International Student Admissions

Previously we briefly mentioned the Advanced Placement or ”AP” exams. What exactly are these exams and how can they help a student considering applying to some of the more selective colleges? The following extract from the College Board (the organization that makes and administers these tests) provides a bit of insight).

What is AP and Why Participate in it?

With more than 30 courses and exams across multiple subject areas, AP offers something for everyone. Here are just a few reasons to sign up:

Earn College Credit and Advanced Placement

Receive recognition by more than 90 percent of colleges in the United States and colleges in more than 60 other countries, which grant credit, advanced placement or both on the basis of AP Exam grades.

Have time to move into upper-level courses in your field of interest, pursue a double major, or study abroad.

Design a college experience that suits you and gives you the flexibility to get the most out of your college years.

Stand Out in the College Admissions Process

Demonstrate your maturity and readiness for college.

Show your willingness to take the most rigorous courses available to you.

Emphasize your commitment to academic excellence.

Gain Skills that Will Help You Succeed in College

Get a head start on college-level work.

Improve your writing skills and sharpen your problem-solving techniques.

Develop the study habits necessary for tackling rigorous course work.

Broaden Your Intellectual Horizons

Be part of a community of students and educators who are passionate, curious, and committed to academic excellence.

Engage in intense discussions, solve problems collaboratively, and learn to write clearly and persuasively.

Take courses that are developed by leading professors to reflect the level of learning happening at colleges throughout the country.

There are a few simple ways to reduce the total amount of funding required for U.S. study. The first and simplest technique (which requires a bit of foresight while the student is still in High School) is to take Advanced Placement (AP) Exams. A good enough score in these exams will give a student college level credit. If enough courses are successfully completed a student can reduce the number of years of study required when they actually attend college. With some colleges costing around the $50 000 mark, this can be a substantial saving! A nice summary report on this technique can be found here. To check a college’s AP credit policy, you can visit the College Board and search by college name (90% of colleges do accept AP credits). We will be discussing AP Exams in a lot more detail in a later post.

The next technique is a bit more complicated and deserves a dedicated post of its own. Simply put this technique involves a student attending a Community College (CC) for part of their studies and then transferring to a regular 4-year college. CCs are typically a LOT cheaper than 4-year Colleges and so the ability to study at a CC for 2 years and then subsequently transfer and graduate from a 4-year college has a lot of financial benefits. Many students falsely believe that these transfer arrangements are to inferior 4-year colleges - this is far from the truth. Colleges like Cornell are among the many excellent 4-year colleges that permit and encourage transfers from CC.