Brand Yourself for Admission to Top US Boarding Schools: 5 Key Steps for International Students
About this ebook
Ø How to BUILD a unique and inviting personal brand that DIFFERENTIATES you in the admissions process
Ø How to STAND OUT in student/parent interviews at highly selective schools
Ø Tips for earning the BEST recommendations
Ø Strategies for building MEANINGFUL relationships with target schools
Ø Principles of SUCCESS in the boarding school setting
Ø REAL WORLD accounts of students finding their best-fit boarding school
Ø Plus a FREE My Boarding School Plan Workbook (PDF)!
Finding a perfect fit between schools and applicants should not only be the goal of admissions officers — but of students as well. Approaching school applications from the vantage point of an educational consultant helps students gain admission and more importantly thrive at their boarding school of choice.
With over 10 years of professional experience in educational consultancy and having successfully placed hundreds of international students to the most prestigious American boarding schools, Marybeth Hodson and Jennifer Yu Cheng are expertly positioned to walk you through the complexities of boarding school admission. Throughout this insider’s guide, the authors unveil a special five-step approach to determining and getting admitted to a best-fit school, affording parents and students a better understanding of what boarding schools seek in an ideal student and how to brand yourself as THE ideal candidate.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
PREFACE
INTRODUCTION
STEP 01 START EARLY
1.1 Readiness Indicators
1.2 Build Your Brand
1.3 Building Relationships
STEP 02 PLAN WELL
2.1 Set Your Target
2.2 Getting Ready to Visit Schools
2.3 Student and Parent School Visit
STEP 03 EXECUTE
3.1 Understanding the Application Process
3.2 Student and Parent Application
3.3 Recommendations
3.4 Supplemental Materials
STEP 04 FOLLOW-UP
4.1 Increase Visibility
4.2 The Admission Decision
STEP 05 TRANSITION
5.1 Before You Go
5.2 While You’re There
CASE STUDIES
APPENDIX: EDUCATIONAL CONSULTANTS
CONCLUSIONS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
About the author
Marybeth Hodson
Senior Partner & Director of US Boarding School Admissions Counseling of ARCH Education
Marybeth is a Senior Partner and the Director of Boarding School Consultation for ARCH Education in Hong Kong since 2010. In her role, she helps international students plan for their new and exciting experiences as US boarding school students. Marybeth has extensive knowledge of New England prep schools, developed through her role as a Senior Associate Admissions Director and Coordinator of International Admission at one of Connecticut's boarding schools, her time spent visiting the top US schools, and last but not least, as the parent of four boarding school educated children.
Jennifer Yu Cheng
CTF Education Group Deputy Vice Chairwoman and Group President; ARCH Education and ARCH Community Outreach Co-Founder; Jennifer Yu Cheng Girls Impact Foundation Founder
Jennifer Yu Cheng is Deputy Vice Chairwoman and Group President of CTF Education Group (CTFEG), responsible for the group’s strategy. She is also Founder of the Jennifer Yu Cheng Girls Impact Foundation and co-founder of ARCH Education. As the Director of ARCH’s U.S. University and Boarding School Admissions Consultation, Jennifer has worked with thousands of students over the past decade, guiding them towards their educational dreams at top U.S. boarding schools and universities including Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Stanford, MIT, and other Ivy League and world-class universities.