General Guidance

General Guidance

Part 2 of the guide to standardised tests for college admissions

Navigating entrance exams for admissions to Indian colleges involves understanding a variety of national and state-level entrance exams across different disciplines. Last month, the column looked at the important standardised tests for college admissions abroad. This second part looks at entrance exams for colleges in India, which involve a variety of national and state-level tests […]

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A guide to standardised tests for college admissions
General Guidance

A guide to standardised tests for college admissions (Part 1)

Breaking down the what, why, when and how of the most popular tests for undergraduate admissions Tests are to students what tournaments are to sports people. Your performance in these tests become your credentials when you apply to college. If you’re eyeing a college abroad for your undergraduate studies, you might need to tackle a […]

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Factors to consider while applying for Master's abroad
General Guidance

Factors to consider while applying for Master’s abroad

Make a smart, well-informed choice and set yourself up for success Should I go for a Master’s degree abroad? When is the ideal time to apply? Should I start the application process during the final year of college? Or work for a few years? How many years should that be? Here are a few factors […]

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General Guidance

Decoding admissions to India’s top Liberal Arts universities

Decoding admissions to India’s top Liberal Arts universities. Photo Credit – Wikimedia commons.

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Importance of Mentoring when applying to a master's program
General Guidance

The role of a mentor when applying for a Master’s abroad

A mentor can provide valuable insights and support to make the complex application process more manageable. You are an undergraduate degree holder. You have probably gained work experience too. You are largely independent, financially and otherwise, but want to upgrade yourself with a Master’s degree. The application is simple. You should be able to complete […]

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General Guidance

Six mistakes to avoid when choosing your major for college

Do I choose Economics because it is so competitive and therefore it msut be worth it? Or do I choose Media Studies because I loooove expressing myself on blogs and social media posts? Or is Computer Science the order of the day? The college major you choose impacts not only your college performance, but also […]

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General Guidance

A guide on studying medicine in foreign countries

How does international apply to medical schools in US, UK, EU or Caribbean islands

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What do you need to do for getting into an IVY league college?
General Guidance

What do top colleges in the U.S. look for in their students – Part 2

The second of a two-part article that gives an overview of what top colleges in the U.S. look for when vetting student applications. An excellent academic record and grades, good test scores, participation in research, projects and extracurricular activities, great essays… all these are common to many students who apply to universities in the U.S. […]

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General Guidance

What top US colleges look for in students

The first of a two-part article that gives an overview of what top colleges in the U.S. look for when vetting student applications. We can select three excellent cohorts from the same applicant pool; the entire pool is full of incredible students from all parts of the world,” said an admissions officer from MIT. With […]

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General Guidance

Best Practices For Parenting Senior School Students

Parenting an adolescent through senior school and college can be challenging for the most mindful and dedicated parents – as well as for the most laid back. As a counsellor, I have seen parents deal with this every year, learning from every parents’ insights, successes and mistakes. As my twins enter college this year, things […]

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General Guidance

Going to College this year? 8 ways to become College Ready

College is one of the best times of a person’s life and adults often reminisce about their college days when life was free and exciting. College offers the best of school and adulthood – fun with friends, activities and a feeling of belonging, on the hand with freedom, self-expression and opportunities to make your dreams […]

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College Guidance
General Guidance

7 ‘Must-Haves’ for a Successful College Application

The bottomline is that the best undergraduate courses in the best colleges across India and the world have less than 25% acceptances rates, on an average. That is, less than 1 student gets accepted out of any 4 applicants. So, if you are an ambitious high schooler hoping to apply to college within the next […]

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General Guidance

What to do after receiving university acceptances

What to do after receiving university acceptances – a countrywise guide It’s that time of the year where acceptances are rolling in. Finally the stress of college admissions is over for many students, particularly those applying abroad. But as the dust settles, the simple question of “What Next” looms large. Here is a country-wise next […]

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General Guidance

Five ways for students to enhance their profile for college admissions

Doing projects that impact the community is a relatively new trend in India. This has come from the U.S. where the idea of individual impact is more the norm and where top colleges look for students with the enthusiasm and initiative to build something new — an idea, a business, a new bit of knowledge […]

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General Guidance

5 rewarding careers in the environment sector

Somehow, the pandemic managed to make the world recognise environmental crisis in a way that no cyclone, floods or Greta Thunberg could do. As the world woke up to the fact that things can go irreparably wrong, we threw ourselves into making it right with true human optimism. Companies, multilateral agencies and universities threw themselves […]

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Careers in Public Policy
General Guidance

Careers in Public Policy

If you wish to work with the government to promote social good, then consider a career in public policy Public policy is fast becoming a buzzword in liberal arts colleges. This means, working on formulating large-scale policies that promote social good and working closely with the government to analyse, plan and implement relevant policies in […]

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Career Guidance
College Guidance
General Guidance

Looking Beyond Student Potential

This article was first published in the Hindu on January 15, 2022. Be it the Ivy Leagues in the U.S., Oxbridge in the U.K., the University of Toronto in Canada or Ashoka University in India, top colleges get thousands of applications for their few hundred seats. However, their admission processes look beyond marks and standardised […]

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Career Guidance
General Guidance
Program Choices

What Can You Do With An Economics Degree?

What is Economics all about? What are the career options in this field?

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Career Guidance
College Guidance
General Guidance

Is Success Getting Into a Top University?

This article first appeared in the Hindu on October 18, 2021. Being a career and college counselor means signing up for a lot of anxiety. We deal with anxious parents, students on a roller coaster of exams, grades, pressure and deadlines. Not to mention hormones. And then we have the performance anxiety of making it […]

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7 Ways to utilise your gap year
Career Guidance
General Guidance

7 Ways to Utilise Your Gap Year

This article first appeared in The Hindu on August 15, 2020. “Never let a good crisis go to waste,” said Winston Churchill during World War II. While entrepreneurs, business leaders, teachers and financial wizards manage to make the crisis work for them, many students are attempting to make the most of their “gap year”.  However, […]

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