IvyWise KnowledgeBase

The concept of studying outside of the United States for college can be alluring. There are opportunities to travel, to immerse yourself in a new culture or language, and to become a more informed global citizen. However, many American students are not aware of the differences in the degree offerings between the U.S. and other countries, nor how the application process will differ between applying to colleges and universities in the U.S. versus applying somewhere abroad.

As your college experience is nearing its end, you may be wondering about the next steps for your career. Should you apply to graduate school immediately following your undergraduate studies, or would it be better to seek full-time employment?

Are you still struggling to decide where you’ll apply to school? Did finding time to research or attend information sessions manage to escape you? Are you staring at a blank screen, just days away from the deadline to submit an essay to your dream school?

With the increasing number of applicants applying to independent day and boarding schools, admissions committees have started adapting additional testing tools to the application process. One tool that’s growing in popularity is the Character Skills Snapshot, which was developed by the Enrollment Management Association, makers of the SSAT standardized test.

Are you a homeschooler? A distance learner? A non-traditional student? If so, you have some key elements to consider when applying to college to make the most of your experience beyond what traditional students can offer. For colleges, a non-traditional student is someone who does not attend an in-person school.

Applying to law school has some similarities to applying to undergrad, but the process is more centralized, more numbers-driven, and requires applicants to be more polished, focused, and professional.

“I got a B in AP Calculus,” a student recently said to me. “I guess I won’t have a shot at my dream schools, since I know colleges automatically reject students who don’t have straight A’s.” This is a conversation I often have with students this time of year. I assured my student that one B on his otherwise flawless transcript does not make it or break it. However, having worked in the admissions office at Columbia University — which has a 4.1% acceptance rate — I’m not naive about the selective review process.

If you are considering business school and having difficulty planning out the next five to 10 years of your life, keep reading as I walk through what a competitive profile looks like for a few entry points into a business education.

If you surveyed the participants of an average college freshmen orientation, you probably wouldn’t be surprised to learn that the incoming class has a variety of experiences and backgrounds. However, it might be surprising to learn about the growing number of students who chose to take extended time between completing high school and enrolling in a university of their choice.

Most savvy college applicants these days are finely tuned into the fact that it takes a lot more than being an accomplished, high-achieving student to gain a coveted acceptance to the nation’s top institutions. But how exactly do you develop the best applicant profile?