#college consultancy

[nerdacity]

Taking a gap year after high school was probably the most terrifying decision I’ve ever taken. I had to defer (and eventually rescind) my acceptances to some of the best universities around the world, but, it was all worth it!

Now, I’m back at Uni and ready to work my butt off! 

If you guys have any questions about taking a gap year, what I did in my gap year, how I reapplied to universities, what are the pros and cons of taking a gap etc etc, drop in a question!

Have a great day, lovelies!

[nerdacity]

Matchmaking : Creating the perfect college list

One of the most important parts of the college application process is actually choosing the college you want to go to. This can be especially nerve-wracking if you have absolutely no idea where you want to go (or where you’ll get in!). Your college list may take ages to perfect and lock down, but here are some few tips that will help you get started. College lists are all about matchmaking, and this is how you get it done! 

Get realistic  Growing up, we all have dream colleges that we want to attend. Now, it’s time to get realistic about your chances at that dream college. Compare your scores, GPA, and ECs with the Freshman profile of the college you want to attend. If your stats are similar, you might have a good shot! 

Reach, Match, and Safety  Regardless of how many colleges you have in your college list, segregating them will make your job easier. Reach colleges are the colleges that will be, essentially, a “reach” for you. Match colleges are the colleges that you have a VERY good chance of getting in with your grades and stats. Finally, safety colleges are the ones that will be fairly easy for you to get into. 

Percentiles  When researching colleges, make sure to look at the college’s 25th and 75th percentile on test scores. If your test scores fall between the 25th and 75th percentiles, you have a great shot! Make sure that all your “match colleges’” percentiles are in tune with your scores. Consider eliminating / adding colleges to your list depending on your grades, stats, and scores!

Excel sheets  Excel sheets are life savers! Make an excel sheet with columns that read : Name of college, 25th to 75th percentiles, Tuition fees, Acceptance rates, Rankings for programs, Reach/Match/Safety, etc. Making this excel sheet will have all your data in one place making it easier for you to add or eliminate colleges to make your perfect college list. 

Ask important questions Finally, ask yourself some really important questions. For example, ask questions about your GPA and what the college you’re applying to is looking for. Like I said, college lists are all about matchmaking. And matchmaking is a two-way process! If you’re convinced that the college you’re applying to isn’t what you’re looking for, consider eliminating that college. 

[nerdacity]

Deconstructing the CommonApp : 5 steps to the perfect essay!

The CommonApp essay is one of the most nerve-wracking portions of the ENTIRE college application process in the US. My essay took 3 months and a gazillion re-writes to perfect ( I know, right?). Here are a few tips to help you get started on your CommonApp essay. I sincerely do hope that you don’t take three months to perfect it!

Choose wisely! The great thing about the CommonApp is the choice of essay topics. The topics are almost always the same (and can be found :here) Take a look at the topics and choose the topic that will help you play to your strengths as a writer. The topics are all super broad and very, very customizable. 

Cliché = No, please The CommonApp essay is the best way to make an impression on admissions officers. Making an impression is imperative and an essay that is just like a hundred other essays is definitely not going to help your case! So rethink those clichés.

Write drunk, edit sober Even though the quote “write drunk, edit sober” is often misattributed to Ernest Hemingway, it makes an awful lot of creative sense. The quote refers to writing your essay uninhibited, letting your thoughts flow without restriction, in short, let your creativity reflect on the page. Once you’re done writing, eliminate unimportant parts, redundant sentences, and correct your grammar.  

Details, details, details Details always make a story better. What’s more, details will be imprinted on the admissions officer’s mind. So make sure your essay isn’t just a mundane description of your life, make sure that it is full of details.

Honesty is the best policy Being honest and genuine in your essay will only help your case. Regardless of your excellent writing abilities, candor will shine across your essay if you’re genuine and honest. So be honest and watch your passion translate into words on paper!

So those were my top tips for perfecting the CommonApp essay! Obviously, the CommonApp essay has MANY facets, so, if you have any questions regarding the CommonApp essay, drop in a message!

(If you want to read my CommonApp essay for reference, drop in a message off-Anonymous)

Best of luck, lovelies!

[nerdacity]

College in the US vs Uni in the UK : Where should you go?

The US and the UK are dream destinations for students to pursue their education. Both are home to some excellent universities, each with their own prestige factors; however, the UK and the US differ extensively in their education system. I applied to both the UK and the US, and I applied to some of the best universities in both the countries. However, when it came down to choosing my college, I began understanding how VERY different the two education systems truly are. Here are some key differentiating factors between the two systems to help you decide the one that suits you better! :

Duration of Course  The typical time taken to complete your basic Bachelor’s degree in the US is 4 years. However, in the UK, the degree takes just 3 years to complete (yay?)

Professors ( Coddling vs Nonchalant )  The professors in the US are concerned about their students and their grades. From grilling you with pop quizzes to daily assignments, they do it all. In the UK, however, professors have no idea what the word “coddling” even means. They won’t have your excuses and you can’t get around that. 

Grading  Everybody talks about how hard the grading curve is in the US. In the UK, nobody has even heard about a grading curve! In the UK, a 75% can be considered as Distinction. In the US, even an 80% won’t cut it!

Tuition  College tuition in the UK is so, so affordable! On an average, college tuition in top universities for one year is about $20,000. On the other hand, tuition for college in some of the best universities in the US can go as high as $60,000!

Theory vs Practice  Colleges in the US are waaay more concerned with how students turn out as people than how much they study. On the other hand, Unis in the UK are more concerned with how much work the students put in and not so much with how they live their lives. 

What you study In the UK you absolutely cannot go into Uni as an “Undecided” major. Even at Uni, there are tons of restrictions on what subjects you can study. In the US, you have a fair amount of freedom on what you can study. For example, I know a pre-med major at a US university who is taking business and music classes along with her pre med requirements! The UK system will work well for people who are sure of what they want to study. 

Party culture  Party culture (agree or not) is an important factor to consider when choosing a college. In the US, it is almost a norm to attend frat parties and mixers. However, since the legal drinking age is 21 in the US, drinking on campus connotates a fair amount of risk (this does make a BIG difference). In the UK, the legal drinking age is 18, however, unis don’t really have a party culture. Students prefer to go out to pubs and kick it with their friends with a pitcher of beer.

Greek system If you’re someone looking for a Greek system, the UK wouldn’t be the PERFECT place for you. However, a lot of people find that a Greek system doesn’t necessarily need to be a requirement in their college careers. 

There are several pros and cons of both the education systems, it always comes down to you and what YOU want from your college education. So, research all your college choices and make an informed decision!

Best of luck, lovelies!

[nerdacity]

Never 4.0, always 3.2 : Applying to College with average grades

Whenever people talk about college, they always talk about perfect grades and perfect test scores. But, in reality, that perfect 4.0 GPA is not really achievable. However, that doesn’t mean that a GPA of 3.2 is not going to get you into your dream school. I would know, my GPA was NOWHERE near perfect, but somehow, I still managed to get into my dream college of 8 years! The good thing about college applications in the United States is that college admissions officers look at you as a person. They look at who you are and what YOU are going to bring to the college community. Here are a few tips to strengthen the rest of your application: (P.S.- B is not really for “bad”, Spencer!)

ECs, ECs, and ECs                    Everybody talks about how important extra curriculars are when it comes to college applications, and they are not wrong. Make sure you have a bunch of extra curriculars to show on your application and have fun doing them! But make sure that your extra curriculars aren’t just academic ; colleges want to see you do things beyond school! Maybe get a few internships this summer and work your butt off!

Excellent essays  I cannot stress enough on how important essays are. I am convinced that my writing skills are what got me accepted. I am also convinced that essays are the best way to convince colleges that you’re a perfect fit for them. No amount of numbers or ECs will help your case if you cannot communicate with the admissions officers through your essay. ( I will be making another post on how to tackle the CommonApp Essay soon!)

Not so perfect test scores Again, I know it can be tough to get that 2400 or that 36 on standardised tests. I also know that standardised tests can be a pain, and are SO unfair. Unfortunately, there is no getting around standardised tests. The best thing you can do is set realistic goals for yourself. Colleges are not enamoured by perfect test scores. So do your best, and don’t beat yourself up!

Teacher Evaluations and Letters of Recommendations I know how painful and annoying it can be to run after your teachers for recommendations and evaluations. And it’s worse if your teacher isn’t familiar with the CommonApp (especially true for international students)! The trick is to start early and tell them you’re applying to colleges as soon as the CommonApp becomes available. Give them plenty of time to write their recommendations and fill out their evaluations. The more time you give them, the better your letter will look! And believe me, getting good recommendations can make ALL the difference.

Start early! This is probably the best piece of advice I can give you. The CommonApp essay topics are pretty much the same every year - so start writing them as soon as you can! Finishing the CommonApp early gives you SO much time to make changes, get advice, and be more organised. You DO NOT want to be rushing for deadlines. Your application will come off as rushed and shabby, and that is not good.

So that’s it for this post! Just remember, that perfect GPA would be a treat to have, but not having it wouldn’t ruin your chance at a good college! Best of luck!