College Guide

Who are you? ¶ Kenyans who studied in the US for our undergraduate degrees. See /about for more info, and /feedback for how to get in touch. Do you provide scholarships? ¶ No, we only avail information on how to apply to universities that provide scholarships. See /college-guide/15-financial-aid-applications . When do I start? ¶ By the time you receive your KCSE results, you should have read /college-guide/01-timeline-of-the-application-process/ ....

The following are steps and the general timelines in the application process. We’ll address these steps in more detail later on. In Kenya, a college is different from a university. In the US, “college” corresponds to “university” in Kenyan terms. This website uses “college” and “university” interchangeably. This page will have sample dates for the timeline. We’ll assume that you sat for your KCSE in Dec 2022, and are looking to join a US university in Sept 2024....

Leaving friends and family for study in a foreign country seems daunting. Yet, deciding to cross the Atlantic to study in the US might be one of the best decisions you can make in your life. Nothing comes easy, and the road to studying in the most elite of colleges demands sacrifice and commitment. Here’s why you should consider studying in the US: Career Opportunities ¶ There is ample support, typically through a staffed and dedicated careers office, to help you land internships and jobs....

The major difference between university admissions in Kenya and those in the US is the number of factors considered for admission. For Kenyan universities, your grade in the KCSE national exam determines which university and course you’ll be admitted to. In contrast, American universities consider academic and non-academic factors when deciding who to admit. The list of factors is compiled from the Common Data Set (CDS), a document filled by universities to be used by publishers....

Motivation ¶ Completing the college applications will require a lot of self-reflection. For example, Harvard asked these questions to its applicants for the class of 2027: Harvard has long recognized the importance of enrolling a diverse student body. How will the life experiences that shape who you are today enable you to contribute to Harvard? (max 200 words) Briefly describe an intellectual experience that was important to you....

Your college application will be assessed on various non-academic factors , e.g., character/personal qualities, personal essay, extracurricular activities, volunteer work, work experience, etc. It is crucial to learn how to provide relevant information succinctly. The STAR Method ¶ S.T.A.R. is a useful acronym for effectively describing particular behaviors or skills. ↩ Situation (20%) ¶ Explain the situation so that the reader understands the context of the upcoming example....

As much as we’re guiding you on how to apply to US universities, we’ll also offer suggestions on what you can be doing with your free time (assuming you’ve just done your KCSE). There’s more to life than watching an entire series per day! Go to driving school and get your license. Ask your parents/ neighbors/ peers to recommend good driving schools in your area. Learn a foreign language....

The COVID-19 pandemic made it hard to take the standardized tests. As a result, some schools have (temporarily) waived standardized testing requirements. To get the latest information, look up the school’s admissions website. For example, searching the web for “princeton undergraduate admissions requirements” leads me to https://admission.princeton.edu/how-apply/application-checklist , which says that Princeton University will not require submission of standardized testing (SAT or ACT) for students who wish to join the school in September 2022....

College Confidential ¶ College Confidential is a blog/forum that focuses mainly on the application process. It is populated by US high school students, some college students and parents. Some parts of the blog are not helpful to your application. Don’t read through 1,000 posts of admission decisions & discussions searching for that formula. In the same vein, avoid threads in which an anxious high school posts his/her stats (all the countries they’ve been a President of, the number of times they’ve cured aging, the 2-day community service trip that showed them the meaning of life, while still having an 8....

List of Schools ¶ This list is available on Google Sheets . This is not a complete list. If you know of an American university that has scholarships available for international undergraduate students, we’ll gladly appreciate the tip. Either comment on the Google Sheet, or use the feedback form . Thanks! Terms ¶ If a school has 10,000 applicants, and accepts 1,000 of them, then its acceptance rate is (1,000 / 10,000) * 100% = 10%....

There are more than 2,000 4-year institutions in the US, but you’ll only apply to about 8 of them. This section highlights some key things to look for when researching a given school. Financial Aid (Scholarship) ¶ There’s no point in attending an unaffordable school – your visa won’t even get approved if you can’t afford your education. Note that it’s impossible to work on campus to pay for your degree (You’ll earn approximately $3,000 per year, while the fees range at +$65,000)....

College access programs are non-profit organizations that guide students in their college applications, e.g., test preparation, essay guidance, college choices, etc. These programs are free to students; their funds come from donations and grants. These programs do not provide scholarships. Instead, they help students craft stellar applications to top universities. These universities are the ones that grant scholarships. See 15. Financial Aid Applications for more information about scholarships....

Transcript and School Report ¶ The transcript should contain all of your term grades since form 1, and your GPA on the 4.0 scale, e.g., sample transcript : Please note that the transcript should be prepared on a school letterhead, bear the official school stamp and signed by an authority (usually the School Principal, but check your high school’s policy). You’ll also need a School Counselor to fill in your school profile....

There are four types of college applications that you can send: Early applications (EA, SCEA & ED) are usually due by November 1st, and you get the results in mid-December. Regular Decision applications are due by January 1st, and you’ll get the results in late March/ early April. Early applications indicate that you’re really interested in joining a certain school. However, there is a difference in the level of commitment:...

Unlike Kenyan universities which admit solely based on KCSE scores, US colleges require personal essays that show the applicant’s personality. The calibre of colleges that you’re applying to will NOT smother your feet with kisses for having a 4.0 GPA and perfect scores! So give yourself enough time to craft memorable essays. You will find these essay prompts on your Common App. The essays range from short answers (less than 150 words), to medium-sized ones (300 words) and finally, long ones (650 words)....

Application for Financial Aid (scholarships) is yet another crucial part of your college application. US universities are pretty expensive compared to Kenyan universities. With annual costs exceeding $65,000, Financial Aid comes in handy. US universities have endowments from which they can sponsor students. However, only some of the colleges (see the list we provided earlier) avail these funds to international students. Even so, the amount of aid they can offer depends on how rich the university is, for instance, some schools offer a no-loan package for internationals, while other schools may include loans in the Financial Aid Award....

It’s December. Your early application results are in! ¶ The school will have sent you an email with a link to the decisions portal. The school can tell you one of four things: Accepted, Waitlisted, Deferred, or Rejected. Scenario 1: Accepted! ¶ Check the financial aid offer. If the package is affordable, you’re all set! If you had applied EA or SCEA, you can still apply to more schools in the RD round – who knows, you may be as desirable as a ripe avocado!...

If there’s a document that you’ll hold dear to your heart, it’s your I-20 Form . Once you’ve committed to your university, the Admissions Office/ International Students Office will send you the I-20. Ensure that you provide a reliable delivery address to avoid any inconvenience. The I-20 is proof that you’ve been admitted to the university, so scan it to ensure that you have a digital copy as well....

Booking Flights ¶ Booking flights can be quite hectic if you don’t know where to start. However, there are many agencies that can help you book your flights very convenient. If you know someone who has gone abroad before, it may be wise to ask them how they booked their flights. The following are some of the different ways you can book your flights: Flight-Booking Apps: You can find numerous suggestions for the apps you can use, these should not be limited....

This Reddit post discusses some tips for incoming freshmen. I’ll highlight some of the pro-tips right here and add some of my own: Wear your lanyard throughout the first two weeks. You will look back to that moment and smile. Go to class. Repeat after me: go to class. If you’re not a morning person, avoid registering for 8:30am classes. Study for the midterms!...