How does Blue Ocean guarantee
application success?
What is the secret to getting in to prestigious institutions?
Simply put, you need a SEA to get in.
S - Stories
E - Extracurriculars
A - Academics
(after thorough research, decades of trial and testing, public and confidential university data through admission officers and Ex-IVY's employed at Blue Ocean.)
Stories
Stories are your honest narrative.
How do universities hear your stories?
Essays - a crucial part of the application process where students showcase their individuality, experiences, and aspirations to admissions committees
SOP (Statement of Purpose) - where students articulate their academic and career goals, motivations for pursuing a specific program, and how their background and experiences make them a suitable candidate
How to evolve your stories?
Basic Rules to make admission officers love your stories
Genuineness - As a storyteller, it is your job to make sure the story is told as is.
(Admission officers thousands of applications a month, they can easily sniff out the dubious stories)
Insightful - Demonstrating a deep understanding of your field, interests, and the implications of your work through relevant experiences and reflections.
(This makes it more likely for admission officers to retain information from your application and make your application stand out more)
Insightful - Ensuring accuracy, conciseness, and clarity in communication within the limited space of your stories.
(You only get a limited amount of words to make sure you hit the bullseye of college admission. Every letter, every sentence and every paragraph counts. A dreary sentence can make the admission officer reluctant and a insightful phrase with precise delivery can make them more confident in your ability.)
What should your stories aim for?
Before putting your narrative forward, you need to know your audience. In our case, admission officers will be our audience. They have gone through heaps of essays and SOP's and on average your essays are reviewed for 5-10 mins. Your narrative needs to occupy space in the admission officers' minds. Remember that only unique well crafted, straightforward applications get the green light from universities.
Academics
Academics encompass all your academic history
(academic scores, standardized testing and language proficiency)
Why are academics important for your application?
To illustrate this, imagine two students, Rahul and Mayur. Suppose both of them have more or less the same stories and extracurriculars, who would the college pick? The only remaining attribute both exhibit are their academics, even the smallest percent change can nudge the colleges to pick one over the other. Thus, acing your academics is crucial.
Extracurriculars
Stories
Academics
Admission
Did you know?
Early application / Early decision increases your chances of admissions
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Universities have higher acceptance rates for early decision applicants compared to regular decision.
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You will receive your admission decision much earlier, often by mid-December
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Applying early shows the university that they are your top choice, which can give you an admissions boost.
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Allows more time to prepare for university.
Rahul
Mayur
How are academics assessed?
There are 3 academic components that are taken into consideration
Academic History - Your previous grades from schooling until the time of application related to your subject matter.
Standardized Testing - (SAT/ACT/GMAT/GRE...) Since academic history is not centrally assessed, standardized testing puts your abilities at a benchmark relative to other applicants.
Language Proficiency - (IELTS / TOEFL..) Used to assess if you will be able to survive in the academic climate if the language used to teach is not you native language
Extracurriculars
Activities outside the academic curriculum, such as sports, clubs, volunteer work, internships, and hobbies, that demonstrate a student's skills, interests, and character.
Why are extracurriculars important?
Colleges prefer to see activities where students have shown commitment, leadership and growth in a few activities. This indicates a clear vision and direction towards the subject you plan to study.
How do I pick my extracurriculars?
Picking what extracurriculars you pursue is a crucial decision best understood by the ocean analogy.
What is the greatest ocean? The land it stretches over could be impressive but the true indicator of how impressive an ocean lies in how deep it is. Your extracurriculars need to demonstrate how deep your understanding and work in a specific area or activity is.