How to Get into Top Colleges for Undergraduate Courses?

How to Get Admitted to the Top Universities Abroad: Most of us start dreaming about studying abroad when we are in the school itself. Most study abroad applicants are usually clueless about how to get into the top colleges. Getting admission to colleges abroad is a process very different from getting admission in India.

While the admission process to Indian colleges is very quick and hassle-free, where most of the time your scores in 12th standard are considered, colleges abroad consider more than just scores. You need to prepare yourself for the task at least two to three years in advance from the beginning of the session year. This task is not as difficult as it seems, with proper planning and profile you can easily get into any college of your choice.

Also Read: Top 10 Toughest Engineering Courses in the World

How to Get Admission to Top Universities of the World?

Most study abroad applicants are usually clueless about how to get into the top colleges. Check the step-by-step process to know how get admission in the top colleges. 

• Start planning early – The best thing to do is to start your research online right after you enter your eleventh standard. Admissions officers at the top colleges pay close attention not only to grades of the final year of school but progress over time. You also need to understand top university rankings to shortlist the best colleges. So starting early gives you enough time to plan your scores, extracurricular and volunteering activities, apply for scholarships, prepare for standardized and language exams etc.
• Choose the course – Carefully shortlist the course you want to pursue as you need to be sure of your decision in order to convince the admissions officers. You need to have a flair for the subject, depth, and understanding of the basics; in your written essays and interview sessions you will be asked to justify your choice of subject. Picture how this subject will help you in your career path and later blueprint of your career.
• Choose the country – This is an important deciding factor for many aspects like cost of living, the presence of a strong Indian community, weather, the safety of students, etc. Many countries are favorite education destinations of Indian students like the US, Canada, Germany etc. for these are the places where the top colleges are. Easy immigration policies also influence students’ decisions.

• Talk to teachers and counsellor – You need to be on the good side of your teachers as you need the college to hear only good things about you from your teachers in the form of recommendation letters. You also need to discuss your plan of getting admission to a foreign college with your teachers who will be able to guide you in the right direction. With their help, you can take part in contests and project your leadership qualities. Also by consulting your school’s counsellor will help you understand the college admission process better, and they will probably have answers to all your doubts and questions.
• Score well – As mentioned earlier, your scores or GPA needs to be exceptionally good. An application with GPA above 4 or equivalent will be given good consideration at colleges abroad. You need to be academically inclined in order to cope with the rigorous programme you will be doing. Just getting admission into a top college isn’t enough, performing well should be your main motive.
• Take part in extracurricular activities – the admissions officers take into account your involvement in activities surrounding the classroom. Whether it is sports, theatre, Olympiads, contests etc., these activities show growth patterns of your personality. A student involved in all activities around the classroom is what top universities look for.
• Take standardized and language exams – you will have to seriously prepare for exams like SAT, ACT, TOEFL, IELTS depending on the requirement. Take at least two months to prepare for these exams, as it is not easy to score high in these exams. You may have to again shortlist your colleges based on your SAT scores; top colleges accept only high scores, so if you scored average marks you should apply to mid-level colleges.
• Get recommendation letters – Letters of Recommendations (LORs) are mandatory documents to be submitted to all colleges abroad. These are written by your teachers or academic mentors. Basically, your teachers get a chance to put your case on the table and point out your strength and weaknesses. A well written LOR will include all aspects of your personality, whether weak points or strong. The idea behind this is that the college admissions committee wants to have a third-person opinion on your case to make the judgment bias-free.
• Draft well-written essays – Like LORs give your teachers an opportunity to back your application, essays give you that same chance. All applicants have to write an essay about why they want to do that particular course from a particular university. This is the main part that makes or breaks your application. You need to come up with a very convincing piece of the essay that makes a favorable impression on the admission officer, which will naturally take some time to draft and edit.
• Prepare for interviews – since this will be the first major interview most of you will face, you need to prepare accordingly. Most colleges conduct video interviews or Skype interviews or maybe even over the telephone. Interviews are not difficult to clear at all if you have the right attitude and confidence. Of course, you need to know a rough outline of your answers beforehand so you form your answer accordingly.

You may always seek counselling from the industry experts that are of both types, Free as well as Paid. Also, see:

• Can students apply for studying abroad on their own?
• Self Apply v/s Outside Agents
• Questions to ask your Study Abroad Consultant