Applying to US Universities

Nevertheless, students who experience the different academic systems realize the benefits of each and become better students because of their exposure to both.

Students were asked to describe the differences between attending schools inside and outside of the US for a scholarship essay contest sponsored by University Language Services, a US-based company that translates academic transcripts, records and personal documents and provides assistance to students attending universities around the world.

The submissions came from students who have studied on six continents, in dozens of countries. The winner, SoRi Jang, is a high school senior from Centerville, Ohio, who attended schools in the US and Korea. She will enroll at the University of Chicago.

No matter their location, students often made similar remarks.

“The American school system was far easier than what I was used to. The class load was lighter, the expectations were lower, and teaching methods were very different,” wrote Seyram Adorka, a student at the University of Florida who moved to the US from Lesotho as a 13-year-old.

“The French educational system surprised me in the independence it asks of students, compared to the American system,” wrote Jacqueline Villadsen, a student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

“My knowledge of European history has greatly expanded and I feel that the education I am receiving in Slovakia has allowed me to explore completely different realms of knowledge not offered by the American education system,” wrote Amanda Crawley, of Davis, Calif.

In addition, students wrote that schools in other countries differed in the emphasis they placed on individual achievement versus teamwork, said Jessica Hertz, chairwoman of the scholarship contest.

“A surprising number of essays noted that American students are taught to strive for individual success, but students elsewhere in the world are taught to cooperate and collaborate,” Hertz said.

Although many students described the dramatic differences they found regarding homework, their relationships with teachers and the material which they studied, few definitively stated that one style of education was better than the other. Rather, the differences they experienced abroad made them more motivated, prepared and independent students in the US.

The winning essays can be read in full at www.universitylanguage.com.
PRESS RELEASE INFO:
Contact: Diane Erwin
Tel.: 212-766-4111 ext. 144 May 1, 2008
Email: contentmanager@universitylanguage.com

Students go to US Universities for different reasons. Good Education, opportunities, dollar dreams are few of the common reasons. However, experiencing the diverse culture of US is one of the best opportunities one must utilize.

International students often neglect the opportunity and tend to spend all their time not only with people from same country but even within sub cultures from within a country. The other day someone posted a question on our forum about which University has good number of students speaking a particular Indian regional language!

There is no fun in traveling half the world if you still with people from your own village!! While it is really important for a Korean to find a supportive group of Korean students and for a Turkish student to be able find a Turkish roommate, all students should make a conscious effort to make friendships across cultural boundaries.

When students are asked to form groups for academic projects, it is a good idea to make diverse group. You learn the work ethics and styles of people from different backgrounds which will help in your future career.

Have fun and use your time well while on the campus of a US University!