2020 proved to be a significant challenge. 2021 has not let up. A year that posed real frustrations with the journey to university caused many institutions to have to adjust their policies and timelines. And while we tried to solve the issues of the world by going test optional and extending deadlines, we took some things from bad to worse, as applications hit an all-time high and acceptances a low due to these circumstances.
This article from the Washington Post really calls us to focus on what matters. Never have we needed to remain more calm and take care of those things we can control. Applause to Andrew B. Palumbo, Dean of Admissions & Financial Aid Worcester Polytechnic Institute for this timely and insightful letter.
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This is part 4 of a series of articles on locations in the world students often overlook in the admissions process but could lead to excellent results. IrelandIf you haven't been enamored by the Emerald Isle, you haven't been watching the right travel shows. Stone fences and sheep give way to the Cliffs of Moher on the cost. Cozy pubs and traditional music dot the landscape, while metropolitan centers play home to the world's biggest and most important companies. The contrast of modern living and quaint countryside is baffling in such a small place. The Irish have a history going back thousands of years, enriched with wonder and the storytelling made all the better by the lovely accent. It is a place many people wish to see before they die.
Ireland was rated the 10th most peaceful place in the world according to QS in 2018. It is the only English-speaking country in the EU and students looking for English-speaking programs outside of the UK often forget to look right next door. You can visit castles, cliffs, villages and cities quickly and easily and people are known to be among the nicest in Europe. Ireland is centrally located between Asia and the Americas, and only 1 hour from London, 2 to Paris, and 7 to NYC. While it is no-doubt a must-see destination, it turns out to be a pretty good place to study as well. Cost is Low Take National College of Ireland, for example. €10,000/year for tuition. So you can go for a BA (Honors) in Psych or Accounting and Finance for 3 years and pay about half as much in tuition as you would pay for 1 year (of 4-5) in the US? Come on. Anyone who thinks for more than a minute about the value of education has to consider this. Look at computers: a 4-year degree in Ireland at 10K/year? You will get your bachelors for less than the cost of one year's tuition in the States. And this is just one example. Many programs across Ireland cost around €15,000 for international students, and far cheaper for EU citizens. What's also great is North American students can use loans for study in Ireland. Work is Possible Ireland ranks 2nd in the world (behind Singapore) in Foreign Direct Investment. More than 500 companies are within a 10-minute walk of downtown Dublin campuses. There are more than 300 biophrama companies in Ireland, and 24 of the top 25 in the world call it home, including Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer. Tech companies also are in abundance. Google, Facebook, AirBnb, Microsoft, Twitter, eBay and LinkedIn all have European or world headquarters in Dublin. Internships, research, job experiences and connections are plentiful here. Students can work during their studies, and if that wasn't enough to make you study in Ireland, undergraduate students can get a one-year visa after finishing school and work 40-hours per week. In The Economist (Dec/Jan 2017 ed), James Tozer wrote, "Graduates from Irish institutions can expect greater lifetime earnings than those who graduated anywhere else in the OECD." At Trinity College Dublin, you can see the book of Kells at the old Library. Fun fact: the library is the second-most visited site in Dublin. The first? The Guinness Storehouse. However, TCD does boast the two oldest student societies in the world. Check out The University Guys Podcast on Ireland and his Webinar. Visit my page on studying in Ireland for more information. This is the 3rd article of a series of places that student often overlook in the application process but have real potential for success. OhioWhat is in Ohio? Well, the answer, it turns out, is a lot. It is a major state in election years, so prepare for visits from politicians. "As Ohio goes, so goes the nation." But aside from politics, you have a diverse state spanning the mid-East, neighboring 5 states, access to a Great Lake, near Canada, farms, rivers, nearing the hills and mountains in the south, and industry. Aside from four seasons and all of the adventures that come with them, Ohio is a top producer of corn in the world (a lifeblood of the US), it is the home of the Wright Brothers (the pioneers of aviation), and the origin of professional American Football. There is "The" Ohio State, Miami University (Ohio), Cincinnati, Bowling Green, Kenyon - all lovely institutions to study at - but today we are going to focus mostly on one area. Cleveland/Northern OhioCleveland is home to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and just to the east, the world-famous Cedar Point Amusement Park. If that isn't enough, look what is happening now. Cleveland is one of the top 10 cities for college-educated millennial in the country. With this population boom comes huge makeovers and an influx of entertainment and resources.
Schools in the area: Kent State - Once the topic of a massacre by officials in 1970 over student protests, Kent state is today home to 41,000 students, 3000 of which are international. With over 300 majors, minors, and certificates, there is something for everyone. Bonus: It is ranked #2 for cheapest tuition for out-of-state students. Case Western Reserve University - This school sits in the young and upcoming city of Cleveland. Come here to make use of the Thinkspace (a 50,000 sq ft 7 floor makerspace), enjoy a seminar in 1st semester and get to know your advisor from the beginning. You even can make use of a personal librarian to do research with you. At CWRU, every student does at least one of study abroad, service, internship, or co-op (and 50% do 3 or more). It is not only one of the top-ranked schools in the country, but it also has a number of highly regarded graduate programs. University of Akron - celebrating 150 years, this public school offers a lot of programs. As the "Rubber Capital of the World," it is no surprise the school is responsible for the world’s first College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering. The school is good in STEM, but has over 200 majors. Also attractive is that the school is under $30,000 US for all tuition and fees, quite a good deal for out-of-state students. Cleveland State University - Located in the downtown area, this is another public university where students can access an education and the benefits of a major city. You can take 6 classes for the price of 4. With more than 3000 internships (the most in Ohio) you will be well connected for jobs, and the school has a 17:1 student to faculty ratio, solid for a big public university. It ranks #18 in the US for upward mobility, and students get a better return on investment mid-career than most other schools. Oberlin College - This college and conservatory was the first to openly enroll all races and the first to grant a BA to women. It's 11:1 ratio, money for internships, and mentorship from a professor and peer advisor from the beginning of school all attract students looking for a special experience. During the required shorten January term, students can teach a class on something that isn't offered. It ranks #6 in sustainability, #4 in making an Impact. 60% do research and 75% study abroad. 81% of grads are at top choice grad school. It is an absolute gem of a school. College of Wooster - The Fighting Scots of Wooster may not have been on your radar yet, but they should be. 16% of the students are international. Like we'd expect at a liberal arts college, only professors teach courses, but here, upperclassmen can TA classes (and gain valuable classroom experience). It is known as America's premier college for undergrad mentored research, and it lives up to it: 100% of Wooster students work one-on-one with a faculty mentor on a significant research project (or two), developing skills in critical analysis, project management, creativity, and communication that are valued by employers and graduate schools alike. Although more central Ohio, you would be missing out if you didn't check out The Hill, and see what was going on in Grandville. Denison University has small classes and amazing resources, making it a gem of the state of Ohio. It has a great overview of campus in its virtual tour, and has a fun podcast of campus hosted by students. This small region of an overlooked state boasts many great options for students of a wide variety of backgrounds and interests. It's time to focus the search back on Ohio. This is the 2nd article of a series of places that student often overlook in the application process but have real potential for success. Medical School"I want to be a doctor." The phrase that usually comes right before a student (with an average GPA and average test score for their high school) tells me that Johns Hopkins, Duke, and Harvard are at the top of their list. While I am not in the dream killing business, I have to take some time to educate the family on why their star of a student, who is ranked near the middle of their class in grades/scores, who has no significant hook, and the family has no X-factor (ex., first generation, underrepresented country, champion tuba player) that may make it even remotely likely that they could secure a seat at a school that is not likely going to be the choice of a school that will accept 1 (or 0) of our students this year. Let's slightly gloss over the obvious fact that most students who go down this path will change their mind. Statistically in the US, a vast majority of students will change their major two or more times in undergrad alone, not to mention the many diverted career paths that are likely afterward. Students who express an interest in medicine but face difficult admissions to undergrad alone will find the work in university competitive and difficult. While there are those that will stick it out, these students again face extremely limited seats for medical school, causing them to change their minds or seek options outside of the USA. That, and non-US citizens have almost an impossible chance of getting into medical school as medicine is a graduate-level program in the US. There is an alternative. I have preached on the power of big fish, small pond before. I have been gradually getting more aggressive with my advising students like the above to look at Liberal Arts colleges, thereby increasing the chance that they will make that journey towards professional school. But recently I came across a better option for the truly committed. St. George's UniversityThis is a school of medicine located in Grenada, an island in the West Indies, which is near South America. But why should you go here?
Financial aid can be applied for US citizens and there are scholarships for students. There are placements around the world, and graduates have worked in all 50 states and over 50 countries. Also, Google a picture of the place and you will think medical school exists in paradise. At some point you have to ask yourself, if medicine is my goal, wouldn't this be a great place to start? Medical Doorway If you are interested in studying medicine, dentistry, veterinary, pharmacy, or physiotherapy in UK, Europe, or the Caribbean, check out Medical Doorway. This agency supports the application to medical universities in the above locations free of charge. The programs themselves are in English, but you often need to obtain a visa and Medical Doorway will help with that. What's even better is you can get a degree in some respected universities for a fraction of the cost of other parts of the world. For example, Gomel State Medical University in Belarus is under $4500 USD per year in fees. Accommodation can run under $600/year. If you are looking for return on investment, you really cannot beat this. Other destinations in Europe include Cyprus, Malta, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Latvia, Poland and the UK. I am starting a series of posts where I introduced an area, school, or group of schools that could be amazing gems for some students. We all are more comfortable with the familiar but names, rankings, and gossip contribute nothing to the actual experience and value of an education. The more reps that come and pitch their schools the more I start to realize, hey, this is pretty great and could really be a good option for some of my students. I hope these posts at least open minds to the idea that if you have a goal you want to accomplish, there are places where that is not only possible, but it may just be the best decision you ever made. Liberal Arts CollegesI am not exactly blowing the doors off the counseling world but I am starting here for a reason. A vast majority of my students continue to apply to mostly large public/private research universities. Sure, they all come from a small, very diverse international school where small classes, a voice, leadership opportunities, and working with teachers is important to them, and then they apply to all schools that offer the exact opposite!
I am sick of it. From now on, each of my students is going to have to investigate this possibility and make a case for why their list does not contain more liberal arts schools. Sure, it isn't for everyone, but you make that decision in haste, you waste the chance to know for sure. In a world emphasizing the power of STEM, we wonder where these seemingly "soft" skills have their place. Technology is the way of the future, but at what cost? Graduates are ill-prepared for the workforce. Check out these articles by The Daily Tar Heel and Forbes. After hundreds of thousands of dollars of education, college grads are less impactful than high school dropouts of half a century ago. And this isn't just crotchety old men making this judgment - students themselves feel ill prepared. Even Forbes can make a case for a broader education in a money-driven world. Amid many perspectives that the earning potential of someone in a liberal arts degree is so much less than that of of the alternative, we are forgetting something key here. Out of the gate, liberal arts students make less. But over time, they draw even and exceed that of other degrees, because STEM salaries grow more slowly. But what if there was a magical way to make your dreams come true? Here is the formula: When a student wants a degree in law, medicine, or an advanced degree like an MBA or PhD, they want it from a top-ranked grad program, right? No minds blown there. But how do they get into a top-tier school for their terminal degree (the one that really matters)? Should they go to the Ivy League and get connected? Hmm, maybe, but reports suggest only those that were already connected before attending are able to leverage connections after (unless they are first gen students, which none of mine are). Plus, getting admitted to a school that accepts less than 6% of its applicants (not to mention the many other factors: ex., legacies, contributors, recruited athletes, first-generation, etc.) is a pipe dream for most. You want to go to Harvard Law School? Don't go to Harvard College. Go to Eckerd. Wait, what? Why? Because your chance of getting into law school is higher. But how can that be, you say? Certainly a Harvard man through and through will prevail? Nope. And here is why: All grad programs are looking for the best applicants to admit to their class. So, in order to be an applicant that stands out, you have to go to a place where you can stand out. Entrance exams (MCAT, LSAT, GRE) aside, think about the other factors of admission: grades, research experience, internships, and letters of recommendation are probably at the top (throw in underrepresented areas and you have a chip to play). Now take the 336th ranked applicant out of Harvard College and compare them to the #1 ranked applicant at Eckerd. Who has the better grades? (Eckerd). Who has impressed their professors and therefore been asked to join the most sought after research studies and been nominated for the best internships (Eckerd). Whose professor is going to say, "This is the top student of this year and a shining star on the rise!" (Eckerd). So who do you think is the better candidate? If you don't say Eckerd, you have been abducted by the aliens who are behind the US News & World Report and been brainwashed. The only thing the Harvard applicant has is that they went to Harvard and if you think the worst student at Harvard is better than the best at Eckerd (or about 2000 other places), you are mistaken. Next time you have a major surgery or have a lawyer write your will or call your broker to invest your life savings, pause and ask if they did their undergrad at Harvard. 100 to 1 says they didn't so why are you assuming this is so important in the long run? Liberal arts colleges have teachers whose primary role is to teach. They are smaller, and people are more likely to get to know each other (i.e., form connections). There are no graduate students (read: no competition for professor's time and attention, and no competition for research experiences). Lib arts schools are focused on getting students the experiences they need to leverage their future. Having skills in more areas allows you to be marketable for dynamics jobs, many of which have yet to be created. And the good part is yet to come: with the exception of a handful of schools, they are much easier to get into than many known research universities (private or public out-of-state). What is not to love? If you aren't thinking about them you are missing a great chance to explore what might be the best decision of your life. Harvard is perhaps the most overrated institution of higher learning in America. This is not to imply that Harvard isn’t a good school - on the contrary, Harvard is an excellent school. But its reputation creates an unattainable standard; no school could ever be as good as most people think Harvard is. -Student, Harvard College I take every opportunity to make an example out of Harvard. But it isn't Harvard's fault. I would absolutely support my student in going to Harvard if the student really believed it was the right school for them. But for most, there is nothing more attracting a student to this school than any other. They want the name. This is our fault. Schools, parents, friends, media. We create this obsession and lose focus of the experience. And unless the Harvard experience is really right for a particular student, it is wrong for them. I came upon the below videos by a student of Harvard. We can say the same things over and over about the "costs" of an education at highly selective colleges, but no one wants to hear it. Perhaps words from a student who lived it will carry more weight and make people think for a minute about what they really want for their experience.
In a related talk and longer version, Alex continues to make his point. He starts off with an analogy of "Where's Waldo." He says the reason it is so hard to find Waldo is that Waldo looks like everyone else. So when you are trying to find the applicant in a pool of similar applicants, you don't stand out. And note the examples he uses of things people try to do to "stand out." Do any sound familiar? About a third of students I work with each year think these are the things they need to do to rise above. What does that tell you?
I wish students would stop worrying about these few schools and just worry about how to be AWESOME. ![]() "I just want the best for my child." Is there a worse statement you, as a parent, can give? In reality, your child is probably better off if you say, "I want my child to struggle and suffer a bit." But who says that? Parents cringe at the latter, when, in fact, it is the proven, more likely route to success. Very few people have ever followed a linear path to success. Most have taken risks, failed, and diverted their path numerous times to end up where they are. It is safe to say that most stories of linear success were predestined anyway (privilege, connections). If you weren't born silver spoon in hand, read on. Yet, despite this reality, a reality that most parents that consider themselves successful and are reading this have experienced, the message is overwhelmingly the opposite. Parents too often (and any amount is too often) send the message that success will happen only in a few majors, at a few schools, in a few careers. You know the ones. Medicine, law, engineering, Ivy League, Duke, MIT... Next time you go to your doctor, ask him/her how their undergrad at Harvard was... oh, that's right, your doctor almost certainly didn't go to Harvard College. Hmm, he/she must not be successful, but go ahead with that procedure you scheduled anyway. What could go wrong? Stop defining success - explicitly or implicitly - by using language that suggests how success is achieved. Get on YouTube - most videos about it will be amazing stories about how success happened in ways you wouldn't think of, but that is the problem. We are conditioned to think linearly when success requires divergence. This article from the Atlantic conveys what we all know in our hearts to be true, but we just can't seem to make our minds believe it. And who pays the price? The child. This one is for the teachers. A college should not deny a student just because their letters of recommendation do not "pop." However, if your letter does shine, it could make a difference. See, committees are looking for reasons to admit students, and after all the numbers, it comes down to what we say about them. If, after reading the letter, does the committee feel the student would fit on their campus, and more importantly, their classes? This is why your letter is so important. Here are some guidelines to help you support the student. Rule #1 - Do not agree to write a letter if you do not support a student. If you do not feel you can write a letter about the student, tell him or her so. It is far better that they find someone else rather than have you try to piece something together than might be inauthentic or insincere. The same goes if you have too many requests for letters. Tell the students they need to ask another teacher. Rule #2 - Do not say negative things about the student. This is a letter of recommendation, not a open critique of their past. Focus on the positives. If you must address poor performance or a mistake, talk about what the student did to overcome that barrier. However, even that is not ideal in the grand scheme of things. Highlight their strengths. Rule #3 - Do not use the same letter for multiple students. The same person will read letters about all applicants in a region, so if you write "XX is the best student I have this year!" and three of your students apply to YY University, all applicants risk their letters being dismissed as "fluff." Enough of the Do Nots. Let's focus on the Do's Rule #4 - Do make it personal and use examples. Find an anecdote or situation that makes this student unique/stand out/special. Saying they participated in class and were "good students" does little to help them shine. State a characteristic and back it up with several details. See the resources below for words you can use. After a few letters, you will need some variety! And remember, less is more. A couple of key examples is far better than a laundry list of qualities with no evidence. Rule #5 - Have someone read your letter Pick a spouse, department member, or counselor, and have them read the letter. You may not have meant something the way it sounded, but if only you have read it, you might not know. Grammar and word usage should be correct and professional, though they are not supposed to ding the student for your writing. Just do what you can to make it good for them. If you cannot, refer to rule #1. Resources: Word List Word List 2 Hierarchy of Words Adjectives Below is a video that will explain many of the major points of letter writing. Your time is valuable, and at 12 minutes this may seem long. However, I posit that the more you know, the smoother writing letters will be, and therefore, this should save you time in the long run. When the pandemic hit and schools closed down, I not only missed out on working directly with my students, but I also lost the chance to meet with many college reps where I learn a lot about schools, programs and trends in admissions. Thankfully, many schools took to the web to share info about their school in the way of interviews, virtual sessions, and campus tours. I attend sessions with 100+ people on a call and I had more than one with 2 students on a call joined by 4 admissions people. Some schools were dynamic and insightful, including voices from several stakeholders while others could not appear less interested in getting your application. In fact, it is the highly selective schools who were the least helpful. Only a couple of them (example: Duke, Dartmouth) had virtual information sessions and I found them very boring and uncreative. Harvard and UPenn had virtual tours but no sessions. And more than a few "elite" programs had nothing at all - literally nothing. What does that tell you? They are basically saying, "We don't have to do anything special when you can't come to us because you will still apply anyway." And they are right. I wish we could change that.
The experiences have varied widely, but here are some of my impressions. Google and Microsoft are among the top employers of graduates of Case Western Reserve University. But where is CWRU? California? No, Cleveland, Ohio. I recently attended a session with a small liberal arts college in Ohio where four of their comp sci grads were employed by Google. Four! For a school and major that size, this must be a very high proportion. The next time someone tells me you have to go to Berkeley to get a job in Silicon Valley, I am just going to smirk. Average class size under 20. Student to teacher ratio under 15:1. Think these are unique? They aren't. Every liberal arts school I listened to could boast this. Pretty much no public school is going to meet these standards. But what does that mean? Some schools merely flashed the statistic on a slide and moved on. This tells me nothing about the student experience. I was much more interested in the schools that talked about how that is helpful for you, the student. Some programs cited 1-to-1 meetings with professors in their freshman year. Others had faculty mentors from the first or second semester. Don't be fooled by stats - push to see what the stat actually means from a student experience standpoint. Retention rate 90%+ when national average is 65%. What does this really mean? What are the reasons people my not continue at a school? I wager this has much more to do with personal and familial circumstances than it does with anything happening at a particular school. My advice in the search process is to not consider certain statistics like these unless you can really justify what that means for you and why it is important. 66, 75, 90, and even 100% of students study abroad at some of these liberal arts schools. The Ivy League ranges from 20% on down to 4% with an average of 10%. What does it say about a school that encourages (or requires) students to take their learning on the road? I believe the opportunity to study abroad is essential; it allows students to learn from others in a new place in our world, be challenged in ways they have not been, and to experience cultures previously unknown to them. Some schools give priority admissions and scholarships to students who want to stay involved in Fine Arts. Not major in them. Just stay involved in them at college. Schools will talk all about service, athletics, performances. Top schools don't talk about this because people that go there give up all of their exploratory options to stay in the competitive hunt. It is refreshing that there are schools that are sending the message to high school students that instead of skipping out on activities like art, theater, and music to focus on test prep, you will not only be recognized for your passions, but rewarded for them. A lot of questions were asked, some good, most bad. In fact, many times the questions were asked by parents. Here are a few of my favorites:
Whether or not a school has an ultimate Frisbee team apparently is important to many students because it was asked a lot. Also asked often were very poorly worded questions like #2 and #3 above. How is a rep supposed to answer that? When you ask questions of a rep, ask them something that they can actually provide examples on. And never ask them questions like bullet points 4 and 5 above. These can be found online in barely more time than it takes to ask the question. If you do not do your research, it shows. And finally, if you not only spell "COVID" wrong but also put the wrong year, maybe college isn't for you. I even got waitlisted at UPenn for a financial aid talk. So it can happen to all of us! However, I do have several major takeaways in addition to the points made above. First, I have never been more convinced that smaller liberal arts schools have just as much, if not more to offer than the big name schools, privet elite or large public research university. Second, I reinforced my belief that every school has something amazing to offer. If you never talk to them, how will you know if it isn't right for you? I am excited about virtual sessions. The playing field for those of us who cannot travel to visit schools has been leveled. I hope everyone out there takes advantage of the new way of sharing information. Do I need to take a TOEFL (IELTS, Duolingo, etc.) test to study in the US (or Canada, or UK, or other county with an English-speaking program)?
Well, the answer to that very long question is relatively short: It depends. The truth is, it is complicated. The answer can vary widely by school and student circumstance. There may be literature available to you on a school’s website, or you may discuss this with the admission’s office or a representative at a visit or a fair. Typically, if English is not your first language, you will need a test. However, even if it is, if your passport is from a country where English is not the primary language, you may need a test. The complications only increase from here. What is accepted? The tests accepted at a university will vary. By far, the two most popular tests for this purpose are the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). While the tests have some similarities, they also differ in length, cost, and format. Consider that schools may have a preference between these exams and may not accept both. Furthermore, they may specify the difference between the paper-based vs. the internet-based versions of the TOEFL or the Academic vs. General forms of the IELTS. And if that was not enough of a conundrum, you must ensure that your chosen test will meet the requirements of the visa you will need to study in a particular country. There are other tests which are becoming more popular and are being adopted by schools, such as Duolingo, but it is unlikely all schools on your list will, and you need to consider visas. What are exceptions? There are often exceptions to the testing requirements which means if you can show proficiency in other ways, the school may waive the requirement of the TOEFL/IELTS. The SAT, AP, IB, and years of study in an English-speaking school are all ways that schools consider waiving the language-proficiency test. Again, the rules differ by each institution. To understand how these exceptions can vary widely, please look at MSU, UChicago, and Berkeley in the US, and U Toronto, Waterloo, and McGill in Canada. How to prepare? It is not necessary to have a tutor or pay for a structured class to prep for the test. In most cases, students at a school like ours have more than enough exposure and practice in classes to do well on these exams. Of course, this is a measure in which the student must score well enough to gain admission and get a visa, so it is worth preparing. Both of the major tests provide literature about the test and sample questions for practice. It would be recommended a student become familiar with the format of the exam and the types of questions they will encounter. Over preparing for this exam is not advised, and preparation at the expense of school coursework is risky. Find balance in preparation and the on-going required work of normal schooling. Will it help with admissions? People sometimes are under the impression that a higher English score will help them in admissions. They assume higher scores will be advantageous to their application. However, feedback is to the contrary. If a student has a score that the university deems acceptable for the level required to study at the university, it matters not. There are a wide range of language abilities on many campuses. Here is what the University of Toronto had to say about the use of English tests as a component of selective admissions: The short answer is “no, a higher grade or score on an English Proficiency Test (EPT) does not provide an admissions advantage”. Of course that short response won’t suffice so here is the reasoning behind it, because as you noted, logic might lead to the opposite conclusion. Our admissions team sets the English Language Requirement for the purpose of ensuring a student from any discipline can easily function in an “Academic English” environment. Students should be able to read and digest academic English as well as communicate effectively in both spoken and written formats. The EPT requirements do not exist as a litmus test for writing quality, meaning they are not looking for students to be the “next great” novelist, speech writer, or poet. In short, any score above the minimum may be indicative of a student with a stronger grasp of the nuances of the language but the measure exists to ensure they can operate in an English-speaking institution rather than compose prose etc. Of course, one might argue that for the majority of programs this is well and good but what about English Language programs, literature studies or those programs that rely heavily on essays? Even in these cases the position of the university is that our writing clinics and in class work exists to improve a student’s writing should it be required. In Summary and some considerations: English-language proficiency exams are likely to be required for study in many English-speaking countries or universities that offer English-speaking programs. There are exceptions to the testing, but they vary widely from school to school, and a test may ultimately be required for a visa. It comes down to this: I strongly recommend taking and submitting an English-language proficiency test. Here is why: Every year I have more than one student who does not submit a test because they meet the exceptions. However, one of two things always happens. First, the portal that the student applies through shows the language requirement as missing well after application. The student follows up on multiple occasions to clear this issue, sometimes with the decision being delayed as a result. And second, even though all these exclusions are listed, schools can and do come back and say, “We want to see the test.” It is difficult to scramble and take one at the last minute. I tell my students, “You will do fine on this. Take it, send it in, and never worry about having to follow up or fight the school on your exception.” I hope this provides some clarity around English language proficiency testing. |
AuthorOlder blog posts were for the UCLA Ext course "Using the Internet for College Counseling" Archives
February 2023
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