Roles and Responsibilities in the University Admissions Process

As students settle into the first term of this school year, we wanted to let you know about happenings in the University Advising Centre.  We have already had several visits from representatives of Canadian, US and UK universities.  The visits were well-attended and Grade 11 students are starting to learn more about the different academic offerings in different countries.  Upcoming assemblies to Grade 9 and 10 will highlight the factors that universities consider when selecting applicants and what younger high school students should be doing as they look ahead to university.  An introductory assembly for Grade 11 this month will be followed by a talk in early October by Jeremiah Quinlan, Admissions Dean of Yale-NUS College here in Singapore, on “Why Go to University?” which should spark some interesting conversation around the dinner table.

It is worthwhile at this early stage to reflect on the roles and responsibilities of students, university advisors and parents throughout the process.  We see the university admissions process as a natural extension of our students’ growing self-awareness and self-development.  Students will be expected to conduct their own research into those places that would be a good match for them both academically and socially and target their applications accordingly. It is each student's responsibility to be aware of, understand and meet the requirements and deadlines of each university.  UWCSEA will also have internal deadlines to facilitate the processing of a high volume of applications.  Students are of course assumed to be the sole authors of their application essays, and to conduct themselves with honesty and integrity in all dealings regarding university applications, financial aid and scholarships.

University Advisors are here as resources to provide the background context of university considerations that allow students to make informed decisions throughout the process.  Advisors will assist in all aspects of the application process, including discussing goals and future plans, refining university lists, identifying testing requirements, providing essay feedback and advice, processing all supporting documents, advocating for students with university representatives and troubleshooting as needed.  University advisors promote UWCSEA at international conferences and keep abreast of trends and developments that might be valuable our students.

We know that parents can find it stressful to anticipate their child’s university admissions process.  We therefore have a few recommendations:

•Let your child have the driver’s seat on this journey.  While parents can support and encourage their children, sometimes too much parental involvement may not be the best thing in the long run. Students who take ownership of and experience some measure of autonomy in the application process are better equipped to succeed independently once they get to university.   

•If you have financial, geographic, or other constraints on your child’s search, discuss them early on before your child gets too invested in a particular destination. 

•Encourage your child to see university as a match to be made, rather than a prize to be won.  Students should research universities for good fit, where they will be happy, appropriately challenged and grow as individuals. 

•Try to help your child resist applying to certain universities just because his or her peers are.  It is important that students need to imagine themselves as successful in a variety of settings.  As most parents are aware, decisions made at the age of 17 rarely determine where adults find themselves in mid-career.  

•Help your child maintain perspective and see the university search and application process as simply the first step of a life-long process of self-discovery.  

Parents, let your child know that you believe in their ability to navigate the university admissions process.   Hold on to your hats, and enjoy the ride!