OVERVIEW
Take a look through this presentation created by the Counselling Department for a general overview of each step in the college application process.
DEVELOPING AWARENESS
Finding out what you want to be in the future involves knowing who you are today. A self-inventory can help you plan for college and a career.
MAJOR CHOICE
League tables of all subject areas taught at UK universities, and profiles of those subjects.
Start your journey by exploring subjects you could study, and find the perfect one for you.
Click on any University of North Carolina Wilmington major to discover applicable job titles, job and internship links, and industry information links.
Browse major and career profiles using the categories below, or use the tools on the right to search by keyword or interest.
CAREER DIRECTIONS
This web resource contains detailed profiles of occupations, careers and jobs, including what they involve doing, work environment, pay and job outlook.
Pick any major and see what graduates of that major from UC Berkeley did after graduation in terms of jobs and graduate school.
Browse major and career profiles using the categories below, or use the tools on the right to search by keyword or interest.
EXPLORING COUNTRIES AND DESTINATIONS
An overview of the university application process in Canada.
An overview of the university application process in the UK.
Download three country guides in one handy pack – get all the information you need to research and apply to universities in the UK, USA and Canada.
FINANCES AND FINANCIAL AID
Many US colleges provide institutional financial aid to international students. These colleges need to understand your financial situation, in the context of your local economy. The CSS Profile application will collect information about your family’s income, assets, and expenses.
Download this very useful spreadsheet which shows universities in the US and around the world that have recently given financial aid to international students. The spreadsheet contains important data that will allow you to select universities that offer the financial assistance you need.
RESEARCHING AND CHOOSING UNIVERSITIES
A great resource for researching universities and other higher education options in the UK.
A great resource for researching universities and other higher education options in Canada.
Contains university profiles and a database of universities that can be filtered by many different criteria. Each university’s profile also contains detailed information on admissions and financial aid statistics for international students, where available.
Hiroshi Ono is a sociologist who also has a background in mechanical engineering. His research interests include sociology of education, human resources, and the science of happiness.
College Transitions’ Dataverse features a comprehensive array of tables, lists, and data to help students more effectively navigate the college admission and financial aid process.
A useful dataset with international student acceptance rates at US colleges.
ACADEMIC PROFILE BUILDING
Your course schedule may seem like a random selection of classes to you, but college admission officers see it as the blueprint of your high school education. They’re looking for a solid foundation of learning that you can build on in college.
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
Choose a few activities freshman year and highlight a job junior year to let extracurriculars tell your story for college admissions.
Extracurricular activities are a great way to learn about yourself, build new skills, and meet new people. They can also help colleges understand more about you and your interests when you apply.
What potential students do with their time outside of school reveals important personal dimensions that statistics can’t show.
MilKar serves as an interactive platform for connecting volunteers and organizations to build a better community. It offers an excellent recommendation model based on volunteers’ areas of interest and demographics.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Learn how you get a reference for your UCAS application to UK universities.
US Colleges often ask for two or three recommendation letters from people who know you well. These letters should be written by someone who can describe your skills, accomplishments and personality.
ESSAYS
The personal statement is an important part of your UCAS application. It’s your chance to describe your ambitions, skills, and experience to university and college admissions staff.
Khan Academy is an American non-profit educational organization created in 2008 by Sal Khan, with the goal of creating a set of online tools that help educate students.
College essays are important because they let you reveal your personality. Learn how brainstorming and planning can help you write your best college essays.
Online PDF of book with analysis by the staff of The Harvard Crimson
Online PDF of book including advice from college admission officers and the 25 essay mistakes that guarantee failure
Online PDF of book including step-by-step guide to writing a powerful essay, writing from top students and admission officers, and 25 essay mistakes to avoid
WAITLISTS AND REJECTION
Experts suggest that waitlisted applicants contact the admissions office to express continued interest.
Even if you didn’t receive any college acceptance letters this time around, you still have options — and you can still go to college.
CHOOSING WHERE TO GO
If you’ve received acceptance offers from more than one college, congratulations! Your hard work has paid off, and now you get to choose which college is best for you.
MAKING THE MOST OF COLLEGE
They’re privileged, pivotal years. Navigate them with as much care as you did the path that got you there.
According to a Stanford psychologist, you’ll reach new heights if you learn to embrace the occasional tumble.