myUface Blog

Every year, Grand Valley awards a limited number of International Merit Scholarships to incoming international students who have demonstrated an outstanding academic achievement record. The value of this scholarship is $5,000 per year.

All students who submit a complete application for admission by May 1 are eligible for this merit-based scholarship. In addition, students must write an essay of approximately 1,000 words on the following topic: “What will I do to bring cultural and international perspectives to Grand Valley that will enhance the learning environment for the entire GVSU community?”

Typically, qualified students have a minimum 3.0 grade point average, but decisions are based on academic credentials, the scholarship essay and information provided in the application materials. Transfer students from U.S. four-year colleges and universities, and students being fully funded by their government are not eligible.

Renewal: Undergraduate students must maintain a 2.85 grade point average, maintain full-time enrollment, and maintain valid immigration status. Graduate students must maintain a 3.0 grade point average, maintain full-time enrollment, and valid immigration status.

Here at myUface we just announced that we would send the information of students who finish their myUface application by December 31st to U.S. universities, for free.  This is an excellent opportunity for you to market yourself to a number of U.S. universities, and we encourage you to take advantage of it.

But this is not the only deadline that matters for international students, of course.  Every scholarship program, every university, every consulate has hard deadlines that you as an international student must meet, or your dream of studying abroad may not occur.

Tragically, every year hundreds – if not thousands – of talented international students miss out on great educational opportunities for the simple reason that they wait until the last minute to fill out their applications.  As a result, they miss deadlines, or submit poor application materials.

Conclusion?  One of the most important pieces of advice we can give you is this:  DON’T PROCRASTINATE.  “Procrastination” means putting off doing something important and doing something frivolous instead.  Generally speaking, we procrastinate because we feel nervous about a particular task, and rather than face that nervousness, we find something “easy” to do.  We tell ourselves that we can always do the more difficult task later.

Of course, the truth is, every day we wait to do that important task, it becomes harder and harder.  Soon, we find ourselves running out of time, and a task that would have been easy is suddenly difficult – or even impossible.

DON’T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU!!!  In May, we posted a list of some online information about procrastination and how to fight it.  You may find these resources useful now, as you look ahead to approaching deadlines.  Most importantly, realize that the easiest solution to procrastination is to JUST DO IT – just start working on what needs to be done.   I know it can be hard, but the results of hard work are worth it!

Let’s briefly go over the different information you’ll need in order to complete a profile on myUface.  When you first look at this list, you may think, Wow, that’s a lot of information! Remember that this is generally the same information you’d need to complete an application to a U.S. university independently, so you’ll need to collect it sometime.  It’s actually quite useful to be able to keep it all together in one place, online, here at myUface.

You don’t need all this information to start a profile, but you will need it in order to complete one.

User Name and Password: You’ll need to choose a user name and password.  Make sure it’s something you can remember easily.

Field of Study: Don’t worry too much about this.  A lot of students don’t know exactly what they’d like to study.  It does hep us, however, to know what subject you’re most interested in.

Biographical information: this is the easy stuff:  your name, date of birth, citizenship etc.  You’ll also need to input your passport data if you have a passport (if not, obviously you won’t be able to do so, and that’s OK!)

Contact information: Your telephone number, street address, etc.  Basically we want to know how we’d get a hold of you.  We also ask for your Skype name if you have a Skype account.

Academic Questions: What kind of university are you interested in?  What kind of program?  We want as much information as possible, so we can try to find a good fit for you as a student.

Family Information: We need some background information on your family.  We also ask in this section questions about what percentage of your educational costs your family is prepared to support.  Try to answer as accurately as possible.  There’s no “right” or “wrong” answer, but it’s a question universities will ask immediately.  This is a good point to remind everyone that myUface does not offer financial aid, although we certainly try to provide good advice on how to find some.

Academic History: You’ll need to prepare information, usually in the form of transcripts, that show how you’ve done in school up until this point.  You’ll also need recommendations from individuals, such as teachers, that know you and your strengths as a candidate.

Standardized Tests: The kind of tests you’ll need to take will depend on the kind of program in which you’re interested.  Generally speaking, for undergraduate students you’ll need SAT and TOEFL results.

Language Information: We’d like to know about your native language, about any other languages you speak, and a self-assessment of how well you speak those languages.

Extra Information:  Here we give you an opportunity to share other information that might be valuable to a university (such as any interest you have in sports).  We’re going to be updating this section very frequently, so please let us know your thoughts.

Go BACK to “Questions and Answers.”

Finding Financial Aid at Home

Over the past few days, we’ve been talking about looking for financial support for your education from inside you country – from the government, from businesses or foundations, and even from individuals.  Yesterday I wrote about why that makes sense.  But I imagine that many of you are still hesitant.  It’s one thing to apply for a scholarship from the United States.  The application process in that case is fairly impersonal.  The answer (yes or no) is sent to you in an envelope.

Asking someone in your community for support, however, is much more personal.  For one thing, you might know the person you’re asking.  For another, the chances that you’ll have to actually ask for support in a face-to-face setting are significantly higher.  I suspect this is part of the reason why international students are reluctant to look for support in their own countries.

But don’t fear!  Asking for support, even in a personal setting, is not as hard as it first seems.  Today I’m going to share three tips on how to ask for support.  Hopefully, these pieces of advice will make the experience less daunting.

How to Ask for Support:

1. Remember, you’re asking them to help you . . .but you’re also helping them. The institution or individual you’re asking for support gives scholarships for a reason.  If you’re going to be a good student who makes excellent use of their funds, you’re going to help them fulfill their own goals in offering scholarships.  So when you ask for support, you’re not a beggar asking for a handout.  You’re n equal a partner in a potential project.  Thinking of your request in this way may make you feel less awkward asking for support.
2. As I mentioned above, institutions or individuals who fund scholarships do so for a reason.  Take some time to consider what that might be. If they’re a business, they may want to train potential employees.  If they’re a government, they may want to train future civil servants.  If they’re an individual, they may want to give back to their communities.  If you can understand the motives behind their support, you can make sure you emphasize how you will do a good job in realizing their own goals.   For example, if you determine that an individual gives scholarships to individuals who he or she considers to be potential leaders, when asking for assistance you want to emphasize your leadership potential.
3. Be honest and straightforward. As difficult as it might be, you want to present your request as directly and honestly as possible.  Don’t spend an entire meeting talking about the weather, your friends, European football, and you favorite television shows, without asking for assistance.  The individuals who determine whether or not to give this kind of aid are, generally speaking, busy people, and you don’t want to waste their time.  So sometime soon after meeting them, let them know – in a polite way – that you’re interested in any support they may offer for scholarships.  Once you’ve done that, let them direct the conversation.

Let me know if these suggestions make sense to you, or if you have any questions.  If this subject interests students, we can do a more extensive series of posts.

Posts in this Series

1. Your Education is an Investment - 08 Jul
2. Researching Scholarship Opportunities - 07 Jul
3. How to Ask Questions About Financial Aid - 28 Jun
4. Ninth Option for Financial Aid: Loans - 27 Jun
5. The Difference Between Scholarships and Fellowships - 26 Jun
6. Eigth Option for Financial Aid: U.S. Universities - 25 Jun
7. Seventh Option for Financial Aid: Ethnic Communities in the United States - 24 Jun
8. Sixth Option for Financial Aid: Private Organizations in the U.S. - 23 Jun
9. Fifth Option for Financial Aid: U.S. Government Programs - 22 Jun
10. Fourth Option for Financial Aid: Scholarships from International Organizations - 20 Jun
11. How to Ask for Support (This post)
12. Looking for Support in Your Country: Why it Makes Sense - 17 Jun
13. Third Option for Financial Aid: Individuals in Your Country - 16 Jun
14. Second Option for Financial Aid: Private Businesses or Foundations in Your Country - 15 Jun
15. First Option for Financial Aid: Government Programs in Your Country - 14 Jun
16. The Third Step in Financial Aid: Find What's Available - 11 Jun
17. The Second Step In Financial Aid: Identify Your Assets - 10 Jun
18. The First Step In Financial Aid: Identify Your Needs - 09 Jun
19. Finding Financial Aid for your U.S. Education - 08 Jun

In the process of applying to a U.S. university, you’re going to be asked a number of questions – in essays, in interviews, and in the application – about your plans for the future.  The more time you spend seriously considering your goals and career plans, the better prepared you’ll be to answer these questions.

For that reason, I’m going to start a periodic series called “Three Questions.”  This will basically be an occasional post that asks – you guessed it – three questions designed to make you think about the world and your place in it.  By considering these questions in your free time, I hope you’ll be able to generate the kind of introspection that will help you on your essays, in your interviews, and throughout your application.

Each “question” will actually be a series of questions – one main question with a series of follow-ups.

Without further ado, here’s the first installment of “Three Questions:”

1. What is the biggest problem in your society? What, if anything, can an individual like yourself do to change it?  Is changing it something in which you are interested?  Why or why not?
2. What do you think is the proper balance between work and family life? In your culture, is it common for people to be more committed to their work or to their family?  Is it even possible to maintain a balance?
3. In sports, is it more important to win or to follow the rules? Why?

More Questions . . .

1. Three Questions - 29 Jun
2. Three Important Questions to Consider (This post)

Many international students interested in applying to a U.S. university don’t know when to start. In this post I want to give you the Summer portion of the standard timeline for applying. Following this schedule will give you plenty of time to prepare a successful application.

To make it more “real,” let’s assume that we’re a student who wants to start studying at a U.S. university in the fall of 2010. What do we need to do?

Let’s start with what we should start doing now

• we should be investigating universities in the U.S., and doing basic research about the programs that they offer.
• we should begin preparing for the SAT and TOEFL exams
• we should begin to think broadly about our career plans and our life goals
• we should make sure we get good grades in any courses we are taking at our high school

Over the summer, we should:

• If we feel ready, we should take the TOEFL.  Doing so will give us time to retake it if we get a poor score.
• We should make sure to register for the SAT.  In 2008, the SAT had administrations in October, November, and December – if we register for the October test, we give ourselves time to retake the test in December.
• Make a list of the top 10 universities you know you’re interested in.  Over the summer, learn as much as you can about their programs, with the goal of narrowing that list down to 5-7 universities by the end of the summer.  When you compile your list of universities, you should try to divide them into three groups:  one or two universities that you “dream” about, but may not get into; three or four universities that are very good fits for you, and that you have a good chance of getting into; and one or two “safety” schools, which may not be your top choice, but which you like and will almost certainly get into.

As Summer draws to a close, be sure to:

• Prepare letters or e-mails to the universities in which you’re interested.  You’ll need to ask for application materials.
• Finish your myuface online profile (available early summer).  This is like applying to hundreds of schools at once. And it’s free.
• Keep asking yourself the BIG questions:  what do you want to do in life?  How will studying at a U.S. university help your goals?  These questions are obviously important, but having good, well-thought-out answers will help immensely when it comes to writing essays.

These are the essential steps to take over the summer months to make sure you’re prepared to apply to U.S. universities.

Once a week, every Saturday, I will be putting out a podcast. The goal of the podcast will be to cover the  subjects of the week in audio form, with guests occasionally.

On the first podcast the  co-founders of myUface joined me to talk about the reasons why they think international students should study in the U.S. The first podcast is right here.

If you like the podcast and want us to answer one of your questions on it, please send me your questions at podcast@myuface.com.

Other Podcasts

1. Podcast: Asking Questions - 18 Jul
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 (This post)

So we’ve considered most of the advantages and disadvantages of going to the U.S. for your university education.  But you may still be having difficulty deciding if studying in the U.S. is the right decision.  In this final post, I will present three pieces of advice about how you should go about making the decision whether or not to study in the U.S. (or anywhere else, for that matter):

1. Remember, you won’t be studying at a university called “the U.S.”  You’ll be studying at one particular university in the U.S.  So please, do some research about individual universities.  DON’T think that every university in the U.S. will be more or less the same, because they AREN’T.  Until you bring real universities into your decision-making process, you won’t be making an informed decision at all.
2. Keep your options open. Remember, you don’t need to decide right now that, no matter what, you’re studying in the U.S.  You have should research different programs in many countries, including your own.  You may want to consider pursuing entrance into U.S. universities and, at the same time, applying to universities in other countries as well.
3. Find good advisers. Making the decision to study in the U.S. will be easier if you connect with people who are familiar with the U.S. system of education.  Find such people and develop a relationship with them. The right adviser can help answer all your most difficult questions and lead to a better decision. In your country, look for an Educational Advising Center.  On the internet, you need go no further that myUface.  Remember, you can always ask us questions and we will always give you the best advice we can!

The decision to study in another country is a daunting one, but it can be fun as well.  The options for international students are more diverse and exciting than ever before.  Consider all your options carefully, but always remember:  if you do your research, take your time, keep your options open, and find good advisers, you will find the perfect program for you!

SERIES:  Why study in the U.S.?

• April 20 – Introduction
• April 21 – Diversity at U.S. campuses
• April 22 – Value of U.S. degrees
• April 23 – The Facilities
  
• April 24 – Practical focus of U.S. education
• April 25 – Variety of U.S. programs
• April 26 – The supposed disadvantages of study in the U.S.: visas
  
• April 27 - The supposed disadvantages of study in the U.S.: cost
  
• April 28 - Some real disadvantages of study in the U.S.:  it might not help in your profession
• April 29 – Some real disadvantages of study in the U.S.: will you fit in “going back?”
• April 30 – Other disadvantages
• May 1 – So, should you study in the U.S.?

Here is a list of five other disadvantages to studying in the United States for you to consider:

1. Studying in the U.S. – or in any foreign country – involves adjusting to a new culture and way of thinking. Although this is an exciting challenge to overcome, and will positively shape your character and personality, it is nonetheless a difficult process.  For some students, it can take up to a year to fully adjust to their new environment.  For others, it can take days.  In either case, the adjustment process requires flexibility, perseverance, and mental toughness.
2. For most international students the United States is very far away from their home country.   Because of the time difference, organizing ways to connect with those in your native country can be challenging.
3. Similarly, the distance between you country and the U.S. will make it hard to travel home during short breaks in the Spring and Fall, or over the weekend; whereas if you studied closer to home, you could easily visit friends or family for short periods of time.
4. A huge benefit of U.S. university is that it provides a high quality education.  The flip side of that is that obtaining a U.S. degree is very challenging and requires hard work.  You will be challenged by professors and fellow students.  If you are looking for an easy path to a degree, this may not be it.
5. English, english, english, all the time.  Though studying in the U.S. can be a great way to perfect your spoken and written English, it can be difficult if you are not fully committed to learning the language.  Do you like English?  Do you really like English?

For Your Consideration:

Can you think of other disadvantages to studying in the U.S.?  If so, please share!

SERIES:  Why study in the U.S.?

• April 20 – Introduction
• April 21 – Diversity at U.S. campuses
• April 22 – Value of U.S. degrees
• April 23 – The Facilities
  
• April 24 – Practical focus of U.S. education
• April 25 – Variety of U.S. programs
• April 26 – The supposed disadvantages of study in the U.S.: visas
  
• April 27 - The supposed disadvantages of study in the U.S.: cost
  
• April 28 - Some real disadvantages of study in the U.S.:  it might not help in your profession
• April 29 – Some real disadvantages of study in the U.S.: will you fit in “going back?”
• April 30 – Other disadvantages
• May 1 – So, should you study in the U.S.?