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How Parents Can Support Their Child’s University Admissions Process for US and UK Unive
12/11/2024•22 minute read
As parents, you always want to do your best when it comes to your children. Guiding them through the winding roads of life is part of that endeavour, especially when they’re on the verge of beginning a new journey! In this blog, we’ll be sharing some tips on how parents can assist in the university admissions journey, from working together on goals to encouraging independence.
Understanding the International Admissions Landscape
In order to be of most help to your child at this time, it’s important that you’re equipped with a good, practical understanding of the international admissions landscape. This could include mapping out the steps of the application process, and having application timelines at the ready. Understandably, this can feel like a lot of information, so we’ve assembled it here for you!
| Aspect of the admissions process | US Universities | UK Universities |
|---|---|---|
| Application process | 1) At the outset of the application process, make sure to check what mode of admissions your child’s institution of choice uses! About 900 universities in the US use the Common App system as a centralised admissions portal, while others have their own individual forms. 2) For the applications process, here are the documents you’ll want to have ready: - Basic personal information: your child’s name, address, and information about your and your spouse’s educational backgrounds - Official academic transcripts: A-level, IB, SAT/ACT if you have them, or GPA. Some schools have moved to being test-required, meaning that the SAT/ACT is mandatory, so make sure to check that too! - English language requirements e.g TOEFL, IELTS, but these may not always be necessary, so do check the exemptions on individual institution’s websites! - An overview of your extracurricular activities - Personal statement - Supplemental essays, if required. Mostly brought forth in the Common App. - Letters of recommendation: from teachers or mentors | 1) Schools in the UK make use of a centralised portal, UCAS, to process all of their applications. Once you’ve created an account with this system, your child can apply for up to 5 courses, and track their progress. 2) For the UCAS applications process, here’s what you’ll want to have ready: - Academic Transcripts: which will be converted into UCAS tariff points, for admissions officers to assess your child’s academic suitability - Personal statement: capped at 4,000 characters, but there have been recent changes made, so do make sure to look into those too! - Reference: Similar to the letters of recommendation utilised by the US system, the reference is a written recommendation by a teacher or mentor who knows your child well. 3) There is an application fee to be paid for each choice, standing at £28.50 for up to five choices in the 2025 entry cycle. |
| Key dates | As the timelines for each university are likely to differ, you consider downloading our comprehensive admissions calendar for Singaporean students! It includes handy information like standardised test exam dates, as well as staggered entry deadlines. Of course, you’ll also want to check specific dates on the individual institution’s website. | The entry deadline for most undergraduate courses is 29 January 2025, 18:00 UK time, except for those at Oxford, Cambridge, and most courses in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, and veterinary science. |
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Of course, much of this information is broad, so it’s always best to research the course and institution your child is specifically interested in pursuing! Each university has its own flair, and is known for different things, so it’s always good to explore these options in depth – especially since you’re already investing in going abroad.
Open Communication
As you navigate this new terrain together, a key strategy to keep in mind is to ensure that you have open communication whenever possible! This could come in the form of having encouraging, lively discussions about your child’s academic and career aspirations. In this case, your own experience may serve as good advice, and you could balance it out by actively listening to their ambitions as well. In fact, your own experience could be useful in guiding them to articulate their own interests, especially if you were to share how you arrived at yours!
Studying overseas is also a particular situation to be in. While you might not be physically present for the duration of their studies, actively listening to their concerns about the challenges of studying abroad is important to fostering an understanding with your child. It will also help them know that they can come to you for support and advice, if they feel they need it!
Researching Together
As mentioned earlier, the university admissions period can be quite an overwhelming experience to undergo alone, especially for the very first time. While it’s great to let your child explore on their own, it might also be a good show of support to collaborate with them on exploring universities and courses. In particular, your input might be helpful when it comes to choosing universities or courses that best suit their strengths, since they might not yet be able to accurately assess that for themselves! Mostly, it also shows your own interest and investment in helping them through this process.
For instance, this research could even include activities like virtual campus tours, and university webinars, which are commonly held online to be a one-stop shop for all the information you need for applying to your child’s school of choice. This is also a useful means of understanding the culture of the university, in lieu of physically being on campus.
Setting Realistic Goals
Given that your child will likely have a lot on their plate, you might consider helping them with goal-setting. This might come in the form of achievable academic and extracurricular targets, so that they don’t overexert themselves or burn out. A way of assessing this might be through doing some research on the grade-specific entry requirements published by universities, so that both you and your child can manage your expectations while aiming for targets that align with international standards!
It’s important to take a holistic approach to goal-setting. In the US, universities place a strong emphasis on a holistic admissions process, considering not only grades but also personal statements, extracurricular activities, and teacher recommendations. Especially for the US, the application is seen as a chance to showcase a well-rounded profile. UK universities, however, focus more on academic potential, seeking students who are strong scholars—passionate, rigorous, and resilient in their pursuit of knowledge. In the UK, 'supercurricular' activities—such as deep subject exploration and developing academic skills beyond the school curriculum—are particularly beneficial and can greatly enhance a UK application.
Leaning On Professional Support
Given that the international admissions process may be unfamiliar to both you and your child, it’s worth considering external support to help navigate it. Crimson Education offers comprehensive guidance across every aspect of the admissions journey. Our dedicated support team includes Former Admissions Officers (FAOs) and mentors who have themselves graduated from top 30 US universities, as well as Oxford and Cambridge. These experts bring insider knowledge and proven strategies to the table, including enhancing extracurricular involvement, refining essays, and preparing for interviews. With their support, your child will be better equipped to tackle each stage of the admissions process with confidence and clarity.
Working with admissions consultants can be a key part of your child’s strategy for success. This is especially valuable for those who understand how to balance local strengths with international expectations. While your child has likely already built a strong profile, a consultant can help you both craft a compelling narrative that highlights their achievements in the most effective way for the admissions process. They will guide you on how to present your child’s strengths and experiences to meet the specific requirements of top universities, ensuring their application stands out.
Provide Emotional Support
While the university applications period can be an exciting time for ushering in a new chapter, it can also be hard to handle the stress that comes with applying to prestigious universities abroad. Having to match yourself up to other equally qualified, competitive applicants can feel quite daunting, especially for your children who are going through this experience for the very first time!
To help them manage the pressure and associated stress of this period, your role can be that of emotional support. A few words of encouragement or reassurance can make a world of difference, especially if the situation is starting to feel overwhelming. Alternatively, you can also celebrate milestones – such as finishing a personal statement – and reminding them of their progress, which can help build up their confidence and resilience!
Organisational Skills
The admissions period is also a great time for both you and your child to lean into fine-tuning your organisational skills. Given that it’s quite a paperwork-heavy process, you may consider gently guiding them through timelines, deadlines, and the application requirements for US and UK universities. Your own expertise and experience could be particularly helpful here, especially when it comes to document preparation and submission!
You might also want to use organisational tools or softwares, such as Notion or AirTable, to track the progress of different applications and requirements. This will come in particularly handy for schools in the US that do not use the centralised Common App system, and likely save you a lot of worrying!
Encourage Independence
At the same time, while it’s important to support your child, this is also a critical opportunity for you to foster independence in them. Getting them to take primary ownership of their application process, for example, is a good way to give them a slight push without throwing them too far into the deep end! Your presence can even be a pillar of guidance and support that they consult if they feel the need to do so. Ultimately, the application process is a great time for them to develop their own organisational skills, and a familiarity with administrative processes which may serve them later in life.
Your encouragement can also be a way of empowering them to do their own research, and participate actively in making their own informed decisions about their education!
Financial Planning
It’s no secret that studying abroad can be a hefty investment, but the experience is often well worth the cost. That being said, universities abroad are well aware of the price that international students have to pay when it comes to schooling, especially when it comes to tuition and cost of living. As a result, there are often financial aid schemes available at every institution, the requirements for which will be listed on the university’s website.
Alternatively, there are scholarships available for international students heading to the UK and US! In particular, you might want to note that there are two kinds of scholarships typically offered when it comes to US universities, in order to assess what you might need. Broadly, these scholarships can be broken down into:
Need-based scholarships: In cases where a student’s family cannot provide the full fee contribution, the student can submit their supporting documents (e.g bank statements) to the financial aid office at their university of choice.
Merit-based scholarships: An alternative to need-based scholarships, students who are high-achieving scholars, athletes, or community leaders may consider applying for merit-based scholarships instead. However, the process for this will vary depending on your child’s school of choice, so it’s important to check the eligibility criteria and availability on the financial aid website!
Other Fun Activities for Parents and Students During the Admissions Process
Despite the way it sounds, the application process doesn’t have to be all work and no play. Here are some ways for you and your child to inject some fun into the experience!
University Exploration Days
If you can, you might want to plan visits to local universities, or arrange virtual tours of potential schools abroad. Or, you could even find explorations of student life at top universities on Youtube. This immersive experience is a great way to drum up some excitement about this next chapter of life, especially if the school offers a bustling student culture!
Study Sessions
While these can feel like a slog, it’s important to try livening study sessions up, if only to keep up morale. Some ways to do this are to make sure the environment is cosy and conducive, or set out some snacks and music to add some relaxation to the atmosphere!
Application Parties
Given your child is not embarking on this application journey alone, it might be fun to get the whole family involved! You could consider organising a family night dedicated to working on applications together, with your favourite food and drink set out. You’ll essentially be combining some family time with a productive endeavour, which is yet another great way to show some support during this time!
Goal-Setting Activities
Alongside the application parties and study sessions, it might be helpful to also set up reminders of what you’re all working towards. This might come in the form of a family scrapbooking or journaling night, where both you and your child can create vision boards to materialise their goals and aspirations for life at their chosen university.
Celebrate Small Wins
Last but not least, it’s always important to remember that the university application process is a marathon, not a sprint! Keeping up endurance and morale is therefore key to the whole experience, which makes it really important to celebrate small wins! Even something like finishing a personal statement, or your child’s first time filling out a form on their own is worthy of acknowledgement and celebration. And of course, it lets them know just how much this journey means to you, as well!
We hope you found this blog helpful! At Crimson Education, our expert consultants are here to support you and your child throughout this exciting journey. If you'd like to learn more about how we can assist you in navigating the university application process, don’t hesitate to reach out.
