A lot of high school juniors (3rd year students) already have plans to visit colleges that are of interest to them and have perhaps even narrowed down the potential schools down to around 20. However, what I hear a lot from both parents and students is what else is there even to do before the applications are out in the Fall?
My answer: a lot! This is the time to get all of the hard leg work out of the way so that essays are easier to write, information is easier to input, and stress levels are down for the Fall when you juggle school work, sports, extra-curriculars AND the application process. The first big project that you can work on is the resume process – peruse some of the resumes you find online for both content and visual appeal. Then take a hard look at your high school career AND your accomplishments throughout your life time. A lot of your current involvements in school might have started from much earlier than high school. For example, you may have been playing soccer since the age of 5, and now you’re the co-captain of your high school team. This extra piece of information gives the resume reader a better picture of the type of dedication you have to the sport or activity. Also, be sure to include activities that you intend on completing during your last year of high school. The resume process is ongoing as it’s a working document. So, have a few trusted friends and adults help you think about any holes you might be missing and how to best word your activities, leadership experience and awards. But, do not finalize and leave it there untouched as you continue with the rest of your application. Conversations with friends, family, and teachers might spark memories of an important project or competition you may want to showcase. Continue to revisit it periodically until you are ready to submit it to the colleges. The resume is a great place to start for the application process as it has obvious practical purposes as well as a good reason to start thinking about your own history and accomplishments. This will segue into the next few projects that you can work on as a junior in high school to help prep for the application process: brainstorming pieces of your life that you’d like to make sure are highlighted in your final application, mock interviews, and approaching teachers about recommendations. Look out for more blog updates on preparation for the college applications!
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Navigating the waters of the American immigration system can be confusing. For many international students, getting a visa to study in the promise land is just the first step. Getting the authorization to work there and gain some international experience after graduation is a key part of their personal development. Given that it’s such a big factor in their experience abroad, it is a shame that many students do not know more about the immigration or work authorization process before deciding on their tertiary education plans.
So how does it all work? Here’s the path of the typical international student. Phase 1 You’re accepted! Now what visa do you apply for? The visa that most students apply for is the F-1 visa. If you are married, your spouse can apply for the F-2 visa. The F-1 visa will allow you to work part-time on campus, work under practical training during and after school, and of course, be a student in the United States. Other visa types include the J-1 visa for those who are sponsored by the government or a company and the M-1 visa for those attending vocational schools. The most common is the F-1 so the remainder of the article shall talk only about the F-1. Step 1: The university sends you a document called an I-20 that verifies your acceptance, lists your course of study, duration of study, and the estimated cost. Step 2: Fill out Form DS-160 Step 3: Make an appointment for an interview at the US embassy Step 4: Pay the visa fee at the bank specified by the embassy Step 5: Compile documentation which will include acceptance letter, I-20, passport valid for at least 6 months, proof of financial support such as bank statements and letter of support from your parents or financial aid grants, academic transcripts, any proof that you’re bound to your home country and intend to return, TOEFL scores are helpful. Step 6: Go to your interview. Answer questions honestly, clearly, and confidently. Step 7: Get your application approved and go back the next day to pick up your passport complete with visa! Phase 2 You’re a student! School’s going great but either you want to get an internship or an internship is required for you to graduate. How do you do that legally? Apply for CPT! Curricular Practical Training (CPT) CPT is a status that authorizes you to work off campus when you are a student. It is really meant for students for whom an internship would be a key part of their academic training. This is something you can apply for if: 1) You have been at school full-time for one academic year 2) Your internship is clearly in your field of study 3) There is a CPT course you can enroll in for your program 4) You only intend to work part-time (20 hours) when school is in session or full-time during the break Caveat: You cannot do this if you are in your final quarter/semester at school. It is also not advisable to be on CPT for more than a year since it will prevent you from using your OPT time. Procedures vary from school to school so check your international student website for instructions. Typically, it is just a matter of signing up for the CPT class, filling out a form for your international center to sign off, and getting your employer to give you a letter proving your employment. Phase 3 You’re about to graduate and you want to work in the U.S. before going home. How do you stay? Optional Practical Training (OPT) You can apply for optional practical training or OPT in order to work legally in the United States post graduation. OPT allows you to work in an area related to your study for up to 12 months. Applying for OPT is a simple process. However, it is very easy to violate your F-1 status under OPT by accident. How do you apply for OPT? The application is done through the international center of your school and usually just involves filling out a form, picking appropriate start dates. After you get a revised I-20 from your school, you fill out some documentation and request for an employment authorization document from USCIS. A few months later, you get a card authorizing you to work. Beware that on OPT, you can only be unemployed for 90 days after your official start date. You also need to update the school on your address etc every 6 months. STEM extension Normally, OPT is only valid for 12 months. However, if you have a science, technology, engineering, or math degree, there is a possibility that your OPT will be extended for another 17 months. Obtaining a STEM extension that you have a degree in one of the above fields. Your employer must also be enrolled in the E-verify program (which not a lot of employers are). Phase 4 Your OPT time is running out! You love your job and you’re not ready to go back to your home country yet. H1-B Visa You will need your employer to apply for a work visa for you. Employers typically hire a lawyer and take care of the whole process. The only thing that makes the H1-B process complicated is that, there is a quota system. Only 65,000 new H1-B visas are issued each year. An additional 20,000 visas are allocated to foreign nationals who have masters degrees or higher from U.S. institutions. During good economic periods, the quotas have been known to fill up within a day of applications being accepted. In bad times, the quota never fills up. During times when the quota is exceeded, a draw is conducted to determine who will get the visa. Applications are due on 1st of April and H1-B visas are issued on the 1st of October. Cap Gap What do you do if your OPT expires before October when your H1-B visa kicks in? Nothing. The cap gap law allows you to stay in the United States and work in your “immigration limbo period”. ———————– There it is, the typical immigration path of the international student. *Disclaimer: Always talk to your embassy, US embassy, or immigration lawyer as each person’s circumstance can result in different outcomes. Southeast Asia has a population of 620 million people. Just to put that in perspective, the United States cracked 300 million just a few years ago. With a population twice the size of the United States. As 9% of the world population, our representation at top institutions is not representative of our place in the world.
During my time at Stanford and from conversations with some highly accomplished people I always wondered, “Where are all the Southeast Asians?” Then, I thought back to my experience as a student in Malaysia. I grew up in Kuala Lumpur in a typical middle class family. My academic performance in secondary school was average. The reason for my unremarkable secondary experience wasn’t the inability to do well. It was the lack of incentives. I thought my options were either to do a pre-university course to go overseas, join a Malaysian private institution. For either choice, my secondary school grades didn’t have to be amazing. The stories of the 15 straight A students going Cambridge or Harvard on a government scholarship seemed unattainable for myself. I didn’t know I could, so I didn’t try. All that changed when I met a group of American foreign exchange students in Australia. They went to Cornell, Duke, UCLA, and a host of other impressive schools. Talking to them convinced me that the United States would open doors to amazing opportunities. They told me what going to school in the U.S. was like, and what you had to do to get in. My mind was made up to go to the U.S. But how to get there? Honestly, the path was difficult. After a lot of research, a lot of conversations, and a lot of mistakes, I finally made it to the United States and got my undergraduate degree in civil engineering. I had a job waiting for me upon graduation even after the market crash in 2008. I made tons of American friends, and loved every bit of my experience. After this success, I learnt the lesson to try to shoot for the best option for me. I used this lesson when I applied to business school. Stanford’s business school has a 7% admissions rate. My year had one of the lowest historical admissions rates. I knew my odds were bad but I still wanted to try. I will never forget how it felt to receive the phone call from the dean of admissions saying that I was accepted. Ever since attending Stanford University, my life has been put on a completely different trajectory. I’ve managed to get jobs I would never have gotten before. I’ve met people I would never even be in the same room with. My network is filled with people who will be the future leaders of the corporate and political world. Getting to America and then going to Stanford University improved my prospects dramatically. However, I almost didn’t get here. It was luck that enabled me to learn about the opportunity. Then, I had to try to seize it. I think a lot of Southeast Asians were like me. They don’t know the height of their full potential so they don’t try. I want that to change. America is still the land of opportunity. The academic institutions here give you an amazing education. The people you meet here will be instrumental to your development. Being here puts you in touch with thought leaders in every industry. The strong brand name of the top schools get you in the door of any company. So by all means, try for the United States top institutions! You deserve to give yourself a shot to be great. With every Southeast Asian that joins the ranks of top institutions, we set an example and make it easier for all those that follow. When they see that we did it, they realize they too should try. Admissions consulting for Asians applying to American universities is something I truly care about for this reason. It is my hope that we will live up to our full potential and break in to the top ranks where we should be. Tilia Wong |
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