University of Pennsylvania Visits

Last Friday we welcomed Elisabeth O’Connell, Senior Associate Dean, Director of International Admissions at the University of Pennsylvania and Cora Lavin, Education Outreach Manager from the US Consulate to Shore. This was a public event with over 150 people attending from a range of schools.

Elisabeth provided an insightful presentation on the US College application process, which is very different from applying to a university in Australia. There are around 4,000 colleges in the US with different application methods. Approximately 1,000 colleges use the Common Application, which includes essay questions, and some colleges require additional essay prompts to be completed. The Common App requires teacher recommendations as well as school transcripts from Years 9 to 12. In addition to the Common App some colleges require the SAT, and many are now offering it as optional. Whatever the college the students wish to apply for, it is essential that research is undertaken as to the right “fit” and also the application requirements. A good resource for exploring US Colleges is the Big Future website.

Education USA  offers a free service for families interested in studying in the US post-school, and appointments can be made here. Some excellent resources are available on their website.

Studying internationally provides wonderful opportunities for students to explore the world both in and out of the classroom. It allows students to meet and work with people from different cultures and perspectives, all with different opinions. This provides interesting class discussions and lifelong friendships to be formed. Students are encouraged to visit the Shore Careers Centre in the Library to discuss options further.

Ms V Shirriff
Head of Careers Education