UG Students at US and Canada Address Student Queries About Choosing the Right College

Q. Can students still apply if they have a gap year? Does it affect your admission chances?

Iqra Khan: As long as you are able to fulfil the admission criteria of your chosen university and you are able to justify the reasons behind taking one year gap, it should not be an issue. The reasons could be many - you were preparing for an exam, extracurricular activity involvement, volunteering with a social organization etc. so if you utilized your one year gap well, then it will not cause any problem in your admission process.

Q. How should prospective students choose the right college? How important are rankings?

Vaibhav: It is important to look at the rankings and see where the college lines up with the rest of the country, so you have some idea about the academic reputation. At the same time, it is important to do some research online and look at the Facebook pages of the university to get an understanding of the type of international student community it has because that is one community which is going to aid you and help you adjust to the new culture and life in the new country. So make sure you are confident you will be able to integrate with the students there, and you are able to find the necessary support from counsellors at international centres, friends from other countries so that you have a good experience.

For me personally, after I searched through the Facebook pages of the universities, watching uploaded videos about the campus life and reading online reviews, I had an understanding whether I was a good fit for the college or not. So you can’t base off your fit only on the basis of a ranking.

Q. Milap, what is your advice on choosing the right college? What criteria should be considered while making this decision?

Milap Dadlani: There are multiple factors when it comes to selecting a college, there is no right college, and it all depends on what you want to do and what are your personal preferences. One of the key factors for me was the location. The location is really important as you are going to stay in that town for at least two to four years, so will have to have a network of people. As a business student, I have to maintain a big network of people. As my town has a smaller community, it is easier to do that.

Also since Canadian weather gets really cold during the winters, you might want to choose regions which are comparatively warmer. As far as rankings are concerned, I wouldn’t say they are as important. More or less most college offer the same things. Diversity was another important factor for me. As in international student, I wanted to stay at a campus where there is a diverse culture. I had friends from around the world within a couple of months. This multicultural experience comes in handy when you are into fields like international business.

Another factor could be the USP of the course. If it aligns well with your overall long-term career goals, then the course will be a good fit for your profile.

About the Expert Panel

Iqra Khan

Iqra is a student admissions counsellor at Shiksha.com with 8+ years of experience in study abroad counselling and has worked with students across UG and PG for all top study destinations

Milap Dadlani

Milap is currently in his 4th year at Post Baccalaureate Diploma in Marketing at Thompson Rivers University, Canada

Vaibhav Chitkara

Vaibhav is the International Student Ambassador and Diversity Scholar Intern at the University Of Kentucky, USA

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