Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
I know that I have only scratched the surface on the subject of universities and the application process. Well, this week I bring to you more of the advice that my counsellor has been providing to me.
First things first, at this time it is best that you narrow your choices to only the best five universities on your list. For those who are applying mostly to the UK, you must be very careful with due dates and application deadlines since they are somewhat different from the deadlines we mostly see in North America and Australia.
If you are applying for early decision, which I advise most of you to do, make sure that you pester your teachers for predicted grades and/or transcripts and other related documents which must be ready to be sent online or mailed to the universities you are applying to.
The reason early application is suggested by most counsellors is that it gives both you and the university ample time to process the application and therefore towards the end of the year both parties can avoid a last minute rush and the registration can be done by the time summer has arrived.
Furthermore, if you are applying for private scholarships, like me, avoid sending unnecessary documents that will only waste the time of scholarship departments and will just work to your disadvantage.
The last piece of advice that I would give you this week regarding university applications is that after you write your letters of recommendation, pass them on to one or two of your classmates/peers because you really never know if you have made simple grammatical mistakes or missed some crucial points. A second reading can always be of benefit since they may notice things that you miss out when writing.
Well, all I can do right now is wish all seniors good luck with the application processes and urge you to make the best with what is left of your senior year.
