Overseas university application deadlines are less than four months away. Matrics wanting to study overseas, often only start thinking about their applications towards the end of their final school year. With universities like Harvard setting record-low acceptance rates in 2022, Grade 12’s have no time to delay on getting started with their applications.
“When it comes to applying to study abroad, especially to competitive universities, you should ideally give your application at least an 18-month lead time. Matrics who are only getting started now can still apply but they haven’t left much room for error,” says Rebecca Pretorius, Country Manager at Crimson Education, who specialise in assisting local students with the process of applying to the world’s top-ranked universities.
In addition to a tight timeline, local students need to consider the competitiveness of international universities and applicants. Around the world, application numbers are on the rise, while admissions rates are dropping every year. At Harvard, a record number of applicants applied for spots in the class of 2026, while the acceptance rate fell to 3.19% – the lowest since it was founded in 1636.
To unpack international admissions for local matric students, Crimson Education hosted a free online event earlier this month – with the aim of helping matrics on their application journey. As part of the event, they covered application deadlines, strategies for essay writing, preparing for standardised tests, and university and course selection. The event also outlined some of the most common mistakes made by local students when it comes to applying abroad.
“Students generally apply to too few schools, or to the wrong schools for their profile. Many top, competitive schools are missed, because students and families don’t have the insight that domestic students do into the university landscape, the choices available to them, or even the how they stack up against other applicants in the areas that count – including extracurriculars, subject choice, standardised test scores and more,” says Pretorius.
Getting help with the basics is the best place to start when it comes to getting started this late in the year; “The application process to overseas universities is complex and time-consuming. While you can ask a friend, parent or teacher to check your personal statement, for example, they likely won’t know how to evaluate your work to the standard of admissions officers at these top institutions. This is even more true for more nuanced parts of the admission process, such as declaring a major or applying for financial aid,” says Pretorius.
“To give yourself the best chance of getting into your dream university, make sure you give yourself enough time and get the right support. Realistically, you only get one shot, so do it right the first time around,” says Pretorius.
Through a team mentorship model, Crimson connects learners with admission strategists and tutors to assist with the application process for top-ranked universities in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Europe, and Australia and New Zealand. The global company offers a range of application year programmes, designed to address specific aspects within the process of applying abroad. Crimson also offers regular information evenings and weekly SAT workshops around the country. For more information, visit www.crimsoneducation.org/za.
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