Learning 29 Sep 2017

CIS DP students attend university visits on campus

By Karel de Cock, University Advisor
Photograph by CIS Communications

University representatives visit high schools all over the world with the sole purpose of promoting and informing students and parents about their institution and the different programs available.

These visits are a great opportunity to learn about the university, the application process and the type of students they are looking for. In some cases, the representative may also be the person reading your application, so you should treat the conversation as a potential interview if you plan on applying to that institution.

From September until the Christmas break, many higher education institutions from around the world will visit CIS. These professionals can sometimes provide you with ideas about other colleges, similar programmes or career opportunities after graduation. Keep an open mind and take advantage of the wide variety of university representatives that visit our school and regional education exhibitions/fairs. These events are advertised on the Career & University Guidance page of My.CIS, where you can register. Parents are more than welcome to attend university visits as well.

It is important that you make the most of the visits by asking questions. You should organise your questions into categories to ensure that you receive a well rounded perspective of the institution. Meet with as many representatives as possible even if you are not particularly interested in the institution. Not every university can visit our campus or fly to Singapore. The more you learn about all kinds of possible options, the better your decision-making will be at the end.

Here are some comments from students who have already attended some university visits at CIS:

Testimonials on university visits

Mudra Kashyap - Grade 12

The opportunity to apply to a university anywhere in the world is an exhilarating possibility. Yet, it also creates uncertainties about embracing a completely new environment and lifestyle, particularly if you haven’t had the chance to visit a university or city in person. Fortunately, the numerous university visits we’ve had this year have helped alleviate such nerves and answered many questions. I really enjoyed all the university visits I’ve attended, as the personal conversations helped me grasp the ‘feel’ of a university better than any website I had previously accessed. Based on my research, I had interpreted the QMUL (Queen Mary University of London) vibe as quite formal. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the jovial and friendly nature of the lecturer when he attended our school. Such visits were also an excellent way to establish a personal relationship with the admissions officers, which can later be continued via email. Thus, I was able to receive personalised advice on the details of the courses I was considering. Attending university visits are definitely useful in helping gauge one’s compatibility with a university, and in humanising the admissions process.

Molly Laycock - Grade 12

My name is Molly Laycock and I am interested in studying psychology in university. I decided to go to a few of the many university visits at CIS because I wanted to get a feel for what kind of students each university was looking for, therefore getting a better understanding of my fit within the university. I am glad that I attended these university visits as they have given me the chance to look into new universities that I have previously never thought about, as well as allowing me to cross of universities that I did not feel connected to. One of the main things that I liked about the visits was that I was able to ask any broad or personal questions to the university admissions officers. To any student on the fence about the university visits, I would definitely recommend going to at least one!

Raj Deshpande - Grade 11

I attended the European universities visit where I learnt more about German universities which I have not considered before. Going to this visit was certainly helpful as I got a better insight as to what the universities have to offer, what the structure of the subjects are, the layout of the programme, and about the surroundings of the university. I also got to learn about the fact that the two universities that I looked at, teach the entire course in English, and do not require any proficiency in German beforehand. What I liked about the visit was that I got to talk one-to-one with representatives of the university and help clear some doubts that I had regarding the programme or any entry requirements. The visit did help me understand the path of study I was to take in the coming years, in the form of what courses I should take in order to arrive at my field of career. Overall, the universities visit enabled me to discover two new universities and helped me get an understanding of what it means to study in Germany. For anyone wanting to find new universities, going to such visits will definitely help.

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