Boston University

Boston University:

Name: Harita Ganash
Year: BU class of 2023
Major: Psychology, Biology
Contact: haritak@bu.edu

Hello everyone! Many congratulations to all of on your acceptances and a very warm welcome to all you Terriers! I am Harita, currently a rising sophomore at Boston University (BU). I plan on doing a double major in psychology and biology in the College of Arts and Sciences. There are many aspects about BU that would provide you with one of the best college experiences. For starters, the campus. BU is an open campus spread across the commonwealth avenue, which is surrounded by many fun things! The Fenway park is at a walkable distance with its stadium, Red Sox merchandise stores and many eating places around. There are museums close by where entries are free with your BU ID card. For shopping, the Prudential Center and Quincy market are also at a good distance from the university. Getting to these places is extremely quick and accessible. Boston is known for its best public transport systems and BU’s location makes it even more accessible. Famously known as the ‘T’ or the MBTA lines are the easiest and cheapest way to travel around as these trains run underground and, on the road. For BU students, the green line is the primary access to the trains as there more than five stations on the commonwealth avenue. Another best part is the Charles river and its exuberant atmosphere in the evenings! There is an outdoor gym, space for going for a run, cycling and to have a laid-back evening with your friends at the docks, also called the ‘Esplanade’. BU’s location makes it an even better place to spend your next four years at J

Other aspects of BU that makes it the place to be:

  • As a BU student you have the flexibility to study across colleges and within. This means you can do a major from the college of arts and sciences and a major from the college of communication and graduate with a dual degree diploma in the four years. This applies to any colleges you want to do a dual degree across. This is extremely important because you have the opportunity to explore with different majors and decide what you want to do with absolute freedom!
  • I love the Faculty at BU! Starting from your senior directors, heads of departments, professors, teaching fellows (TF), chefs in the dining halls and the staff at your residences, they are down to earth and very welcoming! Make use of your professors’ and TF’s office hours, they are very helpful. I faced academic difficulties in my first semester due to some of courses and the only reason I ended up doing well was because I made use of every single office hour and discussion section for my lectures well. So please make the best use of every opportunity you have to meet your academic faculty members.
  • There are umpteen occasions to excel outside academics. BU is known for its clubs, from Sailing to photography, rocket propulsion to religion, there are over 450 student organisations to keep you busy. At the start of each semester there is a big event called Splash where all the organisations are displayed in the Nickerson field, don’t miss it! As for research, BU is a member of the Association of American universities, making it one of the United States is leading research universities. One way you all can make use of the research program is through the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP). You will be receiving funding for your research so you would not have any financial problems.
  • For international students on F1 visa you have many on-campus jobs available, so be sure to keep yourself updated with the student link! There are many recruiters coming in throughout the semester so you can look for internships as well. However, they will need you to have your resume for all the meetings, so keep it handy!
  • For those of you party animals, BU is the place to be. There are many sororities and fraternities and every weekend are a blast! The Fraternities are also a great place to learn as there are subject specific ones and to have a community of your own and, so do check them out.
  • In terms of housing, freshmen are usually allocated between the West Campus dorms and Warren Towers for housing. Both of these have dining halls and late-night café and Warren Towers has the best location, so you are all set! However, with personal experience I am not the biggest fan of these dorms so I would recommend incoming terriers to look for other options like the dorms in Bay State road, South campus dorms. Even if you do not get these in your first year, there are amazing for the forthcoming years. Student Village is housing for juniors and seniors, so if u plan on staying on campus, it’s a great place to be with one of the best views of the city.
  • For more information on student life at BU and student opinions check out our virtual events for prospective students and Instagram pages. They are very helpful. Instagram pages would be @applytobu and @bostonu. Below is the link for one of the virtual events I was a part of, so feel free to look at it in case you have more questions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZIk-u23jZE These are some great ways to learn more about the university life apart from the official websites.

I hope this information helps you guys! Don’t hesitate to contact me anytime, even when you are at BU, I am I always here to help! Good luck to all of you!

University of Warwick

University of Warwick:

Name: Shubhi Srivastava
Year: Second Year
Major: Accounting and Finance

Hi everyone, my name is Shubhi Srivastava. I’m a second year Accounting and Finance student at the University of Warwick. In terms of my career, I’m current considering investment banking and private equity. At university, I’m the current Treasurer for the Warwick Women’s Careers Society, and I was the Finance Officer for the Enactus Conceptual Project as well as a Facilitator for the first edition of the Warwick Climate Negotiation Forum.

Before diving into a few points about Warwick, I just want to highlight that if you’re considering studying in the UK, you should really ask yourself if you’re sure about the degree you’re choosing. While there is some mobility between courses, the UK is a lot more rigid in their course structure, especially when compared to the US. More often than not if you want to switch into another course, you’ll have to repeat a year.

I was very sure that this is the course I wanted to pursue, and so far, Warwick has been absolutely amazing. Going beyond the TISB-instilled requirement of wanting to graduate from a competitive university, here are a few points that highlight what I personally really value about Warwick –

  • I’m going to start on slightly weird note and first speak about the campus grounds. Warwick is one of the few in the top universities list in the Russell Group with its own campus. It’s around an hour’s train ride from central London, so whenever you feel like visiting the city it is easily accessible. Warwick is basically a university town, with accommodation, sports centre, grocery stores and every other necessity on campus, unlike some of the London universities.

Having lived in a city all my life, I was curious to try living without the city chaos for a few years. In addition, I really loved the TISB campus, and this criterion was almost a necessity for me, because having a huge, sprawling campus was something claustrophobic me was just not ready to give up.

  • Warwick has one of the most diverse student populations in the UK. Not just in terms of ethnicity and background, but also in terms of the courses that students take. In this regard, I think Warwick holds the closest resemblance to the US colleges, when compared to other UK universities. This is something I really value now, because meeting a new person is always interesting – whether it be through a society, party or a group project. Everyone has different backgrounds, aspirations (both career and otherwise) and views.

One thing that I had wanted to avoid during my college experience was facing a downside that a number of competitive universities have. Being a target university for the highest paying job sectors (i.e. consulting and banking) results in many students adjusting their personalities and interests to fit the job description asked for. This happens for many reasons – the money, the competitive element, the interesting work, and the bragging rights. While there are advantages to this, it does prevent individual growth in some ways. Warwick does have numerous students competing for those glamorous jobs (let’s face it, I’m one of them), but the diversity (in all aspects) amongst the students prevents an overall monotony when compared to other UK unis.

  • Societies! There are so many to choose from – you have your career-oriented ones, discussion forums and conferences, and even a Wine and Chocolate Society. This applies to the sports clubs as well – there is a plethora of choice, and if you still don’t find something that suits you, you can always (and very easily) start a society of your own.
  • If you think you’ll miss India (especially the food!!!), Warwick does not disappoint. There is a large community of Indians there (both students and the general population) so you’ll always be guaranteed great food and a loving community to celebrate the festivals with.
  • Lastly, there is always an air of positivity around campus. Everyone is helpful and social, and the underlying moto of everyone there is to always be better every day. It’s not something that can be easily measured, but I think this aspect is extremely important, especially when you’re moving to another country and leaving your family for the first time.

I really hope this helps, and if anyone has any questions, they can always message me!

Tufts University

Tufts University:

Name: Michelle Susan Jerry
Year: 2023
Major: Biology and Psychology
Contact number: +16095919480
Email: michelle.jerry@tufts.edu

Hi, I’m Michelle and I’m currently a freshman at Tufts University. I plan to do a double major in Biology and Psychology. On campus, I am currently involved in the Woman Higher Education Now (WHEN) initiative and We@tufts (Woman entrepreneurship club). A few things about Tufts:

  • Tufts is a small liberal arts school. The undergraduate population is about 4500 students leading to a small professor: student ratio (ours is about 1:9 on average). 
  • The professors are highly educated and passionate about the subjects they teach. Because of the small class size, it’s easy to develop relationships with each professor. They also help in internships, on-campus jobs, and career advice. 
  • Tufts is one of the few colleges that have a dual degree program. This is important for students who want to get an art degree but also want to explore other career paths. The dual degree program is a 5-year program that lets you graduate with two degrees a Bachelor of Arts/Science and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. 
  • Tufts is also known for its social engagement. One of the best things about my school is its focus on helping others. There are so many activist groups on campus as well as multiple opportunities to be involved in the Boston community. 
  • Tufts hosts the 1+4 Bridge year program which I highly recommend to prospective students. The program allows students to spend a full year doing community service in various locations around the world, enabling them to gain real-world experiences with a community organization. 
  • A huge perk about Tufts is that the administration really cares about its students. Once you’re admitted they provide you with all the resources that you need to succeed. Even in the admission process, Tufts awards financial aid based on need and this is re-evaluated every year to ensure that you and your family can afford to enjoy the college experience. 
  • Tufts also provides financial aid for all programs in the school such as summer programs abroad and internship funding. The Tufts Career Center funds undergraduate students each summer for unpaid internships. Selected students can get up to $4000 for an internship of their choice in any country. 
  • Tufts is located in Medford which is a small town that has a lot of restaurants and things for you to do. However, if you do wanna get into the city the subway is a 10 minute walk from campus and is very cheap. Tufts also has a mountain climbing club that owns a lodge in New Hampshire so that you can escape on the weekends and either go on a hike or learn how to ski. 

If you have any questions, I’m always available to answer them 🙂 

University of Oxford

Oxford:

Name: Abhinav Mukherjee
Year: 1st year
Major: Mathematics and Statistics
Contact: insta:abhinavmukherjee18

I’m Abhinav, and I’m a first-year at Oxford reading Mathematics and Statistics (Master’s).

I enjoy Oxford (the better ‘ford) because of its history & traditions, its freedom and its prestige. My matriculation was a ceremony in Latin, I attend black-tie dinners on the regular, my lengthy vacations are mine to do with as I please, and I’ve vid-chatted with billionaires. I’ve drank with my professors, I’ve attended tournaments in London on the uni’s card, and I’ve walked through halls older than the Aztec Empire.

Applying to Oxford is a no-brainer. The application process is infinitely smoother than the USA’s because you have no application fees and don’t have to bother with a bunch of shallow essays. It’s also very meritocratic so all that matters is your proficiency at one subject.

You apply to Oxford for one course. It’s unorthodox to switch courses once in, and you may be re-interviewed and re-tested if the attempted change is drastic enough. So trying to switch from Econ to CS (a TISB classic) is basically impossible. The concept of minoring also doesn’t exist. You study one thing and one thing only for three years. The academic focus is thus unparalleled. You are tutored by world-class academics with the highest quality resources and study the most difficult content found anywhere. Some courses, usually sciences, have an integrated master’s that’s one year more than the 3-year undergrad.

Oxford is federated into colleges, where you live and spend most of your time. Colleges play a huge academic role in the form of tutorials, which is an hour with a professor where you discuss content being taught, usually through a problem sheet or essay. This Aristotle-to-Alexander style means you’re learning directly from a subject expert who elevates your understanding. This is the best teaching system in the world (Cambridge has an inferior knock-off). To give an idea of how extreme this system goes: there are 6 maths students in my year at Christ Church (my college) and there are 6 maths professors at ChCh. I have 5 tutorials a week, and so I submit 5 problem sheets a week, each of which takes several hours. This is on top of 10 lectures a week. This varies by subject.

Some college are also undoubtedly better than others (ChCh being the best). Some colleges are richer, some are larger, some have nicer people, some are more central, and Christ Church is all these things. But do your research and feel free to reach out to me about this. Your odds of getting in also don’t depend on which college you apply to. It’s common to get into a different one from the one you applied to.

Your holidays will be the envy of everyone. You have 3 terms, 8 weeks each. For the numerically illiterate, that means 197 days of vacation a year. You can use this to study, pick up related skills, or pursue an internship (this is actually the point – Ox doesn’t want you doing part-time work during term so it compresses all studies into a short period). You do get enough free time to pursue sports and other interests. Oxford has a society for everything. You have the Oxford Union, a world-famous debating society that has hosted Prime Ministers, Presidents, whistle-blowers, Miss Worlds and A$AP Rocky. You also have the infamous Piers Gav.

There does exist a large drinking and clubbing culture as a result of being in Britain (legal age 18). Don’t be prude and dry, but also don’t be an alcoholic. The first few weeks are all about meeting new people and partying before everything calms down, so give everything a try at the start and stick with what you enjoy.

Boring stuff: Uni costs nearly half compared to the US. You also finish in fewer years so that works out even better.  The application process consists of a personal statement, an entrance test and then an interview. Your acceptance will also be conditional on minimum final IB scores. Things like cost and graduating in 3 years, apply to all UK schools. And UCAS counts as one app to TISB. You can’t apply to both Oxford and Cambridge (who would ever apply to Cambridge?), and you only get to apply to 5 (this is fine since UK schools’ tend to drop off quite quickly after the top four). In the UK you also get to practice law after 3 years undergrad as opposed to decades in Law school in the US.

To sum, apply to Oxford if you’re good enough. You don’t need hollow ECs and even hollower essays. And again, reach out to me for anything. I’m very bored in quarantine.

NYU Abu Dhabi

NYUAD:

Hello there! I’m Aaryan. When I was applying to University and I told people my first choice was NYU Abu Dhabi, the ‘Abu Dhabi’ part of it raised a few eyebrows. I can understand why my choice may prompt a few question marks, and I hope I can answer some of the questions you might have and convey why I think I made the right choice. So, here goes. My name is Aaryan Sharma and I’m a first-year student at the New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), and here are some reasons why there’s no other place I’d rather be:

  • Don’t be deterred because it’s outside the UK and North America – Studying here was an unconventional choice, but you should not let that affect your decision. Just because a lot of your friends want to study in the US or UK doesn’t mean that’s the right choice for you too, so don’t be afraid to try a different path.
  • It’s not a satellite campus – I just wanted to clarify this. NYUAD is not a subsidiary of NYU New York, it’s a completely different institution, in its mission, academics, administration, basically everything. You can think of NYU as an older sibling and NYUAD as a younger sibling. They’re related and share a name, but they’re different entities with different identities.
  • The UAE is more progressive and multinational than many realise – in fact, less than 12% of the population of the country are actually Emirati, so there’s a lot of international and cultural diversity in the country
  • The campus is amazing – The campus is small, but it’s really beautiful, with modern architecture and wonderful facilities, from state-of-the art research labs, to innovative auditoriums, to a football field that professional team practice on.  
  • Specialised undergraduate institution – NYUAD is currently almost an entirely undergraduate college, and what this means is that as undergraduates, we get opportunities and access to resources that most undergraduates wouldn’t have. We can use the research labs for projects, and we are also then the focus of professors’ attention.
  • It has the nicest students – Maybe in admission they just pay more attention to what kind of a person you are, but I was just amazed by how nice everyone is. All the students here are super friendly and even all the upperclassmen are incredibly warm and welcoming.
  • The close community feels like family – NYUAD is a small University. My freshmen class has a little over 400 students. What this means is that you can get to know almost your entire class and most faces are familiar. You can form strong connections with people since you will keep encountering the same people around campus, forming close bonds.
  • Incredible diversity – It’s amazing that there are over 115 nations represented in a group of just 1500 students. This means that everyone you meet has a different background and you get to interact a lot with people from other cultures
  • Everyone is unique – The largest single nationality (Emiratis) just make up 15% of the University. Unlike a lot of colleges in the US with a lot of locals, there are no large single homogeneous groups, which means that every student who comes in is totally unique, the experiences we share together while here are unique, and we leave even more unique than before
  • You feel at home – The college really makes incoming students feel welcome. Marhaba is what we call our orientation week and the word means ‘welcome’ in Arabic. It’s a fun-filled week where the college and upperclassmen organize events, performances, outings, and games for us to settle in. Additionally, through the first year, there are several events organized for freshmen to enjoy
  • The University takes care of us – While here, you really feel like a valued member of the community. We are well looked after, and we can see this now more than ever with the college’s coronavirus response. Where most colleges have shut and asked students to leave, we have been allowed and even encouraged to stay on campus. They are providing all essential services and the institutional support systems are quite amazing. At the same time, we were given the option of going home if we wanted, even giving us a travel allowance and making all classes online to facilitate this
  • Student leadership – There are several opportunities for all students to play a role in shaping the community experience on campus, and I have found the students who do this to be quite inspirational role models, who have been excellent leaders and contributed a lot to the community
  • Flexible academic program – I’m a Physics major, but I’m still not 100% sure of this. The flexibility of the program means that I can still switch to another major and be able to complete my degree on time
  • A rigorous curriculum – The flexibility doesn’t take away from the depth of the program, and each subject has a great depth of instruction, from technical fields to the arts. This does mean that the academics are quite challenging, but that is the best way to learn
  • As a Physics major, I could take courses on the Meaning of Life and Sports and Society – There are a lot of fun, interesting courses that allow you to explore new subjects outside of your main area of study too
  • Great faculty – The unique vision of the University means that it attracts a lot of pioneering, passionate professors, and chances are, every student here will encounter multiple professors who could transform their educational experience
  • Small classes – Because the student body is small, the class sizes too are very small. This is what I think makes the level of education on par with even the very best American Universities. One of my Physics classes this semester has only 3 students! This allows for great engagement with professors and I’ve learned so much more just because we get very individualized education, which is extremely conducive to learning
  • Learning outside the classroom – Because there is so much diversity and everyone has a unique background, there’s so much to learn from every interaction with others. Simple conversations can challenge your beliefs and become lengthy philosophical discussions, and as such, it’s a very intellectually stimulating environment
  • Professional/academic opportunities – There are plenty of internship and research opportunities throughout the 4 years, as well as opportunities for jobs on campus. As a result, seniors get great opportunities after graduation too, and the NYU name is useful here. And the professional and academic development of the program are validated externally by alumni job placements and the fact that NYUAD produces Rhodes and Schwarzman scholars almost on a regular basis
  • Global education – With the diversity of students and faculty, we already get a pretty global education just here on campus. But additionally, being an NYU college means that students get the chance to study away for a semester, sometimes two, in any of the 13 NYU global sites. There are also trips through student clubs for competitions. In January term (3-week course), many classes have trips for a few days or take place entirely in cities abroad.
  • Sports – There’s a wide range of sports available on campus, played both competitively and recreationally. Everyone is not just encouraged, but actually required to complete PE requirements and so everyone is welcomed and encouraged to participate. This means no matter how good or bad you are, or even if you’ve never played the sport, you’re always encouraged to join. I’ve tried rock climbing, which I couldn’t do before, as well as taking up touch rugby, and we even have a professor on the team. And despite not being great at it, whenever I go for football practice, I’m always welcomed by the coach, and it’s one of the best communities on campus. So, we are not only given the chance to participate in a variety of sports, but the warmth of the community carries over to the sports field as well.
  • Extracurricular activities – There are lots of events and activities to participate in on campus. There are several opportunities for people to participate in dance, drama, and music performances, regardless of any prior experiences. And there are several student-led clubs to meet people and try out new hobbies and interests, from languages to gaming to debate.
  • Our facebook group is called the Room of Requirement and our vacuum cleaners are named after Star Wars villains – need I say any more?
  • Accessible education – NYUAD makes education accessible to all, regardless of circumstances. So, it’s especially good to consider in terms of financial feasibility as they are a bit more generous with financial aid than most US Universities.
  • New universities are often worth consideration – what my experience has taught me is that new, small universities in general can have great value. Be it NYUAD, Ashoka, Yale-NUS or any other college, they are worth consideration. This is because they will usually have a bright, ambitious vision for the future, and they get a clean slate to build their own community and identity. This allows for a great community with many opportunities and the students will be valued and looked after.

Overall, NYUAD is a place with everything I wanted from a college. It has a wonderful community that makes you feel at home. At the same time, it pushes you out of your comfort zone via exposure to different communities, beliefs, backgrounds and encouraging you to try new things, be it sports or subjects, alongside a high quality, rigorous academic program. That’s why I think the college experience here will be one of the greatest opportunities for growth and learning that any student can have. Given the remarkable student body, it may not be easy to excel here. But here, we grow, and it’s not difficult to be happy.

University of Notre Dame

University of Notre Dame:

Name: Mahati Kalaparthy
Year: Freshman
Major: Economics and ACMS
Phone: +1 919 931 9426
Email: mahati.kalaparthy@gmail.com

Hello! My name is Mahati and I’m a first-year student at the University of Notre Dame. Notre Dame is a medium-sized private research school in South Bend, Indiana, which is about two hours east of Chicago. Besides being a highly ranked school for its academic programs, Notre Dame also has an incredibly competitive sports environment, which will contribute greatly to your experience at Notre Dame even if you don’t play a sport. Amongst our stronger academic programs are the liberal arts programs, including everything from Economics to Theology, and our business programs in the esteemed Mendoza College of Business. Other programs in science and engineering are good too, and if you’re interested in exploring two or even three majors, Notre Dame will give you ample support to easily fit your courses into your four years.

Besides the academics, an indispensable part of Notre Dame’s culture is its housing system. Every student is randomly allocated to one of 31 single-sex dorms that they are expected to stay in for three years and an optional fourth year. This means that every freshman automatically has a place that they can call home and a group of people that they can call a family as soon as they come in. Stating your dorm’s name is an essential part of introducing yourself to a fellow Notre Dame student or even an alumni because of how much it will define your community experience. But housing isn’t the only way to form community.

Another huge positive is being in Chicago’s backyard. Although I’d say Notre Dame’s campus is quite closed off in its own “Notre Dame bubble”, and that the surrounding South Bend area takes a while to fall in love with, the fact that Chicago is so accessible makes it easier to stay connected with the world that you’ll eventually graduate into. Lots of current students get internships there and our alumni community in Chicago is huge. One of Notre Dame’s biggest advantages is how strong its alumni network is, and how willing alumni are to hire Notre Dame graduates. A lot of alumni are often available on online networking platforms to provide guidance to current students, and are always fairly excited to talk to you at tailgates, of course.

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