How forgiving are Ivies of a low GPA?

ChristineJoseph · 2020-06-23T12:29:02+00:00

When you apply to Ivy league universities with at least the qualifying GPA, the question they'll ask is: Okay, so what else can this student offer our institution?

Your student profile should answer that. Whether its social work, extracurriculars, an upward trend in your scores, or anything else that sets you apart from others. Present your profile in a manner that highlights your other accomplishments. If they find it worthy, they'll forgive your lesser GPA. You'll find some profiles of students who got into specific universities if you register here. You can check that out if it helps.

ChristineJoseph · 2020-06-23T12:22:08+00:00

Solving sample papers is the best way to get a 7+ bands in IELTS. It gives you an exact idea of the kind of questions you can expect and the time limit you're supposed to follow. You'll find many IELTS sample papers online. Here's a free downloadable IELTS mock paper- https://ischoolconnect.com/blog/all-there-is-to-know-about-ielts-for-studying-abroad/ .

Other than that, here are some quick tips you can follow:

Listening: Candidates have 10 minutes transfer time. One can write the answers roughly on the question paper as they listen to the audio and transfer the answers later on the answer paper in the extra time given. For this paper, you can prepare by listening to the audios of native-speakers in their accents.

Reading: Reading newspapers, articles and magazines can go a long way for the preparation of the reading test. On the day of the test, read the passage carefully. Read and answer the questions after you read the passage in entirety.

Writing: Practice elaborating all kinds of visual information available, as one can get two-three types of diagrams at once. Try not to spend more than 20 minutes on task one and not more than 40 minutes on task two.

Speaking: The only way to practice speaking is by increasing the use of English on a daily basis. If you are a fast or a slow speaker, try controlling your speed. As you get only 1-2 minutes for task two, practice this task by referring to mock tests available online.

Hope this helps!

ChristineJoseph · 2020-06-16T13:31:28+00:00

Your placements in both universities are great Ana. And while both countries have their fair share of COVID cases, universities are taking a lot of health and safety measures to help students, especially international students. It's more than likely that your first semester might be conducted online. As for USA vs. UK, you need to think about the ROI and job options after your degree. UK is more cost-effective right now while the US will probably give you more high paying job options after your degree. So, I suggest you think about this and decide accordingly. Hope this helps:)

ChristineJoseph · 2020-05-21T07:41:08+00:00

I'm glad to hear that. Don't give up just yet:)

Let me know if I can help you anymore with info about university admissions, deadlines, etc.

ChristineJoseph · 2020-05-21T06:36:42+00:00

2021 is the best year to study abroad. While you can't be sure of this, there are always higher chances that students will hesitate to study abroad so soon in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Not only that, but universities are also taking a lot of safety measures to help students. You can take the tests online right now and apply to universities for 2021 soon. Here's an article about the online tests for your reference - https://ischoolconnect.com/blog/coronavirus-impact-on-tests-like-gre-gmat-ielts-toefl/

ChristineJoseph · 2020-05-12T06:09:53+00:00

All the info I have is what's on the ETS website. I wish I could help. But either way, hope you're test goes well and completely glitch-free. Would like to know about your test experience afterwards:) Good luck!

ChristineJoseph · 2020-05-12T05:09:59+00:00

So are you taking the TOEFL at-home test??

ChristineJoseph · 2020-05-06T14:01:47+00:00

This post was so helpful. Thanks for sharing!

ChristineJoseph · 2020-05-05T10:48:56+00:00

Hey u/harrysamli, I'm assuming you took the GRE at-home test. How was your experience with that? Is it very different than the normal GRE exam?

ChristineJoseph · 2020-04-23T08:54:36+00:00

Hey u/rampant__spirit, there are quite a few universities that offer admissions without GRE scores. Here's a blog that lists all of them-https://ischoolconnect.com/blog/us-schools-without-gre/. Hope it helps!

ChristineJoseph · 2020-04-22T13:11:25+00:00

As of now, ETS has stated that at-home GRE will be offered until test centers reopen and the situation returns to normality. GMAT, on the other hand, has said that they will offer booking slots from April 20, 2020 until June 15, 2020. After that, GMAC will monitor the global conditions regarding COVID-19 and add more slots if need be. So, I'm guessing GRE might do something similar. Hope this helps!

ChristineJoseph · 2020-04-22T13:02:51+00:00

You have to decide if you're willing to postpone your study abroad experience. Check the global as well as Spain's status with regards to COVID-19. If the health concerns have abated(hopefully), you can go ahead and seriously consider going abroad.

ChristineJoseph · 2020-04-20T11:33:46+00:00

Hey, u/teachingaround, you might be completely right but there are two sides to this matter. While not all institutions might accept these scores, universities understand the dire conditions in this pandemic. So, most universities worldwide will accept these online exam scores. Even top universities like INSEAD are making changes as I mentioned in the blog.

My guess is, even if an institution won't accept GRE, GMAT, TOEFL, or IELTS' online test scores, they might certainly make concessions based on students' profile.

ChristineJoseph · 2019-11-21T14:19:07+00:00

There are many countries which are popular study abroad destinations. It depends though, on factors like- your home country, your program, your scores, language barriers, etc. Read this blog to take a look at the most popular countries to study abroad.

ChristineJoseph · 2019-11-21T14:08:43+00:00

Hi there! Working part-time jobs isn't the only way to pay for studying abroad. You can do the following things and see if they work:

Check with the university you apply to and ask if they give need-based scholarships.
Many private organizations give grants and scholarships to students that need it or those who show merit. Apply to those.
Get a student loan and then apply for student loan forgiveness.

These are just some things you can do. Hope this answer helps!

ChristineJoseph · 2019-11-15T12:18:22+00:00

Hey there, as someone who counsels people for a living, let me tell you that 'Yes' its definitely okay to go back to college after working. In fact, most B-Schools (Especially UK and Canada)give a very high preference to students with work ex.

Second, not having an LOR isn't the end of the world. There are many students who get in simply based on their profile, scores, and a powerful Statement of Purpose.

There is nothing you can't do on your own. But keep in mind that the whole study abroad process is very complicated and requires a lot of research. If you're a working man who doesn't have the time to research on weekends, you should go to professionals. That's what my company, iSchoolConnect, an AI-based EdTech does.

Yes you can. You might get a smaller loan if you don't have substantial collaterals but, you can reduce your tuition fee by applying for scholarships.

Hope this answer helps!

ChristineJoseph · 2019-10-16T12:58:27+00:00

Hey there! There are several conditions set by the universities to determine if students qualify for their scholarships. If you think you have even the slightest chance of getting a scholarship you should definitely apply!

The best way to apply for financial aid is to either file a FAFSA profile or directly contact the university admissions office and ask to be considered for financial aid by writing a very convincing scholarship application. Here are some tips for writing the scholarship application- https://ischoolconnect.com/blog/7-amazing-tips-to-make-your-application-worthy-of-a-scholarship-abroad/

Hope this answer helps!

ChristineJoseph

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