Written by Damien Pitter
Mr. Pitter is a University Advisor at UWC ISAK Japan.
October marks the beginning of university application season in earnest.
It has been a busy semester so far with 50 colleges and universities coming to visit campus, presenting their schools to our students, and in many cases, interviewing prospective applicants. Some of our visitors have offered additional presentations to our students about such topics as understanding financial aid and the Davis scholarship, and writing the university essay. In addition, we were able to take a busload of students to Tokyo for the Kanto Plain College Fair, hosted this year at Hiroo Gakuen High School. These face-to-face meetings and presentations with university representatives are one of the best ways students can learn about university options and make an impression on the people who, very often, will be the ones reading their final applications.
Grade 12 students have been meeting with their respective University Advisors to finalize the list of universities they feel is the best fit for them and that they plan apply to. We have also been working with students to revise early drafts of their personal statements and essays.
On October 1, students intending to make an early application to university were the first to begin the official application process. In brief, here’s how the process works:
- Students fill in their online application for admission via Common App or individual university application
- Students seeking Financial Aid complete the CSS Profile, ISFAA or Certificate of Finances as specified by each university to which they are applying, applying for a fee waiver where appropriate
- Students complete their essay(s) and supplement(s) for their applications
- Students apply for application fee waivers, where appropriate
- Students make arrangements for testing scores to be sent to universities they are applying to
- Students use the Request University Advisor Action form to let University Advisors know to start assembling the supporting documentation for applications, including transcripts, school profile, and letters of recommendation
- Students use the Document Request from to request transcripts from the Registrar to be prepared and shared with University Advisors
- Students send their online application and pay their application fees, where applicable
- University advisors send supporting documents electronically, via Naviance, or by post where necessary
- *Note: Students applying for specific scholarships complete their scholarship applications or request nomination, if necessary, using the Request University Advisor Action form. Scholarship applications are often due before admission applications.
With the early admission and scholarship applications we have begun processing for 31 students, our application season has officially started.
While the Grade 12 students continue to refine their shortlist and complete applications, we encourage Grade 11 students to continue researching and learning about the options they might have after they graduate from UWC ISAK Japan.
