Tag: Admissions

Planning for College – Winter
Planning for College – Winter

How does it happen so fast? Here we are in December; for many students, it is already halfway through the academic year! Whether in Grades 9, 10, 11, or 12, it’s time to take stock of what you have achieved in recent months and plan for the critical months ahead. While there is no ‘right’ way to prepare for applying to college, the pointers in this blog should help you keep on track.

Grade 9 and 10/ Freshman and Sophomore.

The winter break is a good point for taking stock of what you have been doing over the last few months and ensuring you are prepared for the rest of the academic year. However, it is also time to make some longer-term plans.

If you have received or are about to receive an end-of-semester report, try not to look at it as teachers handing out marks. Instead, try to draw satisfaction from the things that have gone well and learn where they haven’t. If you are struggling, ask your teachers where your gaps in understanding are and put a plan in place to go over those topics again.

Many students find the move from Grade 8 to 9 a challenge, particularly managing to keep on track and up to date with their work. If this sounds like you, I encourage you to use a planner to help you use your time more effectively. At Ivy Central, we like using the free downloadable templates from Passion Planner.

Keep playing an active part in lessons; remember, you don’t want to be the one sitting at the back, not contributing until you are asked.

If you need help, ask!

If you are in Grade 10, you should consider what subjects to do in Grades 11 and 12. Take the time to research the options you are interested in; does the coursework interest you? Will it be helpful for what you want to online study at college or university? Are there any specific subject requirements for any career you might be interested in?

December is the month when many competitive summer programs open for applications. Spending your summer participating in one of these programs can help build your application profile, so consider spending a few weeks deep diving into a topic that interests you or perhaps working on a research project alongside a Ph.D. student.

Continue with extra-curricular activities you are involved with; are there new things you would like to try?

Grade 11/Junior Year.

In many ways, this is when your application season begins. Grade 12 have just about finished their applications, so teachers and counselors switch their focus toward those in Grade 11.

If you still need to build a college list, now is the time to start. You can begin by creating a long list of colleges you would consider applying to. These may be ones you have heard about; perhaps a relative went there or is there now. Then, you can use respected sources on the internet to help you explore them in more detail.

Talk to your family about any considerations they would like you to consider when looking at colleges. For example, they may want you to focus your college search on particular parts of the US or insights into what type of college will best fit you.

One area that can be more difficult to discuss with parents is how your college will be funded. Attending college is expensive, around $40,000 to $60,000, depending on the college, so having a clear understanding of what your family can afford at the beginning of your search can save you time and heartache.

As with students in Grades 9 and 10, now is the time to apply for a competitive summer program.

Grade 11 is when most of our students will sit an SAT or ACT test. If you didn’t do the test during the first few months of Grade 11, then the next sitting of the SAT will be in March and will be the first of the ‘new’ style SATs. If you have not done so, download the online SAT Bluebook, which has four complete practice tests to help you prepare. The next ACT test will be in early February.

Grade 12/Senior Year

Crunch time! If you applied early to any colleges, you should have heard back from them by the middle of December; if you have been accepted, congratulations, you are going to college. On the other hand, if you didn’t apply, have been rejected, or were deferred from your early applications, it’s all to play for.

The end of December sees the start of the Regular Decision (RD) round of applications. Before you submit your application go over it again. If you were rejected from your early applications, can you see why? Consider your college list. If you were not accepted in the early round, ensure that all the colleges you apply to RD are not of a similar level, and ensure you have a safety or two.

If you have been deferred from the early round, don’t let that stop you from applying to other colleges in the hope that your deferment will convert into an acceptance. Instead, send a Letter of Continued Interest (LCI) to your deferred college in January, letting them know that you still want to go there and updating them with the great things you have achieved since your initial application.

Keep motivated. Once all your college applications have been submitted, you can ease off a little on the school work, but try to avoid it. Colleges can and do withdraw offers of places from students who don’t perform as well as expected in their final assessments. Evidence suggests that students whose final grades are lower than expected are more likely to drop out of college.

Working with study abroad consultants, overseas education consultants or as more commonly known, college counselors can help you plan ahead and make those high school years count. Ivy Central offers exceptional focus to help you prepare for college admissions throughout the high-schooling years. Start today!
December 8, 2022
What is a Grade Point Average (GPA) & Its Importance

What is a Grade Point Average (GPA) & Its Importance

Most people aspiring to apply to college in the US will be familiar with the acronym GPA. In this article, I will dig deeper to understand the different types of GPAs, how they are calculated, and their significance in the college application process.

What is a GPA?

GPA is an acronym for Grade Point Average. In the USA, it is used as a measurement of academic achievement, calculated from your grades during high school. Your GPA is not the only measurement of success in high school; however, it does indicate your engagement in your studies.

Your GPA will be on a scale from 0.0 at the lowest and 4.0 at the highest. How this corresponds to your grades will depend on the marking system of the curriculum you study, however as an example:

Letter Percentage GPA

A 90 – 100% 4.0

B 80 – 89% 3.0

C 70 – 79% 2.0

D 60 – 69% 1.0

This is a simplified version of how GPA is marked, and there are many variations; some curriculums have intermediate grades such as A* or B- which will have a GPA as a point between the whole numbers, so a B- would be 2.7. However, an A* would still be 4.0, as that is the maximum GPA.

Weighted and Unweighted GPA

Not all curricula are created equal; some are more rigorous than others. If we accept that statement, it becomes crucial to recognize the achievement of somebody who receives an A in a more challenging course over another person who gets the same grade in a less demanding course. This is done by having weighted and unweighted GPAs

An unweighted GPA uses the 4.0 scale shown above and does not give any one course more weight than any other.

A weighted GPA recognizes the additional difficulty of individual courses. For example, an IB HL, honors, or AP course would fall into this category and be calculated on a 5.0 scale (where 5.0 is awarded for a 7 or A grade), while regular courses are still measured on the 4.0 GPA scale.

Typically, a weighted course will receive one point above the GPA they would receive for the same grade as a regular course. When averaged out, the result is a higher overall GPA and a better picture of your academic achievements with tips to improve gpa as it considers the greater rigor of those more challenging courses.

How to calculate GPA

Calculating your GPA is simply taking the average of your grades to provide an overall score, remembering to give one additional point to each weighted course you have completed.

For example, let’s take the case of student J, who received the following grades.

Subject Grade

English B

Maths A

Physics A

History C

Economics B

Spanish C

This would translate into an unweighted GPA of 3.0, as seen below.

Subject Grade GPA

English B 3.0

Maths A 4.0

Physics A 4.0

History C 2.0

Economics B 3.0

Spanish C 2.0

Total 18

GPA (18 divided by 6 courses). 3.0

Now let’s imagine student J was doing several more rigorous AP courses. The difficulty of these courses would be taken into account to provide a weighted GPA, as seen below.

Subject Grade GPA

English B 3.0

AP Maths A 5.0

AP Physics A 5.0

History C 2.0

AP Economics B 4.0

Spanish C 2.0

Total 21

GPA (21 divided by 6 courses) 3.5

Why is GPA important?

For colleges, your GPA provides a baseline of how prepared you are academically for starting college. GPA is also often used as a filter when deciding who should be invited to join a college honors and research mentorship program or receive a scholarship award.

As such, your GPA and other factors, such as your extra-curricular activities, letters of recommendation, and other tests, will be crucial in the holistic application review undertaken by most competitive colleges.

Knowing your GPA can help you decide on which colleges to apply to. Many colleges and universities will publish the GPA of students they accept each year, so if you know which college you want to apply to, it makes sense to look at the GPA of accepted students. With this information, you will know if that college is a target, reach, or super-reach college for you.

What’s a good GPA?

It will be no surprise that more selective schools will have higher expectations, which plays out in the GPAs of the students they accept. Below are the average GPA scores at colleges often applied to by Ivy Central students.

College – GPA (provided by PrepScholar.com)

Columbia – 4.12

Cornell – 4.07

Harvard – 4.18

Yale – 4.14

U Penn – 3.90

Stanford – 4.00

Santa Clara – 3.96

UC Berkeley – 3.86

UIUC – 3.83

Georgia Tech – 4.07

While GPA is just one of the factors used by admissions panels when deciding who to admit, given its significance in the application process, every student must seek to improve their GPA to the best of their abilities. In the following article, I will let you know how to improve it.

November 10, 2022
Still Writing Your Common App Essay? 5 Tips to Help You

With the submission deadline for applying in the early round of US college applications rapidly approaching, you will hopefully be well on the way to finishing your personal essay. However, if you are struggling, this article will hopefully help as I share five tips from college admission professionals that can help you create a winning essay.

For many students, writing a solid personal essay is the most challenging part of the application; its test comes because what is required is significantly different from the types of essays most students have been writing during their schooling. While it may be challenging, you must spend the time to create as powerful an essay as possible; this is the one opportunity you have to help the admissions teams get to ‘meet you’ and understand something about the individual behind the grades and scores.

1. First impressions count

Any student attending college should expect to do a great deal of writing, irrespective of their major. So, the first thing somebody reading your supplemental college essay will ask is, ‘Can this person write?’

When you read your essay, is it well put together? A strong essay will nearly always have a strong theme or story that runs through it from beginning to end, with clear transitions from one paragraph to the next. Write using an active voice rather than the passive one generally expected for an academic essay; try to engage your reader from the very start so that you can be seen through your words. You should always ask people who know you well to read your essay; if they say that they can hear your voice as they read it, then you are probably a winner!

Finally, grammar and spelling count; make sure you go through what you have written and check it with a good spelling and grammar checker. Again, make sure you are using American spellings.

2. You are the story

The college admissions team is reading your essay because they want to find out about you, so make sure that what you are writing about is you. It seems an obvious thing to say, but you would be surprised how often students write essays where they talk about their parents, grandparents, or teachers who have helped shape them into the person they are now. Unfortunately, this sort of supplemental essay rarely comes across well as you will inevitably spend much of your limited word count talking about what makes that person special rather than what makes you special, how you live your life as an individual, in the spirit of the person.

To create a strong impression on the admissions officer, you want them to feel that they know what makes you who you are, your motivations, and your passions.

3. Reflections

Creating the strong impression I just mentioned requires you to reflect on who you are and how you became that person. This is something that many students find difficult, but without sharing that knowledge in your essay, you risk it will come across as shallow or, worse still, clichéd! On the other hand, sharing your reflections can add depth and character, making even an everyday experience, such as waiting for the school bus, into a profoundly revealing portrait of you and your life.

4. Add value

When talking about their work, top college and university admissions officers will speak about ‘crafting a community.’ What they mean by this is that they are not just trying to fill the number of places available; instead, they are looking for people who will contribute to the campus experience. So in your personal essay, try to focus on your genuine strengths, using anecdotes that will best portray them.

5. Be consistent

Be clear about what impression you want to create in the minds of the people who will read your application. Having done that, ensure your application, including your essay, aligns with that picture. For example, suppose you want your essay to portray you as a passionate biology researcher. In that case, you don’t want your activities to reflect a person who loves to spend their time deep into self-published online stories. If your essay does not resonate with the rest of your application, you need to take a step back and consider how you can make the whole application reflect who you are. Ivy Central always here to help you.

Good luck!

September 8, 2022
Journey to US College-What Students Should Consider

Journey to a US College-What Students Should Consider

It can be very easy to be seduced by the idea of going to college, particularly at one of the great colleges and universities worldwide. The good news is that the dream is increasingly becoming a reality for those who aspire to this goal ,but achieving it is not always straightforward and can sometimes come as a shock.

In this article, I want to help anybody considering applying to a US college, and their families, think about some of the hard questions that will need to be answered on their journey toward college and university.

Academics

People have all sorts of motivations for applying to college. It might be the prospect of exploring an area of interest in more detail or the freedom to develop into the adult you want to be. Whatever your motivations, for colleges and universities, it is about you as a student, and while US colleges look at more than just your grades, how you perform at school is an essential element of your application and graduation rate.

Not all colleges expect the same academic performance; top colleges will expect a higher academic achievement, so you must take a step back and look at how you have performed over the last few years. The good news is that, in most cases, an institution will match your academic performance, but that might be different from the college of your dreams.

Top colleges, like the Ivy Leagues, will expect you to have averaged A’s across the four years of high school. So, if an Ivy League is your dream, look at the grades you have been getting; if they are not A’s, then ask yourself if you can and are willing to do the work needed to turn them into A’s.

If you are not that A student, then by all means, still apply, if that is your dream, but also make applications for colleges that better reflect the grades you are achieving. Ivy Central would advise that at least half of your applications should be made to what we call target institutions. These are ones that broadly align with your academic performance. If you don’t get the grades you expect, you should include at least one safety college.

Another question you should ask yourself is, ‘are the subjects you are good at the subjects that are important for what you want to study or indeed work in?’ Over my career, I have met many young people who have a view about what they want to study that is incompatible with their academic strengths. For example, they might wish to study mechanical engineering at college, but maths is not a strong subject for them, and they dislike physics, both integral subjects for what they want to study. Too often, these people drop out of their studies because they can’t cope with the work or it just does not interest them enough. Fortunately, switching from one major to another in the US is often possible, but a hard, realistic assessment of their strengths can help you avoid that.

Occasionally students feel pressure from family or friends to aim for a particular study area. It is essential to recognize this pressure and for you, the student, to own the decision about what you do at college. Try to understand the feelings family and friends have about your future, try to help them understand why you believe your choice is right for you and your dreams, and realize your concerns about pursuing the major they would prefer you to follow.

Asking yourself these questions is not always easy; it can be hard to refocus your dreams if the reality does not fit. However, the ability to reflect on who you are is an important skill to master and will help you to make better decisions throughout your life.

Read More: Public versus Private Universities

Family discussions

While you will be the one attending university, the support and encouragement of your family should be an essential consideration. While you will have your dreams about going to college, your family will likely have dreams for you as well. Hopefully, those dreams will match yours, but that is not always the case. There have been occasions where the parents of students we have worked with have wanted their son or daughter to attend a particular college or sometimes go to a college near family members who can offer support.

Another important area to have an early conversation with your family about is cost. Irrespective of where you go to college, it is expensive, so talk to your family about what the family can afford. Sometimes we see students who have the potential to be accepted by one of the highly selective private colleges in the United States but are not able to afford the high costs that can be required. In those circumstances, it might be better to focus on slightly less selective colleges that will appreciate what you bring to the college community and provide you with scholarship money to make it more affordable. This can be a particularly beneficial strategy if you intend to go onto one of the professional programs like medicine or law.

One of the most common areas where we see differences between parents and students is what to study. Some parents will put a value in studying a particular major, typically in the STEM areas, but you, the student, might want to pursue your interest in the arts or humanities. Understanding these tensions can help you when considering your choice of college. For example, you could look at colleges that will provide the opportunity to follow a double major, one with more of a STEM focus and a second in the areas you want to follow.

Planning

Another consideration is that you should try to be realistic about the amount of time you have or can put into applying to college.

Applications to top-tier colleges take time.

A student at the end of Gr 11 only has six months before the application round ends; during that time, in addition to all of the work you are doing for the application, you will also have to keep on top of your school work and continuing to work on your extracurricular activities. So when you are starting the process of building your application profile is essential. The earlier you start, the better.

Even if you are starting the process early, you are still likely to struggle to do all of the things you are used to while completing the activities and working to build your profile. Are you willing to spend less time playing your favorite sport, hanging out with friends, watching television, or whatever it might be? Successful students find they have to manage their time well if they are going to accomplish everything they want to. Are you willing to make the sacrifices needed to achieve your goals?

None of this is said to try and put you off following your aspirations of college; far from it; we want you to succeed but asking these tough questions is part of the journey.

There will be bumps on the road, times when things don’t go how you expect, maybe you don’t get the grade you expect, or a research experiment fails; often, people will not be accepted by the colleges they most want to attend.

All of this is normal, and you should expect to have disappointments along the way, but there are rarely no options remaining open to you. So be flexible and open to opportunities, and you will have a great future ahead.

Good luck!

May 26, 2022
Comprehensive Guide on How to Deal with College Rejection?
Over the next few weeks colleges will be sending out letters, or more likely emails, telling students if they have been accepted into their college. We obviously hope that every student gets accepted into their first choice college, but the reality is that not everybody will. Here are some observations on how you can deal with the natural disappointment of not being accepted with the help of Ivy Central.

1. Rejection Hurts

You have invested a massive amount of time and effort to get to this point, so it is only natural to feel hurt on finding out that the college you wanted more than any other has not invited you to join them.
- Do take time to absorb and process the information. Be kind to yourself by watching your favourite film or eat some wonderful comfort food.
- Do put it into perspective, often the reason for an early application is to give yourself an advantage when applying to really competitive colleges or programmes. Colleges are not rejecting you for any personal reason or because you did something wrong, they are not offering you a place because they can’t accept everybody, remember that more than 95 people out of every 100 are rejected from the most prestigious colleges. You are in good company!
2. Change your mindset

You are no doubt familiar with the concept of a pro and con sheet, well it is a great way to copying with rejection!
- Do sit down with a piece of paper and write a list of all the reasons why not getting into your choice of college is the worst thing that could have happened to you. On a second piece of paper write a letter to yourself from one year in the future telling yourself about your first months at your new college, wherever it may be. Then throw away the first list and keep the letter.
3. Time for Plan B

What is it that you want to achieve by going to that particular college? Is it really the only place that will enable you to achieve that goal? Very few people get through life without setbacks, but it is rarely the end of the story because there is never a single path to becoming who you will be. Read more: Reading Habit Can Help You Win Your Dream College
- Do remember that you have other options, great colleges full of wonderful people who want you to apply to them. You will have spent time finding out about them and there must have been good reasons why you put them on your list. In time, where you went will matter much less than the experience you gained by being there.
4. You’re not alone

It will be hard to hear from friends wanting to share the good news of being accepted into their college of choice, while you are grieving for the one that let you slip by. Don’t let yourself withdraw from family and friends, they will be the ones to offer support and comfort, helping you to get back on top once again.
- Do talk to somebody you feel comfortable talking to. Experiences, both good and bad, are better when shared with somebody you are close to.
December 8, 2020
Tips for the Stanford Supplemental Essays

Stanford University is keen to understand the depth and breadth of your personality, something that doesn’t reflect in your transcripts. That is why Stanford’s supplemental essays are designed to get to know you beyond the academic data. This is your chance to diversify your application. Show elements of intellectual curiosity, volunteering experience, interdisciplinary learning, reading engagement, and tell them who you truly are as an individual.

What is the most significant challenge that society faces today? (in <50 words)

It is okay to mention the obvious ones as long as you are able to shed light on the ‘why’. Focus on the word ‘today’. Think about present times, rather than historical events. For instance, why is the pandemic the most significant challenge faced by society today? Is it due to the reality of the inequities exposed to us? In that, you could talk about the economic, social, or political inequities. Your answer need not be related to your major, since you will probably be talking about it in the other Stanford essays.

How did you spend your last two summers? (in <50 words)

This is a straightforward question requiring a straightforward answer. With 50 words, all you need to do is mention major activities from the last two summers. Preferably, you need to talk about how you furthered your passion for your major. Generally, students undertake research, an internship, or attend a summer research program. On the other hand, you may have been exploring a country, pursuing a hobby, or taking on additional familial responsibilities. All of these fit the bill.

What historical moment or event do you wish you could have witnessed? (in <50 words)

Talk about your beliefs or passions through this one. If you wish you could have been at the time Simone de Beauvoir wrote the ‘Second Sex’ or during Archimedes’ ‘Eureka’ moment, tell why. Remember, this needs to be personal and relevant to you. Do not write something for the sake of sounding cool.

Briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities, a job you hold, or responsibilities you have for your family. (in <50 words)

This could be the essay that diversifies your application. Stanford is keen to put you into context. Who are you outside of the classroom? Are you someone who loves volunteering at an organization every weekend? What drives you to do that? What do you learn from it?

Are you a caregiver to someone in your home/community? Do you lead a reading club? Do you undertake gardening initiatives? Are you part of a cult? Just kidding about that last one. But you get the picture.

List five things that are important to you (in <50 words)

Be yourself, and list things that are important to you. Really.

The Stanford community is deeply curious and driven to learn in and out of the classroom. Reflect on an idea or experience that makes you genuinely excited about learning. (100 to 250 words)

This is the ‘intellectual vitality’ essay. Demonstrate your quirks with respect to something you are deeply passionate about. How did you truly pursue something that has come to shape you? Dive as deep as you can. Answers for this could range from undertaking lab-based research or deep reading novels from different countries or participating in tons of debates! It all boils down to your major. Choose a relevant activity that you feel you have taken to its highest level.

Read More: Stanford University acceptance rate

Virtually all of Stanford’s undergraduates live on campus. Write a note to your future roommate that reveals something about you or that will help your roommate — and us — know you better. (100 to 250 words)

Did you hear another chance at a ‘Why Stanford’ essay? Yes, you did.

You can use this prompt to talk more about why you have picked Stanford and how it could satiate your academic and extra-curricular interests. You could also talk about your major in this essay. Moreover, feel free to talk about your unique personality and what you would like to share/learn from your roommate.

For more information, read How to write Letter of recommendation and who to ask.

Please describe what aspects of your life experiences, interests, and character would help you make a distinctive contribution as an undergraduate to Stanford University. (in <250 words)

This is your place to shine. Talk about your unique life experiences or interests that has made you the person you are today. Choose something truly distinguishing or unique; avoid writing about things that are common. Find ways you will make distinct contributions to the Stanford community and write about those with the help of Ivy central.

October 21, 2020
Your Reading Habits can help you Win your Dream College

Most colleges expect you to demonstrate critical thinking skills in numerous ways. The simple reason: they are looking at crafting a well-informed community. A typical classroom environment in the US and UK involves engaging in discussions filled with perspectives and counter-perspectives. Moreover, tons of student clubs and organizations drive the campus spirit.

Keeping this in mind, your reading skills are crucial in several ways :

Recommendation Letters

Believe it or not, your reading habits can land you a great recommendation letter. Being a reader makes you a holistic learner. It gives you the advantage of making informed class contributions to group discussions and delivering thought-provoking presentations. On the other hand, sticking to syllabus texts is unlikely to help you develop a 360 understanding of the subject matter.

Note: Most schools will allow students to submit a brag sheet or a résumé, as a compilation of their extra-curricular activities. Use this opportunity to talk about your reading (and watching) habits. Address how you have explored the breadth and depth of a subject dear to you.

Standardized Testing

Readers test better than non-readers. The ACT and SAT both involve skimming and scanning techniques to crack the exam. Most students perform well in the Math section but are unable to achieve a similar score in the Reading Section. Since reading skills develop over time, it is no wonder that students find themselves stressed about this section. This often negatively impacts their performance in such fast-paced exams, thereby emphasizing the need to be a regular reader.

College Interviews

More often than not, you will be asked to talk about the latest book/s you’ve read in your college interview. While most interviewers would offer you the option to comment on a book you’ve studied in school, they would rather have you talk about one you’ve read purely for joy or to advance your knowledge of a particular topic. This is your chance to flaunt your reading skills. Focus on key takeaways of this book and talk about how you related to it. They aren’t looking for a Google-able summary, but want to know what you made of this reading opportunity.

Supplemental Essays

An increasing number of universities are focusing on reading skills in their admissions processes. The most obvious way is to ask a supplemental essay question on your reading habits. Columbia University’s famous ‘list questions’ require you to talk about a range of books, journals, poetry, and plays from within and outside of your syllabus. Emory University asks you to talk about a ‘book, character, song, or piece of work (fiction or non-fiction)’ that represents you the best.

Interviewers with access to your essays with definitely want to know more about these reading choices. You can certainly expect follow-up questions!

Additionally, nearly all colleges will ask you to write a ‘why this major’ essay. You’ve spent hours inside and outside of school studying related subject areas, but that is hardly a distinguishing factor. On the other hand, reading a book will expose you to out-of-the-box perspectives or would have challenged existing belief systems. Feel free to talk about how a book inspired and directed you toward your major as a hook to your essay.

Core Curriculum

Many liberal arts colleges in the US have a Core Curriculum, that asks students to make ethical and philosophical considerations. As an applicant, you need to show how your understanding stretches beyond the obvious black and white. Making interdisciplinary connections in interviews and essays substantiates your genuine interest in learning, often labeling you as a stronger applicant who will add incredible value to the college rejection community.

Tips to build your reading habits

Assess your Reading Habits

While unheard of, formally assessing your reading habits is the first step to becoming a better reader. If you’re a ‘speed’ reader, you will do well on the standardized tests; but may not necessarily flourish in your IB/A level English exams. If you’re a ‘slow’ reader, you are more likely to engage in deep reading, annotating as you read sentence by sentence. To get into the Top Tier Universities, you need to be able to do both.

Read what you like

Start by reading what you like. A combination of classics and contemporary texts is sure to spike your curiosity about the subject. Then, move on to reading journals, news articles, and research papers. Engage in a variety of texts, forms, and genres. Make your reading holistic.

Become a Critical Reader

Reading is about what’s on the page; critical reading is about what’s not on the page. To become an effective reader, one needs to understand the implied meaning and implications of the text. Explore cultural, historical, and biographical contexts to go beyond the literal understanding of the literary/non-literary work.

Readers build Readers

Join forums and groups. Take an active part in discussions, and you are sure to find books aligned with your interests.

Maintain Variety

It’s important to engage in fiction and nonfiction works. That way, you’re exposed to a wide range of jargon and registers. This will most definitely translate into your own writing skills.

Write More, Ask More

Those who translate their understanding of a book into a summary or ask questions are more likely to be effective readers. Because as Stephen King said, “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have time (or the tools) to write.”

In short, reading habits can make or break your application to a university in several ways. The advantages are many; the disadvantages, are none!

Embark on a transformative higher education journey and elevate your path to academic success with the expert guidance and personalized support of an Ivy Central college counselor.

October 8, 2020
Top Qualities Students Should Demonstrate to Colleges.

One of the most common questions college counselors hear is, “How do I get accepted by a particular university?” While each college or university in the USA has unique criteria, some qualities are universally valued in the admissions process. Here’s a guide to help you understand what most colleges look for in applicants and how you can enhance your application:

1. Academic Excellence

Securing high grades in school remains the top priority for students. There is no denying the fact that Colleges and universities look for students with high Point Averages (GPAs). By excelling academically, students can demonstrate to colleges that they have the intellectual capability to handle high levels of coursework. Admissions officers seek such students as they are likely to continue this trend in college. Your high school transcript, showcasing your grades from Grade 9 onward, will be crucial to your application. Don’t worry if your early grades were not stellar—an upward trend in your academic performance can positively impact your application.

2. Challenging Course Load

Difficult and challenging course work such as Advanced Placement (AP) classes or the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme are looked upon very positively by selective schools. They prefer applicants who have taken rigorous courses available to them. This indicates a student’s willingness to challenge themselves academically. International students who are following the national curriculum should consider taking AP exams in addition to school exams to demonstrate a strong work ethic and commitment to academic excellence.

3. Commitment to Extracurricular Activities

Rather than a long list of activities, colleges look for deep, sustained involvement in a few areas of interest. This shows your dedication and passion. Spend several hours each week on these activities and aim for long-term engagement to demonstrate your commitment. Unlocking Potential: Passion Projects for High School Students | Ivy Central

4. Leadership

Leadership is another key quality colleges seek. Whether you are a team captain, a club founder, or hold a position of authority at your school, your leadership roles highlight your ability to influence and guide others. Additionally, mentoring younger or disadvantaged students can showcase your leadership skills.

5. Strong Recommendations

Letters of recommendation from teachers, counselors, coaches, or principals can provide a personal perspective on your abilities and character. Choose recommenders who know you well and can provide detailed anecdotes about your academic performance, personality, and leadership qualities.

Read More: Claremont College

6. Positive Personality and Character

Your personal statement or college admissions essay is your opportunity to showcase your personality, passions, and values. A well-crafted essay can leave a lasting impression on admissions officers, while a poorly written one can have the opposite effect. Be honest and reflective, and let your unique voice shine through.

7. Genuine Interest in the College

Demonstrating a genuine interest in the college or university can enhance your application. Engage with the school by signing up for newsletters, participating in virtual tours and webinars, and interacting with college to win representatives. Applying early decisions can also signal your commitment to a particular institution.

8. Community Service

A willingness to serve others is highly valued by colleges. Community service and a passion for helping others indicate that you will positively contribute to the campus community and beyond. Demonstrating your involvement in volunteer work and community service projects can strengthen your application.

By showcasing these qualities in your application, you can improve your chances of being admitted to even the most selective schools. Remember, each component of your application is an opportunity to present yourself as a well-rounded, dedicated, and engaged student.

September 22, 2020