Fly-In Programs: An Opportunity to Tour Colleges for Free

When looking for a college to spend the next four years of your life in, many factors come into play. For most, finances play the biggest role when making their decision. It can mean the difference between receiving a significant amount of scholarship aid to pay for your education, having the means to pay it off without creating a strain on your family, or having to take out loans. Other factors include academic rigor, location, size, and extracurricular activities available, all of which hold great importance. Most, if not all of the objective factor’s can be found on the college’s website.  However, one thing that cannot usually be found on the college’s websites is how you will particularly feel at the institution when you are walking on its tree-lined brick path and you look around at your fellow classmates. How will it feel?

A lot of colleges offer virtual self-guided tours through websites such as you visit, or you could always take advantage of Google Maps’ street view feature, however, there is nothing like the real deal.

Fly-In Programs

Touring colleges can mean a car ride to some, and a plane trip to others. Fortunately, colleges realize that traveling to different parts of the country to visit schools is not a luxury everyone can afford. This is the reason why many colleges throughout the nation offer fly-in programs. Through fly-in programs, colleges, particularly liberal arts colleges such as Amherst, Bowdoin, Colby, and Williams, in addition to some research universities such as Columbia, Dartmouth, and Johns Hopkins, offer a free trip to their institution which covers transportation, housing, and meals.

These tend to take place on the weekends during the months of September, October, and November, however, they may also include one or two school days, but the benefits of participating make missing a few school days worth it. They are available exclusively to seniors and sometimes are catered to specific demographic subsets such as low-income students, first-generation students, and students of color.  However, don’t let this discourage you from applying! If the idea of visiting a premier institution for free appeals to you, a quick Google search, or a click on this link, will bring up the most up-to-date results.

Applying to Fly-in Programs

When applying to fly-in programs, the key is to start early. Since many of them take place over the month of September, applications for those are due over the summer during the months of July and August.

Here’s the thing, if these colleges are paying for a round-trip to their school, housing, and meals, they are only going to do so if you are qualified to actually be admitted into their school. These applications, in addition to general information about yourself, usually require a transcript, standardized test scores, and sometimes even supplemental essays, letters of recommendation, and an activities list.

Luckily, it very much resembles the actual college application, and you could very well use it to practice for college applications, in fact often the supplemental essay questions are the exact same prompts. With all of that said, it’s good to keep in mind that just because you are rejected from a fly-in program, it does not necessarily mean you will be rejected for admission! Regardless of the outcome, you will have gained a good amount of experience in filling out applications, and at the end of the day, it may aid your application, but it will not negatively affect it!

What to Expect from Attending a Fly-In

In addition to the free trip, what makes these programs so unique is that during your weekend there you get to experience life as a college student. You have the opportunity to attend classes and lectures, grab lunch in the dining halls, and share a dorm with a student, and not to mention an abundance of free college gear!

To make the most of your visit, you could schedule an on-campus interview, knocking out two birds with one stone! During your time there, you will meet with a diverse group of unique individuals from all walks of life who have their own amazing stories to tell, take advantage of this opportunity participate, be outgoing, and get to know these fellow students. Doing so will allow you to get a glimpse of the place you will spend the next four years of your life!

All in All…

I encourage all of you to take advantage of these wonderful opportunities! Applying to fly-in programs will help you become better prepared when the time comes to fill out college applications.  Attending fly-in programs will enable you to experience life as a college student for free, something that is crucial for first-generation students who may not have family members to ask questions to.  In addition, if you attend a college’s fly-in program you are absolutely not obligated to apply to the school! It does not hurt to apply, and of course best of luck to everyone who does!

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WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT COLLEGE ADMISSIONS? CHECK OUT THE YGITW BOOK HERE!

LOOKING FOR A HIGH SCHOOL OR COLLEGE INTERNSHIP? APPLY HERE!

Photo Credit: http://campusbasement.com/

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6 Clever Apps That Make Being An International Student Easier

As an international student, transitioning into college or university can be stressful—and that's without the change of climate, culture shock, or language barrier—so here are six savvy hacks to make your international studies easy-breezy!

1.Becoming a money-saving master:

Trying to scrounge up a few extra dollars for the next lunch of Raman noodles is the sad reality of most college student's lives, but lucky for you, keeping track of your money couldn't be easier.

Mint, an app available for free on iOS, Android or desktop, easily connects to your bank account to manage all aspects of your activity, including spending, savings, earnings and budgeting. (They also update a cheeky, informative blog called MintLife for all your financial/lifestyle questions).

This well-trusted app also determines your spending habits and can alert you whenever you're nearing your budget limit, keeping your credit in line and extra cash in your hand.

2.Knowing your way around the city like a pro:

Navigating through a brand new area, especially a large place like California or New York, can be intimidating and downright irritating. But how do all of those other people get around so quickly? Easy; they know the ins and outs of the city, and soon you will too. Google Maps is a great GPS tool for newbies, but knowing the city is about more than just recognising the street names—It's about discovering the local shops and attractions, as well.

Like A Local, a free app, is exactly what the title claims to be. This handy app tells you what the locals' favourites are around your area. Now you can let yourself explore while staying away from those tricky tourist attractions.

3.Getting the best value for your buck:

Even with the confusion of foreign currency, you'll be the best sale-scavenger around if you utilise one of the most accessible, underrated tools out there: coupons. I'm not talking about your grandma's $1.00 off Dish Soap discounts, either. How does up to 85% off your retail purchase sound? Sounds like my wallet is yelling, "hallelujah!"

Apps and websites like Yowza and Groupon offer sales that can save you big time, and here's how it works—Just type in the store/item you're looking for into the search bar, and the app will give you a selection of coupon codes to enter into the 'discount' section on your chosen store's website.

There are also coupon apps that offer digital discounts that allow you to save your chosen coupon, then present it on your phone at the check out in-store. Just like Grandma, except more $$ saved and it's much more convenient.

4.Effortlessly keeping on track with your priorities:

Organising any priorities for the day should be a habit that any university student utilises—especially international students. Within the hectic mixture of moving, having new classes, meeting new friends, and all the other struggles that non-international students don't have, a to-do list is a must. The easiest way to keep track of your assignments, or whatever else you need to do, is to remind yourself. Sound's simple, right? It is. With technology, to-do lists have been modernised into something that's reliable and simple, and it's never been easier to remember things.

My personal favourite for this specific task is Wunderlist; Wunderlist is an app (plus it's available for download to your desktop!) that helps you organise your busy life in a minimalistic, trustworthy fashion.

5.Acing your classes with flying colours:

The reason you even became, or are thinking of becoming, an international student is because of the education opportunities, right? You should make sure that your class marks stay in tip-top shape by using Evernote.

If you had to pick only one of the apps listed , Evernote should be the one you choose. It's the smooth-running, multitasking king of organisation, equipped with note taking, bookmarking, online chat with other students, to-do lists, and more!

So whether discovering convenient, local shops is your forte, or if you're more of a study-on-the-go type of person, hopefully you can find some great resources within these top six apps! Good luck on your journey to a new life, and don't forget to let us know in the comments if you've ever tried one of these apps!

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WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT COLLEGE ADMISSIONS? CHECK OUT THE YGITW BOOK HERE!

LOOKING FOR A HIGH SCHOOL OR COLLEGE INTERNSHIP? APPLY HERE!

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Oh, The Places I'll Go: A Guide to Selecting Where to Apply for College

There’s so many college choices, but you can only choose one...

Choosing a college to go to is probably one of the major parts of your college application journey and also the most important.  You’re going to be studying there for just about 4 years so you want to choose wisely! When choosing a college, you also have to make compromises.  A college isn’t going to have everything you want.  You have to compare and contrast the general information, major and minor selection, extracurricular activities, the location, and lastly the tuition.  All the researching can be overwhelming so grab a notebook and a writing utensil so we can get started.

Finding a Major!

First, you want to decide on what you want to major in.  Think about what you are passionate about and not what your friends or family suggest you should do.

It’s good to know what you want to major in before hand because when searching for colleges, it can help you narrow down the schools you wish to go to.

However, some students have no idea what they want to major in and decide to apply to schools under undecided.

What If I’m Undecided?

If you have no clue on what you want to major in, there are plenty of quizzes online to help you decide.  Loyola University Chicago, Marquette University, Saint Louis University, and Buzz Feed offers quizzes to help.

If you’re still unsure, many colleges allow you to apply as an undecided major. This means that you will take your general classes and then declare your major after your freshman or sophomore year of college.

For those who do not want to take that route, I recommend taking a gap year. This is when you do not enroll in college after high school graduation. You take the year off to pursue community service, travel, working, or another quality use of your time. Most colleges will expect you to explain why you took a gap year so do not take this time to be unproductive.

If you’re not interested in taking a gap year, going to a community college for the first year is also a great alternative because you can get all (or most) of your general courses out of the way and save plenty of money.  Your class credits then transfers over with you to the college/university you decide to attend.

 Finding General Information

The next step is to start on building a foundation for your college list.  The best way to start is to Google, “Top (insert major name) Schools” and pick about no more than 10 from the list in which you can begin to conduct research on. To begin research, you want to start off by noting the general information: the tuition, acceptance rate, graduation rate, location, size, and other important factors to consider. Doing so will help you get an idea on what you’re looking for.

Also, a good way to see “the campus life” is by finding on YouTube if anyone vlogs (a vlog is when someone basically shows what they're doing during the day/week) their college experience, seeing if someone does a campus tour, watching a Q&A about the school, and things in that nature.  Keesha Kaylee and Brelynn both are vloggers at Spelman College.  Nia Imani is a Hampton University vlogger. Queen Chioma is a Toledo University vlogger. Amber Martin is a vlogger at the University of Tennessee, and of course there are others!  If you look, you can possibly find someone that vlogs at a school you’re interested in.

Location! Location! Location!

Another important thing to research while creating your list is researching the location!   It’s good to know about the areas you are and are not interested in living in. If you love the city life, going to school in a rural area for 4 years most likely wouldn’t make you happy.

Another important factor of location is climate. It is up to you to decide if you want to spend your time studying near the beach or in the snow!

Extracurricular Activities

Try to research the activities and clubs that the colleges you are interested in offer. Participating in extracurriculars will make your college experience so much better!  You can pledge to a sorority/fraternity, participate in intramural or varsity sports, join the dance team or band, join clubs, or participate in community service activities with the school.

If you are interested in playing a sport it is important to see that the schools you are interested offer that sport. There are requirements for the NCAA as well as just intramural sports.

Studying Abroad

If studying abroad is also something you thought about participating in, you want to make sure your school offers that program!  Studying abroad is a good way for you to travel the world and learn about different cultures.

 The Fun Word Called “Tuition”

The last thing I want to mention is tuition.  I put this one last because personally I don’t think this is so important when you’re only creating a list.  Many schools do offer scholarships/grants when you receive your acceptance letter.  You will never know until you apply so don’t miss out due to the price.

You also want to keep in mind that there is still the possibility that you may not get money to help cover your tuition or that the money you receive isn’t enough so it’s a good idea to have 3-4 in-state schools on your list that you wouldn’t mind attending. These offer in-state tuition which is cheaper for those that live in the state that those who live outside of the state.

So remember, when starting to create your list, you want to know your major, have a foundation of schools to start your research on, learn about the location, discover the extracurricular activities, and to know that tuition shouldn’t be the number one factor!