2. Agenda
• Speaker Introduction
• American Colleges
• Finding the right school
• How to be accepted
• Essay writing tips
• Timelines
• Q&A Session
3. Speakers’ Bio- Alex Grove
Education Background
• Wharton MBA (Dean’s List)
• UPenn MA, Lauder Institute (Conti Group Scholarship)
• Harvard MA
• Harvard BA (John Harvard Scholarship, Magna cum Laude)
Work Experience
• Partner – AKAD Education Group
• Associate – Morgan Stanley Special Situations Group
(Hong Kong)
• Senior Consultant – Monitor Group (Beijing)
4. Speakers’ Bio-Darryl Martin
Education Background
• University of Wisconsin Law School Juris Doctor (JD)
• Cambridge University MA Law
• Cambridge University BA Law (Honours)
• University of Notre Dame BA Economics and East Asian
Studies-Chinese (Magna cum Laude)
Work Experience
• Partner – AKAD Education Group
• Associate – McDermott Will & Emery Law Firm (Chicago,
Shanghai)
5. Agenda
• Speaker Introduction
• American Colleges
• Finding the right school
• How to be accepted
• Essay writing tips
• Timelines
• Q&A Session
6. World leading academic environment
There are more Nobel
Prize winners from
American colleges than
anywhere else in the
world
7. Flexible culture
• Focus of education is on
learning life skills, not
learning facts
• Students are encouraged to
actively make their own
decisions
• Students have a lot of
choices
• Majors are easy to change
8. Exciting campus life
Activities include:
• Sports
• Conferences
• Theater
• Non-profits
• Socializing
• Etc.
9. Agenda
• Speaker Introduction
• American Colleges
• Finding the right school
• How to be accepted
• Essay writing tips
• Timelines
• Q&A Session
11. How to choose schools
Difficulty
Career Placement Foreign Resources
Campus Culture Brand Name
Majors Location
12. Agenda
• Speaker Introduction
• American Colleges
• Finding the right school
• How to be accepted
• Essay writing tips
• Timelines
• Q&A Session
13. Components of an application
Interview
It is important to plan in
Recommendations advance
Personal statements
Application forms
Transcripts
SAT and other exams
14. How schools make decisions (Process)
• Good scores (GPA, SSR, TOEFL, SAT)
Grades and Scores
• Good written application
App. Story
• Good written application
Interview
15. How schools make decisions (Concepts)
ou r
eally
like Are you
smart?
Do y (Grade
ool? nts) s, test
ou r sch teme
scores
)
sta
s onal
(Per
Competence
Commitment Culture
py
hap
)
ents
Will you
contribu eel ona
l sta
tem
to the sc
hool? (P te
ersonal Will
you f
hoo
l? (P
ers
stateme
nts) ur sc
at o
16. Understanding the Admissions Committee
Adcom members read
hundreds and hundreds
of applications
– Overwhelmed
– Impatient
– Bored
17. Agenda
• Speaker Introduction
• American Colleges
• Finding the right school
• How to be accepted
• Essay writing tips
• Timelines
• Q&A Session
18. You should write about whatever you care about
•Admissions officers
are bored
•They want an
interesting essay that
reveals your true self
•Anything you care
deeply about is a good
topic…
19. But there are some topics you should avoid
• Gender
• Culture
• Race
• Sexuality
• Politics
• Etc…
20. Agenda
• Speaker Introduction
• American Colleges
• Finding the right school
• How to be accepted
• Essay writing tips
• Timelines
• Q&A Session
21. When to Apply?
Application Deadline
Earlier Later
No
Early action Rolling Regular
Commitment
Single
Early action
Early decision
Yes
22. Application timeline
May July
SAT 1 SAT 2
School List
Essay Topics
June August
PS Draft PS Draft 2
Recommendations
October-November
Reg Application Due
September December
Early Decision Due SAT 2 (retake)
Finalize school list
