1. APPLYING TO AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES Dr Jon Tabbert Founder and CEO, Jon Tabbert Associates

2. AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES Is American university right for all students? Where to start the process What are American universities looking for? How do they make the application decision? Priorities OVERVIEW

3. IS AMERICAN UNIVERSITY RIGHT FOR ALL STUDENTS? Not Appropriate for Medicine, Law, Vet. Science or Dentistry Not Right if you Want Only One Subject US degree programme is 1/3 Major, 1/3 Electives & 1/3 General Education: maths/science, humanities, social science, arts NO!

4. IDENTIFYING UNIVERSITIES: WHERE TO START THE PROCESS – WITH YOURSELF! 4000+ universities gives you plenty of choice anywhere in the country Consider: ReputationCompetitiveness LocationState versus Private Physical Setting2 year versus 4 year Co-Ed versus Single SexCost/Financial Aid

5. WHAT ARE AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES LOOKING FOR? They Want to Make a Match Why? Ultra Selectivity of US “Top Tiers”

6. DIFFERENCES IN THE APPLICATION PROCESS In Britain: application process is centralised In US: you apply to each individual university In Britain: apply for specific course In US: apply to university as a whole

7. WHAT FACTORS DO US UNIVERSITIES USE GCSE subjects & grades; AS subjects & grades; A Level predictions; IB predictions; Pre-U predictions The SAT Reasoning Test & Subject Tests/ACT Teacher references Extra-curricular activities & leadership Essays “The Gatekeepers” – grades & SAT WHEN MAKING THE ADMISSIONS DECISION?

8. TIMELINES APPLICATION PLANS Regular Decision – apply by 1 st January; decision on 1 st April; accept/reject decision by 1 st May Early Decision – apply by 1 st November; decision by 15 th December. This is a Binding Plan. Early Action – apply by 1 st November; decision by 15 th December. This is a Non-Binding plan. You need not accept/reject until 1 st May. US Academic Year: September May Fall: September December Spring: January May

9. ISSUES FOR BRITISH EDUCATED STUDENTS The SAT Subject Tests – how do they match with A Levels? Timing of SAT – when to take which tests? When to start the entire entry process?

10. PRIORITIES Lower Sixth – begin to research universities; register for an SAT/ACT sometime during the year; stay active with extra- curricular activities; speak with teachers about reference letters; obtain great exam results! The Summer – use the summer in a constructive fashion: SAT/ACT prep; an internship; work placement; more university research Upper Sixth – register for SAT/ACT; open accounts with common application/specific universities; re-open conversations with teachers; begin to complete applications to meet deadlines; sit SAT/ACT – TOEFL if needed

11. FINANCIAL MATTERS Most universities do not offer financial assistance to international students Tuition/room & board fees can vary considerably: - IVY LEAGUE = $50,000 + p.a. - LARGE STATE = $35,000 + p.a. - SMALL STATE = $25,000 + p.a.

12. FOR MORE INFORMATION… Jon Tabbert Associates 14-16 Waterloo Place | London | SW1Y 4AR www.jontabbert.com jon.tabbert@dukeseducation.com Tel: +44 (0)20 7491 8085