Selection
This section will address how to select which program you should attend.
MOTIVATIONS FOR DEGREE
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Getting an undergraduate degree from a top tier university in the US is an excellent start for a career anywhere in the world.
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If you opt for graduate study, your strong undergraduate foundation can serve to strengthen your chances of admission.
- This sort of education enables quality work experience that may help further in graduate school study.
TYPES OF DEGREES
| Types of Undergraduate Degrees |
Duration (Full time programs) |
Associate Degrees:
- Associate of Arts
- Associate of Science
- Associate of Applied Science |
2 years |
| Bachelor of Arts |
4 years |
| Bachelor of Science |
4 years |
| Bachelor of Fine Arts |
4 years |
- Difference between an Associate and Bachelor’s degree: An Associate degree is usually a 2 year program, typically in community colleges (more concentrated and focused). Students go here to strengthen their academics before or instead of moving onto a Bachelor’s (could be because of personal issues/or some other reason why they cannot commit to a 4-year degree). For more information on these, please click here.
- Difference between Bachelor degrees: Usually, a BA refers to programs in the Liberal Arts/Humanities/Social Sciences, and BSc includes programs like Mathematics/Business/Economics.
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Benefits of going for an Associate’s degree at a community college:
- Admissions are rolling, i.e. you can apply at any point in the year.
- You only need a high school diploma or certification to be eligible for admission.
- Low barrier to entry — this is the easiest way for international students to get to the USA with a student visa.
- They are relatively cheaper when compared to undergraduate degrees.
- They are a way to press reset on your educational background if you did not do well in school, since you can get admission easily and work on your academics for the next two years.
Note that there are cons to an Associate’s Degree, such as the fact that getting one is not sufficient if you want to apply to certain professional jobs immediately after.
ACTION-STEPS/RESOURCES
- Note that when applying to a Bachelor's program in the USA, you apply to a school/university, and are considered for "general admission". If you get accepted, you will typically spend your first year exploring and taking different courses in the university. At the end of the first year, you can declare your "major", which will then be the degree you obtain at the end of your 4 (or sometimes 5) years of undergraduate education.
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When choosing universities, go through the university’s website to learn about what programs and undergraduate degrees are being offered by the institute and select the program where your interest lies.
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Self-evaluation of your strengths and weaknesses is a good way to figure out where you want to be.
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Dig deeper into your targeted fields, not just overall ratings of the school.
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Visit college comparison sites, but use these with caution. Some of these websites market specific universities that they have partnerships with.
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Speak to alumni and faculty advisors for consultation on which universities to choose.
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Do consider that while private colleges frequently cost more than public ones, they often possess the financial means, in the form of endowment and alumni giving, to offer generous need-based or scholarship-based financial aid that might make private education very inexpensive.
Complement the above field-specific tips with general tips on program selection (under the tab of ‘selection’).
Pre Application
A lot of our tips talk about how you can strengthen your application, but you can build a stronger application when you’ve done the things this program values in the years prior to the application. The application itself is the communication part (in which you communicate what you've done to the university); but this section gives guidance on the substance part (what you can actually do before you apply). In this section we talk about what you can do in the years leading up to applying that can make you an ideal candidate. Supplement the following tips with general tips (under the tab of ‘Pre-Application’) to become a competitive applicant.
ACADEMIC EXPERIENCES/BACKGROUND
HOW TO PREPARE FOR AN UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE
Unfortunately, very few schools within Pakistan offer an American curriculum with the set up that American schools usually have. Fortunately, you can still apply to most universities in the USA with either your A Level qualification, or with a Higher Secondary School Certificate. Each university will have different requirements for their undergraduate program, so make sure to check these before you start your application.
Do note, that universities in the US do focus a lot on your extracurricular activities and not just your grades. Try to take part in some sport or society/club activity at the school level, such as debating, being part of your school newspaper, playing instruments, etc.
EDUCATION SELECTION IN PAKISTAN
American High School with Advanced Placement Classes
Going through the American schooling system puts you in a very good position to apply for an undergraduate degree in the USA. Do note however, that there are very few schools in Pakistan that offer this system, and they are usually relatively more expensive (in terms of tuition fees).
The scoring system at an American high school is typically very similar to the system used at American universities. Students have to complete core courses and elective courses, and depending on what grade they achieve in each course, obtain a cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) at the end of their graduation. Usually, the highest GPA that a student can obtain is a 4.0.
Students in high school can opt to take Advanced Placement (AP) classes. An AP class is typically offered to students so they can take the AP examination for a certain subject at the end of the academic school year (in May). AP examinations are standardized and administered by College Board i.e. the same organization responsible for the SAT. AP classes have their benefits — they can look great on your college applications, and can prepare you more adequately for intensive college level classes than any of your other classes, and they are highly recommended if you want to apply to a university in the USA.
British Curriculum (O Levels/IGCSEs/A Levels)
You will usually have an equal chance of getting admission into an American university if you are part of the British curriculum. In Pakistan, many schools are accredited by Cambridge and Edexcel. This is a useful link to understand accredited examination boards in the UK. Typically, you will apply in your second year of A Levels, and get accepted or rejected according to all previous transcripts and application rather than your A Level results (which are announced afterwards). Rarely however, universities may only accept you after you have completed your A Levels and gotten certain grades in them.
Pakistani Curriculum (Matriculation/HSSC)
If you have been part of the Pakistani curriculum through your schooling, it may be harder for you to get admission into an undergraduate program in the USA, but a lot of universities still accept the HSSC certification. The best thing to do is make a list of universities you want to apply to and contact each of them asking whether they accept your schooling, and how high your grades need to be for them to consider you. Some might expect you to have at least 60% on your HSSC, while some may ask for a higher score.
SUBJECT SPECIALIZATION
For an undergraduate degree, it is a misconception that you must have a background in the field that you are applying to. This is because in almost all universities in the USA, you do not have to choose a major until the second year of your studies. Generally, if you have a good academic record, this is enough. You should typically have good Mathematics and English scores, but other than this is there isn’t a specific need for subject specialization.
As long as you can tell them why you want to do whatever you want to do, it does not make much of a difference.
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Diversity in course work is always positive. If you are focusing on engineering or medicine, having some courses in arts and social sciences gives you deeper appreciation of real-life experiences.
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Check the respective college admission webpage to find detail expected requirements of successful candidates.
FOR STUDENTS WHO WISH TO APPLY TO TOP-TIER PROGRAMS:
- You will be expected to have good grades throughout - close to straight A’s. At a minimum, you should have 8+ A’s for O’Levels and 3+ A’s for A’ Levels examinations.
- If you intend to study science, engineering, economics, or business, you should strongly consider taking calculus, both for admission and in preparation for successful completion of your first-year college coursework. You can still apply to a university without having these courses, but they will certainly help you once you are at the university.
- If your potential college major includes linguistics or international affairs, you might consider taking up a new foreign language.
RESEARCH EXPERIENCES
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Not a requirement rather an added bonus. Most undergraduate applicants do not have any research experience - if you do have it, mention it only if it is credible and worthy of mentioning (b) and be specific about it/ quantify it. For example, look to answer the following questions: How many people did the research affect? What was the result? What kind of team did you work with? How does the cost-benefit analysis look like?
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If possible, try to match your research experience with your target school. For instance, if you have a background in Economics and are applying to a liberal arts school, look up the areas in economics being researched at your target school and see if you can relate those areas with what you have done in the past. The same can be done for engineering and biology. Note that this is a recommendation that can boost your application; it is in no way a requirement.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
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Not a requirement. Though, it definitely plays its part in giving the applicant an advantage. So look out for internships that will set you apart, especially if it involves any social/philanthropic/voluntary work.
VOLUNTARY/ SOCIAL WORK
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Highly Recommended. Admission Committees want to admit people who realize their responsibilities towards the less fortunate. So get involved with any volunteer/social work (e.g. volunteering in hospitals or schools etc.). Show that you are really committed to making a change, and later contemplate your learning from the experience. This initiative might even compensate for other weak areas in your application.
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Aiming for Top-tier: Do realize a lot of students do philanthropic work, so to set yourself apart, you would need to show years of commitment to that work and real knowledge of the issues around it. Understandably, discovering an area of interest so early in your life is tough, but trying out multiple internships under the field of education, or health, or law shows that you are committed to developing a passion for public service. Talking about the larger issues and their relation to your work is important because it proves that you are not just expanding your resume but you are truly investing in your work.
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Similarly, if you are doing any project online and want to show the admission committee that you have been on the project for a long time (rather than just 3 weeks ahead of college apps being due), consider documenting your work/project through a blog or twitter feed. This will also show your ability to showcase your work.
OTHER EXPERIENCES/BACKGROUND
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Have interests outside your studies. Find something you truly enjoy and can excel in. It will help you develop a well rounded personality, which will in-turn impact your essay -the most revealing part of your application.
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Read as many books as possible on multiple topics. Develop an appreciation for art, philosophy, some theory, good quality films etc.
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Must have strong extracurricular: Try focusing on one interest rather than being all over the place. This gives you, from a developmental perspective, an opportunity to achieve mastery in that interest. From an admissions perspective, demonstrated commitment helps confirm for a college that you are sincerely interested in an activity, instead of simply pursuing it so that it looks good on your college application. Alternatively showing that you are a hard worker and can do many things is helpful if you pitch it the right way. Try to choose a hobby that complements your intended field of study – hiking and camping for an environmental studies major, for example.
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Examples of Extracurricular Activities: Summer internships, research programs, community based/ civic or religious activities, model railroads, vintage LP collecting, blogging, knitting, etc. Note: gaming and social media do not count! Even paid employment – especially a typical teen job such as scooping ice cream, working at a drive-thru, or busing tables – is viewed as an extracurricular activity (and can get you noticed by a college admission officer as someone who understands the value of a day’s work).
- If you are good in Athletics, that can also be a great asset.
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Note: Most colleges will ask students to detail their commitment to an activity by defining hours per week, positions held, and whether or not a student plans to continue with the activity in college. Be thoughtful in adding up the number of hours of your involvement: you don’t want your extracurricular schedule to appear unrealistic.
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What College Admissions Offices Look for in Extracurricular Activities - Huffington Post.
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Try to get leadership positions in school clubs/organizations, or on athletic teams. If an organization does not exist at your school, think about starting one; many established groups started this way.
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Try to meet or talk with an alumnus before applying. They can give you valuable feedback and tips for pre-admission and post-acceptance for various programs.
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Aiming for Top-tier: Take initiative. Top tier schools love go-getters. Start something that hasn’t been done before whether it is in school or outside. Show how it is unique.
App Overview
This section provides an overview of general guidelines pertaining to the application process. It also delineates the key components of the application process.
APPLYING
Overview
When applying to an undergraduate program in the USA, it is typical that you do NOT choose a specialization or major (although you can indicate your interests or possible choices within your personal statement or other application materials). This is because first-year (freshman) students at American universities have a year to decide their majors. Therefore, when you are applying, you are merely applying to a general undergraduate program at a college within the university (such as the Business School, or Social Sciences school), and not to a specific major.
Application Components
Even though every school could have different application components, this is what you will definitely need for every school:
- A copy of your high school transcript
- A list of your extracurricular activities both inside and outside of school
- Test scores and test dates from your college entrance exams (SATs, ACTS, etc)
- In the US, this is the current common way of quantifying competence of students. Though your standardized test scores are not the only significant component, good scores can give your application an edge. The significance of such scores tends to vary according to program and institution but generally aim for good standardized scores to improve the overall quality of your application.
- Parent/legal guardian information
Besides these essentials, you are typically required to have the following in your application, although this depends entirely on the institution:
- One or more essays/personal statements
- In the US, there is a lot of significance placed on the personal statement or admission essay. Admission committees are interested in narratives and, in some cases, can overlook low grades if the essay is good.
- They don’t want to know about your academics in the personal statement, they want to know you as a person. They are looking at your personality and personal experiences that can relate to your career aspirations and other aspects of your professional life.
- Note that it shouldn’t read like a CV but like a story or narrative. It should have a structured beginning, middle and end.
- If possible, find a metaphor summing up your life or personality – make sure it isn’t cliche and don’t force it in the essay unless it fits well.
- Pick experiences and skills that are relevant. Make a general template, which includes your entire story. Then tweak it according to program-specific requirements and guidelines.
- Explain dips in your grades, if there are any important reasons to explain.
- One or more recommendations from a teacher or school counselor
- There is a lack of counselling in Pakistan, especially related to writing good Letters of Recommendation (LORs). It is important to go to the teachers who like you – you need this for real positive feedback. Teachers should ideally be teaching you your subject of interest. They should also collaborate with English teachers to ensure good structure and grammar, if necessary. The US looks for anecdotal evidence in your LORs. They want gripping and unique letters. Avoid the usual comments like ‘very good student’ or ‘wish her the best’ etc. Avoid talking about academics. Find the right teachers and make sure the letters don’t exaggerate your capabilities. Find the right magnet to get their attention - make sure it is impactful. Make a bullet point list of what is exceptional about you (academic and personal) and use that as a base for your LORs.
General Application Tips
- Emphasis on extracurriculars is lacking in Pakistan. Usually, people try to get a few months of experience towards the end of their schooling – but they should start preparing their portfolio from Grade 8/9 onwards. Colleges often make a list of extracurriculars that they prioritize. Try to contact colleges that you wish to gain admission to and ask them on advice i.e. what sort of extracurriculars should you be focusing on, and how can you strengthen your future application?
- Just having curriculars is not often enough. Jamal Hussain (counselor at Aitchison College for USA applicants), advises students to achieve ‘higher levels’ within these extracurriculars. He gives the example of debating. If there are two students that have the same profiles except:
- Student A: Has debated in Secondary School
- Student B: Has debated in secondary school, has participated in competitions not only within the school but on a national level
- Then Student B will be more of an attractive applicant with better chances of acceptance than Student A. In this way, enhancing your competency within that extracurricular is beneficial.
- Political involvement is also very important within this, i.e. in student councils. The US generally wants people who can make a difference in society. They want to think that people will make some social change after graduating. In this way, it can be beneficial to focus on work/research/extracurriculars that are related to community issues. Such involvement should be incorporated into your personal statement.
- Additionally, volunteer work is valued a lot, and in many cases prioritized, in the US.
- Universities also want students who are particularly interested in the program they are applying to. This means ‘carving out opportunities’ for yourself and going beyond whatever the school or average student is doing. This can include:
- Taking additional courses (not part of your academic requirement) to improve your learning in the field you are applying to.
- Researching or getting work experience in the field or related to that field.
Application Cycle
The application cycle for undergraduate applications begins in mid October (or ten months before the program begins), specifically for the early decision deadline. For other universities, the deadline for applications is usually in January (seven months before the program begins).
If you get accepted by the university you applied to for an early decision deadline, you may be legally bound to attend that institution, depending on what process the university is following. This is why, you should be careful about which university you choose to apply to through the early decision process.
Application Process and Timeline
Almost all applications for any undergraduate program within the USA can be processed through the Common Application (Common App) system. Some universities may require you to apply directly through the university site or through other application systems. However, the Common App is the most widely used application portal.
The Common App is a standardized system where you can fill out and upload your application materials and then send it to the universities you wish to apply to. Although you can often apply to universities through their specific websites as well, it is recommended to use this system to make the application process easier for you.
It is important to note that:
- It is encouraged to start preparing for your application at least 1 year before the deadline.
- Each application to a university costs an average of $41. If you meet the requirements set by the National Association for College Admission Counseling for a fee waiver, you may be able to waive this cost.
- Whether you wish to choose the Common App system or the university’s website for your application process depends most on your counselor and school — which one are they more willing to help you out with; do they already expect their students to stick to the Common App?
The following is a guideline on applying through the Common App:
(This information was taken from the Common App site)
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Process of applying through Common App
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Create your Account
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This just involves providing your basic information (name, address, date of birth, phone number, email address etc.). The email address you provide will be your username and will be the means through which the Common App will contact and update you during your application process.
Before starting the application process click here to get an idea about the various components and sections you may have to fill as part of the Common App. Note that you will not have to provide information on all the components, just the ones that are relevant to your applications.
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Add Schools
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Next you can browse through the various colleges and higher education institutions; add your selected schools to the ‘My College’ list.
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Check out Requirements
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There are various options within the Common App that allow you to track the requirements of the schools you are interested in. Such features include the ‘Requirements Grid’ and the 'Requirement Tracker’ worksheet.
Every application requires the following (as part of the Common App requirements):
- Transcripts
- List of Extracurriculars
- Standardized Test Scores
- Parental/Legal Guardian Information
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Start Application/s
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Now you can start filling out the applications and providing the required components as per the admission process. Make sure to pay close attention to deadlines; make sure to submit the applications before 11.59 pm on the deadline date.
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Tips useful when applying through the Common App:
- You do not have to convert your grades to a GPA. Within the Common App, when asked this, you can click on ‘not applicable’.
Useful sites for more information on the Common App:
- Here is an excellent guide on the basic information you need to know about the Common App.
OTHER APPLICATION ADVICE
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Admissions are highly erratic and unpredictable, and it is quite possible to be rejected by a seemingly mediocre university while being accepted to a top-tier one. Ideally you should apply to around 7-10 institutions. 50% of the schools you are applying to should be your “Dream” schools. The remaining 50% could be split between institutions that are good and not too difficult to get into, as well as back up institutions. So try to aim for:
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To decide which institutions to apply to, start researching on the degree you want to pursue, for example, if you want to study Economics, start looking for various economics program offered by various universities. Visit USNews and World Report Rankings to get general idea of good universities for the program.
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Start researching specific programs and universities you wish to apply to. Do keep in mind that rankings are not everything. University ranked number one might not necessarily be the best for you. Similarly some schools are strong in certain programs (for example a school can be well-known in a particular discipline of engineering, but not renowned for engineering overall). This can be assessed from individual research on web and/or USNews ranking, and schools can be targeted accordingly. While there is a lot of pressure to choose big name schools or those with the best financial aid packages, students should consider other aspects that will shape their experience.
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Location can be a very influential criterion: You would have better job opportunities if you graduate with a degree in Finance from a college in San Francisco or New York than with the same degree from a college in Kansas.
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Size of student body: You might want to prefer being in small institutions where everyone seems to know everyone or maybe you prefer a large institution with an extremely diverse student body.
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Diversity of student body
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Cost of program
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Financial aid/scholarships being offered
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Employment rate (i.e. percentage of students who have job offers while in school or within a few months of graduating) etc. These statistics can be found on school’s websites.
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Do consider institutes (for example, in the centre and south of America), which boast strong faculty and programs, but are less well known. You have good chances of being accepted here, as these universities/programs follow the diversity mandate that is a part of almost every US school.
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Options for admission:
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Early Decision (Binding): Student applies on or before Nov. 1 (sometimes Nov. 15) and then receives his or her admission decision by the middle of December. If accepted, the student is obligated to attend that college unless he/she has not been offered sufficient financial aid. (Upon acceptance, a student must withdraw all other applications.) If he/she does not get admitted to an ED college, the applicant can then apply ED II to another college with a later deadline. Some Early Decision colleges even allow students to apply to other early application programs, as long as they are not binding; but others don't. Check this out on the admission section of colleges' websites.
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Early Action (Non-Binding): Student usually applies EA I on or before the first of November (sometimes Nov. 15) and receives an admission decision by the middle of December. If accepted, the student is not obligated to commit to the college until the mandatory May 1 "college deadline day." EA II is a second chance to apply early at the beginning or middle of January, with a response back from a college sometime four, six, eight weeks out. Early Action colleges usually allow students to apply to other EA schools. Note: Some private universities limit eligibility to their own merit-based scholarships to Early Action applicants
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Restricted Early Action-REA (aka Single Choice Early Action): Non-binding early action admission option in which a student may not apply to any other private schools' early program, except: 1) A college outside of the US 2) A non-binding rolling admission program 3) A public college or university whose admission is not binding. 4) An ED II program, if notification of admission occurs after January. Like EA applicants, a student has until May 1 to decide if she/he wants to attend the college or university. Schools that offer REA programs are Boston College, Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, and Yale. Applicants are asked to sign a statement stipulating that they agree to file only one early application.
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Rolling Admission: An application program at usually larger public universities -- in which applications are accepted, evaluated and decided upon as they are received. Applications are accepted until the college fills all of its spaces. There is no limit to the number of Rolling Admissions schools to which you can apply even if you apply to EA, ED or REA colleges.
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Regular Decision (Non-Binding): Can apply to as many schools as you want. Deadlines typically fall in early January, and offers of admission are sent out in late March or early April.
- Find the lists of colleges that offer early action, restricted early action and early decision plans, including their respective, current application due dates in the Application Info section. Do note that every year many colleges seem to change what they do about early applications. The best approach to finding out how schools on your college list handle early applications is to go to their individual admissions websites and/or call/contact admissions offices directly. The Common Application website and US News' Best Colleges 2015 are other good sources.
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Do not be afraid of rejection. If you are deferred and put on a wait list, keep faith. If you end up being rejected, just look at the other schools you have applied to. If you don’t get accepted anywhere at all, still don’t lose heart. You can always transfer after a year and/or apply there for graduate school. In extreme circumstances, you may even take a gap year and then apply as a new applicant the next year.
Complement the above field-specific tips with general tips on overview (under the tab of ‘overview’).
COMPONENTS
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Component
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Is this component required?
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How important is this component (in the overall review of the application for admission)?
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Notes on timelines (if applicable)
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Overall Application Deadline
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Application deadline (date/month):
Application deadlines vary from Nov to Feb. Most deadlines lie in Dec-Jan period. While deadline for early action is usually around
October 31st.
These are cut off dates so they are strictly enforced.
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Standardized tests or entry exams
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Yes
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Very Important
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Spend at least a month or 2 preparing for test.
Take test at least 6 months before the application deadline so that there is an option of taking it again if you don’t do well the first time.
Test scores are usually due with your application - though the last acceptable date for the SAT is January for most institutions. Make sure early on during the application process that you know the exact deadlines for SAT score reporting. This information can be found on university websites, and you can always email admissions advisers to double-check if there is any confusion.
Start preparing for the test as soon as possible, preferably in your second to last year of school, so there is plenty of time to retake it before application deadlines.
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Transcripts (past academic records)
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Required
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Very Important
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Request transcripts from school 1 month before application deadline. Make copies for yourself, and always check Common App/the websites of the colleges you are applying to for the exact number and kind of transcripts that you need, and any additional forms you may need to fill.
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Letters of recommendation
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Required
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Important
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Letters are usually due at the same time as the overall app. deadline.
Request letters at least 2 months before letter submission deadline
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Personal Statement
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Required
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Very Important
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Start preparing statement 4 months before app. deadline. Spend 2- 3 months in writing/ revising the personal statement.
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Resume or CV
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Optional
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Less Important
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Spend a few weeks in writing/ revising your resume/CV. Use the CV to share any information about yourself that hasn’t already appeared in other parts of your application (e.g. volunteer work, extracurricular activities, etc.)
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Interviews
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Optional
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Less Important
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Spend 1 month in preparing for interviews. Interviews are usually conducted in the month of February-March. Applicants are usually informed about interviews 1-2 months after the application deadline, and ½-2 weeks prior to the actual interview.
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Other components
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Extracurricular Activities for Public General
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Less Important
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Throughout your school career
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University-specific essays
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Very Important
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Spend as much time on this component as you do on your main personal statement. Read about your prospective college and its academic programs before writing these essays; you want to sound well-informed and genuinely interested in applying in order to stand out.
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Essay
Pakistani applicants suffer most because of inadequate information -- or wrong information -- about essays and personal statements. This section will address those inadequacies specifically in relation to applying for this program. Supplement the following field-specific tips with general tips (under the tab of ‘essay’) to craft a stellar personal statement.
BASIC INFORMATION
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The Personal Statement is perhaps the most important component of an application. It is a free form expression. If you think you’re creative, prove it.
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A good statement can compensate for a lack in another area (academics, volunteer experience) but a bad statement can ruin the chances of a good student.
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Type of Essays: 1) Standard Common App essays which go to all institutions (1 or 2) 2) School-specific essays for each school (1 or 2)
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Common App provides students with the ability to complete one application and essay thoughtfully and carefully, and to send it to multiple member schools electronically, as opposed to completing each individual college’s application.
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Follow the word-limit of the essays as specified in the prompt. It is usually 500 words, but confirm from the respective program on the common app or university’s webpage.
ACTION-STEPS/ RESOURCES
Which resources should I make use of?
TIPS ON GOOD AND BAD STATEMENTS
What is essential in the statement:
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Ponder the topics for a few weeks then start writing. The questions are usually open-ended so you can write about almost anything.
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Personal Reflection: The focus of the personal statement should be YOU. This seems obvious but a surprising number of students neglect to do this. For example, even though you may think Steve Jobs was cool, or that global warming is a problem; the admissions committee does not want to learn about those things. Even while writing on these topics, make sure every sentence is about you. (In fact, these topics are so generic that you should avoid them). Try to speak how you feel/ how you became the person you are today. Think about what you like doing and what you’d like to continue doing in college. What kind of unique point of view do your personal experiences offer? How do you want others to see you as a person? At the end of the day your essay must be reflection of your knowledge, cognitive thinking, assertiveness and direction you desire to pursue/follow.
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Plan it out. Make it a process. Though avoid spending too many hours writing it. Take breaks. Let the ideas come to you.
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The goal of the essay is to tell the admissions committee something interesting about you/some anecdote that will show them that you are a good fit to the culture of the college for example you can write about diversity on the campus for schools (such as Columbia) that pride themselves on having a diverse population. There have been other successful students whose essays have talked about: an author’s love of photography and what it has taught him; another author’s failure to become Head Boy and his decision to lead nonetheless; and even an author’s musings on how she resembles Sirius Black. Whatever you choose, make sure your own personality shines through and becomes apparent. Don’t forget to craft some of your achievements and pastimes into the narrative. You can start by asking yourself: What is your unique story that will make you stand out from the countless other applications?
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Portray how you are different/what you will add to the campus. It is always good to give them some idea of what activities and clubs you want to join or start. They want to take students who would add to the richness of the student body.
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Often applicants fail to invest quality time into polishing their supplemental essays, instead attempting to use generic responses for multiple schools. Be sure to allow yourself sufficient time to refine your supplemental essay, so that you will express your genuine enthusiasm about the particular college and thus give an advantage to your candidacy.
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“Start your essays early and send them to as many people as possible. Send them to teachers and parents as well as people your age - both types of feedback are valuable for different reasons. Ask your close friends to describe you in three words. Using their feedback and your own judgment, decide what kind of person you want to be to admissions officers, and build your essays / application up to that image. Above all, be honest and speak in your own voice.” - A student from Northwestern University
What are some elements of exceptional statements:
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Be concise and to the point.
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Since the personal statement is about who you are as a person, cultivating a good relationship with yourself through extensive and diverse reading, active interest in literature, current events, and their connection to each other is very helpful. The more quality books you read (both fiction and nonfiction) the better understanding you have of prose and the more you will learn about the world around you and thus be able to build informed and insightful opinions. Regularly reading a good newspaper/magazine, such as The Economist and The New Yorker also helps. You may even start up reading subjects such as Art, Philosophy, and Literature. They will help you to start thinking critically, etc.
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Schools want to admit freshman classes who can offer diverse perspectives, experiences, and talents, so make sure to play up your uniqueness. Remember, though, it is not enough to simply be from Chile, Pakistan, or Cameroon. You need to be able to show schools why you as an individual from a different nation will bring cultural diversity to them.
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“Write essays from the perspective of who’s going to be reading them: admissions officers, which include deans and professors. As a result, you want to be highly academic, but also be interesting and show your funny side (if you have one; don’t try to be funny if you aren’t).” - A student from Georgetown University
What are bad statements/ what things to avoid:
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Do not think of the statement as an area for showcasing your knowledge or achievements that have already been mentioned in your CV or transcripts.
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Don’t sound too desperate. Give the potential university good remarks in your essay but don’t go overboard.
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Avoid the theme of focusing on the state of the country and intending to save it in some way or the other. While this is a noble pursuit and universities hope to create future humanitarians, it is an overdone theme. A good essay derives from a genuine personal experience that applies directly to the applicant. Even if the experience is related to a larger issue affecting your community, you must scale it down as much as possible to YOUR experience of it. The more personal and small-scale focus the essay has, the greater the chances of success. For example a successful candidate to Harvard wrote about how a book changed her life. It was a simple but effective concept as she was able to translate her passion for that book into her words and then later into her actions.
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If you don’t have an amazing experience or skill to show off in the statement, tell the school something about your personality. For example a successful Harvard candidate wrote a detailed account on how worried she was about her sister embarrassing herself in a dance performance, but later was thrilled to see her sister as the star of the show. This essay not only showcased a sense of humor but showed that the writer was considerate and willing to learn from her mistakes.
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“Don’t view college essays as a chore or as homework that you have to do, because if you do it’ll become clear in the tone. Instead, think about the college application process as a valuable opportunity for introspection, to discover what about yourself you are most proud of and to show it off to people whose job it is to discover others like yourself.” - A student from Georgetown University
OTHER TIPS
How can applicants manage the process of writing?
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Start talking to Admissions counselors at least 4-5 months before application deadlines. Talk to people who have gone through the admission process in the past. With Facebook/LinkedIn, it is very easy to find someone who goes/has gone to the same institution you are applying to.
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It’s not about using flowery language or dumping in thesaurus words. Your essay should get your points across and be easy to read. Rule of thumb: If you can replace a hard word for a simple one, replace it. You will make a bad impression by cramming the dictionary into your essay. Good writing is simple and reads smoothly. On the flipside, avoid American colloquial phrases or cultural references unless you’re very comfortable with them. Be yourself.
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Often people write about the adversity they faced while getting their education, etc. That’s admirable - but don’t simply paint a picture of victimhood; it’s important to show what you made of the crisis, what you achieved and will achieve in spite of it, etc. Reserve most of the essay for your own colorful personality, rather than how life has treated you. To the admissions committee, your troubled story alone is no guarantee that you will thrive in college.
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If you have had the misfortune of losing a loved one, do not make it the subject of your college essay, no matter how traumatic the experience was.
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Some colleges’ supplemental essays may be optional. You should definitely complete these: not only will you provide the college with more information about yourself as an applicant, but you will also demonstrate your interest in the institution by tackling this optional work.
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Good writers amongst your family/friends circle: Don’t ask them to write it for you, but get their advice on how to structure and format the essay.
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If after a few weeks/months down the road you feel the need to change your topic - that is perfectly okay.
- You shouldn’t send in additional essays but rather spend your time on making the necessary essays as perfect as possible
Recommendations
This section will cover the basics about recommendation letters, which are one of the most important parts of the application process. Supplement the following field-specific tips with general tips (under the tab of ‘recommendations’) to ensure you have strong letters of recommendation.
BASIC INFORMATION
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Usually, a counselor’s recommendation and 1-2 teacher’s recommendations are required. However, if you are applying for a certain scholarship for a specific major, you might need 3 teacher recommendations.
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You can ask for additional letters from your school principal or high ranking faculty member but they are only really helpful when one is on the waitlist.
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The recommendation should be in the “letter” format, though more information can be found in the various college guides. They can be submitted online or via post, depending on how your school does it.
ACTION-STEPS/RESOURCES
TIPS ON GOOD AND BAD LETTERS
What is essential in the LoRs:
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Who to ask? Focus on getting recommendations from someone who knows you as opposed to someone with an important title. Ideally, your recommendations should comes from teachers pertaining to subjects that are relevant to the degree you wish to pursue - provided they are adept at English language. For example, if you want to major in engineering , get recommendations from a math or science teacher.
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Ideally your recommendations should enlist your contributions to class or school and explain why you would be a deserving candidate for the target school.
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Recommendations should not just list your strengths, so ask your recommender if he/she can give examples of how you demonstrated these skills in the past. Do realize it is not absolutely necessary to just focus on strengths, sometimes how you overcame a weakness can also send a very strong message.
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Provide your resume and give your recommenders ample information regarding the institution and programs you will be applying to. This will help them focus on certain skills of yours while writing the recommendations. Also make sure you and your recommender are aligned on the goals you have set for yourself so that your recommender can write your letter accordingly.
OTHER TIPS
Applying to Top-tier: If possible, get an extra letter of recommendation from your school principal or a high ranking school official. However to achieve this, you would need to be an active participant in extracurricular activities. You would need to be in good terms with them, so try to have a conversation whenever you encounter your school faculty members and officials who you don’t necessarily meet in the classroom.
Other
This section will cover everything else related to the application process; including transcripts, interviews, resumes, and standardized tests.
TRANSCRIPTS
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You are required to submit your high school transcripts (9-12 grades), as well as SAT scores, and O’ and A’ Level results.
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Admissions committees take a holistic approach to see how you’ve done over the years, i.e. whether you are improving, stable or suffering from falling grades. If you started weak but finished very strong, it looks good (For example if you had B’s and C’s your first year, but you worked hard and got all A’s from 10-12 grades)
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Exceptional transcripts are ones where your average is 92-93+. Decent ones are in the 80’s while bad ones are in the 70’s.
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Aiming for Top-tier: Exceptional transcripts are anything close to straight A’s ( at the very least an A- student over 4 years). Even the occasional B (and a very infrequent C) is acceptable if you have a reasonable explanation for it. It is helpful if a recommender can speak to the circumstances in which you received that grade.
Complement the above field-specific tips with general tips on transcripts (under the tab of ‘transcripts’).
INTERVIEWS
Basic Information:
Interview Tips:
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Be prepared to talk about yourself. Sounds easy, but you have just 30 minutes to talk about all your classes, your activities and summer plans. Prioritize your thoughts and be prepared to answer the following questions (If required write them on a sheet and keep it with you):
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Tell me about yourself/Walk me through your resume/Who are you?
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Why this university?
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Why this program of study (if you specified one)?
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Your strengths and weaknesses (and how you are or trying to overcome them)
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What have been your favorite classes, teachers, assignments?
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What extracurriculars are most important to you and why?
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Where do you see yourself in ten years?
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Have a story to tell. Interviewers talk to several people in a single day, therefore you should give them a story to remember you by.
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You will be quizzed on leadership, problems you faced, biggest achievement etc. Make sure you have several stories that you can tell for each question.
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The interview is a conversation. The interviewer will allow you to steer the conversation in any direction you want. Give some thought to what you are most comfortable talking about (e.g., don’t shoot yourself in the foot by mentioning a book if you haven’t read it). It’s best to talk about what you love -- you will appear most passionate then.
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Show your passion and excitement for subjects. Genuine excitement is always visible and this is an opportunity to show the interviewer your commitment to your activities/interests.
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Keep the conversation focused on strengths. While it may be important for an admission officer to have a sense of family transition or teacher conflicts, the overriding tone of the conversation should be upbeat, geared toward the last two years in school, and show a fit with an institution. Be sure to intersperse the genuine challenges with the success stories of your life.
Complement the above field-specific tips with general tips on preparing for interviews (under the tab of ‘interview’).
RESUME/CV
Basic Information:
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One page, formatted, brief information about yourself and your educational record.
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Just write some basic information about yourself. Don’t worry too much about this component
Resources:
Resume/CV Tips:
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Make sure to highlight your:
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Education
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Achievements since 9th grade.
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Any work experience/ Any projects you’ve worked on.
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Community service
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Extracurriculars
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Unusual/exceptional computer or other technical skills
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Admission committees realize that a student coming out of high school will not have much work experience so do not worry if you don’t have a multinational firm’s name on your CV. Focus on how your work contributed to the bigger picture.
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Numbers tell a huge story. If you organized an event for your school for example, mention the number of people who attended. In short: use action driven / result oriented statements.
Complement the above field-specific tips with general tips on building a resume (under the tab of ‘Resume/CV’).
STANDARDIZED TESTS
Basic Information:
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While getting a respectable score in SAT (this is relative to the institutions you are applying to) is important, it is certainly not the most important part of the application. Students interested in mathematics or sciences should aim for higher SAT scores because standardized tests are a greater indicator of aptitude in their cases.
Tests Needed:
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SAT I (required by most programs)
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TOEFL (waived by certain programs if you fulfill certain conditions)
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Two sets of SAT II subject examinations (required by many programs): Math I or II, and one or two other tests of the student’s choice.
Test Tips:
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Find out the median score of last year’s accepted freshmen at your target institution so that you know what kind of a score they are looking for.
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Start early! Plan to take the SAT at least twice before application deadline.
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The math score is pretty important. You’ll need math for pretty much every major except humanities.
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College Board implements a “Score Choice” option which allows students to choose by test date which SAT I or SAT II scores that they want to send to colleges. While this policy might tempt students to take the SAT multiple times, many highly selective colleges require students to waive the score choice option and to submit their entire testing history. So take SAT I once in the second half of their upper year and/or once or twice in the fall of your senior year.
- Here are some useful resources you should look at: US News, SAT Scores for Ivy Leagues, SAT Scores for Top 30 Liberal Arts Colleges, SAT Scores for Top Public Universities.
Complement the above field-specific tips with general tips on preparing for standardized tests (under the tab of ‘tests’).
FINAL COMMENTS ON APPLICATIONS
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Use the university website to come up with specific answers as to why you want to attend that particular university and, if possible, use it in your school-specific essays.
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Research the school’s professors. Read up on professors research and contact them directly if you are interested in pursuing what they are doing and have done similar stuff in your high school career.
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Talk to people who are currently attending or have previously attended your target schools/ universities to get personal perspectives. Everyone knows someone whose elder brother/sister/cousin went to a similar college in the US, get in touch with them! You could also use your school networks to contact alumni with relevant experiences.
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If you have an unusual or exceptional skill (photography, dance, music) don’t hesitate to include a DVD/CD with a (2 minute long) clip of your work or SMALL portfolio (e.g. 2-3 photographs) as part of your application. However, call/ contact the university in advance to ask what formats are acceptable.
Complement the above field-specific tips with general tips on final comments on applications (under the tab of ‘overview’).
Finances
This section will cover approximate costs of the program and provide information of resources that may help with funding. Complement the following field-specific tips with general tips on finances (under the tab of ‘finances’).
FEES
Tuition fees in the USA typically depend on the type of college or university you go to, and the length of the degree you apply for. It is most common for an undergraduate degree to be four years in length. The following table shows average annual tuition fees for the years 2018-2019.
Figures extracted from College Board
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Type of College
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Cost per year
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Public two-year
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$3,660
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Public four-year (in-state)
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$10,230
|
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Public four-year (out-of-state)
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$26,290
|
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Private non-profit four-year
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$35,830
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Note: In-state vs out-of-state universities: This is more relevant to students living in the US. One way that such students differentiate between different universities is checking whether these are situated within the US state they are currently living in (in-state universities), or whether they are in another state (out-state universities). For international students, it is useful to know that schooling systems, processes and environments are likely to vary across states and so there are some factors to consider when choosing amongst programs in different locations. For information of the kind of factors students in the US tend to consider, click here.
Also note: these are average rates, and if you want to go to one of the more well-known and renowned universities (such as an Ivy League), the tuition fees will almost always be higher than $30,000 per year.
You need to pay your semester fees before each of your semesters begin.
If we combine average tuition fees and living costs per year, the table looks something like this:
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Type of College
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Cost per year
|
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Public two-year
|
$17,930
|
|
Public four-year (in-state)
|
$25,890
|
|
Public four-year (out-of-state)
|
$41,950
|
|
Private non-profit four-year
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$52,500
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For more information on living costs, see the Budgeting subheading in the General Information section of this profile.
Also note:
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Costs of application: Application fee per program is ranges from $25-$90. It is possible to ask for application fee-waivers, based on financial e.g. parents’ salary criteria. For more information, read this sheet. Note that creating and registering a CommonApp account does not cost you anything.
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Travel costs: The visa process costs $160. A one-way airline ticket costs around $1000 (the price can be more or less than this depending on how in advance you book your flight, and during what season), while a return ticket from/to Pakistan costs around $3000.
SCHOLARSHIPS AND GRANTS
There are a number of scholarship opportunities in the US, but these options are typically available on a university-by-university basis when you are applying and if you get accepted. The table below shows some general information on how you can strengthen your chances of gaining scholarship awards in the US for undergraduate degrees.
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Components that are important when considering student eligibility for scholarships
(The information in this table was provided by Jamal Hussain in an interview)
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- Consistency in Transcripts
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- They focus on the trends within the transcript: the transcripts should show a positive or upward trend in terms of your grades. They need to show consistent improvements.
- SAT/ACT Scores
- Both have the same weightage (there is a misconception that SAT is preferred)
- More students in America take ACT
- The English section in these is relatively more significance than the Math section.
- Letters of Recommendation
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- Strong Letters of Recommendations are crucial
|
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Scholarships can come in many forms:
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- Academic Scholarships
- Merit-based scholarships are the most prominent ones. Here your grades/academic background plays a huge role in whether you get funding or not.
- Talent/Ability-based scholarships
- Jamal Hussain encourages students who have talents/abilities to explore scholarship options that they may be eligible for. He explains that universities may overlook grades and/or other components of your application if they feel that you have some talent/ ability.
- Partial Scholarships
- The university fills in the gap between what you can afford and what the tuition fees are.
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TIPS ON FUNDING OPTIONS
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Many private schools have a good cash flow to give talented overseas students academic scholarships. If not in the 1st semester, applicants stand a good chance for receiving scholarships 2nd semester onwards- especially need-based scholarships/stipends.
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Universities such as Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Dartmouth, MIT, Stanford, Amherst are need-blind to international students but all other universities factor that in your application - for those universities, asking for financial aid hurts admission chances. Brown and Columbia have a reputation for giving small amounts of aid to international students.
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Cornell, UPenn tend to give partial aid.
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There are many colleges outside the Ivy that will offer at least a partial aid package to international students. They are lesser known than the Ivy’s, such as Clark, Colgate, Swarthmore, Duke, and many others.
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Many schools have scholarships for freshmen that are not mentioned on the Common App or College App. Go through their website thoroughly before applying. Some might require additional essays and papers.
OTHER TIPS
- Regardless of our perception about American need-blind policies, the sad reality is that requesting financial aid does impact an international student’s admission to the institution. Some very qualified students have been turned away because they requested financial aid. While some needed this aid, many Pakistanis who can afford the tuition tend to misrepresent their funds (an easy feat in Pakistan) in order to be eligible for aid. Universities may trust the applicant to represent their situation accurately, but at the end of the day it hurts the applicant to ask for more aid than they actually need. The best way to handle this is to sit down with parents/guardians and make an accurate assessment of how much you really need. Education at a top tier university is an investment on the part of an entire family and financial aid requires a serious discussion with family members. The majority of universities don’t just hand over chunks of money to international students so it is more beneficial to select carefully where you want to apply for aid and how much will you ask for.
Contributors
These tips were compiled with the valuable help of SHAHEEN volunteers. The contributors to this tip-sheet include the following people:
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- Hamza Ali Khan - Columbia University
- Bilhuda Rasheed - MIT, Princeton University
- Nur Nasreen Ibrahim - Harvard University
- Eman Riaz Ahmed - Harvard University
- Huma Yusuf - Harvard University
- Mustafa Mushtaq - University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
- Tajammal Sheikh - New Jersey Institute of Tech
- Sheraz Malik - University of Minnesota (Twin Cities)
- Bilal Nasr - University of Southern California
- Hunain Kapadia - Worcester Polytechnic Institute
- Sarah Elahi - Mount Holyoke College
- Taimur Khan - UPenn
We thank our volunteers for their contribution, and hope their tips and advice help you in your application.
In addition, the following sources were consulted in developing this tip-sheet. We encourage you to consult these sources for additional information and guidance on your application.
Furthermore, the following source was also consulted in developing this tip-sheet:
