5 U.S. College Admissions Mistakes

Prospective overseas students can avoid errors when applying to American universities by being well-prepared in advance.

It might be challenging to apply to American schools and universities as a foreign student. The admissions process has a variety of factors to take into account, therefore experts advise students to make a thorough plan 5 U.S. College Admissions Mistakes International Students Make.

Here are five frequent errors prospective overseas students should avoid as they traverse the college application process:

• applying just to renowned colleges and universities in the United States.
• Putting off starting test preparation.
• Failing to recognise and research impaction.
• Not looking into grants or scholarships for international students.
• Not finishing any prerequisites that were added after submission.

applying just to renowned colleges and universities in the United States.

Experts advise potential overseas students to look into a variety of colleges.

According to Christine Chu, a college admissions advisor at the New York-based education consulting company IvyWise and a former assistant director of undergraduate admissions at Yale and Georgetown universities, it is a grave mistake to submit applications to only prestigious American colleges and universities 5 U.S. College Admissions Mistakes International Students Make.

Chu asserts that “brand does not equal quality.” She claims that international students who only submit applications to prestigious colleges and universities miss out on hundreds of institutions with outstanding undergraduate programmes and advantages like devoted teachers, ample resources, and smaller class numbers.

According to Lloyd Nimetz, founder and CEO of Spike Lab, a college admissions consultant that aids students in creating passion projects, international students need to broaden their horizons and establish a balanced college list 5 U.S. College Admissions Mistakes International Students Make.

“We urge students to maximise for value,” says Nimetz. “They need to define value for themselves by assessing a combination of variables like school quality, prestige, admissions selectivity, campus culture, and location.”

International students should think about liberal arts colleges, according to Katie Burns, an admissions counsellor for IvyWise and a former senior assistant director of admissions at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. These institutions expose students to subjects and disciplines outside of their intended major.

When Burns was an undergraduate, she recalls, “some of the most instructive and influential courses I took allowed me to look outside the box of my degree and forced me to think in new and creative ways.” I still apply the principles I learned in those classes to my day-to-day work.

Waiting too long to begin test prep.

When taking the requisite standardised tests for admission to U.S. universities, early preparation is crucial. This may involve taking English language proficiency tests like the TOEFL and IELTS in addition to college entry examinations like the SAT and ACT.

Early and consistent practise for exams is beneficial for kids, according to Burns, just like practising a sport or musical instrument to get better at it. International students can establish beginning standards for their results by taking the PSAT, for instance, as well as practise exams for the SAT and ACT. They can then pinpoint their areas of weakness and seek to improve their abilities in those particular fields.

According to average statistics for admitted students, the scores “may also provide a student a sense of what universities might fall in their likely target or reach range,” according to Burns.

Chu asserts that the majority of students need some time to prepare for examinations, from learning the subject to working on practise questions and exams to evaluating solutions and honing test-taking techniques. The first exam should be studied for at least two months, and Chu advises pupils to prepare for two or even three sittings.

Since college admissions officers are considerably less likely to be familiar with the calibre of international students’ high schools, Nimetz thinks the SAT or ACT is more crucial for international students than it is for American students.

Additionally, he claims that the SAT and ACT have fewer test days available abroad, and that for students in populated areas, the test dates are usually booked months in advance. According to him, his company suggests that overseas students decide which test to take and start studying in the spring of their second year.

Failing to understand and investigate impaction.

When there are more applications than there are openings on a campus or in a major, that campus or major is said to be “impacted.” For instance, the California State University system includes a search function to determine whether a programme is affected at any of its campuses. While other institutions might refer to it differently—for example, “restricted enrollment” at the University of Maryland or “capped” at the University of Washington—many large public universities are affected by this problem.

According to Burns, “what it basically means is that some majors are very, very popular, and institutions will limit the number of students they enrol in such disciplines to maintain the quality of education.”

This may result in more stringent admission requirements for particular disciplines of study at a university. According to Burns, this means that a school that a student had previously identified as a likely or target school may now be a reach school.

It’s also crucial to understand that this does not imply that students should simply apply to another major in order to get in with the intention of switching once they are there. According to Burns, affected majors typically only accept students as entering freshmen.

Instead, Chu advises students to make sure their academic performance and overall profile exceed the minimal admissions requirements in order to submit the strongest application possible.

Not researching college scholarships or grants for international students. 

Experts advise prospective international students to thoroughly investigate available scholarships and grants, including the prerequisites and application dates, before applying.

Even though it can be quite challenging to acquire financial aid as an international student, Nimetz advises students to start looking into scholarships and grants the summer before their final year. Since few colleges provide financial help to international students, we advise candidates who need it to narrow down their college list carefully.

At least at the undergraduate level, Chu observes that “almost no U.S. federal government financial help is available for non-U.S. nationals.” Since it includes a database of scholarships available to international students, she suggests using the website internationalscholarships.com as a beginning point in the research procedure.

Chu also points out that a number of American colleges and universities offer need-based aid and need-blind admission for international students, which means that they are accepted regardless of their financial situation. These institutions are able to fully meet the demonstrated need of an admitted international student.

According to Burns, there are a variety of college-specific scholarship options that candidates can be eligible for by only applying by a certain deadline. She claims that while it varies by college, some institutions, like the Universities of Minnesota, Michigan State, Oregon, and Southern California, provide merit scholarships to international students as well.

According to Elizabeth Benedict, creator of the college counselling firm Don’t Sweat the Essay Inc., many other colleges and institutions offer some form of financial aid.

She advises overseas students to visit each institution’s website and become familiar with the possibilities for and restrictions on financial help as they research potential universities.

Not completing additional requirements after submission.

Once a student files their application, experts advise them to keep checking all portals and spam and junk folders for emails from institutions.

“Just because your application has been submitted doesn’t mean you’re finished. You must pay special attention to both your email and your application portal, advises Nimetz.

To Nimetz, colleges frequently ask applicants for extra background information or context. According to him, failing to fulfil additional requirements could result in rejection on the basis of a technicality or the loss of a scholarship opportunity.

According to Chu, putting out the most effort can help the student make the best impression. She advises submitting any optional application materials that would be useful, such as an additional essay or a music or art supplement.

According to Chu, taking the time to submit high-quality optional components might show a student is concerned about their application and shows interest in a certain college.