Who hasn’t already heard of Harvard, Oxford, Cambridge, MIT, Princeton…? When you have the world’s best universities in your sights, then you need to prepare well in advance (sometimes up to 2 or 3 years in advance!), with precision, strategy and care. The plan to study abroad cannot be improvised. Coveted by students from all over the world, demand far exceeds the supply of places and these establishments do not lack creativity in identifying the best candidates. To be eligible you must stand out. Thanks to a very good academic record, of course, but excellent grades are far from being enough on their own.
Here are five tips from Study Experience , a consultancy firm specializing in supporting young people wanting to study abroad.
The importance of respecting the right timing
To seriously consider a project of this type, the basis is to respect the right timing. The files are sent very early in the year and they are the culmination of long-term preparation, often started several years before the intended start of the academic year. Ideally, you should start thinking about the project at the end of middle school, so that you can adapt your high school career to the expectations of the targeted universities.
You need to find out about the teaching methodology and culture of these establishments beforehand, to ensure that they are in line with your own way of learning.Very large universities are often more specialized in research and less in teaching, which is not to everyone’s taste. They are looking for candidates who have personalities and backgrounds compatible with their philosophy. If you understand this point well, and you believe that the targeted establishment suits you, then you will have an easier time crafting a suitable application.
Also, it is essential to understand why you want to join one of these elite sectors. Is it simply to enhance your CV? If so, let’s be frank, you have very little chance of being caught. Or is the program delivered by one of these universities, in your opinion, the best way for you to achieve your personal and professional goals? In this case, let’s talk about it !
Be prepared to invest a lot and test your limits
Access to the best universities in the world is never guaranteed. In 2021, the admission rate to Harvard did not exceed 4% and the degree of competition for each place is therefore quite insane. For comparison, the Polytechnic school accepts almost one in ten students and Sciences Po admits 20% of candidates.
Prospective students must be bright and do everything to stand out. If this project is important to you, you must be ready to invest 200% in it and load your schedule with additional classes, activities and personal research. If we assume that all applicants to Oxford have excellent grades, the selection is played out elsewhere. Yes, you will have to make certain sacrifices, but the end justifies the means and you will have a blast, if you are really motivated!
It is also expected that you choose the most difficult route possible for your education. Choosing options for the Baccalaureate that you will pass “easily” to improve your general average will not be to the taste of these universities. Like a very high-level athlete, you must set yourself demanding challenges and succeed with flying colours: a place in the French team is at stake.
A “ super-curricular” activity is something you do outside of your normal school work, but which is still related to your academic interests. For example, if you are interested in history, you could read a book about the French Revolution after school; If you want to study biology, you could listen to a podcast every week, which covers scientific news. An “extracurricular” activity is similar to an extracurricular activity, such as playing a sport or volunteering, because you do it on your own time. But the “extracurricular” is focused on academic learning and aims to expand your knowledge on a particular subject.
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