways are a good way of looking at it. I personally applied to like 9 universities during the early application period since the essays I'd written were broad enough to be a good fit for most prompts, and there also were no fees--being cheap was the only reason I ended up in my university. Cheap can be special too, I guess.

7 years ago
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Going up from College, It's easier to find out the way to transfer to an University later !

7 years ago
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You mean community colleges? It works very well for students from the USA, but I don't think international students would go that route--I don't even know if they could get F-1 visas through them. Maybe.

7 years ago
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you do get an F1 Visa through, the cons of this thing of college is you will cost 3 years there !

7 years ago
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This comment was deleted 4 years ago.

7 years ago*
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I wonder if admissions counselors would have just pointed me toward some kind of redundant pamphlet.

7 years ago
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i can't apply to the us anymore, because of Trump!

7 years ago
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