Check out this link from a recent Chronicle of Higher Education article. It's already well known that companies monitor applicants' social media activity as part of their background checks, and have have dismissed prospective and current employees for their dodgy activities on social media sites. You should also know by now that universities and scholarship boards do likewise to prospective students. You should assume that nothing is private and use discretion when posting online social media content that may portray you in a negative light.
Early Admissions Snapshot
Take a look at the accompanying chart from this NY Times article (may require subscription if you have used up your monthly 20-article viewing allocation). It gives you a sense of the different types of early applications that exist as well as the acceptance rates. Note that many schools offer both binding and non-binding Early Decision and Action options and some schools do two rounds of Early admissions.
The article mentions that those who opt for early admissions usually have well-informed and sophisticated college advisors, who can assess a student's chances effectively based on the school of choice. Therefore the admitted rates can be misleading - it is not the average student that applies for a particular school, but relatively above-average candidates; so applicants should weigh that as a factor when deciding.
American Admissions: The Admissions Interview
The admissions interview is an extremely important part of the application process to American universities. Besides the application essay, the interview is probably the only way to get the university admission office to get a sense of your character, personality, passions and concerns. Most elite universities make an enormous effort to interview every undergraduate applicant to their school regardless of where the applicant lives. In Singapore, as in almost every country, applicant interviews to American universities are facilitated through school visits, education fairs and alumni volunteers. Since competition for top university places is, in general, more fierce in Singapore than in the U.S., applicants located outside the U.S. must place a high importance on making the best impression possible in order to separate themselves positively from their peers. Here, we highlight a few of many suggestions to make that winning impression and get the most out of your interview.
Know the school:
A university interviewer is aware that applicants apply to many other schools. However, he or she wants to see that the applicant is particularly interested in attending the university, and for the “right” reasons. Stating that a school is prestigious is NOT a good enough reason. Explain why: research the website and hardcopy brochures. Know the types of majors and courses offered and what departments (faculties) and professors are famous for their research and teaching. Find out what qualities of the school sets it apart from others. Even more important, through questions and comments, you should make it clear that you have done the research.
Know thyself:
Hopefully you did a written self-assessment before you even started the application process. With your self-assessment, researching schools becomes more tailored and less exhaustive. Do you know which teaching style, academic and extracurricular activities interest you. Have you thrived in small sized classes? Enjoyed doing volunteer work? If so, what kind of work? Do you thrive in situations when surrounded by students with similar or differing backgrounds and perspectives? See whether the school website and brochures (or third-party analysis of the school) answers these questions. If not, be sure to raise them during the interview.
Set an agenda:
You should have a list of questions that you want answered, but are not easily found on the school website. All interviewers are closely involved with the school, either as an employee of the school, or as an alumnus or alumna, or both. They serve as a rich resource of information about the school and can often answer the not-frequently-asked questions you compiled while doing your research. Most importantly, market yourself as best as you can. Have a list of core aspects about you that you want the interviewer to know before the interview ends. Prove to the university that you and your interests are a fit for the school and it’s environment while showing your academic and non-academic uniqueness. These attributes contribute to the diversity that is sought for and cherished by American universities. Diversity, a somewhat misunderstood concept, does not refer solely to racial and ethnic identity, but to what you, as a student, can uniquely contribute to the school community.
Be professional:
The interview is casual, but the interaction with the interviewer before and after the interview should not be. Play it safe and treat the admissions interview process similar to that of a job interview. Emails written in all lowercase lettering with SMS-style language leave a poor impression. Any emails to the interviewer should be written with the principles of standard written English. Check for grammar and spelling mistakes (especially the interviewer’s name!) before sending your message. Defer to the interviewer as to the place and time of the interview, unless you have a compelling reason. Sending a follow-up message thanking the interviewer after the meeting sets you apart from others.
American Admissions: Assumptions and Gaffes
We field many questions from anxious students and parents regarding the American university admissions system and the SAT. We noticed that many questions asked and decisions made were founded on assumptions that are not only wrong but also may severely worsen one’s chances of getting into a quality school. Here are some examples, with many more to come:
I’m a shoo-in for the Ivy League:
Columbia last year admitted only 9% of all applicants, and only 6% of those applying from Singapore. Almost all of these applicants are talented, have strong test scores and good grades and are active in their respective communities. Given the hyper-competition for places in top schools, no one applicant is a shoo-in for any top school.
I’m applying to MIT, Cornell, UC Berkeley, Stanford, Michigan…
…and so is everyone else in Singapore. Since nearly every selective school want to ensure diversity among their student body, they will admit only a certain number of students from Singapore or any other specific location regardless of the quality of the applicant pool. You will have a better chance of admission if you apply to schools that are not on the traditional and popular Singaporean destination list.
No backup:
See above. If you are determined to study in America, but apply only to the most competitive schools, there is a good chance you will not get in anywhere. Do an honest assessment and, as a backup, apply to two or more schools that offer quality yet don’t get 150 applicants from Singapore.
I can’t apply until I get my A/O level results:
Most good American universities are aware of the Singaporean education system and know that students do not get their final exam results until well after the university admissions deadlines. Therefore, they will accept prelims and will admit students provided their final results are not significantly worse. Don’t slack off after applying though as schools have been known to rescind admissions offers to students who get sloppy!
Good SAT, bad A’ levels? No problem!
Actually, there could be a problem. The SAT is not the equivalent of the A’ levels in America; it is one of several admissions criteria that universities consider. There are many students that do well on the SAT and the A’ levels and, all things being equal, they will have a better chance of admission than those with good SATs and bad A’ levels.
I need a 2250 on the SAT in order to get into Stanford:
SAT scores posted on school websites serve only to indicate what the average admitted student scored on the test. It does not serve as a minimum accepted score. Admissions officers look at the SAT score in addition to all the other components required in the application. That being said, since the SAT is not the only thing schools look at when deciding to admit a student, we have seen cases in which students with an SAT score below the median or average - but with excellent qualities in other areas - get into top schools, while some students with perfect SAT scores and straight A’s get rejected because they were not active in other activities and interviewed poorly.
I wrote 800 words for my 500-word university application essay:
Word limits exist for a reason: to help the extremely busy admissions officer assess applicants in a timely manner. Most essays are at most 500 words so that it can fit on one page and be read easily. If the admissions officer comes across and essay that significantly exceeds the asked-for length, your application will be viewed negatively. In fact, they may discard your application and move on to the next applicant.
Answer the freakin’ question!
If you are writing an essay in response to a question asked, be it in the SAT Writing section or in a university application, make sure you follow the prompts, understand the details completely and respond directly to any questions asked. You may have in the past written a kick-butt essay about your championship win in a televised science competition, and want to use it as one of your essays, but don’t make the mistake of making only a few superficial changes and attempting to use it as your admissions essay response to a question about the importance of diversity in a university environment. If the essay question asks you whether or not tragedy can serve as a motivator, make sure you do not refer to the time your maid went on vacation and you had to cook and clean on your own (we’ve seen this!).
If you are guilty of any of these, you are in need of guidance. Be sure to contact the United States Education Information Center (USEIC) who will put you on track to achieving admissions success.
Early Decision, Early Action and Rolling Admissions
Introduction:
As we roll around to another admissions “season” there is again the same confusion regarding the sometimes-bewildering array of different application options available to students looking to study at American universities. Further complicating matters is the fact that the universities seem to change policies from year to year and the overall system is very much in a state of flux right now. We will first give basic definitions of what schemes are on offer:
Early Decision:
“ED” allows students who are sure that they want to go to a specific school to apply early to a single university. The ED deadlines vary, anywhere from November 1st to January 1st, depending on when the standard admissions deadline is. About 6 weeks after the ED deadline, the school will inform you if you are accepted, deferred (your application put into the normal admissions pool), or rejected. If you are accepted, then the understanding is that you will withdraw any other applications that you have submitted and commit to attend the school that accepted you. You can only apply to one school ED, not more than one! These schools do trade names of applicants and will find out if you have applied to more than one school ED and your name will be blacklisted! Don’t do it! Most of the top schools, with several notable exceptions, have an ED program. Check the school admissions websites for specifics as dates and procedure will vary.
Early Action:
“EA” is a variant of ED and works basically the same way except that it is non-binding. That is, if you are accepted to a school that you apply to under an EA scheme then you do not have to commit to attend that school. This means that an applicant is able to apply to multiple schools with EA plans – but of course none of those can be ED as that is binding.
Rolling Admissions:
Many schools, particularly the large public universities offer rolling admissions. This means that they will accept applications up to a specific date and let the students know if they are accepted a few weeks after the application is received. Rolling admissions helps to spread the work of the admissions officers over a longer time frame instead of everything happening on a specific date.
Why they do it:
ED programs have been widely expanded and many elite universities typically accept up to 40% of their students this way. There are several reasons for this: the universities will tell you that ED helps them choose students who are really certain that they want to attend the school. This is true, however, another key reason is that by accepting students under an ED scheme the “yield percentage” in greatly increased. The “yield” measures what percentage of accepted students actually opt to attend that school so accepting kids under binding ED programs moves that number up a fair amount. The yield percentage is also a core component in various university ranking tables such as the US News and World Report and a high yield can move a school up a notch or two.
When to apply:
What this basically means is that if you are really sure that you want to attend a specific school, your chances of getting in are slightly higher if you apply early (either ED or EA). If you are not positive that you want to attend a specific school then keep your options open and apply EA (but not ED) to schools and then get ready to apply in the normal round of admissions as well.
Changes….
The world of EA/ED was rocked slightly just a few weeks ago when a university in Boston named Harvard decided to drop all of its early action programs next year and just have one deadline (January 1st) for admissions. The argument – a quite valid one in our view – is that the early programs puts affluent students at an advantage as they are better able to get an application in early, as well as sitting the SAT earlier, preparing for it, etc. Whether or not other elite universities follow Harvard’s lead is unclear and we will continue to monitor the situation and faithfully report on the issue in subsequent editions of Study in America.
