As university application deadlines approach, the atmosphere amongst GZAAT seniors is stressful. Everyone is at different stages of the process. Some students don’t know where they’ll apply, while others have already gotten acceptance letters and committed to one university.
Over the past few years, GZAAT students have been especially drawn to European universities compared to seniors from a decade ago. College counsellor Lika Chkhaidze said there are many reasons for why students prefer Europe over the US these days. The location is a significant factor, making it easier for families and students to travel between college and home. Additionally, Europe offers lower tuition fees. Senior Nina Chiladze said the idea of staying closer to home is really appealing.
Lika also informed us on the exact statistics of which continent the students have preferred over the past two years, even mentioning the increased rate of students taking a gap year.
“Looking at the data, from the Class of 2023, 47.22% of students chose to attend Europe, compared to 27.78% for the USA, 11.11% for Georgia, and 9.72% took a gap year. In the Class of 2024, the trend shifted further, with 63.38% of students opting for Europe, while 18.31% chose the USA, 4.23% stayed in Georgia, and 14.08% decided on a gap year.” said Lika.
However, the appeal of US universities remains strong for those looking for specific programs. Many are also drawn to the unique US college experience.
The application process for US and EU universities are very different. For EU universities the process is straightforward. Most Universities in Europe require the student’s transcript and a motivational letter (sometimes the SAT test as well).
On the other hand, US universities require a distinct approach. Students must submit detailed essays reflecting who they are beyond their grades, as well as extracurriculars and multiple recommendations. This makes it more challenging and time-consuming to put US applications together, which might be another reason students prefer to apply to European Universities.
The counselors also have connections with a program called Match by Concourse, which is an application program where students upload their personal information and transcripts, and universities send you offers and acceptances themselves. Some students have had very popular universities send them offers.
As for the actual process, many struggle with managing deadlines and writing their essays. “I have not liked the process since it is very time-consuming and as a procrastinating student, it turned out to be a huge problem to write down the university list and write the essays,” said senior Alexander Tvaladze. Alexander said since he hasn’t chosen his major, making the university search quite unproductive.
On the contrary, senior Ana Maria Kand said essay writing is easy for her because she manages her time wisely. “I am really glad that I started working on my applications early and got all the technical details, like test scores, out of the way. Now I have time to write my essays slowly and calmly,” she said.
College counsellor Lika Chkhaidze said traffic at the counselling office is heavy in December. Some students follow the structured program making everything easier. Others procrastinate, becoming more active only when deadlines are approaching. The counselors always have timetables and meetings arranged for students so they do not miss any deadlines and prepare for applications attentively.
The seniors advise younger students to pay close attention to their extracurricular activities. “The most important thing in applications is activities so try to be a member of clubs and take leadership positions, but please don’t create another silly club just for the sake of being the president. Universities can in fact tell you just did it for the sake of doing it. Also try to get chosen to be the class president or prefect,” said senior Ana Chelidze who has been accepted to Northeastern University in Boston.
However, Ana thinks it’s most important to have fun during this process. She prioritized her mental health. “I only applied to a few universities and didn't stress over the results, as an educational institute is not the end of one’s life, it is just the start.”
Edited by: Diba Mottaghi
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