EASYUNI Ultimate University Guide 2013 July Issue | Page 24

Applying to
Colleges and
Universities
in the United States

General Information About the
US College and University System
Eleven of the world’s top ?fteen
universities are in the United
States, according to the News
& World Report rankings.
Whichever survey you look
at, most will rank in the US as
having signi?cantly more top
universities than any other
country. Many students come
to the United States because
of the diversity of educational
opportunities available. There
are more than 600 major ?elds
of study offered at more than
3,800 colleges and universities.
Understanding the application process
to American schools is critical for parents
who want their children to attend
the world’s best universities. Getting
into top American universities is very
dif?cult as there are many well-quali?ed
applicants for each spot. So how does
one get in? It’s a highly competitive
process that involves planning, good
grades in both everyday classes as well
as on standardised tests, such as the SAT
and the ACT, extracurricular activities,
and your application. To maximise your
chances of admission, your college
application must make you stand apart
and shine.
As an independent educational
consultant, I spend weeks on end,
throughout the year, visiting universities
around America, speaking to their
admissions directors and counselors, and

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EASYUNI Guide 2013

learning about the schools ?rsthand.
These meetings allow me to better
understand the personality of the
university, its academic focus, and the
types of essays that are likely to stand
out for their admissions of?cers. This is
not the type of information that students
can easily ?nd on their own; however,
it is essential knowledge for guiding
students in the college search and
application process.

How Do Admissions Apply to
International Students?

The number of international students
studying in the US has increased by nearly
200k students in the past 10 years. The
US is a country that seeks out talented
international students. China is the
leading country in sending students to the
US with increases each year.
Students should review statistics on
the number of international students
that attend the colleges that they are
thinking of applying to. It is critical that
international students focus on what US
schools expect in terms of information
provided on letters of recommendation,
the essay, resume and application in
general. Essay writing for international
students requires an understanding of US
college application objectives which may
include information that they might not
normally be accustomed to presenting.

The Common Application and Essays

Approximately 500 of more than 4,000
colleges and universities in America use
what is called The Common Application.
This makes the Common Application not
so common. The Common Application
or the university’s own application is
the document used to present the

student in a way that best highlights
his or her credentials, background, and
interests. This may sound easier than it
is. Some colleges accept the Common
Application while many require their
own unique application. This causes a
signi?cant amount of additional work
for the student. Some schools take pride
in differentiating themselves by asking
the most esoteric questions from their
applicants. Many schools will ask for more
than just the Common Application. In
fact, the US college application process
can result in ten or more supplementary
essays based on general or speci?c
school/programmes. The supplementary
essays required by many selective colleges
necessitate signi?cant planning to
brainstorm and organise the content of
each essay.
Preparing a well-written college
application essay is very different than
a well-written high-school essay. My
students are often challenged by this task
as it must be skilfully developed with each
school’s question speci?cally in mind.
The essays must be written in a way
that allows a student to be seen threedimensionally.
The college resume which is part of
the application is often given minimal
focus, but it deserves signi?cant focus,
for it must be crafted based on the
student’s activities in a logical and welldesigned format. After all, it says quite
a bit about a student academically and
socially. Students often think some of
their activities are irrelevant, when in
fact, they may be critical in distinguishing
themselves from other candidates.