myUface Blog

OK, folks, get ready.  Today we’re going to a state that most international students aren’t even thinking about:  Alaska.

But why aren’t they thinking about it?  Do they know that Alaska is the largest state?  That it certainly is one of the most beautiful states?  That it has a modern city as its capitol?  Or that it has more than 6,000 miles of coastline, more than the entire continental United States?  Or that, like every other U.S. state, it has great universities that are looking for international students?

No?  Well, put on your shorts and t-shirts (Alaska is warm in the summer, folks), and let’s head up the great north!

Activities

Alaska is a paradise for those who love outdoor adventure.  There are, of course, your normal outdoor activities:  hiking, fishing, camping, etc.  But why stop there?  Try whale watching, glacier-hiking, sea kayaking, or dog sledding.  The vastness and variety of Alaska’s natural landscape means that you can engage in practically any outdoor activity . . . well, OK, maybe not surfing.  If you’re an indoors sort of person, um, let’s see . . . OK, maybe it’s not the state for you.  There are some historic sites, and wonderful opportunities to experience native culture, and the culture of Russian settlers.  Also, many of Alaska’s outdoor wonders are easily accessible in cars, so if you’re not the adventurous type you can still experience the beauty of Alaska.

Extracurricular activities

With an abundance of natural beauty, you shouldn’t be surprised if many of Alaska’s universities have every possible kind of wilderness club.  Alaska is also a natural place to practice photography, painting, or other visual arts.  Snowboarding and skiing are also common extracurricular activities.  If you’re interested in biology or other natural sciences, you can expect a lot of activity in that sphere as well.

Social Activities

Friends, I’m not going to lie to you.  I was not able to locate much information on social life at Alaska’s campuses.  Judging from student reviews, however, social life isn’t too bad, coming in with a C+ grade.  They must be doing something fun, even if I can’t figure out what it is.  I’m sure they have all the normal student activities (parties, dances, concerts, etc.), and besides, there’s too much to do outside!

Tourist Sites

OK, quick exercise.  Guess how many national parks are located in Alaska.  If you guessed “10,” you’re wrong, on the low side.  Alaska has a whopping sixteen national parks.  I won’t list them all here – you can see them via this link for yourself.   Worth special mention is DeNali National Park, home to North America’s tallest mountain.  You could live in Alaska all your life, traveling to a natural tourist site every weekend, and not see all there is to see.  IT IS THAT BIG, PEOPLE!

Weather

OK, it’s impossible to sum up the weather in Alaska.  It would be just as hard as talking about the weather in the United States.  But a few quick points:

1. It’s not as cold as you think.  Some regions in Alaska actually have fairly mild winters, with daytime temperatures above freezing, even in the winter
2. The amount of sunlight is very high in the summer months, and very low in the winter months.  Most of the populated part of Alaska gets about 6 hours of nighttime in the summer, and 18 hours of daylight (the opposite is true in the winter).

Other than that, you’re going to need to read about it yourself.

Cost of Living

The cost of living in Anchorage, Alaska is 33% less than in New York; salaries are only 5% less than in New York.  Source is here.

Notable Universities

Here is Wikipedia’s list of Alaska’s universities.

Posts in this Series

1. Choosing a University in the U.S.: North Dakota - 12 Sep
2. Choosing a University in the U.S.: Minnesota - 12 Aug
3. Choosing a University in the U.S.: Alaska (This post)
4. Choosing a University in the U.S.: Utah - 24 Jul
5. Choosing a University in the U.S.: Colorado - 21 Jul
6. New myUface Guide and New Series - 20 Jul

One of the criteria most universities will use to evaluate you is “leadership potential.”  A common problem people have – not just international students – is that they think of “leadership” in a very narrow way.  This can hurt you when you’re trying to think about how you might be a leader.  I want to talk today about what it means to be a leader, and hopefully show you how you do have leadership potential, even if you don’t match the “traditional” image of a leader.

And what is that traditional image?  In the popular imagination, leaders generally come up with great ideas and convince other people (followers) to help them implement the idea.  The generally command others.  This image of leadership has led more than one international student to write things like this on their application essays:  “I’m good at being a leader, because I like telling other people what to do and making them understand the right thing.”

That is not what universities see as “leadership potential.” So what can you do to show you are a leader?

The modern study of leadership is a very broad and popular topic.  There are a zillion books published on the subject.  These books have all come to different conclusions, but they all agree that the popular image of a leader – someone in a position of authority who comes up with a great idea and makes others follow – is not, in fact, a good one.

Instead, the trend today is towards a different version of leadership, in which a leader doesn’t come up with a good idea, so much as he or she listens to others and helps them harness their own potential.  The verbs associated with this are not verbs like “command,” “tell,” or “motivate;” they’re more like “collaborate,” “empower,” and “enlist.”   It’s less about imposing your own vision, and more about recognizing the vision of others.

If you’re interested in reading about the evolving theory of leadership, one of the best ways is to visit The Leadership Challenge, a website based on the best-selling book of the same name.

The main thing I want you to take away from this post, however, is this:  if you are asked in an essay or interview to talk about a time when you showed leadership potential,  do not think of a time when you made a group of people do what you want.  Instead, think of a time when you helped a group of people do what they want.  If you do that, you’ll be much closer to the idea of leadership most Americans hold today.

Great question today about myUface.  A student wrote to ask when the site would be fully operational.  He notes that we had mentioned before that it might be ready by the middle of July.  So, he wonders, what’s going on?

Great question.  Right now at myUface we are focused on two things:

1)  Completing the site so that it’s useful for students and easy to use.

2)  Reaching out to universities to partner with us.

I’ll be totally honest:  both are taking longer than we’d planned.  But not so much longer than we planned.  I would say you can expect to see a fully functional site sometime in the next few weeks.  And sometime soon after than you can expect universities to begin using myUface to meet international students.

In the meantime, please, keep reading the blog, keep researching universities, and keep thinking about your career goals.

Moving to the state neighboring Colorado, let’s investigate the very much under-appreciated state of Utah (full disclosure:  I was born in Vernal, Utah, so I am a little biased).

Activities

Like Colorado, Utah has a very diverse array of activities, many of which are based in the outdoors.    It is a hiker’s paradise, with several national parks and thousands and thousands of miles of trails.  There are also opportunities to ski, mountain-bike, fish, kayak . . . the list goes on and on and on.  For more information, visit the Utah travel site.

Extracurricular activities

You can expect to find many clubs providing opportunities to explore Utah’s wonderful wilderness.  Because of Utah’s unique religious heritage, many extracurricular activities exist to serve local communities, and for public service and volunteerism in general.  Sports are also a key interest for many students.  Aside from the “normal” sports, Utah’s universities might offer some additional opportunities, like horseback riding, rock climbing, and so on.

Social Activities

The majority of Utah’s population is made up of adherents to the Mormon religion, which frowns on the use of certain substances, such as alcohol.  As a result, the social atmosphere on Utah’s campuses is a little different form that on most U.S. university campuses (NOT better or worse – just different!).  Salt Lake City is the only “major” city in the State, and it has all the major amenities.  Again, though, the level of what we might call “hard-core” partying is lower than in most cities because of the religious tradition of the state.

Tourist Sites

Utah has no less than six major national parks or monuments, all of which are unbelievably beautiful.  In fact, I’ll come right out and say it:  in terms of natural beauty, Utah is the best state in the union.  Don’t believe me?  Just go to the websites for Zion, Arches, Canyonlands, Bryce Canyon, or Capitol Reef National Parks or Dinosaur National Monument.  If you want to experience natural beauty, you can’t go wrong with Utah.

Utah also has a number of wonderful ski resorts.  If you’re interested in dinosaurs or biology in general, Dinosaur National Monument is one of the world’s greatest repositories of prehistoric fossils.  Finally, Salt Lake City’s Mormon temple is a monument to one of the world’s fastest-growing religions.

Weather

Utah has two main climates:  it’s dry, desert climate, which covers most of the state; and a cooler, very unpredictable climate in Utah’s various mountain ranges.  Temperatures are extreme, with very cold winters and very hot summers.

Here’s a long, very detailed summary from Utah’s state climatologists.

Cost of Living

The cost of living in Salt Lake City, Utah is 44% less than in New York; salaries are 29% less than in New York.  Source is here.

Notable Universities

Here is Wikipedia’s list of Utah’s universities.

Posts in this Series

1. Choosing a University in the U.S.: North Dakota - 12 Sep
2. Choosing a University in the U.S.: Minnesota - 12 Aug
3. Choosing a University in the U.S.: Alaska - 31 Jul
4. Choosing a University in the U.S.: Utah (This post)
5. Choosing a University in the U.S.: Colorado - 21 Jul
6. New myUface Guide and New Series - 20 Jul

Often, we think of international students as young people, often just out of high school.  This profile of an international student at The University of South Carolina Upstate reminds us that international students can come from all age groups:

Andy believes his biggest accomplishment as an international student has been having his family here with him on his venture.  Andy is thirty-six years old, married to his wife Ellen and the father of two daughters, ages four and two.  On the weekends he and his family enjoy hiking in the Appalachian Mountains and dining on Russian, Asian, German and Italian cuisines prepared by Andy who has a passion for cooking.  Andy and his wife are teaching their daughters to speak Russian, German and English.

This is a good reminder to all of us that international students can be older than 20; that they can have children and families; that they can have careers; and that they can be interested in things other than a traditional, four-year undergraduate program.

If you’re reading this blog and you’re an older professional who’s always dreamed of studying in the U.S., hey, it’s never too late!

We begin our look at choosing a university in specific U.S. states with my home state, Colorado.

Activities

Colorado has a very diverse array of activities, many of which are centered on the Rocky Mountains, which roughly divide the state into two parts:  the eastern plains and the western, mountainous slopes.  If you like the outdoors and activities in them, Colorado is going to be a great place to study.  Hiking, biking, skiing, fishing, rafting, birdwatching, nature photography, camping, snowboarding, ice skating – the list is almost endless.

Extracurricular activities

Because of the wonderful natural setting of many of Colorado’s universities, there are a number of clubs that encourage students to involve themselves in the great outdoors.  In addition, clubs or volunteer groups that seek to protect or preserve the environment are very common.  Finally, because many students partake of an active lifestyle, sports are very much a large part of most students’ experience.

Social Activities

Many of Colorado’s universities are situated in medium-large sized towns such as Boulder, Fort Collins, Greeley or Colorado Springs.  Because these towns are somewhat dependent on their student populations, there will tend to be a large amount of student-oriented bars, clubs, and other businesses, serving to create good opportunities for a healthy social life.

Denver, the capitol, is a fairly large city.  It lacks the size and frenzy of mega cities like New York or L.A., but does have many, if not all, of the same amenities (clubs, mega-malls, stadiums for concerts, etc.)

Tourist Sites

The number one tourist site by far in Colorado is Rocky Mountain National Park.  The other main tourist attractions in Colorado are the ski resorts.  There are a number of other national parks and wonders to be seen, including ancient native american dwellings at Mesa Verde.  If you love natural beauty, you could spend years in Colorado and not even scratch the surface.

Weather

Colorado has a reputation for crazy weather.  It’s one of the few places on earth where it can be hot and sunny one hour and cold and snowy the next.  If you like predictability in your weather, Colorado is probably not for you.  Overall, though, the weather is quite good:  hot in the summer and cold in the winter, but without much humidity, with long falls and winters.  Here’s the summary from the Colorado Climate Center.

Cost of Living

One quick note on how I’ll be providing this information:  I’m going to use New York City, one of the most expensive places in the U.S. (and the world), as a baseline.  I’ll then tell you:

a)  how much less it costs to live in another place; and

b)  how much less employers pay

I’m including the data on employer’s pay because it gives you an idea of the overall quality of life there.  If, for example, the cost of living is 10% less but the average salaries are 25% less, it probably means people living in that location have a lower standard of living than in New York (at least in financial terms).  If, on the other hand, the cost of living is 25% less but people make only 10% less, the standard of living is probably higher than in New York.  Does that make sense?  If not, let me know.  Anyway, onto the data for Colorado.

The cost of living in Denver, Colorado is 39% less than in New York; salaries are 12% less than in New York.

Notable Universities

Here is Wikipedia’s list of Colorado universities.

Posts in this Series

1. Choosing a University in the U.S.: North Dakota - 12 Sep
2. Choosing a University in the U.S.: Minnesota - 12 Aug
3. Choosing a University in the U.S.: Alaska - 31 Jul
4. Choosing a University in the U.S.: Utah - 24 Jul
5. Choosing a University in the U.S.: Colorado (This post)
6. New myUface Guide and New Series - 20 Jul

I’m pleased to announce the release of our newest international student guide, “Looking for a University in the United States:  A myUface Guide.”

The guide is based on a series from May, with some editing and some additional material included.  Donwload it, share it, comment on it, draw on it, rip and up and use it to stuff your pillow . . . whatever!

Also, starting today, we’ll be elaborating on the guide by taking a state by state look at universities, using the guide’s criteria for evaluating universities.  In other words, we won’t be looking at rankings, academics, etc; but rather at other factors like climate, tourist sites, nightlife, etc.

Obviously, since there are fifty states, the series will take at least fifty posts.  In between I’ll still want to talk about other things, like applications, interviews, etc. – so my goal is to finish by the end of 2009.

I hope you’ll join me for the journey!

We’ll start tomorrow – Tuesday – with my birth state, beautiful Utah.

Posts in this Series

1. Choosing a University in the U.S.: North Dakota - 12 Sep
2. Choosing a University in the U.S.: Minnesota - 12 Aug
3. Choosing a University in the U.S.: Alaska - 31 Jul
4. Choosing a University in the U.S.: Utah - 24 Jul
5. Choosing a University in the U.S.: Colorado - 21 Jul
6. New myUface Guide and New Series (This post)

Many international students wonder, why do universities give scholarships?

In an attempt to answer that question, I want to speak about the source of scholarships, and the larger context in which they are created.  I hope that, by understanding where scholarships come from, international students might have an easier time applying for scholarship support.

Usually, universities give scholarships because they have been asked to do so by particular donors to the university.  Those donors might be individuals, often alumni of the university, who want to create a way for underpriveleged students to study at the university.  The donors might be large corporations or philanthropic foundations, that want to acheive a particular goal – such as giving back to the community that supports them – through establishing financial support for students from a particular area or in a particular field.  Finally, in some cases, the donors are local, state or federal governments that want to establish programs whereby certain kinds of students are enabled to go to a university.

In any case, a scholarship is established when one of these donors gives the university money, and directs them to use it to support students studying at the university.  For example, I might give $1 million dollars to my alma mater, Pomona College, and tell them, “Please use this $1 million to support 3 scholarships per year to students studying English literature who come from Massachusetts and are of native american descent.”  The university can either accept my gift on my terms, and administer the scholarship, or they can say, “You know what?  We’re not really interested in having that kind of scholarship.  Sorry.”  Sometimes, donors administer their scholarships directly, without working with a university (this is the case with the Soros Foundation, for example).

In any event, these scholarship gifts are part of a broader movement, called philanthropy, that seeks to improve society through private (i.e., non-governmental) action.  The word “philanthropy” comes from ancient Greek, and it means, roughly, “Love of Mankind.”  Philanthropists are those that donate their time or their money to change the world in a way that they see as better.  So, in the above example, I might say to myself, “You know, a problem with the world is that there aren’t enough native americans from Massachusetts who get the chance to study English at Pomona College.”  I would then use my resources – in this case, money – to try to address that problem via a scholarship.

What does this mean for you?  Well, when you are applying to a particular scholarship, remember that it was created for a particular purpose – to address some wrong in the world. Ask yourself, what is the purpose of this scholarship?  And let me give you a hint:  the purpose is not, “So that YOU can go to a U.S. university.”  You need to find  scholarships that has a purpose that overlaps with your own goals and ambitions, and apply to them.  When you do, remember, the scholarship is not about you. It’s about the intentions of the donor, and his or her plan to change the world for the better.

By keeping that in mind – by remembering the source of scholarship funds – you should be able to write better scholarship applications.

The podcast returns from a long hiatus to talk about when and how you should ask questions during the process of applying to U.S. universities.

Speaking of questions, if you have any for the podcast, let us know at podcast@myuface.com.

Other Podcasts

1. Podcast: Asking Questions (This post)
2. Podcast: Give Yourself Time To Complete Your Application - 13 Jun
3. Podcast: What to Do if your Application is not Accepted - 06 Jun
4. Podcast - The View from Albania - 23 May
5. Podcast: University Rankings - 16 May
6. Podcast: Timeline for Applying to a U.S. University - 09 May
7. The Inaugural myUface Podcast - 02 May

In this week’s mailbag I’ll respond to two different questions, the first about visa problems and the second about the myUface podcast.

1)  A student writes to ask if there are “lists” that U.S. Embassies maintain of people who are ineligible to get student visas, and why.

The short answer is, “I don’t know.”  I assume that there are lists that consulates keep of people who are ineligible.  For example, if you lie in a visa interview and are caught lying, your name might be added to a list that lets the consulate know they need to check all future visa applications with a special eye.  But how large are these lists?  Are they formal documents?  How do you get on and off them?  These are questions I just don’t know the answers to, unfortunately.

The only lists we know exist are those that exist for very special circumstances.  For example, there almost certainly is a list of terrorist suspects.  In some cases, student visas may be delayed because a student’s name is the same as or close to the name on such a list.  Another example of this are lists of alleged war criminals from the Balkan wars of the 1990s.  Again, this is just a list of names, but the process of checking these lists can, in certain cases, delay visas for students.

In general, though, you don’t need to worry about these kind of lists or whether you’re on them.  So long as you tell the truth in your visa documents and interview, there’s no reason why you’d ever end up on such a list, even if your application were denied.

2)  Another student writes and asks, “What happened to the podcast?” Good question.  The podcast is alive and well, but we haven’t put out a new episode as we’ve been focused on developing the full myUface students site (it’s only a few weeks away now) and researching other topics, like financial aid.  But I promise, a new podcast is coming soon.

Remember, if you have any questions you’d like answered on the blog, leace us a comment or e-mail us at blog@myuface.com.