This informal CPD article ‘Narrative Building: Guiding Students to Create a Cohesive US Application Story’ was provided by Guidewell Global, specialists in international university and school admissions, working with top schools across the UK and Europe to provide a bespoke service for those who want the best possible application support in the UK.
Applying to US universities is complex, involving various elements. Not only academics, but also extracurricular activities, letters of recommendation, and essays. These criteria are included in US admissions because American universities view themselves as holistic communities and want to consider how students will fit into all areas of the university. Previously, there was more of an idea that a student should be ‘well-rounded’ and strong in multiple areas, whereas now some universities prefer students who show a true commitment in one or two areas of their lives.
UK schools and counsellors should build the knowledge to guide students through completing the various aspects of US applications. Additionally, they should be aware that students need to be able to weave the experiences they mention in the application into a single compelling, unified narrative. Doing so helps admissions officers understand an applicant’s motivation and story, get insight into their true passions, and envision how they will contribute to the campus community.
Compared to the relatively straightforward UCAS process (1), US applications can be complex and time-consuming. However, with some forward planning, futures departments can support US applicants in telling coherent application stories that demonstrate clear institutional and academic fit and help their students to have a real advantage. Additionally, the process of helping students find their narrative helps them to reflect on their experiences and interests, and connect those to clear academic, career, and university paths, which is an important component of university advising.
Preliminary counselling
Working with potential US applicants early on—from around years 10-11—to encourage them to reflect on their interests and goals can be a helpful way to enable them to find their stories. For example, advisors can encourage them to reflect on their passions, their future plans and what they want from the university experience. For example, would they prefer a small liberal arts college with small class sizes and lots of faculty support? Or a large university with lots of opportunities and independence - but larger, lecture-style classes? What geographical region of the US appeals to them? Do they have a sense of their intended path of study, or do they want to explore a range of options? At American universities, students do not have to choose their path of study (major) until the second year, and universities there look favourably on students who want to explore a wide range of subjects.
Academics
Institutional and academic fit has been gaining importance at US universities: it can be advantageous for applicants to demonstrate that they are a good fit not only in the overall university community, but also, increasingly, into their intended path of study. Therefore, students, especially those who know what subject they want to study, should incorporate academics into their application narratives.
Increasingly, US admissions officers are looking for applicants who have experience in the subject they intend to study at university, so showing a progression from secondary school experience to intended major can be helpful. Academic experience may, but need not be, limited to A-Level or IB study: for example, if a student were interested in studying film, they could show interest in that area through activities like taking part in film society, or doing an online short course in film.
Activities linked to career goals
Extracurriculars
In US applications, unlike UK applications, admissions officers consider students’ extracurricular activities. Applicants will list and describe their activities in application portals. By encouraging students to reflect on their activities and choose them wisely, advisors can set them up for success.
Although activities are emphasised in US applications, admissions officers are looking for quality, not quantity. Ideally, a student will participate in a few activities they have a true passion for, have been involved with long-term (for the final four years of school, or longer), and have deepened their involvement with over time. For example, a student might have taken violin lessons since they were a child, then moved up the grades and taken part in a school orchestra.
It can also be positive as if applicants take part in activities linked to their academic and career goals in order to further demonstrate academic fit. For example, if a student wants to study business, being involved in something like Young Enterprise (2) can show admissions officers that they have an understanding of the practical side of what entrepreneurship entails. Students should also be sure they take part in volunteering not to ‘tick a box,’ but because it is driven by their personal values and desire to make an impact in their community and/or the wider world.
Essays
College essays are an excellent place for students to tell their stories and provide a background to the rest of their application, in which its larger story can be grounded. US applicants will write one personal statement and several supplementary, college-specific essays. The personal statement is very different from the UCAS personal statement, and students are prompted to write about things like personal challenges, skills, and key life experiences.
It’s very important that the personal statement not only tells a story but also shares the student’s key values. These values can then underpin the other elements of the application and—in the supplemental essays—connect to the values of the universities to which the student is applying. The supplemental essays are also a great arena for applicants to demonstrate institutional fit, as well as motivation for their chosen academic path and career goals.
Final thoughts
Overall, a student’s US application should not be a motley collection of various experiences and data, but an overall story in which each component plays an important part in revealing a student’s experiences, values, passions, and goals. By working with students to discover their passions and aims and directing those towards activities and creating a college list that reflects those things, futures departments can set students up for success.
We hope this article was helpful. For more information from Guidewell Global, please visit their CPD Member Directory page. Alternatively, you can go to the CPD Industry Hubs for more articles, courses and events relevant to your Continuing Professional Development requirements.
REFERENCES
- https://www.ucas.com/applying/applying-university
- https://www.young-enterprise.org.uk/
