Tips from the Other Side of the Desk
This month we have a guest blog writer, Alexandra Hartmann! Alexandra is Simply Admissions’ newest educational consultant. You can learn more about Alexandra’s background here. We’re very excited to have her on our team!
It has officially been three months since I joined the Simply Admissions team in the hopes of helping and guiding international students and their families through the USA college admissions process. As a former international college student myself and a current higher education professional who has worked in the realm of international admissions for eight years, I want to share some insight I have acquired from my professional and personal experience.
I have traveled to 34 different countries and worked with students from five continents, visited over 100 international schools, collaborated with several international recruiting agents, and attended over 100 college fairs and each journey has brought me new knowledge. For students living and attending school abroad, choosing to apply to colleges in the USA can be quite overwhelming and feel like an unreachable goal especially if you don't know anyone who has been through it. I look forward to working with each student individually but until then here are some great takeaways I want to share as you embark upon this journey.
The Myth of US News and World Rankings
One of the most popular websites where international students have a tendency to start their college search is the famous US New and World Report list. It's a great search engine with amazing information and data; however, it should be used as a tool, not as a decision-maker for your future college attendance. There are so many more important aspects to consider when choosing a college other than a ranking. The methodology behind school rankings is broad and takes into consideration factors like alumni giving, which does not affect the students’ daily life. It's understandable that one will look for a school that is highly ranked for its academic rigor and reputation, but that does not mean other schools aren't amazing as well and maybe even better for a specific student. There are over 4000 colleges in the USA and realistically not everyone can go to a top 50 school, nor do they need to in order to succeed. Can it be part of your goal during the college search process? Absolutely! But let's stay open-minded and consider other colleges as well to make sure you find the right fit academically, culturally, and financially.
TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo? That is the Question.
Every American university will require proof of English proficiency, especially from students who have been educated at a school where the medium of instruction is not English. Today there are three commonly administered English proficiency tests available: IELTS, TOEFL, and Duolingo. It is important to consider three things when choosing a test: tests available in your country, university admissions requirements, and price. TOEFL and IELTS include reading, writing, speaking, and listening sections. Upon initial review, admissions staff will focus more on reading and writing sections since they understand that verbal skills can only be ameliorated once immersed in the language. Several universities do superscore so it's perfectly fine to take the test more than once. Duolingo and InitialView are up and coming options, as well as they are at the forefront of technology thanks to their fully online platform. This lets students take the test from the comfort of their own home and gives universities a real insight into the applicant through their video section. InitialView is a non-scripted virtual interview service which, although not considered an English proficiency test, can be a great addition to your application as it's another way to showcase your skills and give universities a deeper insight as to who you are as an applicant.
International Financial Assistance Exists!
It's true - college in the USA is expensive and comes to quite a shock for international families especially since university options in their countries are much more affordable. Cost is the number one concern for families all around the world when considering colleges. USA citizens do have certain advantages when it comes to federal funding and aid certainly, but there are several other financial aid options for our F1 students as well. There are three major sources of financial aid available for non-U.S. citizens: academic merit scholarships, external scholarships, and need-based financial aid awarded by the college. Some universities do offer need-based aid to eligible students. I highly recommend researching the individual university’s financial aid webpages for details on how to apply. Academic merit aid is solely based on the student's academic performance and many universities offer merit awards to international students. External scholarships are harder to find as it takes long hours of online search, application forms, and essays to complete. There are several websites available listing these scholarships and their criteria to apply such as International Education Financial Aid or International Scholarships.
There are so many steps to go through, but I promise they are worth it. Higher education in the USA is unparalleled and if you are willing to go on this adventure you will not regret it.