University Visits at BIS

“A number of universities have visited our school in the first working week and, as a 11th grader, I found it very helpful as it was an eye-opening experience for me and my peers. At first I only made my decision based on what I saw on college websites. However, when I had the opportunity to converse with several university representatives it was a completely different ball game altogether. There are so many aspects to this process that become more apparent with a face-to-face conversation. Moreover, with the ability of asking certain detailed questions I could see which programs were most compatible with me; this, I’m sure, will definitely make the prospect of further studies much more appealing. I also had the chance of learning about some very interesting universities in regions that I wasn’t considering before such as IE University and the University of Guelph.

Overall it was a great experience that broadened my horizons and I would love to experience another university visit soon.”

• Yusuf, G 11

“In my opinion, the University visits were an incredibly helpful tool for making me ponder about what I want and find more about what universities expect from applicants. Meeting the representatives face-to-face gave me a chance to ask questions that I wouldn't have found just through online research. I was able to ask them questions tailored towards my interests, rather than wading through very broad and general FAQs.

I was also able to ask questions about things like scholarships, which made me understand how hard I had to work through the next two years. I also appreciated the fact that I could see universities from locations I hadn't considered before, such as the University of Glasgow in Scotland or St. George University in the West Indies. In general, each University fair truly opened up my options and gave me a lot to think about.”

• Shoshanna, G 11

We had a wide variety of institutions from various parts of the US visit the BIS campus on the 3^rd & 4^th of September. This visit drew a massive response from the students and it was great to see students engaging with university representatives and being informed of the nuances of the application process.

September 3, 2019:

1. Bryant University
2. Emerson College
3. North Carolina State University
4. Portland State University
5. Roger Williams University
6. Savannah College of Art and Design
7. Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
8. Stony Brook University - The State University of New York
9. The Culinary Institute of America
10. The University of Illinois at Chicago
11. University of California, Santa Cruz
12. University of Connecticut
13. University of Georgia
14. The University of Iowa
15. Miami University
16. Drake University
17. Merrimack College
18. University of California, San Diego

September 4, 2019:

1. American University - USA
2. California State University Chico - USA
3. Duke Kunshan University - China
4. Embry Riddle Aeronautical University - USA
5. Hult International Business School - USA & UK
6. Kansas State University - USA
7. San Francisco State University - USA
8. Temple University - USA
9. Temple University - Japan Campus
10. University of the Incarnate Word - USA
11. University of Kansas - USA
12. University of West Georgia – USA
13. Westminster College - USA

"My experience of the US university fair was a beautiful one. Being able to personally engage with representatives provided me with a very comprehensive understanding of what each university had to offer as well as what they expected. I received so much more information than I did from my google search the previous night. Intangibles like how life on campus felt as a student and what the university’s culture was like became evident in my conversations with University reps. Having a clear understanding of what I had to do helped ease some of the stress associated with the looming college application process. I also learnt about scholarships, internship opportunities, accommodation and course options. Being the know-it-all 16 year old, I was surprised to learn as much as I did from this fair. The US university fair did a great job helping me shed some misconceptions and widened my perspectives; I cannot wait for the next fair the school conducts".

• Sneha Yogaraj - 11 IB

"I found the US university fair to be an extremely enriching experience. It provided me with a different perspective about selecting a suitable university. I was able to get immediately personalized responses and I was able to develop a more concrete understanding of particular universities. Moreover, I was really able to understand what admissions officers were looking for and how to better equip myself for the universities that I am interested in. Another thing that I learnt, particularly from this fair, was all the other factors besides reputation that a student needs to consider before selecting a final university. These include cost of education, safety, climate, Visa applications, flexibility of courses, international professors and students, employability ratio, cost of living and accommodation. The majority of the universities provided big scholarships and I can’t even begin to tell you the satisfaction of partially funding one’s studies. The university that I found most intriguing was the Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. As most of the universities that I have encountered before provide multiple disciplines such as business, engineering and even arts, it was fascinating to see a university that solely specialized in aviation. This suggests that most of the students who apply come with almost identical interests and it was different to what I have seen in the past. In conclusion, I thoroughly enjoyed my experience and hope to experience many more university fairs in the future".

• Sishir - 11IB

BIS hosted a few more universities in the month of September. Apart from information sessions about the academic scope presented by university representatives, these visits provide opportunities to learn more about things like campus life, internships, scholarship provisions and the ethos of schools that students are getting to know about.

September 9, 2019:

1. EcoleHoteliere de Lousanne Switzerland;

2. Jacobs University Bremen, Germany

3. IE University, Spain

Study in Europe:

“Students from grades 11 and 12 attended the university visit. There were some interesting perspectives shared in the presentations. For example, two representatives (IE and Jacobs) were actual alumni of the universities they were representing and shared their experiences not only of the universities, but the countries that their campuses were located in. This allowed for us to gain insights into the local context and definitely helped us make decisions about whether we’d like to study there.

In my opinion, IE University outperformed the other universities as they brought an alumna from not only IE but also BIS! That personal connect and testimony really helped us envision life at IE in a more relatable manner.“

- Indraneal Medhi (Gr. 11 IB)

Conversations on European institutions continued during the week with BIS hosting two prestigious universities; the historically renowned Trinity College Dublin, Ireland and the college whose alumni include famous world leaders – Sciences Po, France.

Indian University Fair:

For the very first time,BIS was proud to host a large contingent of Indian universities. With some of the most prestigious universities represented, our students were able to get a good idea of the opportunities that exist within a more regional context.

September 18, 2019

1. Ahmedabad university

2. Ashoka University, Haryana

3. Atria University, Bangalore

4. AzimPremji University, Bangalore

5 Bennett University, Greater Noida

6. Flame university, Pune

7. Indian School of Business and Finance, New Delhi

8. Krea University, Andhra Pradesh

9. Manipal Academy of Higher Education

10. O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat, Haryana

11. Shiv Nadar University, Greater Noida

“On the 18th of September, 2019, representatives from many reputed Indian universities paid a visit to the Bangalore International School campus to tell us a bit about their universities, their courses, and their admission process. The fair started in the AV room, where older universities like Manipal and University of Ahmedabad introduced themselves, and newer, more recent universities too, like Ashoka and Krea, expounded on the scope and character of their institutions.

It was great to have these representatives available to answer questions from both students, and their anxious parents, about admission protocol, courses offered, and numerous other trivia that is best discussed face-to-face.

On the whole, I noticed that most of the universities that attended the BISIndian University fair, looked for a more holistic student profile. Whether it was a commerce focused university like the Indian School for Business and Finance, or a more science focused university like Manipal, they found common ground over the kind of students they wanted; multifaceted, and culturally rooted, like the core values of BIS aim to be”.

- Ethan Simon (11 AS)