Education Consulting Services for Study in USA, UK, Canada & Abroad - The Red Pen

College or MBA Admissions Interviews Coming Up? Some Useful Tips You might be getting ready for your interview with admissions officers, other university representatives or alumni in preparations for your studies abroad. While the purpose of the interview is to help a university better understand where an applicant may fit into the campus environment, it is also a wonderful opportunity for you to ask questions, convey your sincerity and things that can’t always be put down on paper. Some useful tips and reminders we often share with our clients… Mind your manners and appearance. Dress appropriately and arrive on/dial in on time. Remember the interviewer’s name and to say thank you at the end of the interview. DO NOT text, What’s App or take calls during the interview. If doing the interview by Skype or other online platform, ensure that you have a backup Internet connection and that no one will walk into the room during your session.  Know all the details on your applicat...

Decoding MBA Admission Results For global MBA applicants, round one results are starting to come in. Unfortunately it is the rejections that come first. For a lot of people, plans for getting a Global MBA are part of a lifelong trajectory, the next step in their professional process. If your round one MBA application results are not what you had hoped, there are some useful strategies for moving forward. The first thing you need to do is step back and look carefully at your application to try and understand what went wrong. Did you rush through the application and complete it at the last minute? Maybe you should schedule your time better on round two applications. Similarly, did you ask your recommenders too late? Recommenders need ample time and direction to complete the letters of recommendation if they are to be compelling. We typically advise applicants to approach recommenders 3-4 months before applying and to schedule at least two meetings to discuss recommendation cont...

Visit before you decide: Is boarding school right for your child? Boarding schools provide students with the unique opportunity to receive a holistic education. However, choosing the perfect one for your child can be difficult. If international boarding schools are on your list, make the transition easier for you and your child by visiting some of the schools as a family. Here are a few points to keep in mind when you’re on campus. 1) Take a student-led tour: In this tour, a current student of the school will take you around the campus. A student-led tour not only allows you to see the school from a different perspective, but it also helps you learn what current students enjoy and what changes they would like to see. When one of our counselors went on a campus tour at Charterhouse School in Surrey, England, he was greeted by a tour guide who happened to be an Indian student in his final year at the school. Listening to and learning more about his transition from India to the UK...

Pathway programmes: What you need to know Many students are celebrating happy news of college admissions and planning their journey abroad for August. However others, who have not received positive results or did not apply in time, are now wondering how to plan their future. Some students have landed in this situation because, for one reason or another, their educational qualifications are inadequate to pursue an undergraduate degree abroad . But such students still have the option to consider a ‘foundation course’ in the UK or the US. Throughout the world, the titles of such courses vary, but the purpose of each is the same; to allow international students to gain direct entry to the first year of an undergraduate degree course at a university. Prime candidates for a foundation course are usually those who have failed to achieve the satisfactory grades or those whose subject choices are unsuitable for their chosen degree. Foundation courses are designed as pathway programmes...

Should you study at the Indian campus of a global university? As global universities set up campuses across the world or affiliate with local universities in various countries, you may ask yourself “Why should I go all the way to America or Canada or the UK to study? Why not join one of these campuses closer to home?” While the countries of origin may have a lot to offer in terms of tradition and established reputation, an affiliate or satellite program may suit your purposes just as well, or better, by offering different dimension to your experience. Right within India there are a number of colleges, degree programs and short courses set up by global education brands. For example Parsons has collaborated with the Indian School of Design and Innovation (ISDI) to build a creative network. While the transfer to Parson’s New York is not guaranteed, the exposure to a innovative teaching methods, diverse faculty and the rigors of the design process may give you a better sense of whet...

Subject selection in high school – Tips to help you make the right choice Making the right subject choices in high school is a crucial but confusing task for parents and students. The right subjects can boost your academic performance and influence your undergraduate college choices in India or abroad. There are a number of curricula offered in India, including IGCSE, ICSE, ISC and IB among others. The challenge arises from having to choose subjects within the curriculum’s constraints. Also, subject choices vary among schools following the same curriculum; some IGCSE schools offer coordinated sciences, while others separate the three sciences, allowing you to drop one altogether. Understanding 1) Your curriculum’s constraints and 2) The subject combinations offered will help you make an informed decision. Here are a few country-specific tips: 1) Studying in India after grade 12: In India, you have to choose a ‘stream’ or an area of study such as arts, sciences, engineering, ...

Deferred from your early applications to the US? Tips for what you can do A few weeks have gone by since you got that letter stating that you have been deferred from the US early admission round. Being deferred isn’t a straight out rejection; it simply means that your application will be reconsidered in the regular decision round and you will get a final decision by April. Why do universities defer? There are many reasons why universities defer students. For example, your university might want to see what else you are doing in your final year in terms of academics or extracurricular activities. Another reason you could have been deferred is if you haven’t submitted your test scores, letters of recommendations, transcripts or any other required document by the submission deadline. Alternately, some universities have too many applicants in the early admission round and want to wait till the regular decision to build their class. Whatever the reason, the ambiguity can be unse...

Are You Choosing the Right Subjects for Class 11 & 12? This is an intense time of year for class 10 students – on the cusp of young adulthood, as these kids face rigorous board exams in the coming months, they are also being asked to select subjects in their 11 th and 12 th standard curriculum. With the expansion of board options, subject selection becomes a tricky question for students who hope to study abroad within the next few years. Unfortunately a wrong choice at this critical phase can dash the dreams of aspiring students, which they only come to realise once it is too late. Depending on where you want to study, your approach to subject selection will vary slightly. In the UK, colleges set minimum entry requirements for specific courses. For example a BSc in Management Science from University College London requires students to achieve top scores in the highest level of math. Note that economics, business studies, accounts are not entry requirements for such courses ...

MBA Interview Prep 4: How to Thank Your Interviewer By the time you’ve finished your final interview, we are sure you are heaving a huge sigh of relief, thrilled to be done with this long and exhaustive MBA application process. But before you turn off the application part of your brain, there is one last thing you should think about – thanking your interviewer. This is a very simple thing, but it can end up confounding many, and some applicants end up sending out a convoluted thank you note, or an overly eager page-long email that negates their positive interview. While it is not requirement, sending a thank you note is a gesture that shows you appreciated the interviewer’s time, and valued the experience. It’s also a chance to cement their impression of you, and to follow up with questions. So let’s talk about how to ace that thank you note so you can finally relax. Brevity is the soul of wit – Your thank you note should be succinct and to the point. Think sonnet, not Haml...

GMAT or GRE: Which test should I take for business school? A critical component to your business school application are your test scores. While testing doesn’t necessarily work like an entrance exam, it is still significant. Business schools view your GMAT and/or your GRE scores to gauge your academic potential, evaluate your quantitative and verbal skills, as well as to better understand your readiness to be part of a rigorous program. You may be wondering if it matters which test you take, the GMAT or the GRE? Well, here are some things to keep in mind when making this choice: First, consider what schools and programs you are applying to : The good news is, most global business schools are now accepting both the GMAT or GRE score, and have no preference for either exam. Having said this, there are however a few MBA programs that only accept the GMAT. If you are thinking about testing and you have a program in mind, it’s worth checking the school’s specific test requireme...