Mentorship includes counseling, guidance, and structured support throughout the entire process of choosing a program and applying. A large number of high school students, even in the final two years of high school, do not have a clear vision of their future career.
Therefore, the first step of the individual guidance service is most often a conversation about the individual’s interests, wishes, and possibilities. Although some candidates come with relatively clear goals and well-defined affinities, through such a conversation with a counselor, candidates themselves gain a clearer understanding of what they truly want or their aspirations become clearer. Our counselors can then suggest a career path and roughly propose study programs and/or countries for further education.
Once both the candidate and the counselor have a clearer understanding of the candidate’s wishes, the counselor suggests which countries to search in and begins the program search process. Based on the conversation and initial information, the counselor compiles a broader list of suggested programs and universities. In this first phase, the counselor creates a roadmap of activities to provide structure throughout the entire process.
In later phases, this roadmap may be revised if necessary. Some candidates reach out earlier, near the end of the first year of high school, and in such cases, the counselor provides valuable advice and strategies on how to prepare and strengthen themselves long-term to be ready in time and enroll in the desired program/faculty.
The next step is delivering a broader proposal of programs to the candidate, after which the candidate reviews the proposals, researches them, and reflects on them. This step is extremely important for most students, as it helps them further clarify their goals and gain a clearer vision of their future, while enthusiasm for the entire process significantly increases at this stage.
Since it is necessary to make a wise decision regarding the final number and selection of programs/universities—depending on the competitiveness of the universities the candidate is applying to—it is important to choose programs, universities, and countries that match both the candidate’s abilities and wishes, while ensuring that the programs are neither too uncompetitive nor overly competitive for the candidate. This is followed by a discussion with the counselor regarding key information about the programs, after which they jointly arrive at a shortlisted set of programs to apply to.
After selecting the programs, we begin preparing the application documentation required for the application, as well as preparing for standardized tests if they are required. Which standardized tests a candidate must take depends on the program and the country, i.e. the educational system in which they are applying, but in the vast majority of cases (unless the candidate’s current education is conducted in English), at least certificates/proof of proficiency in the language in which the program is taught are required (for English, these are most commonly IELTS, TOEFL and DUOLINGO).
Our counselors assist in preparing the required application documentation and provide clear instructions to clients regarding the collection of required documents. In addition to translation and obtaining documents such as transcripts, lists of subjects, grade average calculations, and similar materials, this process also includes drafting CVs, letters of recommendation, motivation letters (Personal Statement/Statement of Purpose and Supplemental Essays), and answers to questions in the application form. At this stage, it is extremely important to establish an individualized strategy and align the content of all parts of the application documentation so that they are meaningful, precise, and, above all, present the candidate in the best possible light.
It goes without saying that all documents included in the application must be of the highest possible quality the candidate can ensure: substantively precise and accurate, structurally sound, and free of mistakes and typos. As we have already written in previous blog posts, a large number of universities, especially in the United States, use a holistic evaluation of candidates, meaning a comprehensive assessment of the prospective student. In the holistic admissions approach, even greater emphasis is placed on the content and quality of every piece of information collected about the candidate.
That means that their extracurricular activities, achievements, interests and hobbies, international experiences (e.g. summer camps), project collaborations, motivation letter, every submitted essay, and every interview are carefully analyzed during the evaluation. Therefore, in order to prepare application documentation from which the candidate will benefit most, the collaboration between the candidate and the counselor must be close, transparent, and high-quality, which makes this part of the process very intense, but also beautiful and fulfilling. Motivation letters are carefully thought through, often go through many versions, and it takes time to find the best way to present the candidate in the best possible light while creating a coherent picture with the rest of the application documentation. The candidate’s family is often involved in this stage, and friendships often emerge through the application process, something we are particularly proud of.
Once the preparation and collection of documentation are complete, we are ready for the submission of the application. At this stage, the application form is completed in detail and thoroughly, documents are uploaded and, finally, the application is submitted. Applications are sometimes submitted directly through university websites and sometimes through separate platforms, such as the Common App for U.S. universities, CAO in Ireland, and similar systems. However, our work usually does not end there.
Candidates and counselors may still face further selection processes and interview rounds, or something else entirely. Our counselors therefore prepare candidates for interviews in order to boost their confidence, develop their communication and presentation skills, and lay the foundations for future success in interviews, whether for work or further study. As for selection processes, they are very diverse and sometimes allow for greater involvement from the counselor, while at other times they mainly involve providing support during that stage. In any case, our counselors remain a continuous source of support to their candidates throughout this phase.
After the interview and/or selection phase, all that remains is to wait for the application results, along with the possible submission of new or additional documentation if it becomes available (e.g. more recent test results or new transcripts). Although this phase is calmer and requires less engagement, the candidate and the counselor/mentor remain in contact. We are delighted that our clients unanimously testify that, with their counselor, they do not feel like a number, but like a real person, and that they see and know how much their success means to our team. The counselor gives clients strength, provides support, and offers expert guidance, thereby significantly easing the burden on the candidate and helping them feel calmer.
Application periods are stressful, especially when we take into account that final-year students are often also dealing with intensified graduation-exam preparation, driving school, and the ever-present obligations of school. We cannot emphasize enough how important it is to begin this long and often exhausting process in good time so that you give yourself the opportunity to prepare in the highest-quality way possible. That is precisely why it is so valuable to have someone you trust, someone who guides you, and someone you can always turn to during this crucial and demanding period.
Free informational consultations at Arte are an opportunity to discuss your wishes and possibilities with us and for us to explain what kind of service we can provide for you. On this occasion, feel free to express your wishes and dreams, and we will design the steps that will help you reach your goal.
