Emphasising the choice, variety and diversity amongst the 4,700 institutions offering more than 10,000 programmes, Katie explained to the students and their families the importance of choosing academic and social environments.
Research is critical in finding the right fit and developing a list of four to seven choices based on such criteria as location, weather, setting, size, public/private, majors offered, campus facilities and student life. Students need a university environment where they can be happy and successful.
As there are no official university rankings, students are advised to check specific faculty research and teaching, graduate job placements, and rates of student completion and graduation. Social media can also be a valuable source of information.
Checking websites and heeding rumours are not enough- “talk to people” Katie advised and make campus visits if you can.
Study is flexible, especially in Year 1-2, and internships are also a very important part of college study. NZ Graduates can stay in the US and work for up to a year and STEM Graduates for up to three years.
Katie advised application timelines vary so stagger applications, and she commented that students could be confident in countering a scholarship offer from a university, as US students do. Students can also study for two years at a community college and then transfer to university.
Katie warned that online conversion tools for school results are estimates only and that students should leave the GPA estimate blank on their Common App. As well, universities require an academic record detailing subjects and results over all 4-5 years of high school.
SAT ACT results may be optional in applications but are useful for scholarship applications- students can sit twice and many universities “super-score” –ie use best test scores from each year in a compilation score. Students must take care with applications, essential criteria are:
• School transcript
• SAT/ACT results
• Written essay
• References and recommendation letters
• Community work /extra-curricular activities and jobs
• Financial assistance
Katie emphasised that scholarships are “stackable”: students can hold several, but they must note if they wished to be considered for Financial Assistance on their initial College application, as students couldn’t apply once studies had been commenced.
Katie generously offered her on-going advice and support:
09 3032724 ext 2832
https://educationusa.state.gov/
Contact https://calendly.com/educationusanz to make a time for a 15 minute free advice call.
