Applying to a university abroad, especially to the United States can be a daunting task. Every year, over 800, 000 graduate applications are received on an average for seats in the American universities, mostly covering STEM disciplines, pure sciences, and the humanities. Given that the United States is a global education destination for international graduates, globally; there is intense competition among the best of students as well as students with unique distinctions and contributions in their profile. Malala Yousafzai gained an admit to the prestigious Oxford university, as much for her excellence in her ‘O’ levels, as for being the ‘torchbearer of gender parity’ for Afghan women and other people, across the globe.

Academic profile

It is a well-known fact that students, who have consistently excelled in their academic curriculum also stand a better chance to gain admits to the choicest universities abroad and in the United States. However, it would be unfair to say that schools in the U.S only want great scholars as students. In fact, there is much emphasis on excellence as an all-rounder, be it sports, music, art,

An academic profile is not limited to only the grades and scholastic performance of a student. It also speaks of the integration of the student as a vibrant and active member of the student body as a member of the college as well as a member/citizen of the civic body, citizenry etc.

This can well be demonstrated through volunteer work in NGO’s, student forums, citizen bodies etc. which amply demonstrates the independence and individual nature of the student, which is given equal weightage with the academic prowess of the student, while evaluating the application. One must ensure that when building their profile, students should pay due attention to these aspects of the application process in order to ensure a good admit. As a matter of fact, at Collegepond, we see many students with excellent overall profiles gaining acceptance to the crème de la crème universities like Stanford University, Carnegie Mellon, University of California, Berkeley, GeorgiaTech, Vanderbilt University, University of Notre Dame, Georgetown University, Virginia Tech etc. To know more on how to build your profile and gain admission to the best universities in the U.S, click here and fix a free counseling session at the nearest Collegepond office.

Credentials

Another important aspect which plays a key role in evaluating a student application is the student’s self- affirmation of his eligibility for admittance to the program, which is called the Statement of Purpose (SOP). This is read in tandem with the Letters of Recommendation (LOR) by eminent persons like professors, eminent persons in the field of science, art, culture etc., which vouchsafe the student’s profile, contributions etc.  so that he can impress the committee about the suitability of the student for the proposed program. Failure to do so or dissonance between the student’s profile and the credentials offered could well result in a limited acceptance of the application or even, a unanimous rejection. These third-party credentials play a vital role in underlining the candidature of the student and attesting the veracity of the student’s own recommendation letter or SOP.

Cultural Diversity factor

Most US universities use the “holistic review” process while evaluating college applications. This means admissions officer’s place emphasis on the applicant as a whole person, not just his or her academic achievements, so soft factors may be given just as much consideration as the empirical data present in hard factors. As has already been mentioned, the university considers its campus to provide an overall interaction which has a multi-leveled impact in terms of enrichment through stellar cultural, social, scholastic interactions that serve to educate holistically, beyond the standard education paradigm in most countries. It is for this reason that the universities in the United States offer well over twice the number of programs, in myriad disciplines, as compared to any other single country, across the globe. In fact, the American education system is uniquely built to offer a concierge service in terms of education where students learn only what they would be interested in, thereby offering course flexibility as well as diversity in the curriculum.

Admissions officers want to get to know students and admit those applicants who they think will excel at the institution and make a positive impact on the campus community. The holistic review approach benefits applicants who may have not had the best academic marks, but can contribute to the college community in other ways.

For further information on how Collegepond can help you gain admission to the University of your dreams, visit any of our nearest offices across India, for a free counseling session.