Colby College's Acceptance Rate Results for the Class of 2029
Read now
4 tips for South Africans hoping to crack the world’s top 30 universities
07/07/2021•5 minute read
The Top 30 universities in the world offer leading faculties and facilities, influential alumni and networks, and are some of the best launching pads into the working world.
But, many international students, including those from South Africa, may find it difficult to crack offers from these top universities. Those graduating from South African schools can be left disappointed and frustrated if left too late or are ill prepared or under-cooked.
Here are 4 tips to help you better prepare for the world’s Top 30 universities!
-
Develop supercurriculars - scale unique initiatives and align them to your interests!
South Africans take part in many additional activities - the President’s Award, drama, sport, community service. These are all great to have, but what can you do to show depth and stand out?
Look to develop and lead initiatives that are unique and driven by your passion and interests. Start a community outreach project that affects those around you positively - grow it, advertise it and organise events. Think about a problem you see around you and design a solution.
For STEM candidates, are you doing math or science activities: entering competitions, reading more deeply about your subject and doing research projects.
For top students globally, innovative leadership initiatives are commonplace for applicants hoping to get ahead. Check out some local initiatives that South African Crimson students have developed with the support of their Crimson Extracurricular Mentor:
-
Make yourself more academically competitive - and familiar!
South Africa produces many capable candidates ready to enter local South African and international universities. But Top 30 universities, who are very selective, and have admission rates under 5% (and even lower for international students!) are looking for outstanding candidates. This means achieving marks in the 90s for all your subjects and often taking additional, more challenging subjects in a local and even internationally recognised curricula. More is definitely more in the world of selective university admissions! Locally, taking IEB Advanced Programme (AP) courses shows evidence of more challenging, academically rigorous subjects. Top universities are familiar with known, internally recognised curricula so if you have the opportunity to take additional A-levels subjects and even college-level US Advanced Programme (AP) courses it is definitely advantageous. While this is not expected of South African students, it shows an intensity of study in your final two years of school in understood and challenging curricula, and most of all this is great preparation for the level of work required at university!
Alongside your standardised results, these additional academic qualifications demonstrate how competitive you are on a global scale.
Check out CGA Online High School which offers International GCSEs and A-levels and US AP courses. Registration for AP part-time classes in September 2021 is approaching quickly so reach out to the CGA team here now!
If you’re looking to develop your Computer Science basics and take a step towards an AP Computer Science Applied course you may want to join our 8 week Saturday Computer Science Basics class for an introduction to programming with Python. Enrol here today!
-
Understand and develop your brand. Let it permeate throughout your application - including your application essays!
High scores are just a foot in the door, they don’t tell your story. Top universities build well-rounded classes, so they don’t just want to know your academic capabilities, but also what else you will bring to their university. Even universities like MIT, which is known for its quantitative admissions process, rejects huge numbers of students with perfect school and standardised test scores every year!
Those supercurriculars that you read about earlier help you build a personal narrative and must be consistent with your application essays and interviews. In applications to top universities, the personal statement is your ‘personal pitch’, not just a list of your achievements. Good essays will show a window into your character and personality - offering admissions officers a unique view into who they want to admit and bringing to life the marks and accomplishments that are listed in the rest of the application.
Crimson students work with their Strategists and Application Mentors to develop a strong narrative about who they are and what they care about, as well as what they’ve achieved. Read about how South African Ivy-League admit, Abang’s community spirit helped him develop an outstanding programme of activities around his Economics major at the University of Pennsylvania.
-
Starting early matters. Make sure you have the support you need!
Applying to top universities abroad can be stressful and overwhelming for many international students as they try to navigate a complex and unfamiliar process. And just like you go to a doctor for expert medical help, students and families come to Crimson for expert admissions help!
From Brazil to Russia, from the UK to the SA, Crimson works with thousands of students each year building the right skills and making sure students thrive and achieve beyond just the university application process. Crimson students are 2-5x more likely to gain admission to top universities than the average student and students who spend 2 or more years working with Crimson have results that are twice as good as those working with Crimson for 1 year: showing that the earlier you start, the better your chances!
As an official partner of US News, Crimson Education is a world leader in university admissions.
Reach out now to start your journey to a top university. Contact the Crimson South Africa office which serves the Africa/South Africa region to book a free meeting with an Academic Advisor in your region:
Website: crimsoneducation.org
Email: southafrica@crimsoneducation.org
Tel: (+27) (0)10 500 1036
WhatsApp: (+27) (0)74 965 8675
See you soon!
