The last month of the year is typically one of the most stressful of the year for students preparing their college applications!
Therefore, I thought it might be helpful to check in for anyone looking to go overseas and make sure they know what they should be looking at.
Seniors
Let’s start with seniors. If you’re wanting to be in a foreign country studying for your degree some time this year, you need to be applying! Luckily, most, but not all, applications are due by January 31, so you’ve still got plenty of time to prepare. Remember that there are almost never supplements, and your overseas personal statement can often work for different universities.
In short, seniors, whether they missed their Early Decision mark or simply are a bit more slow moving than their classmates, still have plenty of time.
Juniors
So what about juniors? Now is the absolute best time to start planning for next year’s applications. The sweet spot is really any time from the beginning of junior year until February or so. That means that they still have plenty of time to prepare for the SAT or ACT, as well as make sure that they’re getting time to schedule visits to foreign campuses. Finally, don’t forget about your class schedule; now is the time to make sure that you’ve got to worry about AP, IB, or Dual Enrollment classes.
Sophomores
Unlike those going to university in the US, sophomores have it pretty easy. They should focus instead on figuring out exactly what they’re interested in studying (truthfully, this is good advice for juniors and seniors, too). Start reading and looking into ways to get some exposure to what they’d want to learn more about. If they feel so compelled, take an AP exam or try the ACT or SAT. Any of this prep that can be done now is just going to make life easier later.
We’ll have more details later for what students should do over the Winter Break, but the most important things right now, for everyone, are:
- Focus on mid-term exams
- Take care of their mental (and physical!) health
- Get ready for time with family*
*And feel free to use any of the above as an excuse to get away from that one obnoxious aunt. You know, the one you don’t particularly like, either.