Blog posts on college admissions by Arjun Seth
Competitions 2016
Participating and winning in International Competitions is a great way to boost your profile for admission to colleges. Check out these links below:
1) http://www.tutor2u.net/economics/blog/res-economics-essay-competition-2016
This is an Economics Essay Writing Competition. The deadline is Thursday 30th June 2016. School students are invited to choose one of the topics mentioned to write an essay of up to 2,500 words, on one of the subjects set by the RES judging panel, calling on key elements of their A Level or International Baccalaureate courses, examples from the world around them and imaginative discussion
2) http://www.ioi2016.ru/pages/Callforpapers?locale=en
https://www.codechef.com/ioi/2016
Find out more about taking part in the Indian Computing Olympiad 2016 by clicking on the link above.
Several colleges and departments of the University of Oxford run competitions which are open to students from all schools and colleges.
Preparing an entry for one of these competitions is great practice for any aspiring Oxford applicants. There are also some exciting prizes to be won. Click on the link above.
4) http://www.carnegiecouncil.org/education/003/studentopps - par1
Are you a student looking to become involved in the international affairs community? Carnegie Council offers a variety of opportunities for students of all levels who are located in NYC or abroad! Click on the link above for next student contests in early summer 2016.
5) https://www.fraserinstitute.org/education-programs/students/essay-contest
Showcase your ideas on public policy and the role of markets by entering this essay competition. $9,000 in cash prizes will be awarded this year, and $3,000 of this is designated just for high school students. Winning essays may be published in Fraser Institute journals and authors will have the opportunity to experience the peer review process. Deadline is June 1, 2016
This is an essay contest; there is not an application for this award. To enter, students must write an essay of 600 to 1,200 words on one of the three topics listed on the Ayn Rand Institute website. Deadline is March 25, 2016
Applications are available on the International Bipolar Foundation (IBPF) website. To apply, each student must write an essay of 500 to 1,000 words on the topic on their website. Deadline is March 30, 2016
Are you ready to apply to Oxbridge?
Is the Oxbridge environment right for you? Don’t go just for the brand
Does the Tutorial learning style excite you? Sometimes there are only 2 students to 1 teacher or 1 student to 1 teacher in a tutorial. There is no lecture system. Students are expected to learn on their own. Lots of independence is expected of you. Readings are sometimes not assigned by the teacher. You have to identify your own reading/studying material. Do you want to sit in a room with a world leader in the subject of your choice with maybe 2 other students who are among some of the most motivated in the world and talk about your subject for the next 3 or 4 years? Then Oxbridge is right for you.
Are you ready for the workload?
You will be expected to read many books every week if you are a humanities student and do many hours of Lab every week if Science is your subject. The programs are very intense and you must be very academically driven. Compare the workload of a student of history at Cambridge – 44 hours a week - to a history student at Edinburgh University who studies 23 Hours a week.
Sample Assignment in History - You could be given an essay to write eg – ‘Could the Arab conquests have occurred before Islam?’ Then you will be given a list of books to find in the library and work out the answer by reading through them.
Who is the ideal Oxbridge candidate?
They don’t care if you are nice – just smart. You need to be engaged academically in ONE particular subject. So focus on ONE subject beyond your school curriculum. Can you hold a conversation with a stranger on that subject for 20 minutes? Try that to know if you are right for Oxbridge. That’s what your interview will be like. The books you read, what you watch on TV everything should be focused on that ONE subject.
Application Tips
Submit the UCAS by October 15th
Tips for the Statement of Purpose –
1. Show that you interested in a subject beyond the classroom. Did you read your subject all summer? You should give the impression you are already studying what you want to study in college except not to that high standard as yet. The SOP should be targeted towards independent research – it’s more like a personal convincement rather than a personal statement. You are trying to convince them you are ready for the Oxbridge experience – so give evidence of this – argue why you are ready to study that ONE subject at Oxbridge. Don’t just state things. They will not be impressed with your A in class but what you a reading at night on you own.
2. Be aware of clichéd openings. Avoid “I want to study XYZ because my dad is an XYZ. “
3. Extracurricular Activities –all should be tied back to the subject. Only mention relevant activities that are in some way connected to your subject.
4. Be Precise, Be Intellectual – don’t be quirky
5. Don’t be school specific – this application is going out to all 5 colleges on your UCAS application
6. Don’t give quotations. Don’t just drop names of authors and books you’ve read – What did you think of the book? That’s what they want to know.
After the UCAS application you need to fill out the
COPA – Cambridge Online prelim application – this gives you the opportunity to talk about why you chose Cambridge – it’s an optional question.
Following that you will fill out the SAQ- Supplementary Application Questionnaire
Entrance Exams & Specimen Papers
Some courses require these. Date is first Wednesday of November for the Tests. You should practice for these. Some tests are hard and you can’t really prepare for it – such as the TSA (Thinking Skills Assessment) exam for the PPE (Philosophy, Politics and Economics) course, which is a very popular course, and in high demand. The Specimen papers are supposed to be from your class work so let your teacher’s know they should give you a suitable assignment to match the requirement.
https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/applying-to-oxford/tests?wssl=1
Tips for the Interview
Interview will be in December if selected. It’s 20 minutes long. Statistically it does not matter whether your interview is personal or over skype. But the live interview is also a good learning experience. Check out the interview guidelines on both Oxford and Cambridge websites. You must show “informed enthusiasm” in your interview. They want to know how you think. It’s not important to know the answer to all the questions. Think of it as a conversation with a world expert in your subject. Practice the interview with different people who are knowledgeable in your subject. They are not checking out your character – only your intellectual ability. Be informed on your subject as much as you can.
How do you choose your college within Oxford and Cambridge universities?
Don’t spend too much time on this. Check for colleges that offer the course you want to study. Then look at environment – is it traditional, religious, relaxed? What experience do you want? Look at location. If it’s in the city the rooms will have less space. If it’s a distance away you might need to take the bus to class. The college you choose within the university doesn’t affect your chance for admission. Pick “open application” - don’t choose your college – if you are not sure about which one to pick.
Topics for this years Royal Economic Society - Essay Competition
Entries to the Royal Economic Society essay competition for high school students this year saw an interesting range of writing samples.
The essay topics were:
1. “Countries like Greece caused the Eurozone crisis by running up too much debt, so it is only fair that they should bear most of the burden of fixing it." Discuss.
2. Should the Government support manufacturing? If so, how?
3. Should raising GDP be the primary objective of economic policy?
4. “The rising gap between rich and poor is not just bad for society, it is bad for growth." Discuss.
5. Should “fracking” be allowed? If so, who should benefit?
6. “It is immoral for the drug companies to charge large sums for drugs that are cheap to manufacture.” Discuss.
7. "High saving promotes faster growth. So having more savers in the global economy should be good for our long run prosperity."
8. “Does the economic case favour a new airport runway at Heathrow, Gatwick or elsewhere?”
We wish to encourage our students to apply their knowledge of economics and to participate in our upcoming fall workshops. You could read the 2015 winning entries and discuss this at our workshops.
To know more about participating in our workshop write to contact@edbrand.com
Research papers and Country reports you could submit to International Informatics Olympiad
Here is some useful information about conference papers listed on the IOI website.
CALL FOR PAPERS
The 9th IOI conference will be held concurrently with the 27th International Olympiad in Informatics, taking place in Almaty, July 26th - August 2nd, 2015. The conference focus is in research problems of the national and international informatics contests, and offers an opportunity to bring together the accumulated knowledge and experiences from a number of events on teaching algorithms and programming.
Please submit your proposals (title and abstract) for papers before the end of January 2015 to prof. Valentina Dagiene (valentina.dagiene_at_mii.vu.lt). The full papers are to be submitted by 31st of March 2015.
Like in the previous conferences, papers will be divided into two main groups: research papers(8-15 pages) and country reports(4-8 pages).
Any additional information for the IOI community would be appreciated as well: like review of books, short presentation of national tasks, training curricula, etc.
Papers from the previous IOI conferences can be found on IOI website:
Accepted papers will be published in OLYMPIADS IN INFORMATICS journal. The journal is abstracted / indexed by CEEOL, EBSCO, and Scopus.
Interesting science centric essay questions to think about
Here is a list of six questions posed by the committee for the Kelvin Science Prize 2015.
1. How has Astronomy benefited Society?
2. Suppose you could create a new chemical element. What physical and chemical properties would you ascribe to it, and what uses could this element be put to? Responses to this question should have a good essay structure, concise narrative, creative/novel ideas and be underpinned by sound scientific principles.
3. If you could take one item, which must fit in your pocket, back to the year 1800 with the goal of advancing science or medicine, what would it be and what would you do with it?
4. Is it more important to save tropical forests or the world's oceans? Why?
5. "How far is it to the moon?" This question may be unrelated to the moon. Read what it is really about here: http://www.hep.phy.cam.ac.uk/~lester/essayQuestion.html
6. “Free health care at the point of delivery trivialises the service.” Discuss
We encourage our students to write their response and share their views during writing workshops organised at our office in New Delhi.
Feel free to reach us at contact@edbrand.com
Vie for Essay Prizes for Oxbridge admissions
Here is list of Esay competitions to look out for:
CLASSICS
Title: Fitzwiliam College Cambridge Ancient World / Classics Essay Competition 2014-15
Details: This essay competition is for Lower Sixth Formers (Year 12s). It is aimed at all those in the Lower Sixth form taking Classics and/or Classical Civilization A-levels/Highers/IB, or those with an interest in the Ancient World who currently studying other subjects.
Deadline: 16th March 2015.
Prizes: The prize fund is £300 with a first prize of £200. Certificates of merit may be awarded to runners up who have sufficiently impressed the judges. Prizes and certificates will be awarded at Fitzwilliam College during the University Open Days in July 2015.
Further Details: https://www.fitz.cam.ac.uk/mi-client/media/admissions_docs
Title: St John’s College, Cambridge Classics & Ancient History Essay Competition
Details: The competition, focussing on the study of the ancient world. is open to all students currently studying in Year 12 anywhere in the UK, and is designed to give students of any subject the opportunity to write an essay on the classical world.
Deadline: 26th February 2015.
Prizes: Prizes of up to £125 in book tokens will be awarded for the best essays and all entrants will receive a certificate of entry.
Further Details: http://www.sjc.ox.ac.uk/3086/Classics–Ancient-History-Essay-Competition.html
ECONOMICS
Title: RES Young Economist of the Year 2015
Details: School students are invited to choose one of the topics below to write an essay of between 1,000 to 2,500 words, on one of the subjects below, set by the RES judging panel, calling on key elements of their A Level or International Baccalaureate courses, examples from the world around them and imaginative discussion. The RES judges are Sir Charles Bean (RES President, former deputy governor of the Bank of England), Stephanie Flanders ( award winning BBC journalist and Economics Editor, now J.P. Morgan Asset Management’s chief market strategist for the UK and Europe) and Professor Jonathan Haskel (Imperial College and elected member of RES Council).
Deadline: 30th June 2015
Prizes: The first prize will once again be £1,000 together with an engraved trophy together with cash prizes for the other leading essays.
Further Details: http://www.res.org.uk/view/essayEduTraining.html
Title: Marshall Society Essay Competition, University of Cambridge
Details: The Marshall Society, the University of Cambridge’s Economics society, invites students studying for A levels, the IB, or any equivalent qualification, to take part in its essay competition! We would like you to approach your answers with factual evidence, clear and convincing arguments, and of course most importantly, high quality economics.
Deadline: TBC
Prizes: In addition to the prestige of being announced winner of the Dismal Scientist competition, your essay will also be published in 2015 edition. We are also offering £100 to the winner and £50 to the two runner ups.
Further Details: TBC
GEOGRAPHY
Title: Royal Geographical Society Geographer of the Year
Details: The question for this year’s competition is “Why does Antarctica matter?” This coincides with the centenary of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Endurance expedition, which aimed to complete the first crossing of Antarctica. However, Shackleton’s ship was crushed in the ice leading to his crew being relocated to Elephant Island; a journey of 800 miles across the Southern Ocean to South Georgia and the successful rescue of all his men. Despite failing in his original plans Shackleton’s expedition is recognised as a remarkable feat of leadership and endeavour.
Deadline: TBC in April
Prizes:TBC
Further Details: http://www.rgs.org/OurWork/Schools/competitions.htm
Title: David W.Smith Memorial Prize 2015 Essay Competition, supported by Routledge Publishers
Details: A2 level students in England and Wales and Advanced Higher students in Scotland are invited to write an essay of up to 1500 words on the following title:
Deadline: Essays must be received by Friday 27 February 2015.
Prizes: £100 in book vouchers
Further Details: http://www.rgs.org/OurWork/Schools/competitions.htm
ENGLISH
Title: The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition 2015
Details: Open to all Commonwealth citizens aged 18 and under, the Essay Competition offers young people the opportunity to make their voice heard on a global platform and engage with issues important to them. Every year, judges are impressed with the extremely high standard of entry as participants compete with their peers from every corner of the Commonwealth. For many bright and ambitious students, this is the ultimate competition!
Deadline: The deadline for entries is 1st May 2015.
Prizes: There will be a Winner and Runner- up in each category. Winners will be flown to London for a week of cultural and educational visits, culminating in a special award event in November 2015. Runners-up will be recognised in national award events. All four top entries will be published by the RCS.
Further Details: https://thercs.org/youth/competition
Title: Peterhouse Cambridge Thomas Campion English Prize
Details: Write an essay of between 1,500 and 2,500 words on one of the many titles provided.
Deadline: 20th March 2015
Prizes: Top prize of £500 and a second prize of £250; several further essays will be highly commended.
Further Details: http://www.pet.cam.ac.uk/sites/default/files/Campion_15.pdf
Title: The Betty Haigh Shakespeare Prize
Details: Students are asked to submit an essay of not more than 3000 words on the Shakespeare topic of their choice. Essays may be either original or previously prepared. They should preferably be typed, with the student’s name and school address clearly indicated.
Deadline: November 2015
Prizes: The winner will receive a copy of Catherine M.S. Alexander’s The Treasures of William Shakespeare: The Life, the Works, the Performances, generously donated by the Royal Shakespeare Company and Carlton Books, and the winning essay will appear in the Association’s Newsletter.
Further Details: http://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/english-association/prizes/the-betty-haigh-shakespeare-prize
Title: Gould Prize for Essays in English Literature, Trinity College Cambridge
Details: Trinity College launched the Gould Prize for Essays in English Literature in 2013. This is an annual competition for Year 12 or Lower 6th students. The Prize has been established from a bequest made by Dr Dennis Gould in 2004 for the furtherance of education in English Literature.
Deadline: 1st August 2015
Prizes: The competition carries a First Prize of £600, to be split equally between the candidate and his or her school or college, and a Second Prize of £400, which again is to be shared equally between the candidate and his or her school or college. The school or college’s portion of each prize will be issued in the form of book tokens with which to buy English books. In addition, up to three further essays of a high quality will be commended.
Further Details: http://www.trin.cam.ac.uk/gould-prize-essays-english-literature
HISTORY
Title: Peterhouse Cambridge Vellacott History Prize
Details: Write an essay of between 2,000 and 4,000 words on one of the many titles provided.
Deadline: 20th March 2015
Prizes: Top prize of £500 and a second prize of £250; several further essays will be highly commended.
Further Details: http://www.pet.cam.ac.uk/sites/default/files/Vellacott_15.pdf
Title: The Historical Association ‘A’ Level essay competition, 2015.
Details: We are looking for an essay of around 2000 words, making a coherent case for your chosen person to be immortalised.
Deadline: May 1st 2015
Prizes: The best entries will appear in Student Zone on the HA website, while the winning entry will be published in our members’ magazine ‘The Historian.’ The winner may also be presented with an engraved Bath Aqua Blue glass paperweight at the HA Awards Evening in July.
Further Details: http://www.history.org.uk/resources/secondary_resource_7808_273.html
Title: Robson History Prize, Trinity College Cambridge
Details: The Robson History Prize is an annual competition for Year 12 or Lower 6th students. The Prize was established in 2007 in memory of the historian Robert Robson, who was for many years a Fellow and Tutor at Trinity. The aims of the Robson Prize are twofold: firstly, to encourage ambitious and talented Year 12 or Lower Sixth students considering applying to university to read History or a related discipline; and secondly, to recognize the achievements both of high-calibre students and of those who teach them.
Deadline: 1 August 2015
Prizes: The competition carries a First Prize of £600, to be split equally between the candidate and his or her school or college (the school or college’s portion of the prize to be issued in the form of book tokens with which to buy history books), and a Second Prize of £400, which again is to be shared equally between the candidate and his or her school or college. In addition, three further essays of a high quality will be commended. All successful competitors will be invited to visit the College.
Further Details: http://www.trin.cam.ac.uk/robson-history-prize
HUMANITIES:
Title: Girton College, Cambridge Humanities Writing Competition
Details: This competition is an opportunity for research and writing beyond the curriculum using one or more of the six objects as your focus. Essays or creative responses (such as dramatic monologues or short stories) are equally welcome. We are looking for the ability to connect different areas of knowledge, to think about details and to communicate clearly.
Deadline: Friday 13th March 2015
Prizes: The total value of the prize will be £300
Further Details: http://www.girton.cam.ac.uk/undergraduates/for-schools/humanities-writing-competition
Title: Benedictus Academic Forum Scholars’ Competition
Details: This year we are running a competition in conjunction with the Forum to give young people the chance to present their ideas before an audience of international and acclaimed academics. Send us either a written document (the equivalent of a 15 minute presentation) or a 15 minute recording.
Deadline: 1st April 2015
Prizes: N/A
Further Details: http://www.benedictus.org.uk/page.php?nav=forum
LAND ECONOMY
Title: Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, Essay Competition
Details: This essay competition is intended for Lower Sixth Formers (year 12s), with no restrictions as to subjects being studied. The word limit is 2500 words.
Deadline: The closing date for entries is 1st April 2015.
Prizes: Prizes and certificates will be awarded at Fitzwilliam College during the University Open Day on 2nd July 2015. The prize fund is £300, including a first prize of £200. Certificates of merit may be awarded to runners-up who have impressed the judges.
Further Details: https://www.fitz.cam.ac.uk/mi-client/media/admissions_docs/LandEconomyEssayCompetitionQuestions2015.pdf
LAW
Title: The Robert Walker Prize for Aspiring Law Students, Trinity College – University of Cambridge
Details: The Robert Walker Prize for Essays in Law in 2013 is named after an Honorary Fellow of the College, Lord Walker of Gestingthorpe, a recently retired Justice of the Supreme Court and former law student at Trinity.
Deadline: 20th April 2015.
Prizes: First prize will be an award of £300, second prize an award of £200; the prizes can be shared. The authors of the top ten essays will be invited to Trinity to see the College and meet the Law Fellows.
Further Details: http://www.trin.cam.ac.uk/essay-prize-aspiring-law-students
LINGUISTICS
Title: Linguistics Essay Prize, Trinity College Cambridge
Details: The competition is open to all students with an interest in how language works regardless of the specific subjects they are currently studying at A-Level (or similar qualification). For example, it may be of interest to students taking A-Levels in Modern Languages, English Language or Classics, but also to students taking Psychology or Mathematics.
Deadline: 1 August 2015
Prizes: The competition carries a First Prize of £600, to be split equally between the candidate and his or her school or college, and a Second Prize of £400, which again is to be shared equally between the candidate and his or her school or college. The school or college’s portion of each prize will be issued in the form of book tokens with which to buy linguistics books. In addition, up to three further essays of a high quality will be commended. The winners of the First and Second Prize will be invited to an informal lunch at Trinity College where they will meet lecturers and students in linguistics.
Further Details: http://www.trin.cam.ac.uk/linguistics-essay-prize
MODERN LANGUAGES
Title: University of Oxford French Film Essay Competition
Details: The Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages at Oxford University is looking for budding film enthusiasts in Years 7-11 and 12-13 to embrace the world of French cinema. To enter the competition, students in each age group are asked to re-write the ending of a film in no more than 1500 words.
Deadline: 27th March 2015.
Prizes: A first prize of £100 will be awarded to the winning student in each age group, with runner-up prizes of £25. A first prize of £100 will be awarded to the winning student(s) in the filmed entry category (which spans both age groups), with a runner-up prize of £25.
Further Details: http://www.mod-langs.ox.ac.uk/film_comp
PHILOSOPHY
Title: Peterhouse Cambridge Kelvin Science Prize
Details: The Theology and Religious Studies Essay Prize is open to Year 12 or Lower 6th students. The aim of the Prize is to encourage able sixth formers to pursue their interest in Theology and Religious Studies, with the hope that they will be encouraged to read this or related subjects at University.
Deadline: 31st May 2015
Prizes: The competition carries a First Prize of £600 and a Second Prize of £400, to be split equally between the candidate and his or her school or college; the school or college’s portion of the prize to be issued in the form of book tokens.
Further Details: http://www.trin.cam.ac.uk/node/668
Title: Philosophy Essay Prize, Trinity College Cambridge
Details: The Philosophy Essay Prize is open to Year 12 or Lower 6th students. The aim of the Prize is to encourage able sixth formers to pursue their interest in Philosophy, with the hope that they will be encouraged to read this or related subjects at University.
Deadline: 31th May 2015
Prizes: The competition carries a First Prize of £600 and a Second Prize of £400, to be split equally between the candidate and his or her school or college; the school or college’s portion of the prize to be issued in the form of book tokens.
Further Details: http://www.trin.cam.ac.uk/philosophy-essay-prize
Title: The Edgar Jones Philosophy Essay Competition, St Peter’s College Oxford
Details: The aims of the prizes are to provide for students in Year 12 or the Lower 6th an opportunity to write about a philosophical issue and thereby, it is hoped, enable them to develop their abilities for independent research and thought and encourage them to apply for an undergraduate course with Philosophy as an element.
Deadline: 11th September 2015
Prizes: St Peter’s College has established two essay prizes in Philosophy, the top prize being to the value of £250, the second prize being to the value of £150. In addition to monetary prizes, all submitted essays which in the opinion of the judges are of a high enough standard will be commended.
Further Details: http://www.spc.ox.ac.uk/content/essay-prize-year-12lower-6th
POLITICS
Title: The R.A. Butler Prize, Trinity College Cambridge
Details: The R.A. Butler Prize for essays in Politics and International Studies is a competition that can be entered by students in Year 12 or the Lower 6th. Essays should be between 2,000 and 4,000 words (not including the bibliography).
Deadline: 12th June 2015.
Prizes: The competition carries a First Prize of £600, to be split equally between the candidate and his or her school or college (the school or college’s portion of the prize to be issued in the form of book tokens), and a Second Prize of £400, which again is to be shared equally between the candidate and his or her school or college.
Further Details:
SCIENCE
Title: Peterhouse Cambridge Kelvin Science Prize
Details: Write an essay of between 2,000 and 4,000 words on one of the many titles provided.
Deadline: 20th March 2015
Prizes: Top prize of £500 and a second prize of £250; several further essays will be highly commended.
Further Details: http://www.pet.cam.ac.uk/sites/default/files/Kelvin_15.pdf
Title: Bill Bryson Prize 2015
Details: The Bill Bryson Prize is a creative science communication competition. It is open to students around the world from ages 5–18. There are three categories: ages 5–11, 12–14 and 15–18. Your entry can take absolutely any form you want, and you can choose to enter individually or in a team (the age of the oldest team member will decide which category your team falls into). The theme for 2015 is Chance. From the Big Bang to evolution, from probability to penicillin, all kinds of scientific concepts relate to ‘Chance’.
Deadline: 31 March 2015
Prizes: The top 100 entries will win a Bill Bryson book.12-18 year olds will get a copy of A Short History of Nearly Everything. 5-11 year olds will get a copy of A Really Short History of Nearly Everything. The top 25 shortlisted entries will win a Bill Bryson book and a £100 Amazon voucher. The runner up in each category will get a Bill Bryson book and a cash prize of £250.The first prize winner in each category will be given a Bill Bryson book and a cash prize of £400. The overall winner of the Bill Bryson Prize for Science Communication 2015 will receive a signed copy of a Bill Bryson book and a cash prize of £500!
Further Details: http://www.rsc.org/competitions/bill-bryson-prize/
THEOLOGY
Title: Keble College Essay Competition in Theology and Religion
Details: At Keble, one of the colleges of the University of Oxford, they are running an essay competition to encourage more interest in Theology & Religion in schools, and to offer an opportunity for students to consider in more depth questions of contemporary and historical significance. We are looking for essays which are carefully researched, well-structured and well-presented, but which also reflect critical awareness and an ability to reason through an argument.
Deadline: 30st April 2015.
Prizes: The essay judged best by a panel of Keble College theologians will receive a cash prize of £300. Smaller prizes will be awarded to runners-up.
Further Details: http://www.keble.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/subjects/theology-inc-philosophy-and-theology
Title: Theology and Religious Studies Essay Prize, Trinity College Cambridge
Details: The Theology and Religious Studies Essay Prize is open to Year 12 or Lower 6th students. The aim of the Prize is to encourage able sixth formers to pursue their interest in Theology and Religious Studies, with the hope that they will be encouraged to read this or related subjects at University.
Deadline: 31st May 2015
Prizes: The competition carries a First Prize of £600 and a Second Prize of £400, to be split equally between the candidate and his or her school or college; the school or college’s portion of the prize to be issued in the form of book tokens.
Further Details: http://www.trin.cam.ac.uk/theology-and-religious-studies-essay-prize
GENERAL
Title: Essex University 50th Anniversary Essay Competition
Details: Simply write 3,000-5,000 words about one of our six research themes listed below. Topics include: Delving into Water’s Hidden Depths; Devil’s Pact or Dream Match; Whose life is it anyway?; Asking difficult questions about control; Ageism; Social Change; Rights
Deadline: May 2015
Prizes: The overall winner will receive £1,000. Plus six additional winners, one from each theme, will each win £500. Each winner will also receive £250 of books for their school or college.
Further Details: http://www.essex.ac.uk/fifty/essay/default.aspx
Looking at small liberal arts and science schools
While doing research for my first article in HT Horizon (see below) I reached out a few students I had worked with in the past. Amar Sarkar (Grinnell '12), Anshu Singh (Clark U '13), Madhavika Bajoria (Bryn Mawr '13) and Tanay Warerkar (Sarah Lawrence College '12) responded to my queries. Thank you, this wouldn't have been possible with you!
While doing research for my first article in HT Horizon (see below) I reached out to a few students I had worked with in the past. Amar Sarkar (Grinnell '12), Anshu Singh (Clark U '13), Madhavika Bajoria (Bryn Mawr '13) and Tanay Warerkar (Sarah Lawrence College '12) responded to my queries. Thank you, this wouldn't have been possible with you!
To read the full article go to
Choosing the right-fit schools
Arjun Seth, Hindustan Times
Selective colleges in the US can broadly be categorised into three types — the large public universities, mid-sized private universities and the small liberal arts and science colleges.
Families in India are usually aware of the first two types but aren’t well informed about the last category. Liberal arts colleges can, however, be perfect for students who want to be in a small, undergraduate institution, looking for a small, intimate campus and tiny class sizes. If you like being part of a close-knit campus community and want more people to be personally invested in your learning goals then these colleges can provide the perfect environment for your higher education and for realising your career goals.
Alas, these colleges don’t show up on popular ranking websites. So if you are ready to go beyond the typical ‘Top-ranked national universities,’ you’ll soon discover why so many students swear by their experience at these undergraduate focused liberal arts colleges, where they’ve found the right kind of intellectual stimulation, care and personal attention.
Go ahead and use tabulated rankings as a starting point for your college search but don’t end it there, for soon you’ll find that rankings are irrelevant and not at all an indication of what kind of college experience is right for you.
Says Tanay Warerkar, a sophomore at Sarah Lawrence College, NY (www.slc.edu), “Having interacted with students from different universities one comes to realise that while rankings are important they certainly aren’t a topic broached on a conversational basis. Each school is identified by the calibre of the students it produces and that might not necessarily be reflective of the ranking of that institution, so I think it has more to do with whether the school has produced students that are now on the public radar.”
Madhavika Bajoria, a student I’ve worked with, wrote to me about her college search when she was in high school and then shared her experiences at Bryn Mawr (www.brynmawr.edu), an all-women’s liberal arts college in Pennsylvania. Bajoria is currently considering a double major in economics and international studies and a minor in Spanish. “Geographic location played a very important part in my selection process. I wanted to be near a city on the coasts. This turned out to be the right decision for me. I always knew I’d major in economics but Spanish became a serious academic interest only after I took a language class for fun and ended up wanting to do it for the remaining undergrad years. Similarly, international studies is a unique programme, which draws from aspects of economics, political science, philosophy and language and culture studies. This was a perfect programme for me since it ties in all my interests and allows me to explore all of them. The general education requirements have been a little bit of an annoyance. I wish there were fewer but at the same time I wouldn’t change any of the classes I chose to take.”
Compact sizes too matter. Says Anshu Singh from Clark University, “the average class size of my intro classes was close to 22. That worked perfectly for me as I had a personal rapport with all my professors, and even my Korean economics professor knew me by my very Indian name.
Currently I am pursuing a double major in economics and environmental science and policy. I had gone undecided, but my faculty advisor and the liberal arts system of education helped me immensely in making the right decision.”
When asked about lack of diversity in some of the liberal arts schools, Warerkar explains, “I was keen on going to a school that did not have a large international student population, and I’m glad I made the decision of choosing Sarah Lawrence. I often find that Indian students tend to stick together and get trapped in a bubble that limits their interaction to the people from their country. I believe this greatly detracts from the overall college experience. I didn’t want to travel all the way to America to solely interact with students from my country. Interacting with American students and others from different countries has been an enriching educational experience, and I would go to the extent of saying that it has changed the way I perceive life. However, having a small international population or for that matter having a largely white student body does have its drawbacks. While I have personally never faced any problems, people from smaller ethnic groups seem to feel threatened at times, and this has resulted in tensions on a few occasions. Such issues often have a magnified impact at a smaller school.”
These colleges also give you the liberty to change courses. Amar Sarkar, currently a mathematics major at Grinnell college (www.grinnell.edu), began as a psychology and economics double major. “These interests change with time and that’s no surprise. One of the main advantages of the liberal arts system is the ability to choose your major field and change your choice while you’re there. As far a general education is concerned, a variety of courses in different disciplines helps cultivate the skills (critical reading and thinking, analytical skills, research skills and most importantly, writing skills) that the college is trying to teach you,” says Sarkar. Rather than looking at the size of the student body as a whole, you should look at student to faculty ratio. “At Grinnell, it is 7:1, which is quite impressive. For undergraduate education, aim for a smaller class size so that you can learn the skills (note, I’m saying skills, not content) to the best of your ability,” advises Sarkar.
Another important criteria while searching for colleges is to assess the personality of the student body each represents, a point often overlooked by students and parents in India. Says Bajoria, “Coming from an all-girls high school in Kolkata with little diversity, my perception of diversity has undergone a complete change, but for the better. The student body at Bryn Mawr is very liberal, outspoken and opinionated. They are also extremely accepting. I really like the intellectual drive and curiosity that I see in most students. However, being an all-women’s institution, there is also a tendency towards non-conformity for the sake of non-conformity, which I don’t really like because it’s insincere. A lot of gender stereotypes are played up in order to allow male-bashing and militant feminism, which can also get very annoying. But besides that, I generally admire a lot of students I go to school with!”
Working with several students for almost a decade, I’ve seen how quickly their perspective on liberal arts colleges has changed from the time of the application to when they come to college. Many are not even sure they would apply to some of the highly-ranked national universities they would have died to get into initially.
Divya Balaji (Yale, ´14) on the amazing opportunities that came her way at Yale
Divya Balaji, an EdBrand alumnus, talks about her Yale experience.
Is a large public university for you?
This week we focus on large public universities in the United States and shed light on issues related to college setting, size, academic experience and diversity of student population in some of its highly-selective, nationally ranked universities. This is to help students understand the importance of the right fit while making their college list.
Article in the 4 Aug 2010 edition of HT Horizon
Here's a snapshot of life in America's large public universities to help you find out what fits you while you make your choice of college
This week we focus on large public universities in the United States and shed light on issues related to college setting, size, academic experience and diversity of student population in some of its highly-selective, nationally ranked universities. This is to help students understand the importance of the right fit while making their college list.
The setting
: Many top-ranked public schools are located in a college town setting.
Describing the University of Illinois's (www.uiuc.edu) setting, Karmanya Agarwal (enrolling in a computer engineering major) says, “The U of I is in itself a small town. We like to call it Cham-bana Champaign plus Urbana. It is a sweet little town in itself. I do feel I'll miss out on city life at times but, at the same time, I feel UIUC's collegiate setting will add to my overall academic and social experience. I had thought a lot about this kind of life and the pros and cons before applying here. I guess this kind of setting grows on you.“
Abeer Saha, a sophomore at the University of Virginia (www.virginia.edu), says “When applying, I didn't give much thought to geographic location or setting. But once you actually get there, these things start to matter. So it's important to consider things like, whether you like rainy, cold, or hot weather. And whether you can survive in rural/college town areas where there isn't a tall building in sight and little night life or just one shopping mall.“
On the other hand, Raghav Chandra, an electrical engineering and computer science major, loved everything about the location of the University of California Berkeley (www.berkeley.edu). He says, “UCB is in a college town setting, close to San Francisco/Bay Area. The geographic location is perfect for the field I am in, that is, software engineering and Silicon Valley. The weather is also good; sometimes windy, sometimes sunny. While deciding the school, it did not play an important role, but as time passes, it gains significance as ultimately you have to live here for a long time, and the experience of the school (interacting with friends, commuting, etc.,) depends directly on this. These factors affect me more now. For example, because of the pleasant weather, I tend to socialise more outdoors, and be involved in sports. Being in an urban environment close to a big city allows me to enjoy more resources, better connectivity and transportation options.“
The academic experience
: It is true that in a big public university, there is generally a stronger focus on research, publication and a larger number of graduate and PhD students. The undergraduates are largely left to their own devices to survive. The strong and prudent undergraduate student in a public school will be very proactive and seek out the attention of the professor. You must remember that because many of your classes will be very large (more than 300 students in an auditorium style lecture hall), it is not enough to just get good grades. There will be too many students getting good grades. You need to take the extra step and approach the professor. The upside of this is that not many students do this. So, a professor is pleasantly surprised by this initiative and will often reward that enthusiasm with opportunities.
Writing about his experience at UVA, Saha says, “Some intro classes are huge, with more than 300 students. It's not ideal, especially if you're serious about your studies. But as you start specialising, the class size is bound to drop significantly. Even though it's still possible to get the professor's attention, if you're scared of speaking up in front of hundreds of people, then you might want to consider a smaller college.“
Amay Kataria, a computer engineering major at Virginia Institute of Technology (www.vt.edu), says, “The class size at VTech was generally about 200-250 students. I was complaining the first time but I realised the choice is either to sink or swim. The whole academic perspective counts down to adjustment and the willingness to learn in any environment. The quality of your communications with the professors in the classes is an important way to make the most of your academic experience. They remember you if you raise important questions without wasting the time of the class and that motivates you to do well in their class.“
Says Chandra, “I had a class with 700 students as well (intro classes). I did not face a problem. At Berkeley, people are comfortable asking a question while the lecture goes on and after, though it's not that personal with the professor as smaller classes. You have to make an effort to go in office hours to interact with the professor. For both the above points, the criticism of a large university like Berkley is heavily based on lack of attention from the professors. On the bright side, it teaches you to do your work efficiently, relying more on your resources, because at the end of the day, you will have to put in effort to understand the material. The core courses at UCB are hard and competitive. I advise students to give their APs (Advanced Placement exams, conducted by the College Board), even if they are in an Indian system, as it might help them skip a lot of courses which they might have done in high school. This will save a lot of time, effort and money. A lot of other interesting classes could be taken instead of these mandatory classes which could be waived via APs."
Size, diversity and life
: Those seeking true diversity and an ocean of interests in and out of class will love the big campus environment. Some students feel claustrophobic in some of the smaller schools where it can feel a little like high school with the cliques and gossip. Though at least 80 per cent of the students in a public school will be residents of that state, they will come from different backgrounds and have a wide variety of interests. These will be represented in a myriad of different clubs and organisations offering a student the chance to really branch out into different things. There is also a very good chance that the public school will have a great and well-funded sports programme that fuels that “RaRa“ spirit of the Big Game.
Says Chandra, “Berkeley being a big public university, the size was a concern initially. There was always the question of being lost in the crowd. It is true that in smaller places, one tends to have stronger ties with friends. It is mainly because of the fact that you are in the same classes as the others, unlike in bigger universities, where due to the numerous sections and options, one might have different classmates every semester. Though, it exposes you to a larger diversity and a more vibrant culture. For me, I would like to be a part of a school which is big but has smaller divisions (based on the department, classes, etc) providing opportunity to get close to a smaller group, giving the best of both worlds.“
Says Chandra, “Being a public university (which is mandated to educate residents of that state), there are only 10 per cent international students in UC Berkeley. However, there are a lot of second/third generation Americans with international (especially Asian) origin. This makes it culturally diverse, so it is easier to settle.“
Says Saha, “I love meeting new people and learning about their cultures. A pleasant surprise for me was that everyone seemed interested in who I was and where I came from. They wanted to know about India and its diverse people and culture. Going to big universities in America means meeting people from all over the world. It has been a fascinating experience. I know students from Turkey, Jamaica, India, China, South Africa, France, England, and Columbia.“
Says Chandra, “The student body is very active at Berkeley. Especially this year, due to the economic crisis, there were a lot of protests. Being a liberal place, people are expressive of their ideas. This makes for a very lively student body with a lot of thoughts and ideas floating around for people to absorb.“
Fraternity in large public universities is often misunderstood to be an excuse for excessive partying. However, staying away from it can mean missing out on a lot of what college has to offer. Says Saha, “Greek Life (a residential society) is a big part of public school culture. Lots of kids rush in their first year, it's a unique experience and participating doesn't bind you to any fraternity. '
The author is an independent college admissions counsellor and can be contacted at arjunseth72@gmail.com.
Interview with Karan Nagpal, Oxford University
I went to a high school that had a large number of students. Therefore, being around thousands of people was a way of life. This is what lead me to apply to big universities in the US. However, after studying at St. Stephens in India where the community was rather close-knit, I feel that a smaller college works better. There’s always the trade-off between the prestige of a larger university and the close-knit community of a smaller college (luckily, St Stephen’s ticked both the boxes).
Talking about core curriculums. In Stephens we didn’t have an array of diverse subjects that we were required to study. We had our basic economics requirements and requirement for subjects, which were in some way related to what we were studying. However, I feel that the ‘liberal arts’ system and the strict core curriculum that follows it leads to a holistic development and I see no reason as to why it should be an annoyance.
1. What according to you works better at an undergraduate level, a small liberal arts school or a larger university? Does having to meet a core curriculum turn out to be an annoyance in any way?
I went to a high school that had a large number of students. Therefore, being around thousands of people was a way of life. This is what lead me to apply to big universities in the US. However, after studying at St. Stephens in India where the community was rather close-knit, I feel that a smaller college works better. There’s always the trade-off between the prestige of a larger university and the close-knit community of a smaller college (luckily, St Stephen’s ticked both the boxes).
Talking about core curriculums. In Stephens we didn’t have an array of diverse subjects that we were required to study. We had our basic economics requirements and requirement for subjects, which were in some way related to what we were studying. However, I feel that the ‘liberal arts’ system and the strict core curriculum that follows it leads to a holistic development and I see no reason as to why it should be an annoyance.
2. All the students know that rankings ARE important. But, how important are they in your opinion?
I feel that rankings don’t provide a basis for deciding on one’s colleges but yes they do provide one with some amount of consolation. I did not pay too much heed to rankings while drawing up my college list, rather, I focused on other factors such as the quality of education provided at the undergrad level. Reading up on the websites, talking to college counselors, alumni and students is what helped me judge and choose my schools.
Even though I stayed back in India at Stephens I would like the prospective students to know that rankings should not be made the sole basis of one’s decisions, mainly because they are a function of the particular weighting scheme employed, so you must be aware of how the rankings are generated. Besides, consider how volatile they have been, what is in the top 5 now may not be there 4 years later. Of course, the consolation and ego boost they give can’t be underplayed.
3. While deciding on colleges what part did the geographical location (NE, Mid West, West, South) and setting (urban, rural, suburban, college town) play in your decision? Did your opinions regarding this fact change when you joined college?
When I was in high school, the location of the undergrad college didn’t seem to matter and one felt that one could deal with whatever weather came our way. But, after coming to Oxford for my grad school, I’ve realized that getting acclimatized to a town or city, which is distinctive from the place you have always lived in, can be hard. For eg: Oxford is a small city, which is quite rural as compared to, say, London. For someone who grew up in Delhi, which was always bustling and alive, this transition was a little difficult.
4. A beauty of the American education system is that you’re not required to commit to any subject the minute you join. Did this flexibility help you in anyway when you joined college?
I was pretty sure that I wanted to study Economics after high school and thankfully that interest still remains. I also felt that having the opportunity to make a ‘decision’ in college and having to make a choice came as a burden with the flexibility. I had a fair idea of what I wanted to do and didn’t want to confuse or put myself through the job of deciding a major. Therefor, focusing only on economics while at Stephens didn’t feel as much of a constraint, and whatever little interest I had in other fields I made sure I read up enough to satisfy my intellectual curiosity.
5. How important was diversity to you when you started evaluating the US as an option? Have your notions regarding this factor changed over a period of time? What part does the ‘diversity’ angle play in the college lives of international students?
For me diversity was a very important aspect at the undergrad as well as the grad level. Having a diverse, or more international, set of people around helps you get an insight into various cultures and also makes transition into the college easier.
In Oxford, even though all students and faculty work within the department, we are all affiliated to one of the 38 colleges. The college is important for one’s social life and life outside of academics. I was fortunate to become member of a college with a large international student population. Therefore, it helped make my transition easier, there were no set groups or cliques that had to be broken into.
6. If there was one aspect of the Indian and UK education that you don’t appreciate and would want other students to look out for then what would that be?
Since the India system has, to a large extent, been based on the British system, one can criticise aspects common to both. One is the idea of a single set of exams at the end of the year, and not much emphasis on continuous testing.
Also, the Indian pedagogy is not critical enough, so the education system doesn’t focus as much on developing the student’s ability to argue or form a structured opinion.However, in the American and the British systems, such abilities are valued and nurtured.
7. Describe the personality of the student body at your college! Did the personality of the students and the environment of the college come as a shock to you? Do you feel that you have fit into the college community?
St. Stephen’s was a rather intimate and close-knit community that tended to draw you in. In Oxford, I was struck by my classmates’ strong work ethics, discipline and their ability to work very hard. Also, as I said, they have come from systems where their ability to critique and articulate opinions in a structured way has been developed to a larger extent. No, these things weren’t really “shocks,” they were learning experiences, and yes, I suppose I managed to fit into the communities.