Top Tips for a Successful US University Application

Boy, oh boy, getting into them USA universities, it ain’t no walk in the park. These young folks today, they got it tough. Back in my day, we just worked the land. But these kids, they all want to go to those fancy schools.

Gettin’ into them colleges

They say you gotta pick a few, like six or eight, I heard. Some easy ones, some hard ones. Like pickin’ the best apples from the tree, you want the good ones but also some you know you can get. They call these places “safety” and “target”. Sounds like some kinda army game to me.

And these schools, they got all sorts of names. This one, “UCLA”, everyone and their grandma wants to go there. But not everyone gets in, no sir. It’s like tryin’ to get the last piece of pie at the church social, everyone wants it, but only a few get it. They say only 12 out of 100 get in. Imagine that!

What you need, I reckon

They got these fancy people, “admissions officers”, they call ’em. They’re the ones who decide who gets in and who don’t. It’s like the judges at the county fair, decidin’ which pig is the fattest. They look at all your papers, your grades, and all that.

• You gotta have good grades, like a good harvest.
• You gotta write some stuff, like tellin’ your story.
• You might need some letters, folks sayin’ you’re a good egg.

It’s a lot of work, I tell ya. More work than churnin’ butter on a hot summer day. And these international students, they come from all over, like birds flyin’ south for the winter. They gotta do all this too, and maybe even more.

Some schools let everyone in

Now, some of these schools, they say they let everyone in. “Open admission”, they call it. Like an open gate, anyone can walk through. There’s this one, “College of Staten Island CUNY”, and another one, “University of Maryland Global”. Sounds mighty fancy, don’t it?

Then there’s this other one, “University of Mississippi”, they say almost everyone gets in there, like 98 out of 100. And a good chunk of ’em finish up too, about 68 out of 100. That’s like most of your seeds growin’ into plants. Not bad, not bad at all.

It’s a tough row to hoe

But I tell ya, these kids today, they got a tough row to hoe. Getting into these USA universities is harder than gettin’ a stubborn mule to move. You gotta be smart, you gotta work hard, and you gotta have a little bit of luck, like findin’ a four-leaf clover in a field.

And it ain’t cheap either. No sir, it costs more than a new tractor, I reckon. These higher education places, they charge a lot of money. Like buyin’ a whole herd of cattle, it’s a big investment.

Advice from an old timer

My advice? Well, I ain’t no expert, but I’d say, do your best, work hard, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Like plantin’ a garden, you gotta tend to it every day, water it, weed it, and hope for the best.

And don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Apply to a few different places, like plantin’ different kinds of seeds. You never know which one will sprout.

These Times Higher Education folks, they make a list of all these schools. They say there are over 250 of them in the USA. That’s a lot of schools, more than there are towns in our county.

Remember your roots

And remember where you came from. Your roots are important, like the roots of a strong oak tree. Don’t forget the folks who helped you along the way. Your family, your teachers, your friends. They’re like the sun and the rain, helpin’ you grow.

This Ivy Institute, that’s another one of them fancy schools. They probably got all sorts of smart folks there, studyin’ all day and night. More power to ’em, I say. But me, I’m happy with my simple life.

So, there you have it. That’s all I know about these USA universities and gettin’ into ’em. It’s a big deal, a real big deal. But just remember, no matter what, you’re special. Like a prize-winnin’ pumpkin at the state fair, you got something special inside ya. So go on out there and show the world what you’re made of. And if you don’t get into one of them fancy colleges, well that’s okay too. There’s more to life than book learnin’. There’s hard work, there’s family, and there’s a whole lot of livin’ to do. So go on and live it.