Blogs | Ivy Central

College Applications

What’s an ‘Extracurricular Spike’?

When I meet with students to review their extracurricular activities for the first time, many are curious about whether or not they should focus on a single activity until they apply to college. I think for anyone considering an application to US universities, this is an important aspect to consider given the ‘holistic’ nature of the admissions processes, that is, thinking about how diverse your ECs should be.

February 13, 2022

21st Century Skills

Over recent years a new terminology has been spreading through the worlds of education and business, 21st Century Skills. In this blog, I’m going to explain where this terminology comes from, just what they are and why they are important for young people today.

February 3, 2022

What are AP Tests and should I do them?

In a recent webinar Ivy Central did with students there were lots of questions about AP Tests, unfortunately, we didn’t have time to explain about them in detail so hopefully this article will fill the gaps.

January 27, 2022

Admissions

Deferred! What do you do next?

When you apply to your top choice college in the early application round you will get one of three responses, accepted (yippee), rejected (boo) or deferred (what?). In this article I’m going to explore what it means if you are deferred and more importantly what to do about it.

January 10, 2022

College Applications

Coping with Rejection

Over the next few weeks, colleges will be sending out letters, or more likely emails, telling students if they have been accepted into their college. We obviously hope that every student gets accepted into their first choice college, but the reality is that not everybody will. Here are some observations on how you can deal with the natural disappointment of not being accepted.

December 16, 2021

College Application Checklist for Grade 11th Students | Ivy Central

College Counseling

A College Application Checklist for Grade 11 Students

While it is a busy time for Grade 12 students as they apply for their regular decision schools (if applying to US unis), Grade 11 students are gearing up for their winter break. As you know, your next year would be crucial in getting you placed in a college of your choice.

December 9, 2021

Difference Between Public and Private Universities? Ivy Central

College Counseling

Public versus Private Universities?

The simple difference between Public and Private Universities is that Public universities are paid for by the state’s taxpayers and private universities run on endowments from alumni etc. This changes the way resources are allocated, and mainly the way students get admitted. For all public universities, the Common Data Set would say that the criteria for admission for state residency are “very important”. The simple logic to this is that public or state universities, given that they are funded through resident taxes, prioritize local or domestic students over out-staters or international applicants. Therefore, most public universities will have about 2%(such as at U.Maryland) to 8% International students.

December 2, 2021

What are the jobs of the future for 2025

Each year the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) publishes a list of jobs that they expect to see the greatest growth over the next ten years. They have recently published their data for 2020 so it seems like a good time to think not just about the jobs but also about the majors that are likely to be popular.

December 2, 2021

A Guide To STEM Majors – How To Avoid Dropping Out

Majors in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) are the most popular choice of major for the students we work with, so it was rather a shock to come across a statistic taken from the Engage to Excelreport, stating that 60% of students who start college intending to complete a STEM major end up graduating with a non-STEM degree.

There are many reasons for this, and in this blog I will explain some of the most significant ones, and some things to consider when you choose your college.

November 25, 2021

Why Should You Work With an Independent College Counselor?

College Counseling

Why Work with an Independent College Counselor?

As a person who earns a living as an independent college counsellor, you will not be surprised to know that I believe working with somebody like me can be a solid investment in your family’s future, in this blog, I will set out why. I don’t intend for this to be an extended advert for Ivy Central, rather I hope to give some pointers on what anybody who is contemplating employing a private counsellor should consider.

November 18, 2021

Writing Essays for the University of California

The UC application is round the corner and we are prepping for the 30th November deadline just as most of you are. If you are applying to one or more of these amazing universities, then these tips may be just the thing you need right now.

November 15, 2021

Should You Do an English Degree?

I will confess, I have not gone through the stats, but I’m fairly confident when I say that most of the young people I work with have their eyes set on studying either a STEM or an applied subject at university. This choice is often influenced by their ideas about their future career path, however, there are always some students who want to do a degree or major in a particular subject area because it is something that they love.

November 11, 2021

Letters of Recommendation: Who to Ask?

It is normal for colleges to ask you to send one or more letters of recommendation as part of your college application, applications for competitive summer programmes are another occasion when you may find yourself asking who should I ask?

Normally what the college or summer programme is looking for is an academic reference, an insight into your scholarly capabilities from those who have taught you and can comment on your approach to your academic pursuits and your overall presentation as a student.

This article will provide you with a step-by-step guide on how to go about identifying who to ask.

November 4, 2021

US Colleges

Summer Programs for High School Students

While few Summer Programs have already opened their applications for an early-round, the others will follow suit shortly! This blog comes in the form of a step-by-step guide towards planning your summer for the next year.

November 1, 2021

5 Tips to Help You Write Your Personal Essay

With the submission deadline for applying in the early round of US college applications coming up, you will hopefully have already finished your personal essay. This is the one opportunity that you have to help the admissions teams get to ‘meet you’ and understand something about the individual behind the grades and scores.

Writing a strong personal essay is, for many students, the most challenging part of the application, its test comes because what is required is significantly different from the types of essays that most students have been writing during their schooling. In this blog, I will share five tips from admissions professionals to help you if you are still working on your personal essay.

October 7, 2021

Blogs & Latest News