The Application Essay

Most students get very nervous when it comes to writing their applicaiton essay.  What do I say in my essay to impress a college or unviersity?  Which topic should I write about?  What if my English grammar isn’t very good?

These are all great questions and we set out to help answer them for students.  We spoke with Wesley Roy, the Associate Director of International Admissions at Roger Williams University to find out what he had to say about the application essay and I thought his response was very reassuring for itnernational students.

Here is a little of what he said…

When it comes to English writing skills and the essay writing piece, it’s extremely important that these essays are well written. We’re looking at grammar, punctuation. We’re looking for it to make sense. Some schools do not have remedial English programs or an English language center, but nevertheless the English really has to be up to this standard of acceptable in order for the admissions officers to feel confident that these students are going to be successful in the university setting.

The essay should be something that students spend a lot of time on. Whether it is a one-page or a two-page essay, you need to follow the instructions and the directions of that particular university. I think it’s good to have two or three essays insert in your back pocket to make sure that the universities you are applying for, the essay that’s probably the most appropriate goes to that university.

If you want to read more from Wesley or listen to his podcast check out goSwoop

Students need to be confident in themselves.  Yes English may not be your strongsuit but admissions recruiters are already aware of that.  Do the best that you can and be confident in what you are writing.  The application essay is a glimpse into your life so don’t be afraid to share what makes you unique!

Early or Regular? The Method of Applying to Schools

I am sure many students in the past have wondered, while filling up the application forms for school, what “early” or “regular” decision meant. This could affect the application process. In the blog Horia Kraus posted on goswoop about early decision and regular, he explores around the application method and shares his experience when he was applying to universities back when he was in high school.

When I applied to colleges, I applied to 11 schools. All the applications were regular applications. The main reason behind that is that I didnt really know a lot about the process and didnt know how the other options (early decision or early action) could affect the final outcome of getting into college. Looking back at it now I would have most definitely applied early decision or early action to some school. I dont know if your counselor told you about how to split up the colleges you are applying to, but this is how my counselor taught me.

Asking for help from counselors are always helpful. Everyone, at some point in high school, seek their counselor(s) for help about life after finishing high school. Some may choose to continue education while some choose to start working. For those who choose to go study more, the counselors (and even teachers who went to a college/university that followed the US system) can help you guide through the steps to college.

If you are going to a British system university, there are different application methods so early or regular decisions will not matter since all the applications are due in at the same time.

To learn more about early decision and of Horia’s experiences, read his blog entry and you will get a better understanding of the important decisions you will be making when applying for schools.  If you have any other questions about international education be sure to check out goSwoop!

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!