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Undergraduate Study in the US. Resources. Study in the US handbook A copy of this ppt is on the school website in the downloads section. Topics Covered in Today’s Session. Why Study in the US? Funding Your Studies Choosing a University How to Complete an Application Q+A.
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Undergraduate Study in the US
Resources • Study in the US handbook • A copy of this ppt is on the school website in the downloads section
Topics Covered in Today’s Session • Why Study in the US? • Funding Your Studies • Choosing a University • How to Complete an Application • Q+A
Why Study in the US?
US- Funding • 1 in 3 students cite additional funding as the PRIMARY means of paying their fees • Last year 888,000 international students accessed $10 billion in funding • With funding in place it can be cheaper to study in the US rather than the UK • Five Sources of Funding • 1. Personal/Family funds • 2. Loans • 3. Scholarship and need-based aid from US university • 4. Scholarships from external organisations • 5. Part time jobs- be aware of visa restrictions
Interactive Map for International Financial Aidhttps://public.tableau.com/profile/yoko.kono4022#!/vizhome/InternationalFinancialAid_Final/FinancialAidtoIntlDegree-SeekingUndergraduateStudentsintheU_S_201415_Final
Full Price not the same as Your Net Price! Here is an example of an excellent aid package for a middle income student at a top US university. Income of £75,000 (about $92,000 at current exchange rates), a home and £80,000 in other savings/assets.Full price £37,000 Minus £26,800 Need-based scholarship aidEquals £10,200 Your net price (£8,400 from parents, £1,800 job offer for student)For comparison, this family would probably face costs of £15,000 or more for tuition, fees, and accommodation at a typical UK university in 2016-17.
Comparing Aid Offers • COA (cost of attending): £30,000 • Expected Family Contribution (minimum contribution from family, index number based on a formula established by law): £5,000 • Total Need: £25,000 • NB: Read the small print to see if funding is in place for first year or duration of the course.
University Funding Awards • Academic merit • Financial need • Needs Blind (Amherst college, Harvard Uni, MIT, Princeton, Yale) • Niche criteria (eg. country of origin, ethnicity, religious faith, gender, interests, talents) • Talent (eg in arts, jazz). • Athletic ability (TS has a partnership with Sporting Elite USA for discount rates)
The process of applying is straightforward and integrated into the admissions application. Funding decision comes around the same time as application decision. There is usually considerable merit based aid for both academics and athletics (though not at any Ivy League school) Tuition bills are paid in advance of term starting
Funding resources • Financial aid calculators: Enter family income, calculates projected financial aid award: • http://cgi.money.cnn.com/tools/collegecost/collegecost.html • Harvard’s net price calculator • http://npc.fas.harvard.edu/ • Handout • US universities’ website • Online scholarship searches: • www.fundingusstudy.org • www.iefa.org • www.edupass.org/finaid • www.globalgrant.com • www.collegeboard.org- filter search by universities that offer financial aid to international students
Two- year community colleges (Associate’s degrees) • Four-year (Bachelor’s degrees) • 2+2 format. Approx. 45% of Bachelor's graduates started off in a community college • Bachelor's degrees usually Liberal Arts focus • Law and Medicine studied at postgraduate level • Application process: • Slightly longer application form than UCAS • Holistic review of your application • Apply to the university, not the department Degrees on offer
Admissions DeadlinesAll of these are in the Upper Sixth year
Early Action (EA)- non-binding and non-restrictive, applications due 1 November, answer 15 December, decision required by 1 May • Restrictive Early Action (REA) (Harvard, Princeton, Stanford and Yale) - students apply by 1 November, admissions decision by 15 December. This type of deadline is non-binding but you can only apply to one REA. • Early Decision (ED)-binding and you must withdraw all other applications (worldwide) and commit to attending if offered a place, applications due 1 November (ED1) with decision in December or January application deadline (ED2) with decision in February * ED1 favored by scholarship applicants
Regular Decision- 1 January, decision required by early April • Rolling Admissions- schools fill their freshman classes as they receive applications between August-Spring, applying early (Oct/Nov) is an advantage! These include: Michigan, Rutgers, Umass, Wisconsin and many others If unsuccessful at Early Deadlines you can still apply for Regular Admission but you only have 2 weeks to get sorted
Benefits of Applying Early: - Know the admissions decision by December - Smaller applicant pool - More likely to be accepted - Favoured by scholarship applicants • Types of admissions decisions: - Accepted, wait list, not accepted, deferred to regular poole - Unconditional offer
Choosing: Setting your Goals • If you definitely want to study in the US, select: - 6-8 well-rounded universities: 2 dream/reach schools (Your Oxbridge) + 3-4 match schools + 2 safety schools (equivalent to your UCAS insurance) • If you need to get funding in order to go to the US: - Schools that offer financial aid to international students (many do, not all) - Schools that offer the type of aid that best fits you: need-based, merit-based or talent • If you are just throwing your hat in the ring, make sure you have a good back up plan in the UK
Factors to Consider • Type of university: • four year vs two year • Public vs private • Large vs small • Ivy league (and other issues with prestige!) • “public ivies” • Association of American Universities or Carnegie Classification for very high research activity • Liberal arts colleges • Land grant universities • All-women’s colleges • Specialist institutions • US universities abroad- Seville/Paris etc
Factors to Consider • Academics - competitiveness of admission - majors offered - enrichment opportunities: study abroad, internships, honours programmes, research • Location - cost of living & lifestyle issues of being urban/suburban/rural - time difference - proximity to airports/public transport - Cultural differences - weather/climate - safety/crime - centres of excellence in certain fields • Costs and availability of university funding - reduce up–front costs - for university funding
A Note About the Ivy League • Historically a sports league between the 8 oldest universities in New England: • Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, UPenn, Princeton and Yale • The “top 1%” universities in the UK = 1-2 • The “top 1%” universities in the US = around 40 • Extremely competitive: average acceptance rate of 9% (Oxford’s is 18%, Cambridge 20%)
4500+ schools. Where to start? • Rugg’s recommendations • Peterson’s website • College board book of Majors • College board book of Colleges • Princeton Review • Fiske Guide • USA College day (mid- September, Kensington) • College website • Online university search engines • Teachers, alumni, my contacts • Accreditation: chea.org • Weather.com • Rankings: US News and World Reports-usnews.com • Social media, university websites and/or campus visit
What US Universities Look For: • Academic achievement • GCSEs • Cashed in AS levels • Predicted A levels • Academic potential: Admissions exam scores • Extracurricular involvement • Personal attributes • Interest in your academic field of choice • Character • Leadership abilities • Commitment • Much more interested in a well-rounded character • Volunteering opportunities at www.bunac.org/volunteer Top tip: Quality not quantity will be more impressive to an admissions tutor
Application Components: • Application form (450 colleges use commonapp) • Transcript and school report • SAT/ACT Admissions exam scores • 2-3 essays • 2-3 recommendation letters • Application fee
SAT Testing Sitesnearest to Cornwall: Taunton School and Millfield
SAT Test: www.collegeboard.org • SATs- new look test from March 2016 • The SAT Test is a four hour test comprising of three or four sections: Reading, Math, Writing and Language, and an optional essay. The test is designed to measure critical thinking and analytical skills. • Cost: $86 Reasoning, $59 Subject • The test dates are as follows: • October, November, December, January, • May, June • Top Tips: • Book early as places fill up quickly • Read the appendix section on SATs in the handbook • SATs will be first priority this term • If numbers are sufficient: Greene’s tutorial prep day
SAT Subject Tests • Required by the most competitive universities • One hour test in a given subject • Can take up to 3 on the same SAT testing date • Generally 2-3 are required • Subjects: Literature, US and World History, Maths 1 and 2, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Chinese with Listening, French, French with Listening, German, German with Listening, Spanish, Spanish with Listening, Modern Hebrew, Italian, Latin, Japanese with Listening, Korean with Listening
The Essay • Titles are published well in advance and stay for a number of years. This year’s prompts • PROMPT #1: Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story. • PROMPT #2:The lessons we take from failure can be fundamental to later success. Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience? • PROMPT #3:Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again? • PROMPT #4:Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma-anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution. • PROMPT #5: Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.
The Essay • The “humble brag” tone • Holistic approach not a “pick me because” essay • Sell yourself through life experiences • Show a side of your personality that might not come out in other sections of the application • Show leadership, passion, drive, commitment • Address the title clearly • Use clear, concise language • Avoid vague statements • Proofread extensively • Be yourself, don’t write what you think admissions tutors want to hear; give them the truth. Colleges want to hear the applicant’s voice, not the voice of their teacher/parents. Any topic can be made interesting as long as it shows rather than tells, so details are important • Read 50 successful Harvard essays in the careers resource centre
