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Congratulations to the Expert Admissions Class of 2013!

We are proud to share the results from Expert Admissions’ Class of 2013. Our students have been admitted to 74 different colleges and universities in 25 states, Washington DC, and Scotland. Our acceptances include Ivy League universities, top liberal arts colleges, public flagship universities, and many other types of institutions.  

View Our Complete List of Acceptances
 

By now, you’ve probably heard back from most, if not all, of the colleges you applied to. You may not have been offered admission everywhere, but you’ve probably got a few acceptances under your belt. As May 1 approaches, here is our advice for how to handle your college acceptances.

1) Celebrate! You worked hard, and deserve all of your success.  

2) Prepare to be recruited. When a college admits you, they want you to enroll, and they will do their best to make you feel wanted. Expect invitations to visit campus and phone calls or letters from current students; some schools will even send you t-shirts, scarves, or posters. Take advantage of opportunities to meet with students, spend the night in a dormitory, and don’t be afraid to ask the tough questions.

3) Visit campus. Many colleges have programs just for admitted students. These programs often include specialized facilities tours, opportunities to attend classes, panels with current students, faculty, and administrators, an overnight stay in the dorms, and the chance to meet hundreds of your potential future classmates. Even if you can’t go to an admitted student event (or don’t want to), you can still have a productive visit. Be sure to let the admissions office know you’re an admitted student, and ask what you can do while you’re on campus. 

4) Focus on the schools to which you were admitted. You may have been offered a spot on a waitlist or two, and they may be schools that you’re really excited about. That’s okay. Let those schools know you’re still interested, and accept the spot on the waitlist. However, you most likely won’t be hearing back from them until after May 1, and you’ll have to submit an enrollment deposit somewhere by then, so focus your energy on the schools that admitted you. Those schools are excited about you, and would love for you to attend! Boost your ego and spend some time with people who think you’re awesome. 

5) Keep up with your schoolwork! Don’t think that just because you’ve been admitted to college that you can stop doing well in school. Colleges still need to see your final transcript, and they can rescind admission offers if your academic performance drops significantly.

6) You can change your mind. You may have had your heart set on College X since fall of junior year, and thrilled to have been offered admission, but maybe you developed a great rapport with a current student at another college, or College X’s admitted student program was less than thrilling. It’s really okay! You have until May 1 to submit an enrollment deposit, so feel free to take that time to figure out where you’ll be happiest. Remember – you want to make the best decision for you and your family, and not necessarily the decision everyone expects you to make.

Congratulations on your acceptances, and best of luck in making your decision!

You’d be hard-pressed to find a college these days that doesn’t value global awareness, and just about every college offers study abroad opportunities.  However, there are a few schools that truly take the emphasis on international education and global experiences to the next level.  If an emphasis on globalism and international awareness is important to you, read on to learn about some colleges that might be of interest.

Study Abroad Requirement.  Goucher College in Baltimore, MD requires all of its students to study abroad before they graduate. But they’re pretty flexible about this requirement - students can study abroad for a full-year, one semester, or during a three-week intensive program.  All students are awarded travel vouchers of $1200, unless they are part of a selective and more intensive International Scholars Program (ISP), in which case the voucher is $3000. 

Campuses Across the World.  Colleges and universities are beginning to expand their reach and establish campuses across the globe.  At these institutions, you can not only have an international experience, but earn your degree from one of their international campuses, as well.

1.  New York University’s main campus is in Manhattan, but they have degree-granting campuses in Abu Dhabi and Shanghai.  When applying for admission to NYU, students select if they are applying to the Washington Square (New York), Abu Dhabi, or Shanghai campus.

2.  American University’s main campus is in Washington D.C., but they have a degree-granting campus in Dubai, as well.  Undergraduates can apply to American in D.C. or American in Dubai. 

Colleges Where More Than 50% Of Students Study Abroad.  Even if a college doesn’t have a global campus, or a study abroad requirement, plenty of colleges go above and beyond in encouraging their students to study abroad – and students jump at the chance, as well.  Here are some of the colleges that send more than 50% of their students to study abroad.

	Bates College	Eckerd College	Skidmore College
	Bucknell University	Elon University	St. Lawrence University
	Carleton College	Franklin and Marshall College	St. Olaf College
	Colby College	Kalamazoo College	Trinity College
	Colgate University	Loyola University Maryland	Union College
	Connecticut College	Macalester College	University of Denver
	Dartmouth College	Pomona College	University of Richmond
	Dickinson College	Scripps College	Wake Forest University

Of course, if a study abroad requirement or full-on global campus isn’t your thing, not to worry.  If you want to study abroad for a semester, or a year, or even during your summer, winter, or spring break, just about any college will have these opportunities.  But if you’re looking for a school that takes its global focus to a new level, and where you’ll find students who are as passionate about global experiences as you are, then be sure to take a look at some of these colleges.   

Here is the list of new members:

American International College	Purdue University
California College of the Arts	Saint Joseph’s College (IN)
Central Connecticut State University	St. John’s University
Chicago State University	Sterling College
Eastern University	Temple University
Felician College	Trinity Christian College
George Fox University	Unity College
Georgia Institute of Technology	University of Aberdeen (UK)
Georgian Court University	University of Birmingham, England (UK)
Hawai’i Pacific University	University of Bristol (UK)
Kettering University	University of Cincinnati
King’s College London (UK)	University of Colorado Boulder
Lexington College	University of Maine at Presque Isle
Mary Baldwin College	University of New Hampshire Manchester
Marywood University	University of North Carolina Greensboro
Mercy College	University of Oklahoma
Modul University Vienna (Austria)	Virginia Commonwealth University
Monmouth University	William Paterson University of NJ
Newberry College	William Peace University
Pine Manor College

Every year, the Common Application updates its application for the next admissions cycle.  The changes are usually minor, but for the upcoming 2013-2014 cycle, a more significant update is in the works.   This coming year, in addition to other changes that are yet to be announced, college applicants will have entirely new essay prompts and word limits.

The new word limit is 650 words, and the instructions have additional commentary.  “…Write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response.  Remember: 650 words is your limit, not your goal.  Use the full range if you need it, but don't feel obligated to do so.  (The application won't accept a response shorter than 250 words.)”

In prior years, the Common Application suggested that essays be between 250 and 500 words, but in actuality, students could submit essays that were either shorter or longer.  The new specificity encourages students to use more depth and detail in writing their essays, enabling admissions committees to see a substantive writing sample from every applicant.

The essay prompts themselves are also quite different.  The intention is to have essay options that appeal to a wider range of students, and clearly encourage every student to tell his/her unique story. Take a look at the new essay prompts: 

• Some students have a background or story that is so central to their identity that they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
• Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what lessons did you learn?
• Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea.  What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again?
• Describe a place or environment where you are perfectly content. What do you do or experience there, and why is it meaningful to you?
• Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.

If you’re a rising senior, take some time to review the new essay prompts and see what appeals to you.  You don’t have to start writing now, but as you continue through junior year and as you go into your summer vacation, you can keep these prompts in mind, take notes, and start collecting ideas.  That way, when you do begin the writing process in earnest, you won’t have to start from scratch.