International students have to face many challenges when they come to the United States to study. In fact, there are times when even getting into a school poses a challenge, even if the student is very good at academics. This is because the application process in the United States is very detailed, which is quite different from the application processes for college in other countries.
In India, for example, all you have to do is take the “mark sheet” from your standardized exam at the end of 12th grade to the college you want to go to, and if your score meets the cutoff mark, you’re admitted. This is quite different from how the process works in the United States where your grades from the past couple of years, your SAT scores, recommendations from your teachers, your personal essay and your extracurricular activities are all considered before you’re admitted.
A Private School Will Help International Students Get into College
One way for an international student to prepare themselves for college in the US is to go to a private school where they will be encouraged to develop all the essentials for college admission.
Academics
At a private school, an international student will, of course, receive a comprehensive education.
Recommendations
They’ll also get to know their teachers well and will be able to get the recommendations required at the end of their time at the school.
Writing
They’ll develop their writing skills which will help them when it comes to the personal essay (which is very important when it comes to college admissions).
Extracurricular Activities
They’ll also be encouraged to participate in the extracurricular activities which interest them the most—sports, music, art etc.
In order to get into a good school in the United States, you need to be a renaissance person. And as we know, people during the renaissance (the most famous example being Leonardo da Vinci) were proficient at a number of different things rather than just focusing on one thing. This is something that a student at a private school will be encouraged to do.
A Private School Will Prepare International Students for a College Education
Going to a private school will also prepare an international student for the type of academic work they’ll have to do in college.
Reading
The student will be exposed to classics as well as contemporary writers. They’ll do quite a bit of reading which will prepare them for the amount of reading they’ll have to do in college. They’ll understand how to interpret and understand texts.
Writing
They’ll also learn how to write papers about texts. How do you come up with a thesis and present proof in favor of that thesis? They’ll learn to be independent thinkers, but they’ll also learn how to present their views in a favorable way in an academic environment.
Testing
They’ll learn how American colleges test students and how to prepare for these tests.
Background
They’ll also get a good background in whatever they’re interested in doing in college. For example, if they want to study English literature, they’ll find that by going to a private school, they’ll already have a strong background in English literature which will help them in studying more in college.
So basically going to college in the United States will not come as that much of a shock to an international student who has gone to a private school. They will be conversant with how the academic system works. Plus, they’ll also have more experience mingling with Americans and other international students. So they’ll be more comfortable with the social environment when they enter college.
Contact us for more great reasons why international students should consider going to private school.