Daeil Overseas Studies Program (DOSP)

As a foreigner or international student it is virtually impossible to get into a medical school program. I think it has to do with some government regulation. However the only way that I have heard is through schools guaranteed medical. These are very difficult to get into with a less than 1% admit rate.

Anyway if you think you can challenge it here is a list.

University of Southern California
Case Western Reserve
George Washington University
Union College - Albany Medical
RPI - Albany Medical
Siena College - Albany Medical
Boston University
Lehigh University with Drexel
Washington University
Brown
Northwestern

Ohio Medical Schools
University of Rochester

Thanks to Fred S. from Seoul International School.

You can also find more schools here.

Taking care of your body is an essential part in keeping your brain in tip top shape. Take some advice from these guys and listen. I’ve been encouraging the same stuff. Please take heart and try to learn about eating healthy.

http://startcooking.com/blog/303/10-Tips-for-Healthy-Eating-During-Exams

For those of you interested in a career in computers here are some of the hottest jobs.

It might be a good chance to figure out what you want to do career wise.

http://www.computermajors.com/10-hot-computer-jobs 

Here are my favorite:

2. Video Game Developer.

5. Internet Entrepreneur.

8. Website Network Manager / Administrator.

Only because that’s the path I’m eventually hoping to be on.

Another set of terms to your repertoire of college nick names. You should already know the Little Ivies, 25 New Ivy League, and a handful of others.

I think wikipedia puts it best:

The Seven Sisters are seven historically women’s liberal-arts colleges in the Northeastern United States. They are Barnard College, Bryn Mawr College, Mount Holyoke College, Radcliffe College, Smith College, Wellesley College, and Vassar College. They were all founded between 1837 and 1889. Four are in Massachusetts, two are in New York, and one is in Pennsylvania. Radcliffe (which merged with Harvard College) and Vassar (which became coeducational in 1969) are no longer women’s colleges.

You can click directly on each schools link below.

• Barnard College - Affiliated with Columbia University
• Bryn Mawr College
• Mount Holyoke College
• Radcliffe College
• Smith College
• Wellesley College
• Vassar College

I have been getting a few requests on how to write a courteous email. Here is how I do it- its not perfect, but at least its a start. You should always write a proper email to admissions officers- and anyone else.

Keep It Simple Sweetie (KISS) - Clear, Concise, and Courteous: Discuss the important stuff and don’t write about tangents or unnecessary fluff.

Here is a sample email with notes in parenthesizes.

To: ABC University

From: John Student

Subject: Question in regards to Supplemental Application (Keep it clear, concise, and relevant)

Body:

Dear Mr. or Ms. Admission Officer (Personalize- It’s best to use their last names and titles, if you know it, if not you can resort to- “To whom it may concern”)

I have a question in regards to my finances. It is difficult for me to get a notarized copy of my financial records. As Korea does not have a notarization system as convenient as the United States. (Explain your situation as clear and concise as possible, avoid adding too much extraneous information, but show enough information to get the point across)I’ve gone through your website (show proof that you put in the effort) and I was wondering if there was another way to provide proof of finances. If I must I can fly to Hawaii to get US Notarization, however I believe a certified Korean balance statement should be satisfactory.

Please advise me on how I can resolve this issue.

I thank you for your time and look forward to your response.

Sincerely, (I personally like “Warm regards,” at the moment)

John Student, Junior at Daeil Foreign Language High School (Try to personalize as much as possible, but without going informal.)

(This is made up and you can get your document notarized at a Law office in Korea, but it is very pricey.)

Other tips:

• Say Thank You and Please.
• Use a positive or neutral tone
• Use proper formatting (No UPPERCASE- uppercase is the equivalent of shouting everything)
• Use proper grammar and spelling
• Read it twice to make sure you catch errors
• Avoid profanity or slang
• Use the default font of your email program- avoid the fancy stationery, not all computers are alike.
• Avoid abbreviations - if you need to use them explain what they mean
• If it is an ongoing conversation leave previous emails in the quoted text
  • Also reply before the quoted text

I hope these tips will help, if you have any suggestions, please add them in the comments.

• Small colleges provide small classes - Faculty and students can get to know each other, generally 15-20 students- for all four years.
• Personal relationships- students don’t “slip” through cracks.
• Faculty will write letters of recommendations.
• Opportunity to lead and opportunity to make a difference.
• Attitude of participation- everyone is involved.

There’s tons of great inspirational and enlightening material on the internet. Let, Steve Jobs, one of the founders of Apple, share some of his insights with you.

Here is some highlights from the Stanford Counselor Newsletter.

Like most highly selective and competitive universities here is what they request- directly from the admissions officers perspective.

Why do your students do what they do? What motivates them, what excites them? What do they LOVE? As admissions officers, we are trained to read between the lines- after reading four essays, a list of activities, and three letters if evaluation, believe me, we can differentiate a student who is going through the motions from a student who is actually deeply engaged in what he is doing! There is no need for students to play every sport their high school offers or be in every club from Amnesty International to Zoology Club. We want students to do what they love and do it really well. (Emphasis mine) –Erinn Evans, Assistant Director of Admissions

Remember colleges want you to find your passions and help you develop them. Find a few things you like doing and explore, experiment, and play- most importantly have fun. I know many of you have the pressure of “study-all-time” syndrome that Korea forces on you, but if you can only be brave and think outside the box and differently. Stop being a study robot. They don’t want that.

Now, if you don’t have a passion, still explore, look, take an adventure and look for one. You don’t have to have a passion, but it’s nice to show that you are trying.

Statistically here is the typical Stanford Freshman Student:

GPA: 4.0 or higher - don’t worry at our school, I explain to them that our school is a very challenging environment.

Top 1-2% of class - Again, don’t worry about it our school, but it doesn’t hurt if you actually are in the top 2%.

SAT Verbal - Above 680

SAT Math - Above 680

SAT Writing - Above 670

SAT Total - 2030

9.6% is international

Everyone has the foundation of high quality academics, so now you have to show to them how can you differentiate yourself and show them what you love.

Its fun to use a game to increase your vocabulary. Why not help end world hunger in the process?

Check out: http://www.freerice.com/

Via: Seth Godin

These are my notes from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign visit. Please feel free to add your notes and comments.

• 2006 - 700 applications from Korea
• 4th largest international population
• 9 applied from Daeil, 6 accepted, 3 rejected, 2 incomplete
• Part of the Big 10, 41,000 Students
  • Similar schools: Michigan, Washington at St. Louis
• Known Majors: Engineering, business, architecture, advertising
• Applications
  • Academics - APs are pluses
  • Rank not important
  • SAT - M / CR - 560 or higher means TOEFL not necessary
  • Objective Criteria: Activities should demonstrate leadership, quality, consistency, and related to major
  • 2 Essays 300 words each - One personal and one major

  22,000 applications a year, also need proof for one year’s tuition

• ALWAYS USE PASSPOR/ LEGAL NAME
• Applications are automatically put into honors/scholarship pools
• Guaranteed four year tuition
• 25% of UIUC students study abroad