The College/University Admissions Process for International Students

Well it is mid-summer and if you are in high school I am sure you are thinking about where you are going to be applying to college.   I know the college application process is tedious and will take a lot of time and effort on your part but you can make it much easier on yourself by learning from others who have gone through the process before you.  I remember when I was applying to school and how I was fortunate enough to meet experienced international students who were able to tell me about the things I should be focusing on when it came to picking and applying to schools.

There are always some tricks and tips that are priceless that made me feel much more comfortable throughout the entire application process.  The best part about talking to these international students I had met was that they were able to tell me not only about how to apply but what I would like about living abroad and what might be difficult for me.  I can’t imagine going through the process again and not learning the tips and tricks that these students were able to provide me.

One international student that I have been fortunate enough to meet on goSwoop has tons of international admissions experience thanks to the fact that she worked at a US University’s admissions office.  She wanted to provide other international students on goSwoop her advice and wrote a story on goSwoop for everyone to read.  Here is a little bit of what she had to say…

Congratulations on deciding to apply to a university abroad! Many universities try to make the application process an easy one for both their domestic and international applicants. Although each university has their own distinct application procedure, most of them come down to similar requirements and prerequisites. By properly organizing these similar requirements to the allocated university and their deadlines, I guarantee that it will make application season a little less like hell and actually a little more enjoyable. Here is some background information on the important requirements that you will probably need for every university you apply to:

* Financial aid. Only U.S. citizens and permanent residents are granted financial aid through government agencies like FAFSA or PROFILE. Usually, colleges will require international applicants to fill out separate financial forms stating their parents net earnings, net expenditures, etc. Obtain the forms yourself and trust your parents to acquire bank statements and fill these outbut keep checking in on them so that they can meet the designated deadlines! These are required so that you can obtain your I-20 or DS-2019 to come into the U.S. Otherwise, try to apply for independent scholarships within and outside your university of choice, many features of goSwoop can connect you with specific independent scholarships, international student loans and financial aid grants.

She has written much more in her goSwoop story for you to read.  So come on in to goSwoop and see what you can learn from international students who have already gone through the international student admissions process!

Summer University Courses: how they can be beneficial for international students

Summer is typically thought of as a time to relax and enjoy a break from university or college.  A time to travel back home and see family, friends and maybe even work a little bit to make some money for the next semester.  But summer also offers an opportunity to get ahead.  If you are looking for a way to speed up your college experience so you can get out into the workforce or move back home then you should consider taking summer classes at your university.

I had the opportunity to take some summer classes and I will admit that even though you don’t want to be inside during the beautiful sunny days it made my next semester that much easier.  I didn’t have to take as many courses making allowing me to spend more time doing other things.  I also took enough summer courses so that I could graduate a semester early and get out of school, get a great job and start making my own money!

One downside to summer courses was that there weren’t as many people around campus so my experience was a little bit more relaxed but it also gave me the opportunity to do things that I wouldn’t typically do when all my friends are around.

Avril Perez at Clark University has had the experience of taking summer classes and she shared that experience on goSwoop.  Here is a little bit of what she had to say…

Summer offers you the time to take a relaxing break off of college. But if you ask me summer break although quite enjoyable can become just too relaxing to the point of boredom. I mean four months of relaxation is just way too long. If you are reaching the point where you need to keep yourself active consider taking summer courses. Get a head in your major or catch up for that matter, there is still time to register.

Clark University offers summer courses in two terms. Summer I runs from May 19 to June 30 and Summer II runs from July 7 to August 14. You are still on time to register for Summer II at this point there is a late registration fee of $40 but registration is open until July 17.

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If you would like to read more of Avril’s experience click here… I think you might have to be registered for goSwoop in order to read the story so click on this link to register for goSwoop.

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If you have any questions about taking summer courses you can ask them in the goQ&A section of goSwoop and students like Avril can help you by offering advice from their experiences.