COUNSELING AND TEST PREPARATION

CTP Interview

1/13/2016

Columbia University is a rigorous private research university in New York City. Its location gives its students access to various industries, from fashion to business to medicine as well as a colorful and vibrant background to their studies. Columbia has three undergraduate schools, the Columbia College, the Fu School for Engineering and the Applied Sciences, and the School of General Studies and an affiliation with Barnard College. The university is known for its Core Curriculum which is a set of course requirements focused on western civilization.

An Interview with Lemlem Abreha Baraki:
Columbia University

Where did you grow up? Do you speak Amharic?
While I was born in Khartoum, Sudan, I grew up mainly in Rochester, New York, which is where I currently live. And I don't speak Amharic, but I'm working on it. My parents mostly speak Tigrinya though, so I understand that a bit more.

What is the Ethiopian community like in the US?
It's great! I didn't expect to find a large community of Ethiopians when I went to college, but was happily surprised. The first revelation was that Columbia has an Ethiopian-Eritrean Students Association (with both international and non-international members), and the second was that there are two ethiopian restaurants within walking distance of my dorm. So you can always eat injera when you need it, but probably not as often as you're used to.

What kind of food are served at the cafeterias?
There are four main cafeterias on my campus that generally serve the same variety of things. They have a salad bar, sushi bar, a pasta station, a bagel/toast section, a kosher station, and one station that changes from day to day (burgers & fries/grilled cheese/taco salad etc). And one of them, JJ's place, mostly serves diner foods. So mainly hamburgers, fries, various sandwiches, omelettes and pancakes.
However, there are many more smaller cafes (such as Butler cafe in the library) to eat at when you're on the go and have money to spend. Or just want something small to eat like granola bars or coffee.

What are classes like?
Classes in college are not too different from high school. As in sometimes you have great professors who know what they're doing and care about their students, and then sometimes you don't. The nice thing about college though is you always have office hours (meaning a scheduled time when you can freely talk to your teacher one-on-one) and you should definitely take advantage of that. It's the best time to ask questions about grades and homework and they're guaranteed to answer them. Classrooms can range from a size of 20 students(usually discussions courses) to 200 students in a lecture hall (usually commonly taken courses like Chemistry or Economics). For the most part, I've mainly had middle aged professors (40-50s), and a couple grad professors. Both are generally pretty good. Deadlines for all classes are usually very strict and must be held unless you've spoken to them ahead of time with good reasoning (writing courses are the most generous with deadlines).

What is the dorm life like in Columbia?
My dorm experience so far has been pretty good! Some people choose to have a single, but for my first year I preferred to have a roommate. Freshmen year I lived in one of the nicest freshman dorms with a roommate and had a great time. The dorm and bathrooms were clean, and my roommate/floor mates were genuinely nice. While this may not always be the case, most of the dorms at Columbia are fairly clean. There are 5 main dorms where freshmen can live and around 22 dorms all together.
When it came to studying, I generally preferred studying in the library because it was less likely for me to get distracted and other people working motivates me. Plus some libraries are open 24 hours, which is convenient when you don't want to disturb your roommate.

How did you find your favorite library?
On you'll love this. Columbia has 22 libraries. I have yet to visit them all but currently my favorite has to be between Lehman library and the Mathematics & Science library. Lehman is great when you want to study in a group and the Mathematics & Science library is really good when you're doing something that requires complete silence, like writing an essay. I found Lehman one day when I'd agreed to be part of a study group for Statistics, and we used a classroom with a round table and chalkboard to study. And then I found the Mathematics & Science library one day when I was walking to class and decided to cut through the library, only to find it completely silent. All I could hear was the clicking of computer keys. It was a nice surprise.

How do you enter the buildings? Your room? What is the security like? Do you walk around campus in the evening? Is it safe?
While some schools may vary, dorm buildings/rooms/libraries/cafeterias are entered by having security swipe your student ID. Other buildings used for class do not require an ID, instead you just walk through the doors. The security on campus overall is very good, as we have security in the buildings and patrolling campus. And if they're not in sight, Campus Security is always a phone call away (the number is usually given to you at orientation). Also, I've found the campus security guards to be some of the friendliest people on campus, as some of them take the time to learn your names and ask how your day is going. In the past, I've walked around campus in the evening and I've generally always felt safe. Usually, if you're out at night, there are bound to be other students out and about as well.

What makes college “the best four years of your life”?
Hahaha this is a fun one. Well, the great thing about college is you're totally immersed in a new environment. It's your time to be independent, make your own decisions, make new friends, and explore your interests. Ultimately, it's four years of great discoveries about yourselves, building lasting relationships with people you'd never have imagined meeting, and becoming an adult.
You learn a ton about yourself and your real limits: how you work best, how many all nighters you can do, how to manage your time, what you really love.
You learn how to deal with all the stuff you hate quickly and efficiently. And how to make time for what you love.
You work with and are around brilliant people who love what they do.
You learn how to learn and think critically.
Everything else afterwards is much easier and often less work.

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CTP Interview

1/1/2016

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University of Maryland (UMD) is a public university located in Maryland, close to Washington D.C. With over 20,000 undergraduate students, the school offers many different degrees, adding up to a total of 127 undergraduate degrees. At UMD, sports is important to the school's culture; there are over 20 athletic sports teams, men's basketball being one of the most popular. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Maryland,_College_Park#Student_life)

An Interview with Bethel Arada

A little background. Where were you born and raised?
I was born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Why did you decide to attend this institution ?
Apart from the fact that this institution was among the best options I had for the major I initially decided to pursue, the institution is in very close proximity to my family members here in the US. My parents believed this was an extremely important attribute and they were right.

When you came here two/three months ago, what did you expect you'd have to do to form an environment that makes you feel at home, or at least comfortable?
Of course this place will never be like the homes we know back in our blessed country of Ethiopia. But for as long as we live here, we will have to feel comfortable and at home so one of the things I did to achieve that was to bring one of my greatest assets from my home, my books. Having my most loved books on the shelf is one thing that makes this place homelike for me. I also brought a lot of sentimental stuff although I left my most important ones at home. The other important thing is to create a little bit of mess. A place too orderly doesn’t feel like home to me. So, although not to an extent that would bother my dorm mate, I let my room not be too orderly. Setting up Viber is of course extremely important.

But above all, I believe that our eternal home is not any physical place but God himself. So I knew that for as long as I have his presence, I will be at home. So please bring along your bible and a heart ready to rely on God (cause trust me, you will need it). And communication with family through technology is good… but I also feel like what really unifies me and family is our unity through prayer. All in all, whatever sense of home I have in this place at the end of the day originates from the fact that I believe my home is God himself.

Looking back, what part of your expectations were met, and what were you surprised to find out you had to do?

I expected shock, sadness, loneliness and other crazy emotions, I got them all. My expectations were met VERY well. One thing that I did not expect but happened is my high school friends still remaining to be a very important part of my life (yeah, partly cause I am anti-social and don’t have very many friends here but also because I realized that they actually are among the best group of friends I might ever have). I have to say we have witnessed each other evolve into the people we are growing to be.
Another thing, liberal arts education is good but don’t fall too much for it. You still have to be prepared about what you want to do with your life. Although more flexible, the system is not entirely free.

How do you think your school's attributes, such as it's urban/rural quality, it's total size, it's curriculum requirements… etc have affected your comfort zone?
The fact that my school is extremely big (about 35000 students) has really helped in not pressuring me to socialize under pressured environments which I am really grateful for. I will socialize at my own (very slow) pace and no pressure is exerted. But it could also be kinda falsely comforting as you might end up not having many “friends” (or whatever you call those acquaintances you have in college) at the end of the semester (first hand experience.).

Anything else you want high school seniors choosing colleges to know about finding comfort in college, or about your college?
Know about your school in advance. Know there will be challenges like you have NEVER experienced before, so you could know tough things coming your way and not be overwhelmed. Stick with your family, you will realize that they are most probably the best human beings you will ever have contact with. Plan stuff (but you guys already know that right?Although this time you will have to plan better and actually follow what you plan). Stick with God, he is your ultimate rock.
Final words, come prepared guys. The summer before college when I was feeling all ambitious and all I read a few “How to survive college” articles and stuff and of all the (often important) advices I got there is one that was perhaps the best… it says “be prepared to feel completely unprepared”. This is very true of college. You will find that you are NOT prepared for anything. I think the greatest thing about college that I have seen so far in my experience and my friends’ is that you will revise your values in college… it REALLY puts life to perspective. The process is not comfortable and is very rough. But I think it is VERY worth it. Above all, stick with God.

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CTP Interview

12/29/2015

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Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL) is a university of seven undergraduate and graduate colleges in St. Louis, Missouri. With a 13. 7% acceptance rate for the class of 2013, WUSTL is regarded as one of the most competitive universities in the nation and has produced over 2o Nobel Laureates. The university is also home to 11 Greek Chapters and is 12 Accapella groups. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_University_in_St._Louis#Campus_life)

An Interview with Yeshoda Karuturi

Yeshoda, Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experiences with the CTP students. Where were you born and raised?
Hi! I am very excited to be sharing my experiences studying in Hong Kong with CTP students :) I was born and raised in India for 16 years, but I lived in Addis Ababa for two years, and now I’m studying in the U.S.

When did you live in Addis?
I lived in Addis from 2008-2010, during my freshman and sophomore years of high school. I moved there because of my parents’ work and absolutely loved Addis! What I enjoyed the most was meeting people with such diverse and interesting experiences. This was my first time living in another country and I loved learning about the Ethiopian culture. And Addis is such a diverse city that I don’t think I’ve met as many people from so many different backgrounds and cultures anywhere else.

Where do you attend college?
I attend college at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
The reason I chose to study in the US as an international student is not just the strength of the program here, but also the diversity that is available. This is diversity in the form of culture, thoughts and backgrounds. This is what I love the most about studying away from home, because everyday I get to meet people that are similar to me in a few ways, but also very different so I’m always learning new things. This was amplified when I went to Hong Kong. My university had 500 students in our grade that came for the study abroad programs and then about a 1000 students who were local and it was very interesting to compare and contrast all our different experiences from across the world. I became close friends with people from Italy, France, Korea, Japan and so many other amazing places!

What does it mean to “study abroad”?
A lot of universities have programs where you can opt to study in a different country for a certain amount of time. This usually varies from a summer program to a semester program to even a year abroad. Students get to pick which country they want to study in based on their preferences and area of study. Universities tend to have partnerships with specific universities overseas, which is where students can study.
A lot of people love taking advantage of this opportunity since you get to explore a new country while still being able to study and fulfilling your requirements. There are also programs that you can do in another languages. For instance, my friend is a Spanish major so she went to Madrid for a semester and took all her classes in Spanish! Another friend is studying Marine Biology so she went South Africa and was able to do field research as part of her program!

Where did you travel to study abroad? Do you have to know the language to live abroad?
I studied abroad in Hong Kong. I wanted to go to a place where English was prevalent so I didn’t have to learn Cantonese to go to Hong Kong. But while being there, I was able to learn a few words so I could converse better with local people. I had an amazing experience in Hong Kong! This was my first time in China and I was able to meet so many cool people and visit such great places. Hong Kong is also very well situated in Asia so I was able to travel to nearby countries such as, the Philippines, Thailand, Taiwan and Singapore. My favorite part of studying in Hong Kong was the food! Needless to say, I ate a lot of dimsum! I also tried to eat some exotic, local foods that are not easily available in other places, such as chicken feet! I didn’t like it too much, but I’m glad I got to try it!

What did you learn from studying abroad?
Studying abroad definitely taught me to be more open to new experiences and to not be afraid of unknown things. While abroad and travelling, there were many times where I had to converse with people that didn’t speak English, or was in a completely new place with no idea where to go. But I learned to relax and enjoy every experience and this is what made my time abroad so special. I tried new things that I never saw myself doing in the past, and even though I was only in Hong Kong for six months, I felt like I had grown a lot as a person.

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CTP Interview

12/11/2015

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New York University Stern School of Business (NYU Stern) is one of the world's best business schools, located in New York, New York. The school is composed of an undergraduate and graduate program. NYU Stern is known for its study abroad program that allows third years to explore international business companies. Using a holistic basis, 19.5% of the applicants for the 2012-2013 school year were accepted. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_University_Stern_School_of_Business)

An Interview with Rodas Zemui

(http://www.mbamission.com/blog/2015/06/22/new-york-university-stern-essay-analysis-2015-2016/)
Business School

1. Tell us a little bit about what factors made you decide to attend a school specifically tailored for business studies instead of a liberal arts college. If you could also explain the difference between a liberal arts school and a business school.
I’ve always known I wanted to study business. I’m not an artsy person and have never been into science or anything else so my mind was pretty much set on business school for as long as I can remember. When the time came for me to seriously start looking at potential schools, I started by researching the universities with the best undergraduate business programs and went on from there. I never considered liberal arts colleges so I don’t know enough to tell you what the difference between that and business school is.
2. What is your official major? What kind of classes have you taken so far? Which ones have fascinated you?
My official major is Finance with a minor in French. I have two sets of requirements I have to fulfill. I took my core requirements (calculus, science, writing classes…), common amongst all NYU students, my freshman year. Then, I have Stern requirements, which are not necessarily related to my major, such as Marketing, Operations, Management, Statistics and Accounting. My favorite class so far, which I’m currently taking, is called Economics of Global Business (EGB). The name practically explains what the class is about; we discuss major macroeconomic issues around the world. It’s one of those classes where you truly feel is useful even outside the classroom. When I watched the republican debate, had I not been taking that class, I would not have been able to understand most if not any of the concepts the candidates were talking about.

3. Throughout your experience at Stern, was there ever a time when you questioned whether a business major was good for you?
I never questioned whether I wanted to be a business student or not. However, during the spring semester of my sophomore year, I took my first marketing class and I was very much inclined to switch my major from finance to marketing. I spoke to a lot of family members about it and ultimately it came down to which degree would be more useful when it was time to find a job, which is undoubtedly finance. Marketing is more theoretical, whereas in finance you learn skills. It would be easier for me to work in marketing with a finance degree then to work in finance with a marketing degree, so I went with finance.

4. What sorts of internships have you had so far? How did you go about acquiring them?
I’ve only done two internships so far. The first one I got out of pure luck. My school was holding a women empowerment event and I met an executive there who offered me an internship. She was VP of Operations at Blue Flame, a marketing agency owned by P Diddy. So as you can imagine I was very exciting. I was technically supposed to be a finance intern but ended up being sort of an assistant to her and a couple other executives. My tasks included making check request forms and filing them to the finance department, doing expenses for some of the people and also doing a lot of a research. They were currently working on the unveiling of the new ad for Ciroc, which took place in Times Square, so I got a glimpse of what goes into making an ad campaign.
My second internship was over the summer of 2015 and it was at Ernst & Young (Ethiopia). I got it through a connection of my parents. I was a marketing intern with the market research group. Essentially we conducted various feasibility studies for potential investors in Ethiopian industries. My projects included the hotel, construction and high tech industry. I want to say that I learned more in those two months of summer than I ever did in any class.

5. How would you say your college’s location in New York City has helped develop your business education?
I think being at NYU has given me access to professionals that I otherwise would not have access to, specially thanks to the numerous speakers we have on a daily basis. And being in NYC in general has given me more opportunities, as I would not have gotten my first internship had I been in another school. In terms of education I personally don’t think location matters, I could have gone to any number of good schools and received a good education. However, in terms job/internship opportunities and networking I don’t think there is a better place than the financial capital of the country if not the world.

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CTP Interview

12/4/2015

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Georgetown University is a private Catholic university in Washington D.C. The university offers 5 undergraduate colleges, Georgetown College, the School of Nursing and Health Studies, the Robert Emmett McDonough School of Business, the Walsh School of Foreign Service, and the School of Continuing Studies. Due to its location and reputation, many politicians have graduated from Georgetown such as former U.S. President Bill Clinton; in fact, many of its faculty members are former politicians or social activists. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgetown_University)

An Interview with Edom Tesfa
Below is a picture of Healy Hall of Georgetown University in Washington D,C., USA.

1. What are your academic interests and why did you decide to pursue them?
I am interested in the social foundations of immigrant and refugee education–in particular, I am interested in integration, discrimination, linguistic/cultural rights, and equal access to educational opportunities. My parents are both immigrants from Ethiopia, and we struggled a lot because they did not have many people that they could rely on. Children who immigrate (or whose parents immigrated) to the U.S. face difficulties in school due to a lack of resources and support systems available for them, as well as discriminatory policies and practices. I want to do something, whether as a guidance counselor or researcher, that will improve the experiences of immigrant and refugee students in primary and secondary schools.

2. Does your school’s curriculum allow you to explore topics unrelated to your major?
Yes–and this is both good and bad. All students in the School of Foreign Service (SFS) must take four economics courses: microeconomics, macroeconomics, international trade, and international finance. This is relevant to most majors…except for mine. I think micro- and macroeconomics are useful, but I don’t care for the other two requirements. I would much rather spend that time taking social science or regional studies courses. All Georgetown students are also required to take two theology and two philosophy courses, regardless of major. The SFS core is rigorous and extensive, but because I took a lot of Advanced Placement (AP) classes in high school, a few of my requirements were waived. I have even more space in my schedule to take elective courses, but I haven’t taken any yet and am not sure what I will choose.

3. How would you rate your university’s course selection? Are there classes that you wish to see that aren’t currently offered?
Georgetown has many, many interesting courses to choose from across a wide variety of disciplines and topics. So far, I have not struggled to find a class that is at least slightly interesting. However, I wish the Education, Inquiry, and Justice (EDIJ) program were bigger and open to students in all schools, not just Georgetown College. I am allowed to take classes in the program, but I cannot earn a minor because I am in the SFS.

4. Does your university encourage undergraduate students to collaborate with professors on research? If so, how often do students take advantage of the opportunity?
Georgetown does encourage undergraduates to do research with professors, but I do not personally know that many people who take advantage of the opportunity. Since February, I have been working as a research assistant for professor Douglas Reed (Department of Government/EDIJ). We are developing a study on D.C.-area high school students who have recently immigrated to the U.S. and have limited proficiency in English. I cannot emphasize enough how much I enjoy my job. I learn so much every day, whether through conducting literature reviews or observing classrooms. It is encouraging to know that I am contributing to something that can change students’ lives. Besides, Professor Reed and I get along really well. I highly recommend working as a research assistant, even if you are not sure if you want to go to graduate school.
As its name states, the Georgetown Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (GUROP) supports undergraduates who wish to conduct independent research or work as research assistants. In 2015, I received a $4,000 grant from GUROP to continue working over the summer. The program also adds a notation onto students’ transcripts, which signals to graduate programs that GUROP participants are qualified for further study. Other universities have similar programs, so when researching universities, be sure to check out their undergraduate research programs.

5. Is the university supportive of students who work jobs or internships?
The university definitely supports students who take on internships. Since Georgetown is in D.C., a lot of students will work in the federal government or at international organizations or law firms. Our career center hosts job and internship fairs, information sessions, and workshops regularly. That being said, almost all of these opportunities are unpaid, and Georgetown does not offer many scholarships to students who cannot afford to perform free labor (such as myself).

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CTP Interview

11/30/2015

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Vassar College is a liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York. Founded in 1861, the college was an all women's college until 1969 when it became coeducational. About 2,400 students currently attend Vassar College. With an acceptance rate of 23.5%, 15.8% of the class of 2018 were international students.(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vassar_College#Admissions)

An Interview with Assefash Makonnen
Liberal Arts Education

1. When did you go to Vassar/ what degrees did you receive from there?
I was at Vassar from 2008-2012 and received a BA in Urban Studies and Africana Studies ( dual major).

2. What are the quirky/unique/fun traditions that your school has?
One of my favorite traditions is the annual Founder's Day celebration, where we celebrate the birthday of our Founder. It is during one of the last weekends of school and is a big, outdoor festival, with music, carnival rides, food, and sunshine. Each year has a theme that dictates the decoration ( one I remember well is Nickelodeon theme). Alumni return for this event, so it always feels like a huge reunion. Vassar has a lot of eccentric traditions, but Founder's Day is definitely the one I remember fondly.

3. What is the Ethiopian/Eritrean student community like?
There aren't many Ethiopian/Eritrean students. At any time during my 4 years, there were about 3 or 4 others. However, we do have a strong African Students Union, which has students from all over the continent. The organization puts on dinners, movie screenings, brings speakers, hosts game nights, and so on. The school is only 1 hour and 30 minutes on the Metro North to New York City, so you can definitely tap into the habesha community there easily ( I went home to New York often for church events, weddings, etc.)

4. Describe one of your favorite memories at school.
My favorite memories from school are all around spending one on one time with my friends outdoors, on the residential quad, or in our orchard by the lake. Vassar's campus is beautiful, full of many different trees and flowers. We even have a huge farm, that's great for long walks or runs. I remember, Founder's Day evening, sitting on the hill by the lake, watching fireworks with friends and a movie that was being screened outdoors for everyone to see. It was just beautiful.

5. How do you think going to a liberal arts school influenced the education you received? Briefly describe what a liberal arts education is.

A liberal arts education prioritizes the students' ability to learn from a wide range of methods and subjects. Liberal arts education focuses on the act of learning, developing skills for analyzing that in my opinion are more maleable and transferable than more "specialized" education practices. Particularly in this current job market, liberal arts degrees provide you with the opportunity to be the multi-faceted laborer the market looks for, able to move with the trends in market, adapt, and learn quickly.

5. What did you major/ minor in? Did you go into college undecided, with another major, or with the major you graduated with?
I double majored in Urban Studies ( with concentrations in Geography and Sociology) and Africana Studies ( with a concentration on the US). When I arrived as a freshman I was undecided, but thought I'd be doing art history or environmental studies. I decided on Urban Studies in my freshman year and added Africana Studies in my senior year.

6. Would you recommend a liberal arts school for a certain type of person, with certain interests? Who do you think would appeal to a school like Vassar?
I recommend liberal arts education for anyone, really. The liberal arts can prepare you for any job because it works on teaching you how to learn and how to analyze and this skill is super important for a job in any field. Vassar, I think, would appeal to someone who has a love for learning, who is open to trying new things, who is driven and creative about designing their future, and who works best in more intimate environments ( small classes, personal relationships with teachers and classmates). I think most people who go to Vassar deeply think of their job afterwards as something they want to be passionate about, as they are in school.

7. What is one thing you think you gained from Vassar that no other school could have offered you?
I think every school can offer you something unique depending on what you determine you need to grow in the way you imagine. For me, what I needed out of school was a community of students that I could learn with in and out of the classroom. Vassar made it easy for me to take my learning out of the classroom into casual conversations and in my work with various organizations. This helped make the theories I learned about in class more real and tangible. Vassar helped me understand the idea of manifesting my own future and what that means and takes.

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CTP Interview

11/20/2015

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Pomona College is a private liberal arts college in Claremont, California. The school has approximately 1,640 students. One of the more exclusive colleges, Pomona has a 10% acceptance rate. It has been consistently ranked as one of the best schools in the country by Forbes magazine (www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomona_College).

An Interview with Bethel Geletu
The Freshmen Experience

Ethiopian Kolo

1. A little background. Where were you born and raised?
   Born and raised in Addis Ababa (arguable according to some people)

2. Why did you decide to attend this institution?
  I've always wanted go to a small liberal arts school but the primary reason is just financial aid and the fact that they bothered to accept me.

3. When you came here two/three months ago, what did you expect you'd have to do to form an environment that makes you feel at home, or at least comfortable?
From what I had heard, I felt like I had to make really good international friends. So I went to a lot of international student events and reached out to my international student mentor. I really love kolo and it's a part of my daily routine (I can't study without it) so I brought 5 kilos with me and rationed it. It took a while to get used to American seasoning. So it helped that I has some mitmita and berbere with me. Having things from back home in general helped me (whether it was my gabi, my bible, some pictures or a mug I've had for 10 years.)

4. Looking back, what part of your expectations were met, and what were you surprised to find out you had to do?
   Even though the first few weeks of the year made it seem like the process of making friends would go on, groups formed really fast. Unlike high school, people run on very, very different schedules in college. So even though you might find that you really "clicked" with someone, you might not see them again for a week. So I found that I had to take initiative and invite people to dinner or ask them if they want to come to an event with me to make friends and find my own group.
   This one might seem obvious but if you need help with a course or see some gaps forming in your understanding, don't be stubborn and suffer alone. Go seek out help from someone in the class or mentors and use resources on campus. I was scared to go to one of my professor's office hours but it really paid off when I finally did. College is more enjoyable when you're doing your work efficiently and that almost always means with some form of help from those around you (in my opinion).

5. How often do you miss food and/or people back in Ethiopia? How do you deal with it?

     I miss Ethiopian food and people a lot. I get the most homesick during Ethiopian holidays or when I feel really stressed. I don't think I have found a good way of dealing with it yet.

But what I do is reach out to my international student mentor because she's been through the same thing. I meet with the Ethiopian students on campus for dinner and that helps. So even though, they say to step out of your comfort zone and you should, there's no shame in finding people with similar backgrounds you can relate to.

From my experience it's almost always a bad idea to go to an Ethiopian restaurant in a very gentrified neighborhood or eat Ethiopian food from such places. My dining experiences in such places have always resulted in fury and utter disbelief that "tofu tibs" is a thing!!! I just ended up getting mad at Americans and getting more homesick afterwards.

6. How do you think your school's attributes, such as it's urban/rural quality, it's total size, it's curriculum requirements . . etc have affected your comfort zone?
     My school is a small liberal arts college in Claremont which is a suburban/college town. There are four other undergraduate schools about a 5 - 10 minute walk from campus and they're all together with my school under a consortium. Since I'm easily overwhelmed by big crowds, I really like the small size of my school and the town as well. I like the fact that my classes are small because I think I would be frightened in a "big lecture hall" scenario.
   A special thing about the school is that when I get tired of my campus, I can go to the other colleges (eat at their dining hall, sit in on a lecture etc...). I really like that the consortium is there because I'm not just limited to my school, I can take courses and attend events at the other campuses. In fact most student organizations include all five colleges. Same with the town. It's really close to LA so students go to the city for the weekend. I've only been twice due to financial limitations and because of my laziness. It is really tempting to just stay on campus. So, in general, I like that I have an environment that I am comfortable with but can easily step out of when I need to.

7. Anything else you want high school seniors choosing colleges to know about finding comfort in college, or about your college?
     Know that you will be confused and uncertain at times (and this would also apply to things outside of your academic future). But also know that this is okay and happens to everyone. This is true for most of the struggles you will face. If you are finding something hard, chances are many others are struggling with it as well. So always remember that you're not alone in this.

Stay in touch with your friends... nuff said

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CTP Interview

11/13/2015

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Financial Aid

11/13/2015

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Every document a student needs when applying for financial aid is covered in a detailed, easy-to-understand and comprehensive manner in the CTP WORKBOOK . This 100-page workbook is available for FREE for all CTP Member Students. The following article is an excerpt taken from page 58-59 of the CTP Workbook.

Many students find it difficult to finance their education at an American university. This is because the total cost of attendance is quite a lot of money. This is where financial aid comes in. Financial aid is a term that stands for the aid students receive from the university itself in financing your education. Some universities might cover your entire costs of attendance, some only partially, and others, not at all. This is why it is important to do thorough college search prior to applying. If you are looking for a school which can provide you with financial aid, then you shouldn't waste time working on applications for a university that doesn't fulfill your criteria!

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF FINANCIAL AID?
Depending on the university, you may receive different types of financial aid.

MERIT-BASED FINANCIAL AID
This kind of financial aid is offered to you based on your GPA or other merits that you have. Different schools have their own type of merit-based awards. However, most times, merit-based financial awards cover your cost of attendance only by part. At most universities that offer merit-based financial assistance, you are automatically considered for a merit-based award when you apply.

NEED-BASED FINANCIAL AID
Need-based financial aid is a kind of financial aid that the university awards you with, not based on your specific merits, but entirely because you need it. It works in a way that enables you to show the university how much you can pay and then the rest is covered by the university itself. If you cannot pay a large amount of your cost of attendance then it is recommended for need-based financial aid.

FINANCIAL AID APPLICATION DEADLINES
Each university has its own deadline for financial aid application. For some, it may be the same as your Common Application deadline and for others a fortnight or a month later. Therefore, it is critical to find out the financial aid deadlines of the colleges you are applying to. Missing deadlines may jeopardize your chances of receiving financial aid.

HOW DO I APPLY FOR FINANCIAL AID?
Financial aid, like the college application process, has many processes. Part of these includes filling out and submitting important financial forms. Based on the university you are applying to, you have to fill out certain forms that clearly show your family's financial background. You will also be required to provide Employer statements if your parents are employed by an organization. It is important to note that tax-returns are not filed in Ethiopia. So whenever you stumble upon a question that asks you about your tax return, explain that tax returns are not required in your country. "

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