How did Talisa manage to attend a US High school? How to write a good personal statement? Managing interviews? Read to find out...
Hi everyone, I’m Talisa. I went to Bilingvalne Gymnazium Milana Hodžu for two years before attending the Taft School in Connecticut for three years on the Davis Scholarship, and now I am about to start my four-year journey at Occidental College in LA starting a journey towards Computer Science.
I will begin with a disclaimer by saying that my application process was five years ago and that the requirements nowadays are quite different. Please check the website for more accurate information on the application process; this was simply my experience. Also, my tips and tricks are simply what worked for me, please do not take this as an application Bible :).
During the Christmas holidays of my first year at GBAS, I visited my grandma in California, and after that trip, I was determined to study in the U.S.. So, after realizing that getting American citizenship wouldn’t work, I began searching for programs that would allow me to study abroad in the States, even for just one year. I came across ASSIST, a scholarship program that gives students the chance to experience one year in America, either at a boarding school or with a host family (you do not get to choose).
In October of my second year, I took the IELTS, a written English test, which is the first application round for candidates. This test covered grammar, reading comprehension and writing. Even though I think ASSIST now uses the Duolingo English test, this test is incredibly important, as it not only shows the committee how well you will be able to take classes and learn at an American high school, but it will also show you how comfortable you are with the English Language.
The next round was the application form and essays. The application form is pretty straightforward, it’s mostly just basic personal details. For the essays, I wrote one personal statement of 650 words.
The final round was an interview in Bratislava. The interview has two purposes: 1) to talk about what you wrote about in your essay and 2) to see how well you can make conversation in English. For my interview, I was seated in front of four people, and it was very casual — it felt like a conversation.
In the end, I was waitlisted for ASSIST and began my application to LEAF Academy in Bratislava. However, in May I received an email from a faculty member at The Taft School, inviting me for an interview for the Davis Scholarship under the UWC Program. The Davis Scholarship funds three years of American high school, as well as a portion of your college tuition, provided you attend one of the colleges on the UWC Partner Institutions List. After this interview I received the scholarship and began my journey in America not long after.
I am now about to start university in Los Angeles, but my experience with this application process will have to be a separate story.
TIPS AND TRICKS
Personal Statement:
Now, an American personal statement is very different to the one you would write to apply to a university in Europe, or anywhere else. It needs to not only show your achievements and interests, but it has to tell a story. They don’t just want to know what you’re good at, they want to know why, and how you’ve using your skills.
For example, are you interested in biology because you were always drawn to animals as a kid and want to become a zoologist? Or have family members been impacted by illnesses and you are determined to understand them? How have you been furthering your interest in biology; have you been conducting experiments in your free time (my roommate who applied to HMC was interested in studying biology and used to grow mold in our room on purpose for her experiments :))
You don’t have to have elaborate internships or work experiences — these do help, but as long as you show you are doing all that you can to get better in your field of interest then you will be more than fine. Make sure to also include how you would continue exploring these interests in American high school (ie. why you think it is better for you and your interests to pursue them in the States).
In short, include your achievements in your essay, but don’t make it all about them. Your essay should tell me about you and view your future— not how many awards you have or what your swim time is, but why you have your interests, how you have been pursuing them, and how you will pursue them in America. Make sure you write your essay in your voice; use correct grammar but don’t sound like a robot. Also, don’t lie in your essay. Not only will you have to talk about your essay in the interview, but the admissions committee is very good at detecting if you are. Be yourself in your essay, and your essay will be great.
Interview:
The only tips I have for the interview are quite obvious; speak passionately about the things you are passionate about (ie. don’t hold back, interviewers can tell if a candidate is pretending to be passionate about something for the sake of their application), and be the best version of yourself you can be. What I mean by this is to be yourself by sticking to your personality and passions; don’t be someone else. However, every one of us has a more refined version of ourselves that we use when we are talking to teachers, employers etc.; use this version.
This is also where being sociable comes in. When you apply to university, being sociable won’t be as important. Don’t get me wrong, it is still a vital skill to have but less emphasis gets placed on it for those applications. However, for a scholarship program that only funds one year (or three, but we will get to that later) in the United States, they are looking for someone who can easily adapt to a new environment, and immerse themselves in a community by making friends and joining clubs. If you don’t feel like you are the type to socialize or have trouble adapting to new situations, then that is completely, 100% okay. Just keep in mind that the year/s you have in America will require a lot of socialization, or else you might feel homesick and not have the best experience. In this case, I would reassess whether this kind of program is for you. To that point, make sure you show your sociable, conversational side in your interview.