Broadening Options for US
University Applications
Presenter: Emmanuel Reed, M.S.Ed.
Mr. Reed’s Background
Mr. Reed is a veteran educator from New York City. He holds a Bachelor of
Arts degree from Fordham University, Master of Science in Education degree
from Touro College and a diploma in Human Resource Management from New
York University (NYU). Mr. Reed has been working high school students in the
area of U.S. university admissions since 1995. He has helped students get into
public, private and Ivy League universities throughout the United States.
Presentation Agenda
* Things to consider when applying to an American
university
• Cost, cost savings & ROI (return on investment)
* The admissions process
• Personal statement
• What Admissions Counselors look for
• Univ. of California Berekely case study
* Web Resources
* Q & A session
Cost of Attendance discounts &
ROI
• Did you know that you can potentially save
thousand’s dollars because of IB classes
your child has taken?
• Which majors offers the greatest return on
investment?
Annual undergraduate tuition fees at the world’s top universities in 2013
University
Tuition fees (US$)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) $36,000
Harvard University
$38,891
University of Cambridge
$14,000
University College London (UCL)
$14,000
Imperial College London
$14,000
University of Oxford
$14,000
Stanford University
$42,690
Yale University
$43,100
University of Chicago
$45,324
California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
$39,990
Princeton University
$40,170
Private Schools COA Samples
Tuition and Fees
Room and Board
Subtotal - billed costs
Estimated personal
expenses (including $800$1,200 for books)
Estimated travel costs
Total billed and unbilled
costs
Harvard University
Cost of Attendance
2014-2015
$43,938
$14,669
$58,607
$3,643
2013-2014
$42,292
$14,115
$56,407
$3,543
$0 - $5,800
$62,250 - $68,050
$0 - $5,200
$59,950 - $65,150
Private Schools COA Samples
New York University COA 2014-2015
School
Tuition &
Fees
Living
Expenses
Health
Insurance
Total
College of Arts
and Science
US$ 45,138
US$ 24,000
US$ 3,439
US$ 72,577
Steinhardt
School of
Education
US$ 45,028
US$ 24,000
US$ 3,439
US$ 72,467
Stern School
of Business
US$ 46,516
US$ 24,000
US$ 3,439
US$ 73,955
Polytechnic
School of
Engineering
US$ 45,028
US$ 24,000
US$ 3,439
US$ 72,467
Tisch School
of the Arts
US$ 49,422
US$ 24,000
US$ 3,439
US$ 76,861
Public Schools COA Samples
UCLA COA 2014-2015
Nonresidents
UCLA
Off
Residence
Campus
Halls
Apartments
UCLA COA 2014-2015
University Tuition and
Nonresidents
$12,862
Living
with
Relatives
$12,862
$12,862
22,878
22,878
1,938
1,938
1,599
1,599
10,137
4,644
1,092
1,641
1,821
2,013
52,327
47,575
Student Service Fees
UCLA
Residence
Halls
Nonresident
Supplemental Tuition
University Tuition and
Student Service Fees
Health Insurance
$12,862
[
22,878
Books and Supplies
Health Insurance
[
3
]
Transportation
Room
and Board
Transportation
Personal
Personal
1,938
22,878
22,878
1,938
1,938
14,571
1,599
14,571
1,599
585
10,137
1,599
4,644
585
1,092
1,641
1,638
1,821
2,013
Total Nonresident Budget
Total Nonresident Budget
$12,862
1,599
Room and Board
Books and Supplies
$12,862
Living
with
Relatives
1,938
3]
Nonresident
Supplemental Tuition
Off
Campus
22,878
Apartments
56,071
1,638
56,071
52,327
47,575
Notes
Notes
1. 1.
International
applicantsapplicants
please note: UCLA
doesnote:
not award
International
please
UCLA does not a
scholarships or financial aid to undergraduate students who are not
scholarships or financial aid to undergraduate student
citizens or permanent residents of the United States.
Public Schools COA Samples
Public Schools COA Samples
‘Need-blind’ admission at US
universities
•
Need-blind admission means that students are admitted regardless of
their ability to pay, and that universities will only charge what they
think students can reasonably afford to pay based on their parental
income.
•
Even so, there’s no denying that for most people studying at a leading
institution in the US is a massive financial commitment.
•
There are currently six US universities that offer ‘need-blind’
admission for both domestic and international applicants, and offer to
meet full need for all admitted students:
 Amherst College
 Dartmouth College
 Harvard University
 MIT
 Princeton University
 Yale University
Top 10 Highest Paying College Majors
10. Mechanical Engineering (ME)
Starting Salary: $60,900
Mid-Career Salary: $99,700
9. Physics
Starting Salary: $53,100
Mid-Career Salary: $101,000
8. Computer Science (CS)
Starting Salary: $59,800
Mid-Career Salary: $102,000
6. TIE – Computer Engineering
(CE)
Starting Salary: $65,300
Mid-Career Salary: $106,000
6. TIE – Electrical Engineering
(EE)
Starting Salary: $64,300
Mid-Career Salary: $106,000
5. Aerospace Engineering
Starting Salary: $62,800
Mid-Career Salary: $109,000
4. Chemical Engineering
Starting Salary: $68,200
Mid-Career Salary: $115,000
3. Nuclear Engineering
Starting Salary: $67,600
Mid-Career Salary: $117,000
2. Actuarial Mathematics
Starting Salary: $58,700
Mid-Career Salary: $120,000
1. Petroleum Engineering
Starting Salary: $103,000
Mid-Career Salary: $160,000
Bottom 10 Lowest Paying College Majors
10. Culinary Arts
Actual List Rank: 120 out of 129
Starting Salary: $34,800
Mid-Career Salary: $51,100
9. Exercise Science
Actual List Rank: 121 out of 129
Starting Salary: $32,600
Mid-Career Salary: $51,000
8. Horticulture
Actual List Rank: 122 out of 129
Starting Salary: $35,200
7. Biblical Studies
Actual List Rank: 123 out of 129
Starting Salary: $35,400
Mid-Career Salary: $50,800
6. Special Education
Actual List Rank: 124 out of 129
Starting Salary: $33,800
Mid-Career Salary: $49,600
5.
4.
3.
2.
1.
Human Development
Actual List Rank: 125 out of 129
Starting Salary: $35,900
Mid-Career Salary: $48,000
Athletic Training
Actual List Rank: 126 out of 129
Starting Salary: $34,800
Mid-Career Salary: $46,900
Social Work (SW)
Actual List Rank: 127 out of 129
Starting Salary: $33,000
Mid-Career Salary: $46,600
Elementary Education
Actual List Rank: 128 out of 129
Starting Salary: $32,200
Mid-Career Salary: $45,300
Child & Family Studies
Actual List Rank: 129 out of 129
Starting Salary: $30,300
Mid-Career Salary: $37,200
Applications
•
Visit the University website for info you need to have on:
1. International students (non US Citizens and non-Residents)
2. Financial Aid
3. TOEFL Information
4. University / College code (to submit with SAT)
•
Make yourself a List of paper work required for each University
 Transcripts
 Standardized tests
 Recommendations
 Quality of writing / essays
 Achievements, extra-curricular involvement
Those that accept Common Application, some require Supplemental
Application (each is different)
Admissions Counselors look at
• Academic Record
• Rigor of School record
• Test Scores / Essay ( talent /
ability )
• Geographic Residence
• Racial / Ethnic status (optional)
• Volunteer work
• Work experience
• Overall rounding (Math,
Science, Humanities, Language)
• Institutional Need
Sample of What Colleges Ask For:
“We give the greatest weight to your academic transcript. The rigor of the
courses you’ve taken, the quality of your grades and the consistency with
which you’ve worked over four years give us the clearest indication of how well
you will do...
Standardized tests also play an important role in helping us evaluate you in
comparison to students taught in very different secondary schools.
Recommendations, the quality of your writing, and extra-and co-curricular
talents also help the Admission Committee draw distinctions among very
Talented applicants.
•
Standardized Tests
– Sat reasoning test ,with essay Plus two Sat subject exams; or
– Act (with essay recommended)
Timing
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Identify the Criteria important to you
Browse and Select several (10, 15, 20 or more) possible Colleges /
Universities and quantify those criteria
Visit Websites and Shortlist those that fit
Discuss criteria with Parents, Counselor, Teachers, Alumni
Revisit your Priorities – Shortlist again
Build a Profile on each of your Top choices
If time and opportunity allow – Visit the Campus
Download and fill in applications before Sept 1
– (during summer; earlier is better)
Somewhere within above process start the Personal Statement /
Essay
Target Completion of Essay (give yourself a deadline)
– You may want to show draft or final to Counselor or Teacher
– Give “Recommending” Teacher an idea of how you are
presenting yourself
Tips – Things For You to
Consider In Short-Listing
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Academic rating of College
Enrollment (Size of school community - Undergraduate)
Teacher / Student ratio
Is Teacher Interesting / Accessible
Percent of classes taught by a Professor (versus graduate
student)
School Environment (village, town, city, metro)
Previous year’s SAT score “Median” (50%) – Reasoning, Math,
Writing
International Student population (% of total enrollment)
Quality of Life rating (some college books rate out of 100, or give
student testimonials)
Is a Major offered that interests you? (see website)
Number of requirements for that Major? (# of courses to take to
get in)
Can you get into Required classes? (competition to register)
Flexibility of Requirements – Can you substitute courses?
Identify Some Specific Goals
•
•
•
•
Academic Goals:
Areas of interest – Asia, Europe, Africa
– Sciences, Literature, Computers, Languages
– Drama, Music, Sports
Activities of Interest:
You’d see yourself being involved in
– Campus Clubs or Societies, Campus Newspaper,
– Sports Teams, Singing Groups, Drama,
– Research Assistant, Office Assistant
Some Admissions Counselors will be most impressed by
– a purposeful vision of your life or goals
– intellectual commitment
– desire to make a meaningful contribution
If you plan to participate in a sport
– See website, some colleges suggest
register/contact with coach.
Essay
• The word limit is usually a guideline; consult the
application. If not specified, use good judgment and
stay close to suggested limit
• Essay is not only a writing test. It’s the place in the
application where they look for your ‘voice’ – who
you are, what drives you, what’s important to you,
what makes you tick.
Essay
In addition to the essay you’re asked to write as part of the
Common Application, colleges often require a second essay
(250-500 words).
Some Colleges do not offer interviews as part of the application
process. However, your essays provide you with an opportunity
to speak to them.
One Example:
Respond to the Following Quotations. Please keep this in
mind when responding to one of the following quotations. It
is not necessary to research, read, or refer to the texts from
which these quotations are taken; we are looking for original,
personal responses to these short excerpts. Remember that
your essay should be personal in nature and not simply an
argumentative essay.
Personal Statement / Essay
•
•
•
•
•
•
Be Informative
Be Accurate
Focus on your:
– Study goals
– Future goals
– Expectations of University (List them for yourself)
Focus on your uniqueness and specific contributions or
achievements
Not all U.S. Universities require a Personal Statement
– some have other essay questions in lieu of.
e.g. “ How do you feel about Wednesday?” (real question)
Good idea to tailor your Personal Statement / Essay to relate to the
Specific University / College you are applying to. Include a line or
two about something ‘that’ University that shows them that you
know about their program.
Personal Statement – cont’d
THIS is the PICTURE you give about
– Your “achievements-to-date”
– Your potential to benefit to the College’s program
– Ability to succeed in a “Rigorous” and “Broad – Based”
program
– Your “Leadership” qualities – (this can mean many things)
 Team Leadership
 Individual initiative to start and complete a project
 Creativity and action
– Demonstrated social involvement – Collective action
– Your Ability to write and articulate (powerfully & persuasively,
with honesty, clarity (and wit – if you can pull it off! BE
CAREFUL !!)
– Your Intellectual Curiosity
Give a picture of your Engagement in School or Community.
Personal Statement
(helpful hints)
MAKE LISTS TO CHOOSE FROM
•
•
•
•
•
Things you
– Love
– Are good at
– Hate
– Have done
People who impacted your life and why?
Events that have impacted your life and how?
Your unique attributes
Examples of leadership
Choose the points/parts that, when woven together, paints the
picture of you!
University of California at Berkeley
Case Study
(adapted from the New York Times)
Student A
A HIGHLY qualified student,
with a 3.95 un-weighted grade
point average and 2300 on the
SAT. He had perfect 800s on
his subject tests in math and
chemistry, a score of 5 on
five Advanced Placement
exams, musical talent and, in
one of two personal
statements, had written a
loving tribute to his parents,
who had emigrated from India.
Student B
A second engineering
applicant, a Mexican-American
student with a moving, wellwritten essay but a 3.4 G.P.A.
and SATs below 1800. His
school offered no A.P. He
competed in track when not at
his after-school job, working
the fields with his parents.
Things to Consider…
•
•
•
Both students were among “typical”
applicants used as norms to train
application readers like myself. And their
different credentials yet remarkably close
rankings illustrate the challenges, the
ambiguities and the agenda of
admissions at a major public research
university in a post-affirmative-action
world.
“To better understand stressors, I was
trained to look for the “helpful” personal
statement that elevates a candidate.
Here I encountered through-the-lookingglass moments: an inspiring account of
achievements may be less “helpful” than
a report of the hardships that prevented
the student from achieving better grades,
test scores and honors.
IN personal statements, we had been
told to read for the “authentic” voice over
students whose writing bragged of
volunteer trips to exotic places or
anything that “smacks of privilege.”
•
•
Fortunately, that authentic voice
articulated itself abundantly. Many
essays lucidly expressed a sense of self
and character — no small task in a sea of
applicants. The assistant director’s words
— look for “evidence a student can
succeed at Berkeley” — echoed in my
ears when I wanted to give a
disadvantaged applicant a leg up in the
world. I wanted to help. Surely, if these
students got to Berkeley they would be
exposed to all sorts of test-taking and
studying techniques.
But would they be able to compete with
the engineering applicant with the 3.95
G.P.A. and 2300 SATs? Does Berkeley
have sufficient support services to bridge
gaps and ensure success? Could this
student with a story full of stressors and
remedial-level writing skills survive in a
college writing course?” Ruth A.
Starkman
End Result of Case Study
Student A
• Student A was not among the top-ranked engineering applicants to
the University of California, Berkeley. The reason our budding
engineer was a 2 on a 1-to-5 scale (1 being highest) has to do with
Berkeley’s holistic, or comprehensive, review, an admissions policy
adopted by most selective colleges and universities. In holistic
review, institutions look beyond grades and scores to determine
academic potential, drive and leadership abilities. Apparently, our
Indian-American student needed more extracurricular activities and
engineering awards to be ranked a 1.
Student B
• Accepted
Web Resources
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/04/education/edlife/lifting-the-veil-on-the-holistic-process-at-theuniversity-of-california-berkeley.html?pagewanted=all
http://college.usatoday.com/2014/05/01/4-signs-of-a-scholarship-scam/
http://college.usatoday.com/2014/05/28/students-take-advantage-of-degree-in-three-concept/
Colleges and Universities That Do Not Use SAT/ACT Scores for Admitting Substantial Numbers of
Students Into Bachelor Degree Programs
http://www.fairtest.org/university/optional
www.fastweb.com
http://www.fastweb.com/college-search/articles/4267-10-highest-lowest-paying-college-majors
http://www.fastweb.com/college-search/articles/3162-mastering-summer-college-visits
http://www.america.edu/top_20_catholic_colleges_and_universities_in_america.html
http://www.hercampus.com/high-school/applying-college/should-you-go-college-close-home-or-faraway
http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/bestvalue