For students who are planning to study abroad, this is both an exciting and a scary phase. As Counselors, every year we get to work with students who come with lots of aspirations and dreams of studying in a top university in the US, Canada, UK, or wherever they feel they will shine.
While working with students, one comes across certain common confusions and dilemmas they have. Almost all students want to look at the Ivy League, for the simple reason that they have perhaps heard about them from their parents, peers, or have been inspired by movies and the achievers in their chosen field of study. The aspiration builds in students without them realizing that there are plenty of other great colleges and universities to choose from. I may be blatant when I say it, but students are wary of doing their research to identify their best fitment. I had read an article titled "College is like the perfect pair of shoes" which clearly means that your university choice should be your “Best Fit.” Often students look into their body of work and feel that they have done a lot, not realizing that there are students out there who are fiercely competitive and are doing all of what they are doing plus the extra. And it’s the “Extra” that makes all the difference when it comes to making an impact.
To test or not to test?
Due to the pandemic, some changes have taken place in the admission criteria. Many colleges have become Test Optional. This means that these colleges do not require test scores to be submitted. If you have a great ACT or SAT score and would like to showcase it as your achievement, you may submit the score. If on the other hand, your score is below average it's best to abstain from making a reference about it in your application. A better way would be to work on improving your application in other areas. Several colleges are now Test Blind. These colleges will not consider your test scores even if they are submitted. So, there is no reason for you to stress out regarding your SAT or ACT score for these colleges!
What's in a Rank?
College Ranking is yet another area that needs to be understood from the right perspective. Every year organizations like U.S. News, the Wall Street Journal, and Forbes (among others) publish lists of the best colleges in the US. Most of these organizations have been ranking colleges and universities for many years. However, each year, their rankings shift as they change their criteria for each category. Confusing?? Broadly speaking, these organizations tend to base college rankings on:
GRADUATION AND RETENTION RATES-how many students graduate from a school or remain students beyond their first year.
GRADUATION RATE PERFORMANCE-employment statistics for graduates.
UNDERGRADUATE ACADEMIC REPUTATION- an assessment of academics by official surveys.
FACULTY RESOURCES FOR ACADEMIC YEAR- Faculty salaries, student to faculty ratio, and class size.
STUDENT SELECTIVITY FOR THE FALL ENTERING CLASS-admitted students’ SAT/ACT scores and class ranks, as well as acceptance rates.
FINANCIAL RESOURCES PER STUDENT numerical representation of money available for each student based on the endowment and student population.
Source: US NEWS
Unfortunately, these data don’t factor in the nuanced parts of a college experience including student satisfaction and campus life. So, if you were to ask the question, which is the best college, you will get different answers. According to the 2022 U.S. News college rankings for research universities, Princeton is the best college in the US (and Williams is the best liberal arts school), but according to Niche college rankings, MIT is the best college in the US. This brings us back to the fact that there are hundreds of good colleges, and there’s no easy way to designate the best colleges in the US. Hence when researching there are a few questions that students need to answer. This will help them narrow down their college list and increase their chances of getting admitted.
What am I going to study?
It's very important to ascertain the program that you want to study. You cannot rely on the university ranking to make up your mind to pursue the program from a particular college.
Recruitment initiatives and campus placements. Your international education does not come cheap. Hence it is imperative that you do your bit in researching about campus placements and job opportunities post acquiring a degree from the university in question.
Co-op programs, Research opportunities, and Alumni network: A good university or college encourages students in assisting professors in their research undertakings. There are opportunities for undertaking Capstone projects for which many colleges set aside funds. Also, finding out if the colleges facilitate summer internships for students will be extremely important. These open up the avenues of experiential learning.
Other aspects like the geographical location of the University, Alumni network, and their involvement as professional advisors, educational expenses, accreditation of the course are among other aspects that students should do a reality check about.
These are just a few among the myriad other confusions that students have. Starting early has not hurt anyone. Hence It is important to find the right counselor who understands you, your aspirations and is able to guide and handhold you in the best possible way. Build your rapport, trust your counselor and stop being guided by all and sundry and make the application process an affair to remember.