Applying for US & UK Universities from Auckland Grammar School

This document provides information and advice for Grammar students who are considering applying to universities in the USA and the UK.

Note that much of this was written in 2014 and, while considerable effort has gone into checking that the details below are correct, the School cannot guarantee that all details are accurate and up‐to‐date. Therefore, students should use the information contained in this document as a starting point and must do their own research to confirm details for themselves, especially regarding admission requirements and deadlines.

Both Oxbridge universities and top US universities desire students who are independent, enquiring, passionate and articulate. The tutorials/supervision approach in the UK makes this essential, while universities like Harvard are looking for “students who will be the best educators of one another and their professors—individuals who will inspire those around them during their College years and beyond”.

ADMISSION TO OXBRIDGE (MUCH APPLIES GENERALLY TO UK )

General Points Re. UK

 Overseas applicants:  can apply for a maximum of 5 universities  have to apply for Oxford or Cambridge  No sporting scholarships are available.  Formal assessment is very important; often 100% based on formal examinations.

Application Process

 All applications are made online via UCAS. Candidates may apply for up to 5 courses. The application process starts fully 18 months before commencing a university course:  April /May: research courses and colleges and make informal inquiries of college admission staff.  June – October: submit COPA, UCAS and SAQ online.  September – December: interviews and submission of tests and/or written work.  January: applicants informed of unsuccessful applications or conditional or unconditional offers.  February – July: UCAS Extra available for further applications.  June: apply for visas once SAC received from universities.  October: Courses commence NB: for non‐Oxbridge universities the application deadline is January 15 and offers are made from April through to July.

 Choosing the right course is more important than choosing between Oxford or Cambridge or different colleges.  Applicants can apply for particular colleges or make an Open application where they will be assigned to a college.

 Key considerations are:  Academic record considered in context of the quality of the school in which it is gained.  School reference.  Personal statement.  Submitted work, where requested.  Test results, where required  Performance at interview, if interviewed.

 Applications for Oxbridge:  Via UCAS but Cambridge also requires COPA ( Cambridge Online Preliminary Application ) and SAQ ( Supplementary Application Questionnaire ) online forms to be completed.  Due 15 October ( three months earlier than for UK universities generally ).  Written tests or work may be required.  Oxford makes more use of pre‐tests whereas Cambridge gives more weight to AS results.  Short‐listed applicants will be interviewed. These are like mini tutorials/supervisions – students are given a short passage or problem to consider and then discuss. Japanese students have a choice of being interviewed in the UK or Singapore ( for Cambridge ).

 Applicants to Oxbridge are expected to be in the top 1‐2 % of age cohort:  Oxford: conditional offers range between A*A*A* and AAA or 38 – 40 in IB  Cambridge: conditional offers range between A*AA or 40 – 42 in IB

 Requirements for international applicants:  Highest grades in A Levels, IB or equivalent in 3 or 4 subjects studied in depth and ability and readiness to join in discussion of these subjects. NB: Japanese Upper Secondary School Leaving Certificate NOT accepted by Cambridge.  IELTS: minimum overall grade of 7.5 ( with 7.0 or above in each element ).  High School Transcript covering at two years of schooling.  Proof that students can finance the entire course ( minimum of £ 27,000 p.a. )  A Tier 4 visa: requires CAS ( Confirmation of Studies ) and proof of funds.

 Responding to offers:  Applicants have 3 options: 1. Accept only one offer as their Firm Acceptance. Usually done on an unconditional offer from an applicant’s first or second choice university. 2. If a Firm Acceptance is made on a conditional offer, then an applicant can make a further Insurance Acceptance. Usually a lower offer to maximise chances of getting at least one of their two choices. All other offers must then be declined. 3. Decline all offers.  There is provision for a ‘second bite of the apple’ through UCAS Extra and Clearing applications.  Once an offer is accepted, both the applicant and the university are bound by UCAS rules to honour it.

APPLYING TO US UNIVERSITIES

Overview

 There are more than 4000 colleges and universities in the USA of which about 2,000 offer undergraduate degree programmes.  The general type of programme offered falls under the heading of “liberal arts”, although it will involve “majoring” in a particular subject. American universities greatly respect the breadth and rigour of the IB.  With a view to working in the international student’s home country eventually, it is important to obtain a degree from an institution that is recognized and highly rated there.  Partly due to their wealth, and to a society that values and invests in education, the top American universities dominate the world university rankings.  Fees for American universities vary from one institution to another but the more prestigious ones can be in the region of $50,000‐$60,000 per year. Remember that degrees in the USA usually take four years.  Most American universities will expect UK candidates to have A‐levels/IB or equivalent and a minimum of five GCSEs (including English and Mathematics). Many have recommended ( but not necessarily absolutely necessary ) academic profiles. For instance Princeton prefers students who have:  four years of English (including continued practice in writing ).  four years of mathematics (including calculus for students interested in engineering)  four years of one foreign language  at least two years of laboratory science (including physics and chemistry for students interested in engineering)  at least two years of history  In addition, most candidates have had some study in the visual or performing arts.  challenged themselves with the most rigorous courses possible, such as honors, Advanced Placement (AP) and dual‐enrollment courses. They will evaluate the International Baccalaureate (IB), A‐levels or another diploma in the context of the program’s curriculum.  Most US universities will expect undergraduate applicants to complete Scholastic Assessment Tests or SAT tests... Among other requirements, most four‐year universities and colleges require students to take an admission test, such as the SAT. These tests have been developed by The College Board, to measure verbal and mathematical reasoning abilities, rather than factual knowledge. Most universities also require applicants to also take the SAT II Tests which are subject specific. ( SAT Subject Tests ). The tests are set on specific dates at designated test centres around the world. Each school will list the required admission tests in their application instructions. Applicants can also find out which tests are required by using College Search. Regardless of the type of test, applicants should register well in advance to guarantee a testing spot. International applicants are advised to complete their required standardized testing by the December test date if possible as scores from the January test date for testers outside the U.S. do not always reach US admissions offices in time.  Practice SAT tests and details of UK test centres are available from The College Board (www.collegeboard.com). For help and tutoring for SAT Tests see The Studyworks: www.studyworks.com and for Kaplan Test Prep: www.kaptest.co.uk

Application Process  To start an application to study in the US, students will need to apply directly to each of the universities they’re interested in. Some universities belong to organisations that provide a common online application form e.g. The Common Application or The Universal College Application. Athletic recruitment process and sports scholarships follow a slightly different timeline to regular applications, so it’s worthwhile checking the application deadlines early (1‐1 ½ years before enrolment) to avoid missing out.

 Entry requirements for each university are different, but most involve either completing an admissions test or essay, the SAT or ACT admissions tests, and providing recommendation letters from teachers. On top of this, most universities ask for a transcript of grades ( generally Years 9 – 12 ) and a personal statement ( “Tell us your story. Show us what’s special about you. Tell us how you would seize the academic and non‐academic opportunities at Princeton and contribute to the Princeton community. Above all, please write in a style that reflects your own voice” ). If students are not native English speakers they generally have to take TOEFL, although some universities ( e.g. Princeton ) do not require this if students have received at least three years secondary education in English.

 Most colleges and universities in the U.S. use a holistic approach to undergraduate admissions. They look at a student’s GPA (grade point average), admission test scores and other factors to try to gain a better picture of the student. These factors may include: coursework, teacher and counsellor recommendations, the student’s personal statement, interviews, community service, extracurricular activities and more. The application requirements for each institution can be found on its website.

 Applicants who have their heart set on one particular university, may want to look into whether the institution has an Early Action or Early Decision plan. If they apply for Early Action or Early Decision (usually in November), they’ll know whether they’ve been accepted by December or January. It’s important to know the difference between the two plans.  Early Decision plans are binding. That is, if the institution accepts an applicant and offers a reasonable financial aid package, then they must attend the school.  Early Action plans are like early decision plans, but are not binding. Even if applicants are accepted, they do not have to commit to the institution.

 If applicants are accepted they’ll be entered into an international student database called the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), and sent a copy of the information stored on this, which they will need to check for accuracy. It’s also important to ensure that they pay the application fee (the SEVIS I‐901 fee) for this database service, which will be US$200. A few universities also allow international students to apply for free online. The university will then provide them with a Form I‐20 to present to the US embassy when they attend their visa interview.

 A useful website to assist in the application process for international students is: http://international.collegeboard.org/study‐in‐the‐us/apply

Here are some suggestions for selecting universities to apply to, and when and how to apply.

Researching universities

From the thousands of institutions in the US that offer programmes of study, you will need to create a list of the universities you would like to apply to. We recommend you select 10‐ 15 universities to get more in‐depth information about.

There are numerous websites providing advice and engines for searching universities online:  www.collegeboard.com  www.petersons.com  www.usaeducationguides.com  www.usnews.com  www.phds.org Peterson’s publish a number of guide books to selecting universities or courses, including Applying to Colleges and Universities in the United States, which is available from Fulbright New Zealand. Making a shortlist

From your research, we recommend you choose 4‐6 universities to apply to. US universities charge a non‐refundable application fee and applying to more than 6 can get expensive. Your shortlist of universities should include:  1‐2 schools at the top of your range – universities that you would very much like to attend, but you’re not sure that your academic record and test scores meet their expectations;  2‐3 competitive, but not extremely selective schools ‐ universities where you’re confident that your application will be given serious consideration; and  1 safety school – a university that you are certain will accept you, because you more than meet their criteria.  Contact the international student advisor at each university. Introduce yourself, explain that you’re getting ready to apply, and ask any questions you have about their specific application process.  Read and re‐read the application requirements, as each university is different.  If you are deciding between different schools, ask the international student advisor for a contact of a student from your same country already at the university so you can get their perspective.  Most importantly, always research your options, ask a lot of questions and make connections!

Criteria for choosing a university

Things to consider when comparing universities:  Majors offered;  Strength of programme;  Selectivity (entrance difficulty);  Cost and availability of financial aid;  Accreditation;  Academic facilities;  Type of institution – public or private, co‐ed or single sex, etc.;  Enrolment size;  Campus setting and geographical location;  Sports and campus life;  Housing;  Services for international students.

Writing a personal statement

 American universities want to get an idea of what sort of person you are, which is why they often ask you to include a personal statement in your admission application. For many students, writing the personal statement is the hardest part of the application process, but with the keen competition for admission to US universities, your personal statement often becomes a crucial element of your application package. It is your opportunity to distinguish yourself from the many other applicants with the same academic qualifications.  Make sure you tailor your written statement to the institution to which you are applying – the more specific you are, the more convincing you will be. Make sure your referees do the same for their references. References and personal statements need to demonstrate evidence of why you would be suitable for a particular graduate department.

Application timetable

 The process of applying to university in the US takes far longer to organise than the application process for study in New Zealand. We suggest that you start 12 to 18 months before you plan to begin studying in the US.

 The following timetable is based on starting your studies in late August/early September. Mid‐year admission (starting in late January/early February) may be possible, but you’ll need to check directly with the universities concerned.

April‐June  Research 10 to 15 universities Assess whether or not these universities meet the criteria you have identified as important to you. This research phase of the application process is perhaps the most important and shouldn’t be left to the last minute.  Seek financial assistance Begin to investigate possible sources of financial assistance. This should include possible funding from the university as well as funding from other private sources.

July‐August  Contact 4 to 6 universities Choose from the universities you researched and contact the admissions office to request application forms, financial aid forms and any other forms for international students. Each university has a non‐refundable application fee, so applying to more than six may be expensive.  Register for tests Determine which standardised admissions tests you’ll be required to take and register to sit them.  Seek non‐university sources of funding Contact non‐university sources of funding and request application forms.

August‐October  Fill out application forms Begin the process of filling out application forms and collecting all required material like transcripts and references. Start writing your application essay/personal statement.  Make sure you identify the application deadlines. These can occur anytime from November to February for those planning to start studying in August/September.

October‐February  Submit applications Complete your applications and submit all required items before the deadline. Apply early if you possibly can.

March‐May  Notification of acceptance Universities will notify you whether or not you have been accepted. They should give you an indication of how much, if any, financial aid they are prepared to offer you.  Write to the university you decide to attend to let them know you accept. Also write to the other universities that accept you to let them know you will not take‐up their offer of admission.  Travel arrangements Once your acceptance has been confirmed, you should start thinking about organising your travel top the US. Late August and early September are peak times for travel to and within the US so the earlier you organise your tickets the better.

June‐August  Obtain a student visa There are two main types of visas that are issued to students wishing to study at US universities – a Student (F) Visa and an Exchange Visitor (J) Visa. The first step for acquiring a Student Visa is being accepted for enrolment an accredited university. The university will provide you with a form called the I‐20, and once you receive this form you may apply for a student visa. The process for acquiring an Exchange Visitor Visa is similar – once you are accepted into an accredited exchange programme they will provide you with a DS‐2019 form which allows you to apply for an exchange visitor visa.  In New Zealand, visas for the US are issued by the US Consulate General in Auckland, and require an in‐person interview. The process for applying for a visa is outlined on the US Embassy website.

An Old Boy’s Opinions and Advice on US Universities

The following was written by Grammar Old Boy Lachlan Kermode in February 2014. Lachlan is currently studying at Princeton University.

Note that this is a personal viewpoint from Lachlan written in 2014 and is not necessarily endorsed by Auckland Grammar in terms of accuracy and opinions.

Applying to US Universities is a concept which seems foreign to many New Zealanders, as we tend to visualise the American world as one so detached from our own. Though there is a reasonable amount of effort involved in translating your academic record, writing application essays for colleges, and sitting SATs (among other things that you can do to give your application a better chance of success), the process can be a very enjoyable one, and thoroughly worthwhile.

The tertiary system in the US is quite different to our New Zealand understanding. The States have a much more liberal philosophy on undergraduate education. In America, students go to a four‐year undergraduate ‘college’ at a university, where they obtain a ‘major’ in a certain field of study. The majority (about 60%) of the student’s courses will come under the field of study of this ‘major,’ while the remaining courses (up to about 40%) are completely up to the student. Whereas in New Zealand and Australia you have to plan your degree program from the minute you set foot on campus, in the States the majority of students go into university on an 'undecided major’. This simply means that they are not yet sure of what they want to do, and so they take a whole range of courses which interest them for the first two years, and do not decide on their ‘major’ until the end of their second year. Alternatively, if you are sure of what you want to do, you can pick a specific major and confine yourself to that area of education. American universities don’t force their students to specialize in the first two years because students often don't truly know what they want to study, since there are some subjects which they haven't even encountered yet (such as Computer Science, Comparative Literature, Politics and Neuroscience, to name a few). It is worth exploring these subjects even for the sheer joy of diversity.

It is also important to note that the US does not offer undergraduate Medicine or Law. The US regards these studies as postgraduate specializations rather than viable career paths for someone just leaving secondary school. Accordingly, if you do wish to pursue Medicine or Law in America, you will need to do so in a postgraduate ‘Medical School’ (4 years) or ‘Law School’ (3 years). The catch is that often these postgraduate programs will require applying students to have completed an undergraduate program in the US.

Though the States is bigger, it is not necessarily better. The American lifestyle is very different to the one which we have here. If you want to find out whether it is the place for you, do some research into what the differences are – the internet is not just for Facebook!

If you are not sure whether you have a good chance of getting into colleges in the States; read on, my friend. I'll try to outline what sort of level you should be at in order to be in the running for the different kinds of universities in America.

SCHOLARSHIPS

We'll start with the most alluring part, shall we? There is a heap of wealth in American universities, and a great proportion of that wealth is spent on scholarships, both for domestic AND international students (that's you). There are two main types of scholarships that you can receive: financial aid and/or merit scholarships.

Merit Scholarships These scholarships function in a similar way to scholarships at Auckland University but with a fundamental difference: you often don’t have to make a separate scholarship application. Applicants are, generally speaking, automatically considered for merit scholarships as soon as they have submitted their regular application. That being said, there are a handful of scholarships that you do have to apply for which are specific to a particular college, and I would suggest that you research scholarships individually for each university that you apply to, to make sure that you are not missing out on any opportunities.

An academic scholarship for a reasonable SAT score and GPA (we'll get onto those later) could roughly cover about half of your tuition, and if you have an athletic or arts scholarship on top of that, your expenses can become virtually negligible.

An important fact in relation to merit scholarships is that Ivy League schools (Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Dartmouth, Cornell, Brown, Penn) do NOT offer merit scholarships to undergraduates. The only scholarships that you can get to the Ivy Leagues are the second type of scholarships, financial aid scholarships.

Financial Aid Almost all universities offer financial aid in some form or another. Financial aid scholarships are not assessed through merit, but rather through your parents' (and your) financial status, and are then distributed accordingly. This means that if your family genuinely cannot afford to pay for a college which you get into, the college will subsidize your fees to make college affordable. Ivy Leagues are the best representation of this scholarship system. Generally speaking, Ivy Leagues assess their applicants ‘financially blind’ (meaning that they do not consider the financial status of an applicant when they are evaluating an application). Once the admissions office has decided on a pool of applicants on account of the merits of the people in that pool, it will then consider the financial status of those applicants separately, and offer people aid accordingly. To throw a statistic at you, the average financial aid for a student at Princeton in 2012 was $37,600 USD (Princeton has one of the stronger financial aid support systems). If you are interested as to how much aid you would qualify for, sit down with your parents and go onto the university website, where there is often a Financial Aid Estimator.

Non‐Ivy Leagues also offer financial aid, and some schools offer a combination of financial aid and merit scholarships.

ACADEMICS

The secondary schooling system in the US differs from our system. Instead of having external exams (e.g. Cambridge, NCEA), a student has a GPA (Grade Point Average) out of 4.0, which is updated throughout high school to estimate the student's academic prowess. The only external exams that they sit, and thus the only relatively accurate comparison between students, are the SATs, the SAT Subject Tests, and the ACT.

Acquiring a GPA and Transcripts There are two ways you can translate your marks, Cambridge or NCEA, into a US secondary school GPA format.

1) Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE): This is a US company which translates international qualifications into a US format. To translate your grades, go to the website www.ece.org and find the package named 'Course by Course'. This costs $140. In return, you will get a high school GPA, and a university GPA. Your high school GPA is based on your AS results – if you got all A's in AS, then you will have a GPA of 4.0. (If you are NCEA, you need Excellence Endorsed in Level 3 in order to get a GPA of 4.0). Your university GPA will be determined by the A Level subjects that you have done in 6th Form, and you can then normally cross‐credit this GPA when you start college, though it depends on the university.

You will also require transcripts as a component of your application. This transcript consists of your GPA, plus two references from your school counsellor (a guidance counsellor in the US has a much greater role, specifically one which includes students' college applications), and a list of the subjects you have studied, how many hours you have studied those subjects in the classroom, and what grades you received.

2) Mr McKain: Alternatively, Mr McKain should be able to help you‐ he will calculate a GPA, translate all your grades for you, write your guidance counsellor references, and any other forms which are required of him. Students from Grammar have been accepted into Ivy Leagues through both methods, so the choice is more or less up to you.

Sitting SATs The compulsory SAT for entrance into college is made up of about ten parts, and these parts all fall into one of the following three categories: Maths, Reading and Writing. Maths: The level of Maths is vaguely equivalent to IGCSE, though questions are sometimes phrased in ambiguous manners, so it is a good idea to at least do some practice tests beforehand. The majority of the questions in this section are multi‐choice, though there are about ten questions in one of the sections where they don't offer you answers, and you have to come up with the answer yourself (though these questions are relatively easy!) Reading: In this section, you are given a text to read, and then have to answer multi‐choice questions relating to the text. Although this seems fairly straightforward, the questions often ask you to interpret the opinions of the author, or other relatively ambiguous aspects of the text. Some tricky questions can also arise which specifically ask for the meaning of difficult words ‐ which is often hard to judge simply from context. The wider your vocabulary, the easier this is. That being said, with a bit of practice, you should find yourself getting used to the format of the questions, and again can score well. Writing: This is, for many, the most difficult aspect of the SATs. The very first section in the SAT is a 25 minute essay, but its expectation is probably quite different from the essays that you have written throughout your tenure at Grammar. The question is almost always very subjective – for example, something along the lines of 'Is creativity an essential element in our daily lives, or do some professions not require creativity?' This question thoroughly depends on how you define 'creativity', and there is no 'correct' answer, as such. There is, however, a correct format for the answer, and the SATs are very particular about this format. I won't go into detail here, but there is plenty of information in any of the SAT study guides. The rest of the Writing section asks you to evaluate paragraphs, and offer better‐written alternatives (again, they are multi‐choice), and to find grammatical mistakes in sentences. Some of these mistakes are quite hard to pick up on, because of our colloquial utilisation of the English language, and so this section perhaps requires more study than the others. Students who have taken Latin or a foreign language at Grammar are often advantaged in this section, because of the English syntax that you learn by studying a foreign language.

Each section is out of 800, and the three sections are then summed to give your overall SAT mark out of 2400. The SAT mark for the 25th to 75th percentile of Ivy Leagues is generally in the vicinity of 2100‐2400 (it fluctuates slightly depending on the year). Anything above 2100 will give you a strong chance of getting a substantial financial status to other, less widely‐ known but still excellent, colleges. For example, one Grammar student was offered a $25,000 USD, solely academic scholarship to Whitter College in Los Angeles, and my SAT score was 2170.

If you are aiming for the Ivy Leagues, and some of the other great universities in the States, then you must also take either two SAT Subject Tests, or the ACT. These subject tests are comparatively easy (about 6th form level for most Cambridge subjects), though it is important that you study thoroughly to make sure that you get the highest score possible – the Ivy Leagues generally expect applicants to have two perfect SAT Subject Test scores (800 out of 800, though scaling is a factor). I am less familiar with the ACT tests, and would suggest that you take the SAT Subject Tests.

To sign up for these tests, you have to register on www.collegeboard.org. Follow the links to SATs, and click 'register'. The registration process involves an extensive questionnaire about your interests, grades etc – do your best with this questionnaire, as a lot of the questions are aimed at an American audience and so do not make a lot of sense to us New Zealanders (e.g. questions about the various academic honours that your state has granted you), but don't lose sleep over ticking the wrong categories. Administration understands that you are an international student, and have not been through the same system as Americans. There are various testing centres in Auckland, including Kings, Kristin, Macleans, AIC and Senior College. Choose whichever one suits you.

The interesting thing about SATs is that you can re‐sit them as many times as you like, though it costs a fee of about $80 each time that you do. Your final SAT score is then your BEST score from EACH of the three categories. For example, if I got the scores Reading:740, Writing:640, Maths:710 in my first sitting, and the scores Reading:690, Writing:750, Maths:720 in my second, my overall SAT scores would be Reading:740, Writing:750, Maths:720. However, you do have to mention in your Common Application the date which you achieved each score, so it is best to do it right the first time!

APPLYING FOR COLLEGES

The process of applying for individual colleges in the States is quite different from the way that we apply for universities here in NZ. There is a standardized application form called the Common Application. This can all be completed online at www.commonapp.org. Aside from all of the normal details of an application (details, achievements, interests etc), the application also asks you to write creative essays, describing experiences, writing a short piece about someone who meant something to you, or something of the sort. The coolest question that I have ever seen offered was simply 'Where's Wally?' In these questions, you do not have to promote yourself as a high‐flying philanthropist, or a brave adventurer, or hard‐working academic. They are simply designed in order to see how well you can formulate your words into sentences, and effectively convey emotion, authenticity and clarity in your writing. Such essays are quite a time commitment, but they can also be thoroughly enjoyable and valuable to write. The best advice I have heard for writing the main ‘personal essay’, common to all colleges, is to focus in on a specific event and use it to subtly illuminate other parts of your character. In 500 words you won’t be able to literally describe everything about yourself, but if you’re clever and economical with your writing, then you can convey some important elements about yourself.

On this Common Application website, you can search for the colleges that you are interested in by name, or fill out a questionnaire, and allow the computer to offer suggestions of colleges which might suit you. Personally, I would suggest doing your own research into colleges. There are thousands of universities in the States, and they are all very different, because they are in different locations, and are thus products of different cultures. Write a list (or something a bit more creative, like a mind‐map!) of the things that you would want in a college, and use the wondrous internet to find colleges that suit you. If you have family friends who have gone to university in the States, it is always valuable to get their opinion. BE AWARE: every university will promote itself, and assessments of the quality of institutions tend to be pretty polarized – it's sometimes hard to objectively judge the quality of a university through others’ opinions. The more information the better.

Once you have decided which colleges you are interested in, you can add them to your profile on the Common Application website. For each university, you will often have to complete a supplementary application form which is specific to the university. This normally consists of another philosophical essay, and some other detail‐related questions. Sometimes universities have optional athlete or arts supplements, if you are promoting yourself as a bit of an all‐ rounder.

Speaking generally, America loves all‐rounders. If you can compete in a sport at a high level AND maintain grades, universities will probably be more interested than if you only offer the university one‐dimensional value. The educational philosophy focuses on cultivating thoughtful, well‐rounded and wholesome (whatever that means!) people, so keep that in mind when you are writing your application.

Be honest in your essays. If you challenge (and you should) existing viewpoints, substantiate your contradictions – don't just take the devil's advocate for the sake of it. Don't swing the opposite way either – admissions offices comb through thousands of well‐written, sensible, moralistic and utterly uninteresting essays. Certainly try to make your essay stand out, but at the same time don’t jeopardize your application by writing something completely ludicrous. Chances are that the admissions officer (having read tens of thousands of essays before) will have already read something similar, as much as you may try to stand out. Your essay will not make or break your application; rather, it is one of many small factors that will add together to influence your application.

But back to being informative. For each university that you apply to, you are required to pay an admission fee which is normally between $50 and $100 USD. The more universities that you apply to, the better chance that you have of getting into one, and the more expensive your investment becomes. It is also possible to apply for a Fee Waiver, if you are in financial hardship or if you have a special reason (for example you have been in contact with one of the athletics coaches there, and they really want you on the team, so have told you to apply for a Fee Waiver).

Keeping on Top of It All

This is simply an outline of the general application process. If you play a certain sport, and are trying to acquire scholarships via that avenue, then there is another whole process on top of the one that I've outlined above, which I haven't gone into because it may not be applicable to everyone (and I feel like I have written plenty).