EdBrand May 2016 Newsletter
We are delighted to share our newsletter with you. In each monthly issue you will learn about important news regarding international college admissions and the success stories of our bright and exceptionally talented students. Along with that, we would like to keep you posted on some upcoming events and share our thoughts about the ever changing landscape of higher education.
The good news
Here’s a shoutout to our wonderful students from the class of 2016! We loved working with you as you kept exploring your diverse interests in technology, art, business and the social sciences. After putting in some tremendous efforts over the year and fully committing to the EdBrand process, the results have been well earned. We are happy to announce that all of our students have been accepted into several colleges of their choice.
Among the colleges that will be enriched by their impressive contributions, are institutions such as - ● Ashoka University
● Barnard College
● Brown University
● Carnegie Mellon University (School of Computer Science)
● Claremont McKenna College
● Columbia University
● Cornell University
● Dartmouth College
● Duke University
● Georgia Tech University
● Harvard University
● New York University
● Northwestern University
● Pomona College
● Reed College
● Swarthmore College
● Science Po, Paris
● Tufts University
● University of Pennsylvania (College of Arts & Sciences and Wharton School of Business)
● University of California, Berkeley and LA
● University of Michigan
● Washington University at St. Louis
● Wellesley College
Recent Events
Over the past six months, EdBrand has been conducting events in India and Singapore in order to introduce students to the college admissions process and to help them explore opportunities available for intellectual explorations and scientific discovery.
As several college admissions reps have been visiting India and Singapore, we took the opportunity to engage our students in the process that goes behind a college deciding to admit a student. We set up various mock college admissions committee workshops to simulate the decision making process of an admissions committee and our students got a chance to identify different aspects of a successful application. The visiting representatives from various colleges provided much needed insights from the perspective of an admissions officer. During the workshops attended by Edbrand students and parents alike, we were happy to note that the participants gained more clarity on what highly selective colleges are looking for.
Besides familiarising our students with the admissions process, we have also been holding sessions on essay writing. Through these workshops, we have sought to introduce the CommonApp personal essay to interested students and have discussed successful essays by our past students to identify the strengths and weaknesses of their approach. We will be conducting more of these discussions in the coming months in order to get students ready to introspect and write essays that make their applications three-dimensional.
In collaboration with Maker’s Asylum, we organised a DIY (do-it-yourself) workshop. Our students got to familiarise themselves with cutting edge tech like 3D printers and laser cutters, pitch their product ideas to experts in the fields of design, prototyping and robotics, and learn about the remarkable projects being done by the folks at Maker’s Asylum.
In the past week, there were two information sessions hosted by various American colleges. Representatives from Barnard College, Columbia, Cornell, Duke, Georgetown, Northwestern and Princeton Universities made presentations about their undergraduate programs. Bookmark our Events page to register for future workshops, seminars and interview opportunities with visiting college admissions officers.
Important Dates and Deadlines
Register early for SAT/ACT Given that the new format of the SAT I test is out, we are observing a trend of more students opting for ACT instead. Here’s a link to our website page with the deadlines for SAT and ACT registrations, along with dates for AP exams and TOEFL. You should also compare the SAT and ACT and decide which one works for you. Here’s a link to two interesting articles on Huffington Post andTime that explain this well.
Summer courses
College admissions can be fun and your interactions with our coaches will always be informative and engaging. Our workshops on innovation, urbanism, social entrepreneurship and sustainability will challenge you to think of your role as a future citizen of a fast changing and inter-connected world. Along the way, you will learn how to build your narrative and be a successful college bound student.
Our pick for you is the Young Leaders for Active Citizenship (YLAC) bootcamp this June The YLAC boot camp is a unique programme designed to introduce participants to the theoretical basis of democracy and gain real world experience about different aspects of social justice. It involves participants in intensive projects with partner NGOs and has them interact with a diverse set of speakers who have established themselves in various fields such as politics and business.
This 21-day program will be anchored by Rohit Kumar (Alumnus of Harvard Kennedy School of Government) and Aparajita Bharti (Alumna of Blavatnik School of Government, Oxford University), who will engage participants with sessions on the need for active citizenship, the means available for effecting change and how to conceptualise and conduct social projects. YLAC aims to select participants among promising young adults (grades 9th-12th) who have a keen interest in making a contribution to the broader society. With an illustrious board of advisors like Dr. Shashi Tharoor (MP), Mr. Jay Panda (MP) and Prof. Michael Walton (Harvard) this summer program promises to be an enriching experience.
Please visit the applications page to apply to the program.
Insights from experiences of our students at highly-selective colleges
In the College Profiles section of our website, you could follow work of current and graduated college students. Reading their profiles could give you a deep insight into possibilities that could be available to you as a college bound student. In this section we have also provided much needed information about the different things that are fostered in the communities of various selective colleges. You could learn about fun facts about each college by reading information on college traditions and work of notable alumni. On these pages you can also find links to the international applicants information section and Facebook pages of the colleges.
Best,
Arjun Seth, Director Edbrand
About Us: Arjun started EdBrand in 2003 - a U.S. college admissions consultancy based in New Delhi, Kolkata and Singapore. As a mentor to high school and college students Arjun supports students take ownership of their academic, extra-curricular and career goals and thus be ready to get the best out of their college experience. He encourages students to develop intellectual curiosity and prepares them for a lifetime of learning. He has visited over 150 colleges in the US and elsewhere and has been invited as a speaker at the prestigious International Association for College Admission Counseling (IACAC) conference to be held in July 2016. Other than offering one-on-one counseling sessions to students, he has designed trans-disciplinary programs centered on urbanism, social entrepreneurship and ecological stewardship set in New Delhi, Kolkata, Singapore and Auroville (Pondicherry). He brings years of experience in life coaching teenagers and young adults. Arjun also develops, oversees and constantly improves on the skills of the excellent coaches who work in New Delhi, Kolkata and Singapore.
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