What is the new SAT in Dubai? If you’ve been to the College Board SAT website, you may have noticed there’s lots being written about the “New SAT.” Many test prep makers are changing all of their materials for the New SAT and calling what you are studying for the “Old SAT.”
Are you in trouble? Did you miss something? Are you studying for the wrong test?
The New SAT in Dubai Isn’t New Anymore
The SAT changed to a new format in 2016! If you are reading this now, you are taking the new SAT in Dubai. Don’t worry about anything. We’ve marked through our old advice, so that you can see what we used to recommend. The rest of the advice is still good!
For now, you’re good. The SAT is changing, but not until after the January 2016 exam. That means that if you are in Dubai or the United Arab Emirates, the first time you will take the New SAT is in May 2016. (There is no March SAT exam for international students. Find out more about this here.)
If you plan to take the May or June 2016 SATs, you will take the “New SAT.” Taking the New SAT may affect you in a few ways depending on who you are.
If you are in the 12th grade (UK year 13) now
You need to take the SAT as soon as possible. The SAT that is available now has years of great research and easily available resources online. All of this will disappear after January.
You’ll have the best chance to do well on the test with an abundance of practice materials (and reasonably good teachers for the old test). Once the New SAT starts, everyone will be transitioning to the new test and some people will not know what they are talking about. For example, Kaplan released some prep materials for the New SAT and all of the questions had 5 answer choices. Ummm…the questions on the New SAT only have 4 answer choices. (If I had bought that book, I would ask for my money back!)
Back on the topic, if you take the SAT again after January, you will be studying for a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT exam. Don’t do it! If you are applying to universities like American University of Sharjah or Beirut that have summer deadlines, plan ahead. Take the SAT NOW!
If you are in the 11th grade (UK year 12) now
Wait to study for and take the SAT. If you study for the SAT now, you will be studying for the Old SAT. If you decide next year that you want to take the SAT again, you will take a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT test, which means you have to start your studying over! Our suggestion is to wait and take the May or June 2016 SATs. You will still be way ahead in the university application process and have time to take the SAME SAT again in October 2016 if you want to improve your score.
If you are in the 10th grade (UK year 11) now
We like your enthusiasm, but you’re a bit early to start studying for the SAT. Focus on getting good grades, rock your math classes, and read more books and you’ll do well on the SAT.
If you are not in school but need to take the SAT
If you took a gap year or have been working and intend to apply for universities with summer deadlines, like the American University of Sharjah or Lebanese American University, you should take the SAT NOW. Don’t put it off. Review the requirements on the university’s websites and go ahead and take the test. It will be one less thing to think about (you also have to take the TOEFL or IELTS).
Need help preparing for the SAT?
Our students increase their SAT scores by at least 150 points! Whatsapp us to find out how we can help you get your BEST SAT score, even on the new SAT in Dubai.
Looking for Common Application essays 2015-2016? Hopefully by now you have taken (or at least registered to take) the SAT. In addition, you’ve got your eye on a few universities to apply to in the United States. The easiest way to apply to a lot of universities at the same time is to use the Common Application. You can apply to more than 500 universities using one application (they even added 60 new universities this year!). Some universities have supplements that require you to write more essays. However, there are many good universities that don’t require extra work. So, you can do the application once and then keep applying.
You’re only required to complete ONE of the following essays. The maximum word count for these essays is 650 words each. You can be a little under but get as close as you can to 650 without going over. The prompts look very similar to last year’s. However, there are new phrases added that completely reframe the question. Be sure to pay close attention to the prompts. Don’t forget to edit and re-edit your essay because all of your universities will read it.
Essay Prompt 1: Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
Our Comments on Common Application Essays 2015-2016 #1
Only choose this question if there is something really unusual about you that has changed or made your life what it is. Examples of unusual things would include you:
and your family fled a country at war
are a person of multiple cultures (mixed race isn’t really enough, you need to have experienced extremes of your mixed cultures)
raised your younger siblings because you were born to a single mother
created an app that you were able to sell and made a bunch of money
are a world-renowned concert pianist or something similar
It’s not enough to be different, though. You need to have a compelling story to go with your differentness. Tell a clear, moving story that has a beginning, middle, and end. Discuss why this background, identity, etc. is so important that it needed to be mentioned in your application and hint at how it will allow you to contribute to your accepted university.
At the end of the essay, you should directly connect this quality about yourself to your academic goals and what you can offer.
Essay Prompt 2: The lessons we take from failure can be fundamental to later success. Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
Our Comments
You read this question and your first response was to think of a tiny failure that suggests you are so perfect that you rarely fail, right? Wrong. This type of response is classic and everyone knows what you’re doing. A great answer to this question shows real vulnerability.
When we sit down with students to outline an answer to this question, we ask about an EPIC FAIL and afterwards when their parents, siblings, friends, or teachers ripped them a new butt hole. We want THAT experience.
What happened? Specifically what did you do that caused you to fail (you’ve got to own it and take responsibility for your actions)? Your response? What did you think about? Did you learn something? Were you able to apologize, fix the failure, or was the moment gone?
Now matter how epic the fail, be sure to end on a happy, positive note (not something like going to university will redeem me). The best essays will reference the first part of the question and demonstrate (not just discuss) how the lessons from that failure made you successful later.
A common example (so don’t use this one) would be that you didn’t study at all for a class, then failed it, and didn’t pass the 10th grade. That experience was a wake up call that led you to start studying hard and reaching your academic potential. Eventually, you graduated in the top 5% of your high school class.
Essay Prompt 3: Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again?
Our Comments
This essay has the potential to be a great one if you have a strong idea that you were taught by your parents, adults that were in a position of trust (pastor, youth group leader, teacher, etc.), or friends that turned out to be wrong. If you choose a story in which you questioned your friends or went against peer pressure, the belief or idea (basically the situation) needs to be bigger than a petty disagreement.
A good story would be something like you spent a year bullying a kid with your friends and then you realized it was wrong and then protected him. A great story ends with you losing all your friends instead of the kid you bullied. I’d watch that movie…wouldn’t you?
Don’t forget this essay needs to be 650 words, so don’t just write the facts. Set the scene! Tell a great story and explain your thought process. Keep in mind that you should reveal what prompted you to act and the new beliefs or ideas that were formed because you challenged the original idea. A strong conclusion will answer whether you would make the same decision again and why.
Essay Prompt 4: Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma-anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.
Our Comments
There are two options for this question: one problem that you have solved or one that you would like to solve. Since you’re applying to university, you, hopefully, are already intellectually curious. We suggest you choose this essay if you can readily identify an intellectual challenge or research query related to your CHOSEN major that you would like to solve. (Don’t pick the other option…it’s way too complicated!)
For example, if you want to major in math, choose a theorem or real world application of a mathematical concept that you want to solve. At the very least, you should want to know about it. Be sure to give all the “juicy” details of who created this theorem, how it works, and the shortcomings. You should also explain why this theorem interests you and how you would go about exploring it or finding a solution.
If you’re an IB student that had to do an investigation for SL/HL Math, you’ve got the perfect beginnings of your Common App essay!
Essay Prompt 5: Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.
Our Comments Common Application Essays 2015-2016 #5
Boy does the Common App love storytelling! This essay is another one begging you for a great, reflective story. If you choose this essay, you should think about a FIRST in your life. Was there a moment that was a classic coming-of-age or right of passage? Examples include:
The first time you took a trip by yourself
Your first job
A walkabout or right of passage ceremony in your culture (the weirder the better–as long as it’s true)
No matter what you write about, tell a great story and, as always, explain why this was importance.
We can help you write your Common App essays!
Whatsapp us to find out how we can help you with your Common Application essays 2015-2016. We’ll meet with you in person, help you with 3 drafts, and do final reviews–all for an affordable rate.
So…California is awesome. And everyone want to go to a California university. Clear skies, beautiful weather, great beaches, cool things to do. If you want to spend four glorious years at university in this wonderful state, you need to get your sh*t together…AND FAST!
The best and easiest way to get into a university in Cali is to apply to all the UC schools. The UC schools are 9 undergraduate universities in different locations in California that use the same (ONE!) application for all the universities. It’s like the Common App for California universities. Here are the universities you can apply to, all at the same time:
One application sounds great, right? Here’s the catch: You only have 1 month left to apply. Not one month to plan or write or get recommendations. One month for the whole thing. The application for the UC schools closes on November 30th.
We repeat, the application deadline for UC schools is November 30…and they want ALL of your stuff by then. No sending recommendations and scores later. You should submit everything by November 30th to have the best chances of acceptance. Check out the application guidelines and deadlines here.
How are you going to get this done? Here’s our plan. We hope you’re ready to work.
Prerequisites to Get Into a California University
You need to have already done the things below. If you haven’t, you should do some serious thinking. You can either not apply to these universities (choose others in California with and apply with the Common App) or you can risk your application money by sending documents later:
Taken the SAT and have your scores OR be registered for the exam.
If you have taken the SAT already or will take it in November, go online to the College Board’s site and select to have your official scores sent to each UC school. There are instructions for doing this here. Be sure to choose your best SAT scores. If these came from sections on different tests, send both sets of score because some universities will create a new composite score of your highest scores.
Taken the SAT Subject Tests.
These tests will be recommended but not necessarily required. However, that means you need to take them. Pick tests that coordinate with your major. Click here for the SAT Subject Test recommendations by UC and major. For example, if you’re applying for engineering, you should take Math Level 2C and either Physics, Chemistry, or Biology. For more general information on the SAT Subject Tests, check out our post. If you haven’t taken them but want to see how involved the preparation is (Spoiler alert! It IS INVOLVED!), read our posts on SAT Math Level 2C and SAT Chemistry.
Taken the TOEFL or IELTS.
Most universities will accept either score, although the IELTS is easier (see our take on this here). If you haven’t taken one of the tests yet, you may still be able to register because, unlike the SAT, they are offered EVERY Saturday. Go to ielts.org or toefl.org to get started. UC universities require a minimum of 80 on the TOEFL iBT or 6.5 on the IELTS.
Have a minimum 3.4 GPA (or international equivalent).
Before you start asking people for stuff, take a day and go through the websites of all the UC schools. If you already know your intended major, apply to all the universities with your major. If you’re not sure about your major, read this blog post and start thinking!
Be sure to review the different requirements of each university and try to choose one stretch, one match, and one safety university. (If you’re not sure what we’re talking about, read more about selecting universities here.) If UC Berekley is on your list, that’s your stretch. It’s a stretch school for everyone because it’s one of the best universities in the world. Generally, we’d classify the universities as the following for the typical student in Dubai:
Berkeley: stretch (great reputation, incredibly competitive to get in)
LA : stretch (good reputation, incredibly competitive)
Davis: match (decent reputation, somewhat competitive)
Irvine: match (decent reputation, somewhat competitive)
All the rest are match or safety because they have decent reputations but are less competitive.
Week 1: Gather Supplementary Docs
This week is all about gathering supplementary documentation that relies on other people.
Task 1: Go to your high school front office or guidance counselor, beg for help, and get a high school transcript.
You don’t have to submit transcripts yet to the universities you apply to. You need this transcript so that you know the exact grades and courses. PDF if need be. Universities will ask for a transcript if they need one.
Task 2: Put together your Student Activity Resume’ to organize your activities.
Check out these posts for help and a template. Some quick tips:
Take only 2 days to pull the resume’ together. You don’t have time to waste on this minor part of your application.
List activities starting from 9th grade (UK year 10). It’s great if you awesome in 6th grade but college’s don’t care.
Ask your parents what activities they remember you participating in. If your mom (or dad) is anything like ours, she (he) has a long memory and a bunch certificates and trophies from your achievements. They will remember what you won’t. Use them as resources.
Do NOT worry about finding certificates and other stuff to prove you did activities. American universities assume that if you listed it you actually did it, so they don’t require any certificates of participation. This does not mean your can lie on your application (let’s be honest!).
Clean up the format as much as you can. We’ve provided a Student Activity Resume’ template that you should be able to type into flawlessly, but you can use any resume’ template and just change the headings.
Task 3: Start completing the application with what you have as soon as possible.
You’d be surprised how long this can take.
What about recommendations? UC schools don’t read them at the time of application but a university may ask for one in supplemental information later. Don’t get a reco at this stage.
Week 2: Start Writing
The second most time consuming part of the university application process, after studying for the SAT, is writing your essays. Keep in mind that your application essays are the ONLY personal voice they will hear from you (Your grades and test scores do quite a bit of talking). Although interviews are becoming more common, they aren’t required as part of the applications for UC schools. Therefore, for these universities to know and understand “your story,” they have to read great essays.
Task 1: Understand the essay questions
Here are the essay questions for the University of California schools with our comments to help you understand them. The max word count total is 1,000 words. We suggest you write each as about 500 word essays. Get as close to 500 as possible without going over. UC provides a personal statement worksheet to help you organize your thoughts — use it!
Essay 1: Freshman applicant prompt: Describe the world you come from — for example, your family, community or school — and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.
The hardest part of this essay is the shaping dreams and aspirations part. It’s best to start here and then craft your world around it. So, think about 3 key dreams or aspirations you have (short term, after university, and long term vision) then think about three parts of your current or past world that have created those aspirations. For this essay, focus on your diversity, why you are unique. California schools want a diverse population and that’s one of your strong points as an international student. You can describe Dubai as part of the world you come from, but focus on it’s unique points: how Dubai is different from the West rather than how it is similar.
Essay 2: Prompt for all applicants: Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud and how does it relate to the person you are?
Essay 1 shouldn’t be a story, more of a classic five paragraph essay. Essay 2, however, should be an interesting, philosophical masterpiece. Use the personal statement worksheet as a starting point for your planning, then tell a great descriptive story.
Task 2: Write first drafts of each essay
Now that you have an understanding of the questions, start your essays with these three steps:
Outline: There is a big difference between essays that have been outlined (organized) and those that haven’t (hot mess). Sit down, think about what you going to write about, and jot down the notes on paper.
Just write: Roughly following that outline, write down anything that comes to mind. Pretend that you are talking to someone and write that down. That’s your writer’s voice!
Let it breathe: After writing the first draft of one essay, go write another essay. You have to spend time on another essay or part of the application so you can come back to the first essay with fresh eyes. If you take a breather from the essay, you’ll definitely see what’s wrong with it when you come back.
Week 3: Finish Your Essays
So you’ve written first drafts of your essays and taken sufficient time away from them. This week you will finish them.
Task 1: Become an editor.
You MUST check all the little things about your essay: grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, word choice, everything. Check out this funny post on How to Write Good English.
Task 2: Let someone else look at your essays.
You’ll need someone else to read your essay to help you correct errors or ask you questions (the answers should go in your essay because these are questions any reader would have). If you show your essays to a teacher, you should ask another person to review them also. Teachers are busy people. Usually, they will give your essay a quick read and tell it’s great or give you minor feedback. You NEED more analysis from someone who has time to really evaluate your essay.
Task 3: Upload your essays into the application.
One task gets crossed off the list and you can change them later if you need to.
Week 4: Finish Your Application
Hopefully, you’ve been completing the application as you go. Here’s what you need to do this week:
Task 1: Finish the application.
Task 2: Check the application very carefully.
If you missed anything, the online app will not let you save or submit a page. If anything is missing later, you will receive an email from the Admissions Departments of different universities.
Task 3: Submit the application.
Do not wait until November 30th to submit! Submit the application as soon as you are finished. It is not unusual for servers or websites to crash on application deadlines because so many people are accessing them. Avoid this and submit by November 29th.
YOU’RE DONE! >> CALIFORNIA HERE YOU COME!
Need help applying to a California university?
Let us help you with the process! We’ve sent students to the Universities of California Irvine, Southern California, and Davis among others. We’ll assist with selecting universities, gathering supplemental documents, writing essays, and more. Whatsapp us for more info!
This might be our most epic link post ever. Here are 20+ SAT practice tests…for FREE. Yes, you read that correctly, for free. We’ve raided our personal archive (that we’ve been keeping for years), searched online extensively, and scoured test prep makers websites to bring one source of free SAT practice tests to you. Bookmark this page!
Before you check out all of the tests, here are a few things you need to know:
1. These tests are for the version of the SAT after January 2016.
The SAT changed in January 2016, so we have updated this list of tests. Lots are from the best College Board tests released. Others are from solid test prep providers.
2. These tests are full length and include 4 sections.
The official SAT has 4 sections: reading, writing, math (calculator), math (no calculator). If you find tests online without these sections, they aren’t the best free SAT practice resources.
3. There are paper and computer based practice tests in this mix.
Computer tests are good for analysis of your answers, test taking strategies, and timing. However, the real SAT is PAPER. You’ve got to work some paper exams. You can use the paper exams in 2 ways. The first way to be used early in your practice is to put the PDF on your computer or tablet and work the problems on a sheet of paper (this way saves paper). At some point later in your studying, you should print one or two tests and work the problems directly on the test. This is how it will be on test day and you have to get used to it.
4. Learn the right way to use practice tests.
Time yourself
Do them in 1 sitting (not over several days)
Answer all the questions
Rework any incorrect answers completely
20 Free SAT Practice Tests
College Board Official Free SAT Practice Tests
The College Board, the makers of the SAT, always post a free test on their website. This test is awesome because it includes actual retired test questions from the makers of the exam and is formatted exactly like the real SAT. You’ll want to start and end your studying by printing and taking a College Board practice test.
You can do these online, as well, on the Khan Academy website. Since the test in on paper, we recommend doing them on paper.
You can take this shortened computer SAT from Kaplan to get a predicted SAT score. This test is only 1.5 hours, while the real SAT is about 3.5 hours. Although not great to practice your general test taking strategies, this test can give you a good progress check if you’ve been studying for a couple of weeks.
This Princeton Review computer test is great for general practice and analyzing your test taking strategies. Be sure to review every question that you get wrong.
This test is another great tool to assess your strengths and weaknesses as part of regular practice. It’s only 80 questions (about 1/2 the length of the real SAT) so use it the same way you used the Kaplan test above.
These guys have been worked to improve the quality of their prep materials in the last few years and it shows. You can take 6 (yes 6!) full length computer SAT tests online. Take one as complete practice after you’ve been studying for a while or have just started studying and need to set your baseline score. The nice thing about this site is that they also have some helpful problem-solving videos. Use them if you get stuck and need some quick tips or as an add-on to your other studying.
This tutoring company has written 2 pretty good full length practice tests. There’s also a 2 hour diagnostic that’s about the length of half a test…perfect for accuracy drills
We stumbled on this insanely shady but possibly awesome SAT test repository. It features scanned copies of the College Board Official Guide tests (8 in all), College Board online SAT course tests, and previous actual administered SATs. While the College Board OG stuff is legit, we don’t know about the rest.
The files will come up in your Google Drive so we recommend using them this way rather than downloading them to your computer (they may have viruses). If you choose to use tests from the section that says Real SAT Tests Pdf Download (we have no idea how they would have gotten these), use the exams starting from March 2005. The other tests before this date are based on the old, old SAT and are not the right format.
If you use this site, you will have access to another 49 tests! There are likely to be a lot of bad scans and test question repeats in the bunch, so the questions are worth looking through but not necessarily doing as a major part of your studying.
We help dozens of SAT students per year boost their score by more than 150 points. Be one of the select students we work with for private tutoring. Whatsapp us to schedule a free phone consultation.
If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, you know we have been doing “this” (admissions counseling) for YEARS. That’s years of experience and years of tools for the university application process.
We recently decided to make more of our hidden, secret, super awesome tools available to our readers and all the people who stumble onto this blog. The tool you’re going to find in this blog post is one of the best tools we have ever created. This is the ONLY tool you need to organize your university application process: the APPLY ME University Shortlist.
So what is a university shortlist? It’s your list of universities. It’s called a shortlist because, ideally, you start with a bunch of unis. Then, you research them and eliminate a bunch until you got down to a list of about 10 universities (if applying to the USA and Canada–only 5 if applying via UCAS from the UK). For more on this process, check out our post on How NOT to Pick a University.
Introducing the Apply Me University Shortlist
Now that you’ve got a list of universities, you need to organize yourself. The most efficient way to do this for your application process is to put all of the important information about deadlines and requirements on ONE sheet: the Apply Me University Shortlist. Here’s an example of what this sheet looks like based on a student that we worked with a couple of years ago.
Now that you’ve seen the greatest admissions organization tool ever, we’ll explain what’s in it.
Top row
These are all the universities you’re applying to. This student was applying to 11 schools because she was interested in 2 different majors. We recommend only applying to 10.
Category
Stretch, match, safety. Choose 2 or 3 universities that have requirements slightly higher than your profile (higher GPA, SAT score, etc.). Select 5 or 6 universities that match your profile. Finally, choose 2 or 3 safety universities that have requirements lower than your profile. Basically, you’re guaranteed to get into these universities because you’re so awesome.
Location, deadline, application fee
Duh.
Common Application
If you can submit the Common Application for these universities. Being able to use the Common App make things A LOT easier.
School Supplement
Some universities require a specific school supplement to be submitted with the Common App. It’s very important that you know whether this is required.
SAT Math, Reading, Writing
These are the average or median SAT scores for incoming students. If there is no minimum cutoff required, then look for the statistics of students that we accepted the previous year. You can also use other college research websites like Cappex to help you find this info.
SAT Subject Tests
Some universities or specific programs, like engineering, require or strongly suggest (umm…that means require) you to take SAT Subject Tests are part of your application. Learn more about the different tests offered here and decide which will make your application the most competitive it can be.
IELTS
Many universities require the TOEFL or IELTS as proof of your English language ability. Put the minimum required score in this cell. Be sure to check whether you can get a TOEFL or IELTS waiver.
Transcripts
Get your transcripts translated if they aren’t in English (this student finished in the French system). Record the requirements here.
Counselor’s/Teacher’s Evaluation
Do you need them? How many? The requirements vary by university so be sure to check.
International Supplement
You may be required to complete extra paperwork since you are an international student. If this information isn’t on the admissions page of the university website, look for the international applicants section.
Additional Essays for the Application Process
Even if you’ve completed the Common App essay, some universities require additional essays as part of their School Supplements. You need to know how many you’ll have to write.
Financial Certification
In order to issue a student visa, the US government requires proof that you (or a sponsor or scholarship) can pay for the entire first year of university including tuition and room and board. Some universities want this information completed when you apply. Most require it only if you have been accepted. For more on financial verification, check out this post we wrote on financial verification and the student visa process.
Download a FREE University Shortlist Template!!
So you’ve seen it and we’ve explained…now you can DOWNLOAD IT!! Download this Excel file what you can fill in for your application process. The file includes:
A blank shortlist for the US and Canada (11 universities with the right number of stretch, match, and safety) already formatted and one sheet print ready.
A blank shortlist UCAS version for the UK (5 universities with the right number of stretch, match, and safety) already formatted and one sheet print ready. We’ve also changed the categories to match UCAS requirements.
How to Use Your University Shortlist for the Application Process
Here’s what you need to do:
Spend time on each universities website finding all of the information you need to fill in each cell in the shortlist. This research usually takes 30+ minutes per university.
Enter all the information into the cells on the spreadsheet.
Print 2 copies of the spreadsheet once you complete it.
Post 1 copy wherever you do your homework.
Staple or tape 1 copy to a file folder where you will keep all your admissions stuff.
Need help applying to universities?
We have worked with many students applying to the US, UK, and Canada for university. We’ll help you coordinate your timeline, figure out the tests you need to take, write your essays, and more. Schedule a FREE consultation on Whatsapp and get started!
“Hey! What’s your major?” – Every university student on every campus ever
When you start university, this will be the universal question: what’s your major? You’ll be asked by other students, parents, professors, and academic advisers (who are supposed to know!).
Ideally, you will know what major you want to pursue before you even apply to university. After all, you’re picking your universities based on the programs they offer, right? (If not, read How NOT to Pick a University immediately!)
At the very least, you should figure out what your interests are before you apply. Here are a couple of reasons why:
Choosing Universities is Easier with a Major
It will be easier to shortlist universities because you will look for them based on the strength of the type of program you’re interested in. For example, if you think you want to be a writer and maybe study journalism, you can find universities with good journalism AND English programs. You wouldn’t want to go to a great engineering school to be a writer.
“Selling” Yourself is Easier with a Major
You can tailor your student activity resume’ and your essays to the program, making it easier to get accepted. Universities want students who have already investigated, tried out, or participated in their interests. If you want to study graphic design, for example, you’d better have done the graphics for your school newspaper, magazine, website, something.
You Can Change Your Major Later
Once your in, it’s easier to change your major within your program, which saves time and money (as long as you’re applying to the US). If you’re applying to universities in the US, similar majors are grouped into schools or colleges. For example, computer science and computer engineering could be grouped into the School of Computer Science and Engineering. Let’s say you decide to change your major from computer engineering to computer science.
Changing will be easy since many of the course requirements of these two majors are the same. You can change and won’t lose a semester or two. If you changed from computer engineering to math, however, you are likely to extend your time in university because these two majors have different requirements. If you’re unsure the major you want to pursue, try to get as close as possible and then change if you need to. (NOTE: This concept does NOT apply to UK universities. If you change your major, you usually start over!)
Not sure what majors are available?
Check this out.
A friend sent us this great infographic on WhatsApp and just had to share it with you. Keep in mind, it was made for education in India so it’s not perfect (for example, most university degrees in the US take 4 years to complete), but you get the idea.
This infographic gives you a great idea of the diversity of major available within a specific field. Of course, check with the specific universities you’re interested in. Take a look and figure out how you’d answer the question:
Hey, what’s your major?
Need help applying to university?
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Looking for the London Business School Dubai essays 2015? If you’ve decided to stay in Dubai for your MBA, you’ve probably already heard about London Business School’s Executive MBA program. Although the program is based here, students regularly spend time in London, China, South America, and other parts of the world, all while keeping their full-time jobs.
Interested in applying but want to take a sneak peek at the essays first? Well, here they are…no email sign-up necessary. Just to help you out, we have provided our comments based on years of experience helping students get into London Business School Dubai.
A word on word counts: 500 words max means 500 words max. Don’t go 10% over because you heard that would be acceptable. You must convey your thoughts precisely and succinctly.
Similarly, get as close to 500 words as possible without padding your essay with endless storytelling. If you can’t get to 500 words, you haven’t explained enough.
Comments on Question 1
London Business School Dubai Essays 2015 Question 1 (500 words max): How has the scope of your management experience affected your career objectives?
This essay is a classic tell me about your experience essay, just rephrased and combined with another classic essay: tell me about your career goals. The big two items you should cover in this essay are your MANAGEMENT experience and your short term/post-EMBA career goals.
Notice they haven’t asked for your general experience…just your management experience. Thus, your essay may not begin at the beginning of your career (they can read about that on your CV). Your essay should start at the point when you started managing people.
If you don’t have any people directly reporting to you, keep in mind that management involves managing people, whether or not they work for your company. So, if you’re a consultant managing contractors or a government employee managing consultants, all of this counts as management experience.
London Business School Dubai Essays 2015 Career Objectives
For your career objectives, focus on short/mid-term post EMBA. We often even ask students to include the phrase “After I complete the LBS Dubai EMBA program….” to demonstrate forward looking positivity. Hopefully, these career goals are directly related to the types of electives you’ll be taking in the program AND the experience you already have. If you’re a career changer, you need to start the specific reasons for changing careers and how the EMBA will propel your forward.
Crappy essays will just discuss management experience and career goals, leaving the admissions staff to figure out how these two concepts are related. Umm…they won’t. They will just think you wrote a crappy essay.
The best essays describe the interplay of management experience and career goals. These essays explain that ” because I had this experience I decided to move my career in this direction.” Thought processes at different critical points in your career are laid out and narrate the story of how you got to the point where you needed an EMBA from LBS to proceed. All in 500 words.
Comments on London Business School Dubai Essays Question 2
London Business School Dubai Essays 2015 Question 2 (500 words max): What was your response to a piece of feedback that you have received regarding an area of weakness?
You read this question and your first response was to think of a weakness that can be flipped into a strength, right? Wrong. This type of response is classic and everyone knows what you’re doing. A great answer to this question shows real vulnerability.
When we sit down with students to outline an answer to this question, we ask about an EPIC WORK FAIL and afterwards when their bosses ripped them a new butt hole. We want THAT feedback. Sometimes failure is just failure and weakness is just weakness.
There’s no strong side. You have to accept it’s a weakness or work on it or go through anger management classes, whatever. And your response to that time when your boss sat you down has to be real (obviously, most people who would be mad and/or in denial at first).
You should tell all of this as an incredibly interesting story that has a beginning, middle, and end. The end of your essay should be what action you took after thinking about the feedback and the outcome of that reflection.
What did you do? How did you change or make amends? What were the results?
Now matter how epic the fail, be sure to end on a happy, positive note (not something like LBS will redeem me).
Comments on Question 3
London Business School Dubai Essays 2015 Question 3 (500 words max): Please choose ONE essay from the following two options: If you could choose any three people who have ever lived to join you for dinner, who would you invite and why? If you were on the cover of any publication in 10 years, what would be the headline and the content of the article be?
These are two essay questions that require your creativity.
Dinner Essay
Choose the first one if you can readily think of three people or you’re the type of person that:
Likes to read autobiographies, biographies, and memoirs of great people
Follow key personalities on Twitter or read their blogs every week
Reads lots of articles in Businessweek, The Economist, or similar publications
When you pick three people to have dinner with, don’t pick three business people. In this essay, you have the opportunity to showcase your personality and depth. Here’s our template (they don’t have to be written about in this order):
The personal guest: A person from your life who is alive or dead (e.g., your grandfather who died 3 years ago) OR someone who is a key figure in a personal non-business-related interest you have (e.g., Lance Armstrong because you like cycling)
The business guest: A business-related person you admire who is alive or dead and that is in your industry. It is better if we’ve never heard of this person before because it shows that you have more knowledge of your industry and didn’t just pick someone from CEO Middle East.
The wild card guest: Choose someone that you like, admire, or just want to sit down with. It doesn’t have to be a serious guest. The person you choose, though, will reveal more about your personality.
Publication Headline Essay
Choose the second essay question if you’ve got a clear, grandiose vision of where you’ll be in 10 years and you can:
Clearly and convincingly paint a picture of that vision for others
Write a newspaper or magazine article with proper, structure, and headlines
Give a great, succinct story about how you got to that 10 year place
The easiest, most obvious answer to this question will actually be an article. In the past, we had students actually write and submit a magazine article with the proper headings, structure, and content style of something you would find in Businessweek.
Unfortunately, everyone can’t write their essays that way because then it would be obvious that you all got your advice from the same place. Another option is to simply structure your essay in a way that responds to the question but adds more explanation.
Here’s a possible 5 paragraph structure:
Paragraph 1: Introduction – What your goal is 10 years from now
Body Paragraph 2: Discuss the headline and other major elements (e.g., what magazine its in, who wrote it, when it was published – this should be connected to a milestone for your goal)
Paragraph 3: Provide the major points of the article, why this is important or noteworthy
Body Paragraph 4: Provide the minor points of the article, why these are worth mentioning
Paragraph 5: How does this article recognize or complete you, what is the next part of the vision after 10 years
Need help applying to London Business School in Dubai?
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2015-2016 Test Dates for SAT and SAT Subject Tests
Saturday, October 3, 2014 Saturday, November 7, 2014 December 5, 2014 January 23, 2015 May 7, 2015 June 4, 2015
Important information for international registration deadlines that applies to students in Dubai:
The NEW SAT starts. Students taking the SAT on these dates will take a new version of the test. Students taking the SAT earlier will take the old (current) version of the test.
The SAT is NOT offered all the time. It’s offered 6 times a year for students in Dubai. So…
International registration must be completed by 12 midnight Eastern Standard Time (about 8 hours behind Dubai).
Registration usually closes the day before the next SAT.
There is no March 2016 SAT test for students in Dubai.
There’s no late registration for students in Dubai. You have to register online by the deadline.
Want even more information? Visit the College Board’s International SAT Registration page for info on policies and other tests you might need to take.
We’ve already offered 6 Free IELTS Practice Resources and 6 Free TOEFL Practice Resources, so it’s about time we offer you 6 free GMAT practice resources.
This post features at least 7 computer-based GMAT practice tests and links to tons of questions…and they won’t cost you anything!
If you’re preparing for the GMAT, you’re probably a busy working professional and don’t have a lot of time to sift through all of the information and GMAT-specific sites to test what’s good and what’s not, so we’ve done the work for you. We have used all of the following resources in the past with our own students and hope you will benefit from the accompanying advice.
Before you start studying for the GMAT, you MUST do a full length diagnostic test to figure out your baseline score (you score without any preparation, every practice test will hopefully improve upon your baseline) see what your strengths and weaknesses are. The best test available is by the makers of the GMAT: GMAT Prep Software. You can download it from mba.com, the official GMAT exam website.
The software includes 2 full-length mock GMAT exams. Do 1 as your diagnostic before you start hardcore studying and 1 as a “finisher” to give an accurate score just before you take the official GMAT.
Although there are no detailed explanations for these test questions, you may find them if you search around on the web (be sure to take a screen shot of the questions because they are not always retained in the software). Questions come from a general question bank and this test is adaptive. We often have students ask us if they should do the tests again once they have finished their 2.
We don’t recommend it because you will see a lot of the same questions again and, since you already know the answer, it won’t really help you study.
Also included in the software are 90 additional questions. Do all of them to get the most out of this great resource!
Kaplan offers this great GMAT Practice Test with Video Review for students who are interested in their courses. There’s no reason you can’t benefit from it! Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Register Now under the Self-proctored option. You’ll be taken to a shopping cart page where you can sign-up to take the test. The test is full-length and adaptive like the real GMAT.
Our students have found this test to be slightly easier than the actual GMAT. Although you get a detailed score analysis, detailed answer explanations are only provided for some questions. Still, it’s a good tool for computer based practice.
Just like Kaplan, Veritas Prep offers a free full-length, adaptive GMAT exam. This is the test we send to students to do a diagnostic because it includes detailed solutions to every question, pacing analysis, raw quantitative and verbal scores (out of 60), total overall score (out of 800), and data on how you performed versus other students.
Our students have found these tests to be harder than the actual GMAT. You also get access to their GMAT Question Bank of questions they are testing for data. Even though the questions are not adaptive, they are excellent practice on random GMAT topics.
When you finish all your free resources and if you still need more computer based practice, we recommend buying the 6 practice tests for $49 (AED 180). We think they are totally worth it!
McGraw-Hill is a well-known publishing company but a relatively new player in the test prep industry. We have found their prep books to be too theory heavy, too long, and too light on GMAT strategy…BUT, they’ve got a few good resources at their McGraw-Hill Prep Center for the GMAT.
The site offers 2 full-length GMAT practice tests, but we question how adaptive they are. In addition, we didn’t get a raw or composite score, only the number right and wrong, when we completed the tests. The tests are great if you need more computer-based practice, but don’t read to far into the analysis. Do the questions and move on.
In case you need a review of any concepts, check out their videos covering major GMAT math and verbal topics and question types. Definitely worth your time.
Manhattan Prep offers a free GMAT Practice and GMAT flash cards to help you study for the GMAT. We like this free test because it’s full length, adaptive, and gives you the amount of time you spent of EACH question.
We have often used this test to evaluated the pacing and general test-taking strategies that our students used. Often, we discovered that it wasn’t their understanding of the concepts that hurt their scores, but the pacing! (Don’t ever spend 15 minutes on only 3 questions. It’s a score killer.)
Be sure to also check out the free GMAT flash cards. If you’re struggling with memorizing math formulas or identifying grammar errors during sentence corrections, you definitely need to work through these. You can print them, view them online, or download them to your iPhone (no Android version available yet).
If you’re one of those people who feel like you are not good at math and need a thorough review of the basic concepts, check out the worksheets on Kuta Software. We source all our worksheets for our GMAT Math Foundations lessons on this website. Here are the exact ones you need to practice (click the links):
So now you’re thinking, “But I don’t know how to do this stuff at all…” No problem. Check out Khan Academy for videos to help you master each concept.
If you don’t need GMAT math foundation help but do need some more practice with advanced concepts, check out these:
Divisibility and Factors This worksheet offers more practice on key concepts included in arithmetic.
Factors and Factorization For those who need more practice using factor pairs and factor trees to solve GMAT problems.
Markup, Discount, and Tax Great practice on a few often overlooked quant concepts. After doing enough of these, you’ll be a pro.
Operations in Scientific Notation Although not a common question type on the GMAT quantitative section, operations in scientific notation may appear. Complete this worksheet and you’ll have no problem answering the question correctly.
Review of Equations Mastering algebraic manipulation is important for the GMAT. Practice with this worksheet.
Review of Linear Equations For people who want more practice with coordinate geometry.
We know our stuff! We offer GMAT preparation with a native English-speaking tutor who loves to read and works math problems for fun. She can help you achieve your best score on all sections. She'll even grade your essays for free as part of your prep. Read more about our GMAT preparation and then WhatsApp us to talk.
You just got accepted to a US university and now your mom wants to know what’s next. No problem, Mom. We’ll explain everything! We’ve provided detailed information that applies to Dubai students accepted to universities (undergraduate, graduate, and MBA) in the United States.
Here are the next 10 steps in the process, taking you from acceptance to arrival.
1. Accept your university back by paying your deposit.
Once you’ve gotten accepted to a US university, you have to accept them as well. If you have received more than one acceptance and aren’t sure where you want to go, then check out our post on How to Choose Which University Acceptance to Accept.
Almost all universities complete the acceptance (or rejection) process by mid-June (for Fall semester) so you can wait a little while if you are unsure (each university will specify this date in their acceptance email).
Usually universities will put all the instructions to accept your acceptance in the email they sent you (or the 3 or more emails they will send in rapid succession after they accept you). Email them back with your confirmation or click a link to be taken to a page on their site where you submit an online enrollment form.
To make sure you’re serious, universities also usually require you to submit a deposit, about $600, online with a credit card.
2. Set up an online student account to get updates on the process.
One or more university emails will also prompt you to set up an online student account. Some universities use different ones from the account you used when you were applying, some use the same ones. No matter what, set up your online student account early in the process so you can see the updates as documents are received. There also may be things you need to do that you don’t receive an email about but should complete nevertheless.
3. Provide your financial verification.
This step is one of the most important after you get accepted to a US university because it affects just about everything that happens from here on. Every student accepted to a university in the United States is required to provide financial verification in order to receive a student visa.
The US government requires that student can prove they can pay for the entire first year of education (including tuition, fees, and housing) using liquid money sources. Basically, your parents (or sponsors) need to have that amount sitting in a bank account.
You’ll be required to provide additional documentation:
If you have scholarships, you have to provide letters and information from the scholarship authority to show you don’t need to have the money. If you scholarship is only a partial scholarship, you have to show you have cash for the remaining portion of your education.
Bank statements or letters (from banks where your parents, you, or sponsor hold an account) must show the actual amount of money available. This amount must be equal to or greater than the total cost based on 9 months listed by your university on the form.
Your sponsor(s) must complete the “Statement of Financial Responsibility & I-20 Verification Form” given you by your university (usually downloadable from their website as a PDF.)
Documents must be dated within one year of the start of your first term at the university.
Documents must be in English; translations must be verified by an appropriate bank or government official.
Some of the requirements vary from university to university. We have seen universities that require bank letters from the bank manager rather than a form. Others required the forms to be notarized by a US registered notary that you can only find at the US Consulate in Dubai. Still others may have had you complete this step in the process when you apply, rather than after you are accepted.
Returning Your Financial Verification
Once you have completed your financial verification paperwork, you have to send it back to the university. Here are our tips:
Complete 3 original sets of paperwork. You’ll need the same items for your visa interview in Dubai and they come in handy when you enter the US, so get 3 copies of bank statements and have 3 sets of forms signed. It would be really difficult to get these again later if you (or the university) lose them.
If the form asks for an address, they usually mean physical address, not PO Box. Universities send the paperwork you need for your student visa by courier, so make sure you provided a physical address like “Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Tiffany Tower, Flat 515, Dubai, United Arab Emirates 99999.” (Dubai doesn’t have zip codes so you can leave that part blank or put 99999.)
Courier your financial documents and forms. You need to make sure that the university receives them promptly and that you can track them if there are any issues. It’s better to pay Aramex or DHL to courier everything than have the university contact you later saying they did not receive the documents. Go through the Financial Aid Department’s website (or email or form) to verify the address to receive couriers. It won’t be the PO Box address.
4. Wait for your I-20 packet after getting accepted to a US university.
You completed step #3 so that you can receive an I-20 Application Packet (I-20 for short) from your university. The I-20 packet will allow you to schedule your visa interview and begin the process for you to receive a US student visa.
Keep in mind, you CANNOT schedule a visa interview before you receive this packet because you have to provide a number on a bar code from the packet.
In general, universities can issue an I-20 about 1-2 weeks after they receive your financial verification forms. Typically, they send all I-20s going to international addresses via UPS International, which usually reaches most countries within 5 business days.
5. Gather the documents for your visa interview.
Just because you’re waiting on your I-20 to arrive doesn’t mean you should be chillin’. It’s time to collect the documents for your visa interview. If you do this now, you can take the soonest interview and get this process over with quickly.
Visa Interview Documents
Here’s what you’ll need for the interview:
Passport that is valid for at least 6 months and has one blank visa page
High school transcripts or grade (mark) records (And official university transcripts if you were accepted into graduate or MBA programs)
Official SAT, SAT Subject Test, GMAT, GRE, TOEFL, and/or IELTS scores (whatever you have)
CV, Resume’, or student activities resume’ (if you have one)
Financial verification paperwork from step #3 (see we told you that you needed more originals!)
Parents’ stuff: salary statements, employment letters, UAE residence visa copies, property deeds from the UAE and your home country, additional bank statements with big balances, investment statements, and anything else that might be able to prove you have sufficient funds AND ties to your home country (or the UAE)
Why do you need all this stuff? When you apply for a non-immigrant visa, the interviewing officer is allowed to presume that you plan to permanently stay in the U.S., unless you prove otherwise by demonstrating “ties to the home country.” You must gather enough evidence showing that you have these ties, usually through your family.
Your application will likely be denied if the Consular Officer believes you intend to stay in the U.S. after your studies. The more documents you can show, the better off you’ll be.
6. Once your I-20 packet arrives, schedule your student visa interview and pay your SEVIS Fee.
Once you have your I-20, you can apply for an F-1 student visa at a US Consulate in Dubai. If you will be a student, you cannot enter the U.S. on a visa that does not allow study (such as B-2, F-2, Visa Waiver Program, etc.).
We recommend that you schedule an appointment as soon as possible after you get your I-20. Processing times for visa issuance vary and may require additional time due to security checks.
Have your I-20 with you because you need the info on it.
Be sure to save often because the application is long and you don’t want to lose your info.
When you get to the confirmation page, print one copy and PDF the same page (if you can) because you need it for the visa interview.
Read all information on the I-20 carefully. Pay special attention to page two, where your legal responsibilities as an F-1 student in the United States are explained. Sign page one of the Form I-20, and provide the information requested if under 18 years of age.
SEVIS
Universities are required to enter accepted foreign students’ names into SEVIS, the Student and Exchange Visitors Information System. After you receive your I-20, you are required to pay a SEVIS fee online at https://www.fmjfee.com/. The fee is $200 and paid online by credit card.
When you get to the confirmation page, print one copy and PDF the same page (if you can) because you need it for the visa interview.
After you’ve completed your DS-160 and paid your SEViS fee, you’ll be directed to the official US visa information and appointment scheduling website. Any other updates you need on your visa will be found there. Ypu can also pay the $160 student visa application fee.
7. Ace your student visa interview.
In addition to the documents you collected in step #5, you need to bring the following to your visa interview:
DS-160 online application confirmation page (good thing you PDFed)
Original I-20 form from the university
Photocopy of the I-20
Proof of payment of SEVIS Fee (good thing you PDFed it too!)
The US Consulate in Dubai has provided some great information and the video below on what happens on interview day.
Here are our tips:
Label every document you gathered with sticky notes and put them in a plastic folder so you keep everything neat and organized.
Get familiar with your paperwork beforehand. You don’t want to be confused about what or where something is when the Consular Officer is asking you questions.
Practice your interview beforehand. Here are a bunch of potential interview questions you should have answers to. The Consular Officer’s goal is to ensure you won’t stay in the US after you finish your education, so all of your answers need to support this point.
Dress in business clothes or formals to create a great first impression. They need to know you take the process seriously.
Don’t be nervous! You’re where you’re supposed to be and doing what you’re supposed to be doing so you’re probably going to get a visa.
Approved, Refused, or Pending Further Review?
You will find you that day if you have been approved, refused, or pending further review. In the past, our approved students gave their passports the same day and received the passport with visa stamp at home by courier 3 to 5 business days later.
If your application is marked pending, it could take a few weeks to a few months for the US Consulate to complete their review. Be sure to send an email to your university to keep them notified of the process. If you aren’t approved for a visa by the time school starts, you can start the next term or defer your admission and start the next Fall.
8. Pay your housing deposit.
As soon as you receive an email from the Housing Department, pay your housing deposit. Getting university housing is an extremely competitive process and their is a chronic shortage of student housing. Although some universities guarantee all incoming freshmen a space in university housing if they want it, the best dorms always go first.
Do not get stuck with the old dorms on the dodgy side of campus. So, pay your deposit (usually about $600) as soon as you can.
9. Request your final transcript from your school.
You’ve been accepted to university and properly have your student visa by now. However, most universities want a record of your grades from your last term or last year of high school.
Request an official copy of your transcript is sent to your university before you leave high school for good. (This won’t be necessary if you are a graduate or MBA applicant. You should already have an official transcript ready to send to your university.)
If your school won’t send one directly, ask for a transcript in a sealed envelope with the school’s address on it. The envelope must either have the school stamp or an administrator’s signature written over the flap.
10. Graduate and take a nice long vacation!
You finally made it! Graduation day is here and you’re getting ready to go to university. We recommend that you hang out with your family, party with your friends, and take a nice long vacation. Not only did you earn it, but you need to rest up. Starting university is an emotional, exciting, and scary experience (we know). You’re going to need to be at your best.
Need help applying to universities or getting a student visa?
Whatsapp us for the FREE consultation! We’ll talk you through the process and help you understand how we can make the entire process easier for you.
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