The session was conducted by Mr. John Sander- University of Sussex, UK & his team from IDP Education Ms. Ria Braganza and Ms. Hema Chibber.
Mr. John Sander is currently working as a Senior International Officer at University of Sussex- one of the Top 20 Universities in UK & one of the top 100 Universities in the world. Mr. John has a decade of experience with recruitment & selection of international students from over 36 countries including India. He has also been involved in establishing high inter-institutional agreements for Sussex extensive study abroad & research collaborations.
The session was focused on “How a Foreign University select students & the dos & don’ts of an application process for applying to a post graduate course in a foreign university”. Mr. John explained the whole process in detail & emphasized on having a well thought out/ worked upon opening “personal statement” for your application as it is one of the major deciding factor for getting in and getting your application approved at any foreign university. He further explained how a personal statement should be a perfect blend of your relevant experience, grades achieved, how your skills learned so far complement the course, why you want to pursue a particular course, what learning should you expect out of the course.
The message he wanted to convey was that even if you have good grades & your personal statement is not of a well rounded student (a student who has gone & done things beyond just the learning in a class room), your application will not go through.
He further talked about the other aspects of preparation & studying abroad such as starting the preparation almost a year in advance, the financial aspects, work aspects, visa, what after once your course is completed, life in UK, activities & clubs u can be involved in, your stay & how BREXIT will affect.
He also took us through various videos of the college on -their current students & their experiences, student’s first impression, festival celebrations & students learning from the course.
In the end I would like to thank Ms. Ria Braganza & Ms. Hema Chibber -IDP Education & Mr. John Sander- University of Sussex for delivering an amazing learning session for our student. I am sure it’ll make a difference.