Undergraduate studies in the USA: getting in the top schools, part I.
I don’t know about you, but growing up, the only thing I was told about getting into a good university was to get good grades. Well, the system in the USA is a bit more complex than that and even excellent grades might not be sufficient to get into their top schools. In fact, the competition is so harsh, most students prepare very well at least two years before their last year of high school to have some considerable chance. So let me tell you a bit more about it.
Part I: The application.
The application process for the top schools in the USA consists of exam taking and an application form (which is itself an entire process on its own with multiple forms):
There are two main types of application forms. One is an application which is specific to each individual university. The other, called the “Common Application” is a common form that most universities have agreed to use altogether so that students don’t have to fill out ten different ones. Yet, even if it’s quite popular, most universities will also offer their personal application (although they advise on filling the CommonApp) and some will refuse it completely.
No matter the application you’ll have to fill out, you’ll always have the following components:
-> formal information fields (asking for your name, nationality, address, parents, etc),
-> education fields (asking for your educational background, extracurricular and work activities - clubs you’ve participated in, or jobs you’ve had),
-> and finally, recommendations, essays and short answer questions.
Or in details:
- Recommendations.
Usually, you’ll be asked for two. They can either be part of the application form as a questionnaire, or they might be just regular letters. Yet, no matter the format, they must be sent in by the authors themselves, and not by you. Or, at least, the recommendations must be sealed in envelopes with the signature of the persons to prove they have not been opened. (You are not supposed to read your recommendations unless the persons writing them for you want you to.)
It is often advised to get recommendations professors who’ve taught you what you’d like to pursue in college. For instance, if you want to be a physics major, the best you can do is get a strong recommendation from your physics teacher. Some colleges will also let you get a recommendation from an employer you’ve had, or someone else you’ve worked with.
There are a couple of things to note concerning recommendations. First of all, the most important is to get the strongest ones possible. This means that, even if you want to be a physics major, if you cannot get a good recommendation from your physics teacher – then do NOT! Get one from someone who knows you well and who knows well your qualities. Someone who you are certain will write good things about you and in a good way.
The other is that, if the university website emphasizes a specific number of recommendations and tells you not to send in more… than just follow the instructions! Exception: if they say it’s optional, sending at least one will be a bonus point (max 2). - Extracurricular activities & Jobs.
If you can’t be the president of a club, at least participate in something. Whether it will be the student council, a sports team, an organization such as the UNICEF, you just must participate in something. In fact, the application form will ask you to list extracurricular activities and to explain what your role was, how long you’ve been participating, and how much time you’ve dedicated each week. There are no strict guidelines on this field, although it is generally recommended that all of you activities are consistent (in other words, you’ve been playing that piano instrument for a couple of years, or you’ve been volunteering for a while) and/or they are related to the domain you want to pursue in college.
If you don’t have anything which can go into this section, and you are soon applying, brainstorm well and see what could eventually go in, or find yourself a new “passion” quickly. Otherwise, you’ll have to leave out half a page of the application empty which will definitely make a lasting negative impression on the officers reviewing it… Most students who are seriously competing for the top schools are adding additional pages to list all of their achievements.
Jobs… if you’ve had a job even just during the summer, or part-time: don’t forget to list it. - Essays & Short Answer Qs.
You’ll have about two essays and three short questions depending on the application you choose to fill out (the CommonApp, or the university’s). The topics will vary from year to year, but they will be essentially ask you about the same:
- Why do you think you are a good fit for our university? How will you contribute?
- What’s your single greatest achievement? What obstacle have you encountered which taught you important life lessons?
- Tell us about a person you admire?
- Etc…
If you choose to fill out a specific university application instead of the CommonApp, you might even find fields to indicate your favorite book/author, song, and so on. - Optional: Portfolios (sometimes considered as part of extracurricular activities!).
For some schools (art schools for instance), or some degrees (such as graphic design), or just to show off some of your talents (playing piano… yes, with a recorded tape or CD as portfolio), you might be allowed, advised, or required to send a portfolio. In case you are sending one, make sure to put time in it. You don’t want to “show off” something of medium quality.
NB: You usually apply in the fall of the current year for the fall of next year. (Thus, you will normally apply in your senior - last - year of high school.) There are a couple of possible applications:
- Early Decision/Early Action:
Applying early (around in October of your senior year - check for exact deadlines the university website, each one has its own deadlines!), you will get a decision by mid-December. The difference between the two types is that with early decision you can apply to ONLY ONE university during the early application period, and if accepted, you are expected to go to this one. (And in case you’ve received the decision after sending applications for the regular decision period, you should cancel those.) With Early Action, you still can apply to only one university, but you might wait for the responses of regular action and then decide which university you want to attend.
Also, you are not obliged to take advantage (or disadvantage) of the early application process.
- Regular Decision.
You have about until the end of December, or mid-January (again, this depends on the college you are applying to), to send in your application and take you exams. You may apply to multiple universities. You usually receive a decision from mid-March to May.
NB#2: Some universities offer you to start your education in the spring semester, rather than the fall. (For instance, if you want to take a semester off to work, travel, or just be lazy.) If this is available and you want to apply for it, check the corresponding dates of applications. (In some cases, starting your studies in the spring semester will be available only to transfer students, who’ve had at least one year of college already. In others, it won’t be at all.)
Overwhelmed already? Hold on. There’s more. There are plenty of exams to take, about which you can read here, in Part II.
Tags: application, application form, Etudes de "Undergrad"/ Undergraduate studies, recommendations