Why You Should Consider Colleges You’ve Never Heard Of

As you go through high school and start thinking about which colleges you will want to apply to, it can be very tempting to stick with the familiar. You’ve heard of the Ivy Leagues, a few highly ranked out-of-state colleges, and a few in-state schools that would lessen your cost. That’s already a pretty comprehensive list. Should you make that your college list and call it a day?

Unfortunately, that simple approach will not necessarily give you the highest chance of ending up at the school that is the best fit for you. While you’re evaluating colleges in order to form your college list, you need to do some research and figure out which colleges best align with your requirements and goals. Take into consideration things like geographic location, majors offered, cost of attendance, and other factors so that you can make an informed decision.

While doing your research, you may come across a school you’ve never heard of that looks perfect for you on paper. Should you rule that college out because it doesn’t offer the coveted “brand name” that employers look for? We at EdBrand recommend applying to colleges regardless of their brand or prestige as long as they seem like a good option for you. Not convinced? Read on to discover many reasons why it’s worth it to consider colleges you’ve never heard of.

The Lesser Known School Might Be Perfect For You

It is tempting to think that you would be able to get along at any college. However, not all colleges are right for every student. In fact, college admissions officers are aware of this and sometimes take that into consideration when making admissions decisions. Thus, it’s important, when considering colleges, to choose one that you think would be a good fit. What does it mean to fit with a college? Check out our previous blog post on the subject.

Some things you may want to consider when deciding whether a college is a good fit for you are:

    •    Location: Is a college far enough or close enough from home? Do you like the weather patterns of that geographic region?

    •    Size: Some students are comfortable with a large school with thousands of students and some prefer smaller universities with more individualized attention to each student.

    •    Majors: Does the college in question have a good academic program in your area of interest? There’s no use in applying to a college where you can’t study what you want to study.

    •    Student Life: Is the college known for having a thriving social scene? Is Greek Life popular at the college? Do the students who attend that university seem like people you would get along with?

    •    The Campus: Do you think you would enjoy being on that campus every single day? Is it aesthetic? Does it have the resources you need?

Finding a good fit is extremely important when it comes to choosing a college because you are probably going to spend the majority of four years at the university you choose. So if you find a college that isn’t well-known but seems like the perfect fit for you, it’s definitely worth applying to. You may be extremely happy there.

These Colleges are Often Cheaper

Brand name colleges are often expensive. Colleges know that there is high demand for their college because it is so well-known, so they are able to raise tuition costs if they see fit. Sometimes, these high costs can be a deal breaker for the student who is looking for an affordable college education.

On the other hand, sometimes lesser known colleges have lower tuition and other costs associated with attendance. In many ways, you could be getting a very similar education as someone at a brand-name university for a much cheaper price. If the lesser-known college has good programs that you desire and meets your other criteria, it makes financial sense for you to consider or even attend that college.

Smaller Student Body = A More Personalized Learning Environment

Oftentimes, you’ve never heard of a college because it has a smaller student body than most other colleges. Don’t take this as a strike against the college, though. It may not be that students don’t want to attend that college, but rather the college keeps its student body low so that each student can receive personalized attention and resources from professors, counselors, employers who visit, etc.

In this way, going to a smaller, lesser-known college could be the best decision for your learning. Rather than being thrust onto a giant campus and becoming another face in a sea of students, you could have a more personalized learning environment with less competition and more resources for you to succeed.

Less Competition

In big, popular universities with a giant student body, there’s a lot of pressure to outperform your fellow classmates to get those coveted positions in clubs or those prestigious internships. This can get overwhelming as you suddenly find yourself competing with thousands of highly qualified and accomplished students like yourself instead of a few hundred students from your high school.

In a smaller, lesser-known college, the student body is much smaller, and the resources are more available to you. Therefore, the culture of competition is significantly reduced, and you don’t always feel like you’re competing with everyone on campus. This can take a little bit of the pressure off of your (sometimes overwhelming) college experience.

Brand Name Colleges Only Get You So Far

The common view is that going to a prestigious, well-known college will help you get a good job and help you get a successful career. This is true to a certain extent. The college you go to can go a long way in helping you get that coveted entry-level job right out of college, and it can definitely give you some unique tools and resources that will train you for the professional world. However, once you’ve gotten that entry-level job and have been in the workforce for a few years, the brand name college doesn’t matter as much.

After a while, it will no longer be where you went to college that will define what positions you get in the professional world but your work ethic and accomplishments. This means that a brand name college will only do so much as getting you a great entry-level job. After that, you have to work your way up like the rest of the world.

Thus, if you attend a lesser-known college, that doesn’t mean you won’t have an illustrious career. Hard work and employable skills matter equally as much in the job market.

Making your college list and confused? We can help! 

Tips for Writing A Letter of Continued Interest

For students who are waitlisted or deferred from a top-choice college, the application process can seem frustrating or even discouraging. If you have a received a letter placing you on the waitlist or deferring your early admissions application, you are probably feeling some combination of disappointment and impatience.

While you may be feeling powerless, rest assured that there is something you can do during the interim to improve your chances of being accepted.

What Is a Letter of Continued Interest?

If you’ve been waitlisted or deferred, this generally indicates a few things about you as an applicant. First, the good news—the college thinks you’re worth a shot. They believe that you might be a strong candidate. Of course, this doesn’t come without a caveat. Generally, if you’re on the waitlist, the admissions committee is just not entirely convinced that you’re going to be a positive contribution to the incoming class. While they recognize your potential, they had more qualified or compelling candidates, and until they hear back from them, they just aren’t certain they have a place for you.

A letter of continued interest is exactly what it sounds like. It lets the college know that you are definitely still interested in attending, even if you have to wait longer to find out. It also updates the college of any achievements you’ve accomplished since your original application and hopefully convinces them that you will indeed be a positive contributor to the freshman class.

What Do Colleges Want to Know About Students Who Have Been Waitlisted or Deferred?

In general, there are two pieces of information that can help to tip the scale in your favor. Think of it this way—colleges want to fill their freshman class with highly qualified, successful students. To do this, they need to cast a net that’s both wide enough to fill the class, yet fine enough to select only the students who will be truly successful. It’s a careful balance.

So, these colleges generally want to know two things about you. First, are you capable of succeeding at the school in question, and second, will you attend if you are offered a spot?

What To Include In a Letter of Continued Interest

Your letter of continued interest should answer these two questions in a way that is affable and genuine. It should also express gratitude for being offered a place on the waitlist or a deferred decision, because this serves as evidence of positive personality traits, like perseverance and the ability to rise above adversity.

What NOT To Include In a Letter of Continued Interest

We get it; you’re probably feeling frustrated and disappointed. Maybe you feel inadequate or powerless. Talking to friends and family, venting to your peers, or taking it out on the athletic field are all great ways to express these totally valid emotions.

The letter of continued interest is not the place for these feelings, though. Keep your focus on the positives and don’t let any of those negative feelings show through in your letter.

The general outline for a letter of continued interest is as follows:

Introduction

In your introduction you should thank the admissions committee for reviewing your application and let them know that you are still interested in attending.

Updates On Accomplishments

Here, you’ll provide information about your accomplishments since your original application. Do not repeat accomplishments or any information already on your application—the admissions committee already has this information and if you submit it again, it will look like you haven’t achieved anything since. Limit your updates to 2-3 topics and be sure to explain briefly what the update is, what level of accomplishment it illustrates, and how it has contributed to your overall character/development.

Personal Element

This conclusion should offer some insight into your personality and provide a humanizing factor that sets you apart from the rest of the waitlist pool.

Humble Closing

Here, you reiterate your desire to attend the school and your gratitude to the admissions committee for their time and for taking a chance on you.

How To Thank Teachers Who Wrote Recommendation Letters

Finally, the grunt work of the college application process is over. You have gathered all of the necessary documents, written stellar essays, and submitted your college applications. Now, while you wait, it is time to reflect on those who helped you in the application process.

After all, you were not the only one who worked hard on your applications. Your parents gave you all of the demographic and financial information you needed, your peers or teachers may have looked over your essays, and most importantly, your teachers submitted those required recommendation letters.

Now that you have submitted your applications, you ought to think about thanking your teachers for helping you with your application. What is the most appropriate way to show your gratitude? We at Edbrand have compiled the following guide to thanking teachers who wrote your recommendation letters for your college applications.

How should I thank my teachers?

A Card

Cards are a simple and inexpensive way to tell a teacher that you appreciate what they have done for you and your future. A handmade card is the most thoughtful and shows a teacher that you took the time to think of them and make them something special.

Note that a Hallmark card or a generic thank-you card from the store does not show the teacher that you put any thought or care into the thank you. There is nothing heartfelt or personal about a generic card.

Thus, if you choose to buy a card, make sure you write a sincere message to your teacher. Don’t use clichés like “you mean the world to me” or “words cannot describe how much your letter meant to me.” Try to make the message personal and thoughtful so that the teacher knows how much you care.

A great place to start when thinking about what to write is to recall a specific and fond memory you had with the teacher. Perhaps you two bonded in class over a book you both liked or perhaps there was one lecture in her class that you thoroughly enjoyed and still remember. Adding those fond memories to your message will make your card more thoughtful and personal.

A Gift

Getting a teacher a gift is a lot trickier than getting them a card. First of all, it is important to note that it is by no means necessary. However, if you decide to give a gift, make sure that it would be an appropriate gift to offer a teacher and wouldn’t put them in the uncomfortable position of having to refuse.

Some schools have policies against getting teachers gifts, and some teachers simply don’t feel comfortable accepting gifts from students. Thus, it is important to check beforehand and make sure it is acceptable to get your teacher a gift before you actually buy one.

If you know it’s okay to give a gift and you want to, make sure that the gift is heartfelt. You don’t have to get your teacher anything extravagant like a large gift basket or a $100 massage voucher. In fact, you should avoid being too flashy with your gift. It is not appropriate for the situation, and many teachers may not be comfortable accepting such an expensive gift from a student.

The goal for a teacher gift is to be small but personal. Think about the teacher — what are their interests, passions, hobbies, or obsessions? Perhaps Shakespeare is your teacher’s literary hero, or your teacher loves to put beach decorations around their classroom.

Knowing these little nuances about your teacher will help you get them a simple, personal gift. For example, you could get your Shakespeare-loving teacher a mug with a King Lear quote on it. You could get your beach-obsessed teacher a nice beach-themed magnet or poster for their classroom.

If you can’t think of anything that the teacher would personally like, you can opt to give them a memento of the college that you will be attending. This can be anything from the college banner, a mug with the university logo on it, or even a university sweatshirt. Any gift that is related to the university you are attending will remind the teacher that they helped you get there, which many teachers will appreciate.

Talk To Them

Regardless of whether you give a card or a gift, you should thank your teacher in person. It is extremely rewarding for educators to see that they are making a difference in a student’s life and that students appreciate their hard work. Go up to your teacher and thank them sincerely, and be sure to let them know how excited you are about the opportunity they’ve helped you get.

Also, if you choose to thank your teachers before you have gotten your results back, do not stop contact there. Always let them know the results of your application. Teachers want to see their students succeed and its important to maintain relationships with people who have spent so much time on your personal growth.

How to ace the Oxbridge Interviews

Admissions tutors at Oxford and Cambridge meet a star student everyday, make sure you can stand out with some of these tips.  

Be passionate

The interview is your opportunity to express passion for your chosen subject. The person that interviews you will likely be your tutor at least for the first year. So gelling with them would be important.Tutors want to see that you will be a joy to teach, that you're deeply interested in your subject, and that you're keen to learn. Therefore, the most important thing is to genuinely demonstrate an interest in the subject you’re applying for.

Show your unique strengths

Think creatively, gain relevant work experience and insights to draw from, and read beyond your school syllabus to distinguish yourself from other applicants. While tutors will see many applications, no candidate will be exactly the same as any other. Your subject profile, your reading and your motivation will all be unique to you. Hence drawing on these aspects will allow you to impress an admissions tutor and help them to understand why you are deserving of a place.

It's a conversation, not an interrogation

Viewing the interview as a conversation with an academic about a subject you both enjoy and are passionate about can make the process seem less daunting. Demonstrating interest and coherently engaging in academic dialogue is the crux of the conversation— and honestly, how you learn at these schools. So showing that you can do that in the interview is imperative. 

Don't expect the unexpected

There are crazy interview stories where students have found their tutors lying on the floor while asking them questions but in reality that is not the case. Apart from talking through your personal statement and application material, questions asked at an Oxbridge interview are designed to see your thought process. Whilst some questions may seem obtuse or confusing out of context, they allow a student to demonstrate their unique way of thinking.

Among Oxford University's interview questions in 2015, for example, economics and management students were asked whether bankers deserve the pay they receive, while applicants to the oriental studies course were asked if archaeology can “prove” or “disprove” the Bible.

Practise, practise, practise

Encourage people to ask questions to find out how you can make your explanation clearer about different topics. No matter how bright you are, it is unlikely that your first interview will be better than their third, fifth, or 10th attempt.

Do your research

Talk to current students and graduates about their experiences of Oxbridge interviews and spend some time looking at the university websites. Oxford and Cambridge want to be open about the interview process and the websites are as helpful as they can be these days. 

Be confident, not arrogant

Be passionate, be confident, and be likable. There's a difference between voicing your opinions and assuming you're right. Leave your arrogance out the door as you approach these interviews. It’s unlikely anyone will take you if they find you arrogant or hostile  to work with. 

We hope that tips help you as you train towards your interviews. Contact us with any questions, interview questions, or mock interviews! 

Visit College Campuses from Home

Before you make any definitive college decisions, experts recommend they visit campuses first. Stepping foot on the physical campus can help prospective students gauge the makeup of the student body, the environment, academic opportunities, and many other factors. Now, thanks to the growth of social media and technology, students can learn a lot of this information without leaving the comforts of their own homes. Here are five online resources that reveal more about what college life is really like.

1. eCampusTours: Stepping foot on a campus may be the best way to get a true feel for a college, but eCampusTours gives the student the next best option from the convenience of the couch. The site provides 360-degree virtual tours of college campuses and surrounding areas for the user to explore—at no cost. At this time, there are more than 1,300 virtual tours available on the site.
2. YourCampus360: Much like the previous site, YourCampus360 allows students to explore a campus using 360-degree functionality. While this site fails to provide as many college tour options, it does offer more social opportunities, such as providing prospective students with insights and images through blogs and photo galleries posted by current and former students.
3. College Prowler: Save the graduation rate and questions about course offerings for the college website. College Prowler provides answers to the questions many prospective students want to know, such as the quality of the dining hall food, whether a school has a good night life, and many other non-academic interests. Access the school of your choosing and find myriad topics rated on a grading scale, based on the input of students who have attended the college.
4. YouTube EDU: The world's leader in user-generated videos offers prospective students the opportunity to view videos created at universities nationwide. Users have the chance to watch student interviews, discussions with professors, and may even find some classroom lectures.
5. Rate My Professors: Once enrolled, students will be spending a lot of time in the classroom, but it is difficult to gauge an entire faculty based on a single college visit. Rate My Professors fills that void. The site offers ratings on thousands of professors across the country, grading them based on helpfulness, clarity, ease, and overall quality. Be sure to reserve some judgments as many students may not give the friendliest of ratings or may be influenced by the marks they received in the class, but the site can be helpful when used more broadly.

While online resources like the ones featured above can help a prospective college student learn more about a university, ideally, they should only be used as complements, but hey! Its better than Google maps. 

How To Talk To Your Classmates About College

I know that all of you are working diligently through your college applications during this time of the year, your friends are likely doing the same thing. Some of your friends may even be applying to the same colleges as you, making them “competition” from a college admissions perspective.

How should you approach conversations about college applications with your friends, especially if you are competing for admission to the same schools? In this post, we’ll walk through the do’s and don’ts of talking to your peers and classmates about the college application process without invading their privacy or causing tension.

Things You CAN Ask Your Friends When Applying to College

If the topic of college applications comes up, you don’t want to reveal too much about your own applications, but you also shouldn’t antagonize your friends by shutting them down if it comes up.

If you do have to talk about college with your friends, here are some conversation points that are safe to hit:

• Basic Application Requirements: It’s okay to talk about things like application deadlines, number of recommendation letters required, and other information that can easily be found online. In fact, it may be beneficial to clarify this basic information with your friends to ensure that you are both filling out the application thoroughly and correctly.

• Asking How They’re Doing: College applications season can be a stressful time for both you and your friends. Even if you don’t want to help each other with the applications themselves, you should still be there for your friends and make sure that they are handling the added responsibility well.

• What You’re All Looking For in a College: You don’t have to ask your friends what colleges they are applying to specifically, but you can ask them general questions about what type of school they’re looking to attend and what factors they’re taking into consideration when making their college list. Your friends could even bring up some aspect of college that you hadn’t thought of or help you weigh the pros and cons of each university you are considering. These all may influence your decision to apply or attend a college.

Topics You May Want To Stay Away From When Talking About Colleges

Even if your friend group tells each other everything, you and your friends’ academic and extracurricular profile along with your college application is private information. It may be tempting to talk about your college applications with your friends, but you risk losing your edge in the application process if your friends decide to steal your application ideas or essay strategies. So when you’re discussing college applications, you want to stay away from topics that are confidential.

Some of these topics include:

• Academic Performance: Everyone’s grades, class rank, standardized test scores, and other metrics of academic performance are their own business. You may not want to ask your friends for the specifics of their grades and test scores even if your school seems to value it by ranking all of you.

• What Colleges You’re Applying To: This will vary from person to person. Some people are comfortable sharing which schools they’re applying to, and if that’s the case you should see whether you two are applying to similar schools and use it as an opportunity to collaborate. Some people, however, prefer not to share where they are applying to college. If that is the case, you should respect their wishes. It’s often difficult to tell what a person’s preferences are unless they’ve told you, so it may be best not to ask which colleges they are applying to just to be on the safe side.

• Any Extenuating Circumstances: Extenuating circumstances such as a disability, a difficult financial situation, or a disciplinary infraction are often touchy subjects. You may be seen as insensitive if you pry into these matters with your peers. It is worth noting, however, that these special circumstances could affect a college admissions decision, so be aware if you have any of these.

• Financial Aid: As mentioned above, it’s okay to discuss financial aid with your friends as long as you keep the questions general. What you shouldn’t do, however, is try to get very specific things like their scholarship and loan list or ask anything too personal like how much money they were awarded. As a general rule, don’t pry into any information that you wouldn’t be comfortable sharing yourself.

• Admissions Decisions: Eventually, your friends will share with you what college they’ve chosen. However, they may not be comfortable sharing which colleges they got into, which colleges waitlisted them, and which rejected them. If so, simply congratulate them when they tell you their final college choice and don’t push the subject.

I hope this helps and the very best for this whirlwind of a college season!

Dealing with Rejection from the Top College of your Choice

Soon, high school seniors all around the country will be awaiting the arrival of college admissions decisions. While the method has changed from a paper envelope arriving in the mail to electronic delivery straight to your mobile device, one thing that hasn’t changed is the emotion of that moment. For some lucky students, an acceptance results in a wave of euphoria and sheer joy. For those less lucky, a rejection can trigger feelings of sorrow, grief, and even depression.

If you have your heart set on a singular dream school that you don’t ultimately get into, these feelings can be even more intense. You might feel overwhelmed. You might be tempted to crawl into bed and stay there. You may even worry that you’ll never achieve your other dreams either. Rest assured, though, that getting rejected from your top choice isn’t the end of the world. In fact, the majority of students who apply to selective colleges don’t actually get in.

In this post, we’ll discuss how you can deal with rejection from a top choice college and how to redirect your energy towards moving forward in a positive, productive way. To learn our top tips about coping with rejection from your top choice college, read on.

1. It’s Okay to Feel Heartbroken

For some students, college applications represent the culmination of many years of hard work. If you don’t get into your top school, you might feel like all of your hard work was for naught, and you may legitimately feel heartbroken. That’s okay; it’s a completely normal reaction to falling short of a goal you’ve work so hard towards.

While it’s natural to feel sorrow and the need to grieve, you can’t spend the remainder of your senior year in your bed. It may be helpful to set a self-imposed time constraint on the active grieving process. Allow yourself a few days to really indulge in self-care. Watch some movies, take a hot shower, and get takeout from your favorite restaurant. When a few days has passed, though, you’ll need to resolve to move forward. You might still feel sad, but it’s time to start channeling those emotions into something productive. At the end of your self-care days, get back up and prepare to take on the world again.

2. Don’t Take It Personally

You might think that your college admissions decisions are a direct indicator of your worth as a person or as a student. It’s important to remember that this is definitely not the case. College admissions decisions are based on so many factors that you can’t control. If you did your best to control the ones you could, then you need to know that there were other factors at play.

Maybe this was the year that the Division 1 Football team lost four starting players and one of those replacements edged you out of a seat. Perhaps 30 students from your town decided to apply to the same school and only one could be accepted. Maybe you were up against a fourth-generation legacy whose parents, grandparents, and great aunt all donate heavily each year.

You never know what other factors are at play in college admissions, so taking a rejection personally is never a good idea.

3. Your Top Choice College May Not Be The Best School For You

While it might seem like the most perfect college you could imagine, no college that doesn’t recognize what an amazing candidate you are is going to be the best fit for you. There are hundreds of amazing colleges out there, and odds are high that you will be able to succeed elsewhere if you set yourself to attending one that’s the best fit for you personally.

Start by identifying what it was about your dream school that made it so alluring. Was it the geographic locale, a specific academic program, or another aspect altogether? If you can pinpoint a few of the most desirable qualities, you can bet you’ll be able to find those same qualities at other schools that would be happy to have you as a student.

Redirect your focus to the schools that you did get in to. Join social media groups for accepted students. Reach out to current students or recent graduates. Network to learn more about each school and get a better feel for it. Visit campus again if you have a chance. The more you know about it, the better prepared you’ll be to make an informed decision about where you do go.

4. Ask Yourself What You’re Going to Make of This Opportunity

Instead of thinking of this as a door closing, think of it as one that has opened. You have an opportunity in front of you to start fresh. What are you going to do with this opportunity?

Shift your thinking to view this as an amazing chance to attend a college where you’re truly valued. If a college doesn’t want you, you’re probably better off elsewhere anyway. Some day, your alma mater will not matter nearly as much as what you made of your college experience. Will you be a dedicated student and a committed member of the community or will you begrudgingly go through your years there wishing you were someplace else? Only you can make this decision.  

5. Your College Choice Isn’t Binding

Finally, remember that you aren’t required to attend any single school for four years. While you definitely shouldn’t go into a college with the attitude that you can just transfer if something doesn’t go your way, it is important to keep perspective that you aren’t stuck someplace if it ends up being a bad fit. The best you can do is give it your best shot and then, if it doesn’t work out, consider transferring someplace else that will.

If you’ve been rejected from your top choice college, it’s only natural to feel a wide array of emotions that may range from grief to anger to self-doubt. There is no right way to feel when you get the news that you’ve been rejected, but there is a right way to recover. Reframing your thinking to recognize the opportunity before you and to capitalize on the chances that you do have will help you to land gracefully.

10 Things you need to Know if you're Thinking about Transferring College?

Most college students don’t admit it, but they often think about whether they ended up at the right college. Being an international student myself, this crossed my mind during fall semester of my freshman year of college: Should I transfer?

I was homesick and incredibly lost for the first couple of months but I ended up staying back at my college and ride it out. But for those of you who know in your heart that you’re not at the right college, here are ten things to know about the transfer admissions process:

1. The transfer process is markedly different than the freshmen admissions process. Whereas your high school record and standardized test scores dictate the freshmen admissions process, your GPA and course selection in college matter much more if you apply as a transfer student
2.  There are some colleges that will accept transfer students for the spring semester, but most of the highly selective colleges only admit students for the fall semester.
3. Most students who transfer do it after freshman or sophomore year.
4. No matter how large your classes are, make sure to connect and build a relationship with two professors if you’re planning to transfer. These professors can write your letters of recommendation.
5. You need to be in “good standing” at your current college to be competitive to transfer. If you are on academic or social probation, it can be difficult to get admitted to a top college.
6. The admit rate for transfer admissions is typically higher than the admit rate for freshmen admissions. Why? Almost every college in the country struggles with retention. When a student drops out, transfers, or even goes abroad for a semester, the college needs to fill that bed with another student to stay financially stable. The odds are in your favor if you apply as a transfer student.
7. If you applied to the same college as a high school senior, your old application (or what’s left of it) will be evaluated to some extent. But the primary focus of the transfer admissions committee will be on your current application.
8. Sometimes colleges have limited financial aid for transfer students. Check with each admissions office/financial aid office to determine if financial aid is available.
9. If you are applying to transfer into a very specialized program (i.e. engineering, business, nursing, etc), make sure you have the prerequisites in place so that you are as competitive as possible.
10. Most students don’t believe it, but there are plenty of students who transfer from a community college to a traditional four year college—even Ivy League colleges. The transfer admissions process focuses more on your academic performance at your current institution rather than where you attend.

As appealing as another college can be for a student, they need to remember that there will be an adjustment when they transfer. Students will have their friend groups solidified and it takes a confident individual to start fresh in a new environment when everyone else is hunkering down where they are. However, ending up at the right place is all that matters. I hope this helps

Financing your Education with Student Loans

One of the biggest challenges with studying abroad is funding your education. As application numbers are increasing there are a decreasing number of scholarships available for international students. Taking out a loan is a great option to fund your education. However, Indian banks only give a limited amount of money which is usually not enough to cover the high costs a foreign education, and loans in forged countries becomes challenging since you have no prior documentation in that country. 

Unless you have a guarantor in the country you’re going to, the chances that you can get a loan are slim (though some universities have loan offices which do lend money). Another option is through up and coming Fintech companies. Here are three companies that are great options for get loans from and in our experience, have been quite pain free!

Avanse Education Loans 

Avanse is a new age education finance company and an associate company of Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Limited (DHFL). International Finance Corporation (IFC), an arm of the World Bank holds 20% equity stake in Avanse and promises a litany of services than any other Non-Banking Finance Companies (NBFC): 

• 100% Tuition Fee as determined by the Institute or University

• Living Expenses including purchase of Books, Computers and other expenses essential to complete the course (up to 75% of total living cost though not exceeding 20% of the total tuition fee)

• Caution Deposit / Building Fund / Refundable Deposit supported by Institution Bills / Receipts but not exceeding 10% of the total tuition fee.

• Travel expenses / passage money up to Rs. 75000/- for students traveling abroad.

Learn more here 

The Paras Education Foundation

Another Indian based fintech company that gives students a lot of autonomy . 

• 100% loan for the amount certified by the school

• Pre-approved loans to avoid processing delays while you decide on the best school

• 3% to 6% per annum interest rate

• Repayment tenure of up to 10 years

To know more, go check out their page 

Prodigy Finance (Great for Grad Schools)

Prodigy Finance, a crowdlending platform launched in 2008 by Cameron Stevens (current CEO) and two of other INSEAD MBA students, who, being from South Africa and Slovenia, had experienced first-hand the difficulty of financing their post-graduate education across borders. They created Prodigy Finance, a lending marketplace which breaks new ground in cross-border lending and community lending.

Prodigy Finance focuses on the crème de la crème: facilitating loans for students enrolled in post graduate programs at 104 of the top schools of the world. The qualifying programs include: MBAs, Masters in Management or Finance at business schools like Harvard, INSEAD, London Business School, HEC, Stanford and Wharton; as well as Masters of Law, Public Policy, Public Administration and MS Engineering degrees at top US schools and universities.

Prodigy Finance does not require from borrowers a co-signer or collateral. To gauge the loan risk, the company analyzes standard data points such as credit reports. But its main competitive advantage in the underwriting process lies in its unique knowledge of the asset’s risk. Prodigy Finance owns 10 years of statistical data and analysis of the financial outcome and loan default rate of each academic program and type of international student.

Loans are offered in dollars, pounds and euros, depending of the school the student is going to.

Prodigy finance is a true community lender, rather than an open crowdlender. Wealthy alumni, alumni-related family offices and the school themselves brings the bulk of the funds used to finance the loans. Credit Suisse acted as a conduit to reach this community in 2014, raising $25 million for an Education Bond to finance loans on Prodigy Finance. Further, the company invests by issuing bonds on the Irish stock exchange with a committeemen in impact investing that bring social benefits. 

To know more, click here.

Is it too late to apply for college in US?

The short answer is no. BUT, you’re behind the ideal schedule. 

That being said, just because you’re beginning the process later than most doesn’t mean that you’re not going to get into a great college. It just means you’ve got some catching up to do in the next few months and you may need to reframe some of your thinking.

 Here are some ground realities: 

1. You will not be able to apply Early Decision for most colleges. Some colleges have an ED 2 application in January which you could still go for
2. Most scholarship dates have also passed. his means that if finances are a concern, you will need to consider other ways to meet your financial needs. You could think about applying to colleges with solid financial aid packages or lower tuition costs.
3. Keep in mind that college applications are not a process to be rushed. You might be tempted to hurry through your personal statement or get your standardized tests over in one fell swoop, but this isn’t wise since it likely won’t project your most polished image. You’re going to need to slow down enough to do your best work. If this means that you miss some deadlines, you may need to find schools with later ones. (Don’t worry, we’ll provide a list further down).
4. In addition, realize that your personal time crunch does not mean someone else’s crisis. This is a busy time of year for everyone, and teachers and guidance counselors have many students who need their help. You might feel particularly stressed about waiting your turn, but it’s helpful to remember that you aren’t the only one trying to meet application deadlines, even if you’ve gotten a late start.

What Are the Most Important Things To Do Right Away?

There are a handful of things that you need to get started on right away in order to maximize the amount of time you have left: 

1. Register to take standardized tests: There are December SAT and ACT test dates that you can register for by phone until mid-November. After that, you’re looking at a February ACT or a March SAT. Getting these planned as soon as possible will leave you the most options. We also consider looking at Test optional schools. Some of the top schools in the country are going test optional or test blind.
2. Start making a college list: For now, focus on schools that you truly want to attend and don’t worry about application deadlines. You might still be able to make a January deadline if the pieces fall into place and if not, you can make another informed decision as the situation warrants. Have a look at our blog to learn about how to make a college list?
3. Request teacher recommendations: When you do so, be sure to communicate that you realize how late you are in requesting these and that you are truly grateful to the teachers who agree to take them on in a timely manner. For more information about selecting a teacher to write your recommendations, check out our pos about What Makes a Good Recommendation Letter.  

Can I Still Make a January 1 or January 15 Deadline?

The good news is, you might still be able to make one of these deadlines if the stars align in your favor. What do we mean by this?

First of all, you will absolutely need to make sure that you take your standardized tests in December and that you do well enough on them to leave you some options.

In addition, you’ll need to make sure that you have enough time to gather all the necessary application materials including letters of recommendation, personal statements, and transcripts.

While it’s not impossible to make a January application deadline, you might not be putting your best foot forward if you have to really rush in order to do so. The good news is, there are plenty of schools with deadlines beyond January.

Which Schools Have Deadlines Past January 15?

Here are some of our favorite colleges with later application deadlines.

Great Options With Feb 1 Deadlines:

• Baylor University

• Colorado State University Fort Collins

• Cornell College

• DePauw University

• Dickinson College

• Hobart and William Smith Colleges

• Marist College

• Merrimack College

• Quinnipiac University

• Rhode Island School of Design

• Roger Williams University

• Simmons College

• St Lawrence University

• Trinity University

Great Options With Feb 15 Deadlines:

• Allegheny College

• Assumption College

• Brigham Young University Hawaii

• Creighton University

• Drew University

• Earlham College

• Emmanuel College

• Endicott College

• Howard University

• Morehouse College

• Rollins College

• Texas Christian University

• Washington College

Great Options With Rolling Admissions:

• Indiana University

• Loyola Marymount

• Michigan State

• Pace University

• Penn State

• Quinnipiac

• Roger Williams

• Rutgers

• University of Alabama

• University of Maine

• University of Minnesota

• University of New Haven

• University of Pittsburgh

• University of Tulsa

If the calendar has turned to November and you’re just getting started on your college applications, you are probably starting to feel the heat. Don’t worry; it is still possible to get it all done and get into a great school.

If you need a little help along the way, consider contacting us. Every year we get students who have a change of heart in the last minute and we are always to help! Best of luck!!