If your plan is to go to college abroad, first of all you need to understand how the selection process at these universities works. Knowing the step-by-step process of this path is essential. Let’s understand how it works?
What is the Selection Process like?
The selection process to enter universities abroad, especially in the United States, Canada and England, goes far beyond a test. In these countries, institutions evaluate the student as a whole. The process involves several steps and takes into account different aspects of the candidate.
The most important point for these universities is to know the student in depth and make sure that their profile matches the profile of the institution so that they can be successful.
But be aware: requirements may vary from country to country and university to university, as well as the emphasis given to each stage. For example, extracurricular activities are very important in the United States, but in Canada they have little relevance and in England, they are practically not taken into consideration.
Below we will learn about all the steps you may encounter during the selection process for universities abroad:
School Records
In the selection process for a university abroad , one of the first aspects observed is the student’s academic record, which includes grades from the last four years of school.
A positive performance at this stage shows that you are serious about your studies and could become a good student at university. Significant improvements in recent years also please evaluators. This is a requirement taken into account by all universities. But it’s important to highlight that you don’t need to be the best student in your class to get into excellent American, Canadian and English universities.
SAT/ACT/ENEM scores
Like the ENEM, the SAT and ACT are standardized international tests that assess the student’s knowledge at the end of high school.
For a university abroad , especially in the United States, the SAT or ACT score was one of the main components of the selection process. However, currently many universities no longer require these tests, leaving them optional for the student, which is called Test-Optional. Still, taking these tests can contribute to a more competitive application.
It is important to remember that each university has its own standards for defining what a “good grade” is. Therefore, even though the tests are standardized, whether or not you are accepted depends on which institutions you apply to.
In Canada, many universities accept the ENEM score as one of the evaluation stages. It is always necessary to check with each chosen institution whether the Brazilian exam is accepted. In the United States and England, ENEM is still little used.
Again, getting an excellent grade on this exam helps a lot, but it doesn’t guarantee a place at the university you want. Abroad they believe that you are more than a note, remember? And there’s more: other candidates’ grades may be very similar to yours. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to all the criteria and steps that can differentiate you.
TOEFL/IELTS scores
The TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) and the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) are mandatory tests that measure a student’s proficiency and fluency in the English language.
For colleges in the UK, IELTS is recommended as it is a British test.
The TOEFL (which can be translated as Test of English as a Second Language) is applied to those who want to enter universities in the United States and Canada. There are two types of TOEFL, the IBT (done online) and the ITP (offline – done with paper and pen). Check out the differences between them here and try to decide which is the best option for you.
By achieving the minimum grade required by the university in this test, you demonstrate to the evaluators that you can follow classes in English and also that you are able to interact with teachers and students on a daily basis. Therefore, it is essential for your approval.
As each institution establishes a minimum score for this exam, check the requirements of the universities you intend to apply to.
Letters of Recommendation
Uncommon here in Brazil, letters of recommendation are very important in the selection process at universities in the United States. They need to be written by people who know you in depth, usually teachers and coordinators, and they must contain your qualities as a student and as a person.
They are the instrument that evaluators use to get to know the student from the point of view of those who worked directly with them during their career as a student. They are essential to help the university draw up your academic profile compared to other students in your class and see if it matches their profile.
Again, there is no single profile required or expected. Each institution seeks students who are more like them.
Extracurricular activities
Anyone who arrives to study at a university abroad is immediately faced with a multitude of extracurricular activities. And it is not for nothing. These institutions believe too much in learning outside the classroom.
Therefore, the extracurricular activities that you carry out or have carried out outside of class or school are very important in the selection process. After all, students engaged in different activities are more likely to succeed in this new atmosphere.
They also show the evaluators your interests, skills and experiences. All of this helps define who you are for them.
So, if you have ever been or are part of arts, music, sports, theater, dance groups, if you have ever participated in research, scientific competitions or volunteering, you should tell them everything. Be sure to describe the role you played in these activities. Leadership, engagement and proactivity are characteristics highly regarded by evaluators.
Essays
This is a fundamental piece in the puzzle that the university puts together to discover who you are. The Essays, or Essays , speak more directly to the institution about its personality. The themes are defined by each university’s evaluation panel, but keep in mind that you will always write about something personal.
It could be about what motivates you to choose that university. It can be about what inspires you in life, about important moments you’ve experienced, about your dreams, successes and mistakes, opportunities, achievements in your life.
In order for the panel to be able to assess whether your profile is similar to that of the university, you first of all need to know yourself very well, in addition to, of course, being sincere and authentic in your Essay and capturing attention from the beginning of the text.
But the most important thing is to present a very well written text (in English, of course), and with the structure they expect. Therefore, good preparation is essential.
Interviews
Some universities in the United States, generally the most competitive, also have an interview stage. It is written in English by a representative of the institution and has the same purpose as the essays: to get to know the student better.
As they are more competitive institutions, the Admissions Department may want to know more about some students and will seek information in this interview that has not yet appeared in the application process. It is the last stage of the evaluation and is used by the panel when they need to decide between very similar candidates. They use the interview to check whether the essays really match who the student is.
Portfolios
This is a requirement only for students applying for Arts-related courses, such as fashion, fine arts, design, architecture, dance, cinema, music and theater. Colleges ask students to submit a portfolio of their best work. The objective is to assess whether the student has the technique and talent for that specific activity.