An International Student's Perspective: India
The college admission process is an extremely daunting process for most people, but none more so than for international students. I speak from experience when I say that international students sometimes feel as though they are at a great disadvantage when they apply to colleges in the United States. The U.S is an unknown country for them, and they have very little domestic help from their schools and fellow classmates -- most domestic schools naturally deal primarily with their own country’s admission procedures. Thus, getting good, valuable advice is extremely difficult.
You Need More Than Great Grades to Get Accepted
I received a pleasant surprise exactly one year ago when I received Stanford and Harvard acceptance letters in the mail. Initially, I was in a state of shock. I could name a bunch of my friends who had applied to the same universities as I did, with better SAT scores, but failed to gain admission. After analyzing my application for a few days, I realized that some subtle -- yet crucial -- points that I had kept in mind when preparing my materials perhaps didn’t occur to other applicants. There are international students who fail to gain admission to top colleges even with perfect SAT scores, stellar academic records, and other great achievements. Conversely, there are some students who surprise everyone by beating the odds and getting into the university of their choice. If you, as an international student, keep a few simple tips and tricks in mind while applying, you will definitely increase your probability of getting into a top college.
Strong SATs are Important, but You Will Need More
It’s true: that little number is definitely an important part of your application. However, a great SAT score alone won’t guarantee you admission, and merely “good” scores won’t hurt your chances a great deal if your application still stands out in some way. At my high school in India, there were kids who took the SAT three or four times, only to increase their score from 1500 to 1530. Frankly, top colleges like Stanford and Harvard prefer students whose scores surpass a particular threshold, usually in the range of 1450 to 1500. It is important to spend some serious time preparing for the SATs. Do not blow them off. If you are a natural ace, then just make sure you take a lot of practice tests. If you feel that you are not naturally in the 1500+ range, then it might help to do some special preparation whether it is through books or courses. It is recommended that you not take the SATs more than 3 times. Just don’t do it!
Different Approaches for Different Schools
Most colleges look for certain characteristics or traits in their incoming international students. These usually remain the same from year to year. The primary purpose of having international students at any university is to add diversity to the institution. However, different colleges emphasize different aspects of this “diversity” factor. Try to capitalize on this by personalizing your applications — especially your essays — to match the preferences of each school. I quickly realized that Stanford University prefers international students who have a great deal of international exposure; that is, students who have lived in two or three different countries in their lifetime. With this in mind, I made sure that my admission essays reflected that aspect of my personality and childhood. I spent the first 10 years of my life in the United States, then migrated to India and spent the rest of my childhood there before coming back to the United States for college. My application essay dealt with how I handled the transition, and how both phases of my life contributed to my character and made me the person who I am today.
On the other hand, when applying to Harvard I adopted a different approach. I realized that Harvard expects its international student to possess a certain level of political awareness and maturity. Instead of dwelling upon “international exposure” as I did in the previous essay, I zeroed in on India’s great religious diversity and that diversity’s relationship to religious conflict. My primary focus was on the Godhra riots that struck Gujarat, India — how the events affected me on a personal level and the impact they had on my classmates at school. It helps to do your research and to get an idea about what your dream college expects from its international students. Ask international upperclassmen who were admitted to the universities you’re interested in what they wrote about, or look through essay samples on websites like PrepMe.com.
International Students Have a Tough Time with Financial Aid
Another important question that most international students raise is, “How important is the role of financial aid in the admission process?” The sad reality is that finances play a pretty big role at some of the more selective colleges. Students who are self-sufficient and who can finance their education without any institutional assistance have a greater chance of being admitted than their counterparts who may require considerable financial aid. My advice would be to try to request as little financial aid as possible from your top choices, while extracting as much financial aid as possible from your safety schools. However, at need-blind institutions like Harvard, finances are not a factor. Such institutions will meet your financial aid requirements if they accept you — contact the admissions office if you are not sure of a school’s policy. Keep in mind that very few schools are wealthy enough to be need-blind even to international students. One of our partners, InternationalStudent.com, provides specific financial aid advice for international students.
Do Not Let Others Write Your Essays
Many international students commit a grave mistake by entrusting their application essays to unqualified imposters who pretend to be “professional counselors” and claim to guarantee admission to extremely selective colleges like Stanford, Princeton, Caltech, Harvard, MIT, etc. Remember, an application essay is meant to be an intimate, personal account of something that describes you and what you are passionate about. In order for that personal color to shine through, the essay must be your work! You must not fall prey to these frauds -- all they’re interested in is making a quick buck! I know many bright students with great potential and good writing skills who succumbed to the conmen. Consequently, they were rejected by all of their top choices. Steer clear of dubious “professional counselors.” A legitimate admissions counselor may offer advice on your essay, but will refuse to write it for you. Good counselors will help you brainstorm and let the real you shine through. Perhaps more importantly, integrity and honesty are values that are important to all academic institutions. Even if you do get into a college with essays written by someone else, you will not feel good about yourself. Just avoid the hassle!
Relax!
Finally, take a deep breath and remember that you don’t have to be Superman to get into a top college! Be honest, be yourself, and most importantly, make that personal uniqueness show in your application. If you follow these guidelines and use common sense, you will do just fine.