Open-minded UK students explore US universities

This year’s US Summer School programme has already hosted three residentials. The first residential included the interviews that helped to select the 150 participants (out of 200 finalists) for the programme; the second one, which was my first experience of the programme, helped the students finish preparing for the American College Testing (ACT) and supervised them taking the exam.

I just got back from the third residential which was a fantastic experience. This 3-day event, hosted at Imperial College, London, was focused on an “admissions and university boot camp” and explained everything from the best ways to write American-style application essays, to international student financial aid and from how to get the most out of university campus visit to the definition of a liberal arts college.

My role was both to support the Fulbright Commission staff with the logistics of the event and to lead a team of 8 students in smaller break-out discussions about American colleges and the students’ own goals and aspirations. Drawing on my experiences as a tour guide, an educational advisor, and former NACAC intern, I also presented to the full group about how to make the most out of a college visit and tour on the programme’s upcoming trip to visit American colleges.

I especially relished my time informally chatting with my students about the many facets of American higher education and admissions and was constantly impressed by how quickly they were catching on to the complexities and nuances of the American system.

I was also amazed by how passionate the Sutton Trust US students were for learning more about the American-style liberal arts curriculum. In the US, students do not specialiaze until later in their university career. Many of the students were eager to hear that they could continue with all of the subjects they love and try so many new ones through the US system.

Overall, this weekend, my passion for higher education access has deepened further and my love for a full liberal arts curriculum, which I often take for granted, was rekindled by my students. I can’t wait for the students to see American universities and colleges when we visit America in a month’s time!

This post has been adapted from the blog of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC).