- By Abby
Based on experience working in college admission, and primarily reviewing and assessing applications from students abroad, there are a few common pitfalls highly selective schools would see. The application components and process to competitive schools in the U.S., where they practice holistic application review, a process taking into account all aspects of the application, instead of just grades and test scores, often feels unfamiliar to students applying abroad. Here are five things to avoid when thinking about your application:
1. Treating the application like an academic resume
International students often assume that the goal when applying to U.S. colleges is to demonstrate academic excellence as clearly as possible: grades, exam scores, awards, competitions, etc. Given how U.S. admission is much more holistic, admission officers are also trying to understand how a student thinks, assess what they care about, learn about their background, understand how they spend their time, and gauge what they might contribute to a campus community. It is important applicants don’t just show what they’ve accomplished academically, but rather demonstrate how the experiences have shaped who they are.
Key takeaway: Don’t just name what you accomplished; show what those accomplishments reveal about you.
2. Crafting a college essay that sounds impressive but doesn’t sound personal
This happens frequently with students who have been trained to write in a highly formal academic style. If the college essay isn’t something that stumps you at first, then you are probably using the wrong writing style. Often students are unfamiliar with how to write with their personal voice and are more comfortable using their academic voice. As a result, the essay becomes a polished account of accomplishments, intellectual interests, family expectations, or challenges—but the reader doesn’t really get a sense of the person behind the story. Sometimes students also write what they think an American college wants to hear rather than writing authentically about an experience that genuinely mattered to them.
Key takeaway: Your personal statement should sound like a thoughtful teenager, not a university brochure or a professional biography.
3. Focusing too heavily on prestige
Students applying from outside the U.S. can understandably approach the process with a list of famous American universities in mind. But sometimes the college list becomes a ranking exercise rather than a fit exercise. There’s a misconception that admission to a highly selective U.S. university automatically represents the “best” outcome. When, in actuality, the “best” outcome should be measured with the best “fit”. Given that the U.S. college experience is a lot more than just getting a degree, and taking classes, finding the right atmosphere that fits the students social, emotional, professional, financial, and personal needs is key. For example, many students will have both Stanford University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on the same list, and these two schools are incredibly different in terms of academic, social, and personal experience. Taking the time to learn about the unique experience on each campus, and reflect on what would be optimal for the student – regardless of prestige, is an important start.
Key takeaway: Build a thoughtful list based on academic interests, institutional characteristics, community, location, financial considerations, and the student’s own priorities—not just rankings or name recognition.
4. Assuming the admission officer understands your activities and involvement
International students sometimes assume that extracurricular activities need to resemble the U.S. model of school clubs, varsity sports, student government, etc. But students outside the U.S. may have very different opportunities—or fewer formal extracurricular structures. Avoid using confusing acronyms that make sense to you, but are largely unfamiliar to the reader, and as a result leave the activity feeling ambiguous. An admissions officer is much more interested in how a student uses the opportunities available to them than whether those opportunities have familiar American labels.
Key takeaway: Don’t manufacture activities to look American. Explain what you actually do, why you do it, and the commitment or impact behind it.
5. Overemphasizing that you want to go to X school for the location, rather than the fit
Colleges and universities want to admit students who they think are the right fit for their institution. A common characteristic that students point to being desirable is the location. In some cases it is appropriate to indicate that the location of Washington D.C., for example, is desirable for the development of your interest in foreign policy, per say. However, this tactic is heavily overused, and feels generic. It should be a small part of the reason for your interest, as schools have unique student experiences and want to see that applicants have taken the time to explore those aspects of student life.
Key takeaway: If your “why us” essay overly points to the location, it is a missed opportunity to demonstrate a real desire to join the dynamic and diverse campus communities that schools spend so much time defining and celebrating.
Overall, U.S. colleges and universities are dedicated and eager to enroll dynamic and diverse students from all over the world. Admission teams are most interested in authentic lived experiences and understand that the opportunities and customs across different cultures look different. Given the difference in admission review in the U.S., with an emphasis on holistic evaluation, rather than pure academic merit, these five tips can be helpful reminders in how best to approach the application process as an international student.
