Month: April 2024

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If you ask for a list of documents important to a foreign education application process, the personal statement and your school transcripts usually top it, but just as equally important as your letters of recommendations (LoR)!

The LoR is an external validation of what you’ve done and demonstrated in your resume. This helps Admissions Officers holistically assess your profile from another perspective. This is especially since the truth about a candidate’s involvement in a project cannot be bent—it’s the recommender’s responsibility while endorsing a candidate for admission. For undergraduate admissions through the Common App portal, most universities request for one counselor LoR and one-three subject LoRs.

The counselor LoR offers an overarching description of you to the committee, highlighting major accomplishments that set you apart from other applicants. It describes you as an individual and more than just a learner, while detailing your impact on the community, and shares your future goals. On the other hand, the subject teachers’ LoRs are supposed to highlight your growth in a specific subject (usually relevant to the major you’re applying to). It demonstrates your caliber in the subject, mentions your best work which had an impact outside the classroom space, and your strengths as a learner, which would make you an asset academically to the university.

Schools usually collect this information through brag sheets that act as a quick reference guide with all the details and achievements for someone trying to get to know you better. Make sure to highlight your strengths, demonstrate growth through specific instances from your classroom and school experiences, and provide evidence for your projects. Feel free to also highlight your application theme and strategy in the brag sheet. This would help your counselor and teachers draft stellar LoRs on your behalf.

Other than these required LoRs, the portal also allows for you to submit external LoRs—from mentors, internship supervisors, heads of NGos, or any other notable individuals who will be able to speak for your work with them. This serves as valid evidence of your community service, internships, and/or research work outside school, and demonstrates additional strengths outside school, while supplementing what your teachers are saying.

LoRs should ideally follow the PEE framework—Point, Explanation, Evidence. Mention one of your strengths or achievements, contextualize it further as to why the particular strength/achievement is significant, and provide specific examples or anecdotes that illustrate the point and explanation. This would ensure that you have a concise, persuasive LoR that conveys all the important details to the stakeholders of the admissions process.

Remember, the quality of an LoR can make a world of difference. For those seeking help in crafting their LoRs or navigating the application process for abroad education, consider consulting with professionals like Yashi Shukla, with over 17 years of experience in education abroad!

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You can apply to undergraduate colleges and universities in two rounds: the early round and regular rounds.

The Early Round(s)

Applying early is one of the ways in which you can let your dream schools know that you’re enthusiastic about them! There are three common types of Early Rounds to consider—Early Decision (ED), Early Action (EA), and Restrictive Early Action (REA). As a strategic choice, when you apply early, you also hear back early!

When you apply ED, you’re making a solemn promise to a school that you’ll attend no matter what—which makes them a little more inclined to say “yes.” If it’s a top-choice program, it’s definitely a strategic move to make. Some colleges, especially top selective ones, also offer a bump in the acceptance rate when you apply ED. If you get in, you’ll have to withdraw applications from everywhere, since this is a binding acceptance. Most ED schools will let you know their decision latest by December 15. However, the binding nature can complicate financial aid negotiations and it limits your flexibility. Deadlines typically fall around November 1. Some schools offer two rounds of Early Decisions—ED I and ED II. ED II deadlines are usually alongside regular decisions in early January, and offer the same advantages as an ED. This is also binding, which means you must withdraw other applications if accepted.

EA, on the other hand, is non-binding. You can apply to multiple colleges through this route, and still consider others if accepted. While this definitely does have a competitive edge at some colleges, it’s more of a sure-shot way to have acceptances and also understand your application strategy before you give your final high-school exams! Most schools will let you know their decisions by mid- to late-December.

Some colleges—like Stanford, Princeton, Harvard, Yale—offer a Restrictive Early Action round, which is non-binding like Early Action, but limits the number of other colleges you can apply to early.

A common mistake to avoid during the early round is submitting application materials that don’t demonstrate a strong fit and genuine motivation for attending the selected school. Just applying early doesn’t highlight your enthusiasm—your materials should reflect the values of the school you’re applying to and prove how you’ll be an asset to their incoming class.

If you made the decision to apply early:

• Make sure to talk to your school counselor/college-counselor and teachers well in advance—they would have to sign-off on your ED application, and send interim transcripts and LoRs by the application deadline.
• Register for and take the SAT (and if required, English proficiency exams) early, around June, since this would be an important data-point to consider in your ED decision.
• Set up a system and calendar for tracking application timelines and deadlines.

The Regular Round

This is the most common application deadline. Submissions are on or around January 1, with decision notifications in late March/early April. It is a non-binding deadline that allows you to send applications to several schools and is best for students who require more time to refine their applications or improve their scores.

Unsure? Overwhelmed? Don’t worry! The study abroad consulting team at Yashi Shukla Consulting, with over 17 years of experience in education abroad, has the expertise to guide you through this grueling process of applications! Contact us today!