TCK University Prep: Applications

[author][author_info]This is the final blog in a three part series by guest blogger Lisa P. Harrill, an adult TCK raised in the Republic of Panama. Lisa is currently the Director of Children’s Ministries at Crossroads Bible Church – Panama. She has also served with Young Life International and at Crossroads Christian Academy, Panama as the College Counselor and in Teacher Recruitment. She holds a BA in Vocal Performance from Wheaton College and a MEd in Educational Psychology from the University of Oklahoma..[/author_info] [/author]

This is another longer-than-usual post, but full of great information if you’re serving US-bound high school students. We’ll feature information for TCKs who are UK-bound next!

International or US University Applications: College applications for US schools will have two types: US Citizen and International. Which application should be completed is best described by the passport a student carries.

US Application: If a student has a US passport, they should complete the US Citizen Application. If a student has one or more passports from other countries, complete the US Citizen Application. Even if a student currently lives internationally, was born and raised internationally, or never has lived in the US for a day his/her life, but still has a US passport, he/she should complete the US Citizen Application.

International Application: If a student does not have a US passport, they should complete the international student application. If a student’s parent has a US passport but the student does not, the student should complete the International Student application. Some international students have US residency, but not citizenship which would entitle them to a US passport. These students should still complete the international student application.

Letters of Recommendation: As the university admissions process grows closer, students will be asked to include letters of recommendation and other supporting documents with application packets. When requesting letters of recommendation for US university applications, these letters must be received in English. At least one of these letters should be from someone at their school, a coach, a teacher, a counselor. For Christian university applications, a suggestion would be including a letter of recommendation from a pastor, youth pastor, or adult in leadership.

Homeschooled students should ask adults from the community that may have been in charge of extra-curricular activities that they participated in. This should be an adult who can comment specifically on the length of time they have known the student, in what capacity, the character of a student, citing specific examples supporting these claims, and what this student would bring to this particular university campus.

It is good to have at least three letters to include in each application. As a courtesy to the authors of these letters, it is helpful to ask for such documents with at least a two week notice. An envelope in which to seal the letter should be provided to the author by the student, in order to return to the student for mailing with the entire application all at once.

Transcripts: Official transcripts are required for university applications. These documents include grades from fall semester of your freshman year through your current semester, usually fall semester of your senior year when most begin the college application process.

Transcripts must be handed to the student or mailed directly to the university by the high school office and remain sealed in order to retain their “official” status. If they are opened, they will not be accepted by the admissions office. Due to potential tampering, no US university will accept faxed or emailed transcripts, even if these come directly from the high school to the university admissions office.

Requests for transcripts should be made through the high school office. If they are not in English, an official translator will need to be contracted through the school office, paid by the student, to give an authenticated translation in order to retain the “official” status. If a student has attended more than one school during this window of fall of 9^th grade – spring of 12^th grade, all the schools attended will have to be contacted and official transcripts requested from each.

In the event that the school has closed during that time, official records need to be located at their storage location and requested. If for some reason these records have been destroyed due to unforeseen circumstances, the college admissions officer would need to receive some kind of official documentation from the US Consulate or Embassy of that country attesting to this fact. If a school doesn’t provide more than one copy of official transcripts, an exception to policy request must be made to that school, explaining the US university admissions process. Again, these are rare, but possible circumstances.

Application Deadlines: There are some cultures where time is more fluid and flexible. For some of our international students and families, the concept of US University deadlines will be a rude awakening. Deadlines are extremely important. Especially with international mailing issues previously mentioned, using couriers such as UPS, DHL and FedEx are the most secure way to submit university applications. If a trusted friend is traveling to the US and is able to mail applications from a US Post Office, that is a viable option as well.

Students must plan ahead and observe the requirements for application submission that can vary from each university. Some accept applications based on the postmark date on the packet. Some accept applications that have arrived to their office by that date. Also, application packets must be entirely complete by the deadline, including transcripts and letters of recommendation, or an application will be considered late.

Scholarships: There are various financial aid packages that institutions will prepare for their university applicants such as grants, scholarships, student loans, work-study programs, etc. Students need to be aware that there are many scholarships available for them to apply for each year. Some scholarships are general or academic based. Some are based on your financial need and others based on your unique background.

Encourage students to “Keep digging!” because there are great scholarships out there. The College Board website, under the section for Students has a whole area entitled “Pay for College” with a wealth of information about financial options for university payment. US citizens are also welcome to apply for US federal aid through the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form.

This is our last entry in this series related to US college/university admissions. Do you have any resources you could share with other consultants related to this topic?

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