Hey Everyone,
We are into March and we are fast approaching the climax of the application season. As most of you are waiting for your application decisions, we talked about the alternatives that are available for you last week in our segment on Rolling Decisions. This week we are going to take a turn and talk to our members that are aspiring to apply to colleges within the next one or two years. As March is pivotal for those that have already applied to college, it is to also pivotal for those of you that are about to get started.
Let's start from your school life. You should strive to boost your grades. Your GPA can come in handy, especially if you have to make up for the other components of your college application. But, if you feel your GPA isn't on the right course, don't worry as there are various components to the application.
This is also the perfect time to assess where you lie when it comes to extracurriculars. You should start thinking about ways you can participate and take roles in different clubs. This is also a perfect time to think about if you wanna participate in voluntary activities right now or over the summer, as it can come handy in the application process. There are various voluntary organizations which are eager to work with you like SOS Children's Village, Red Cross and many others. It is a good way to give back to your community, while gathering activities you can add to your application at the same time.
The other important things are standardized tests. By now, most of you are accustomed to the SAT, ACT, SAT Subject tests, and TOEFL. U.S. colleges accept either the SAT or ACT. So it doesn't matter which you take, but you can Google the specific requirements of each college to be sure. Most colleges outside of the U.S. like in Canada require the TOEFL, but most U.S. colleges don't require it. You can get your TOEFL requirement waived by most U.S. colleges since you have taken a foreign language(English) in high school. But you should still check the requirements of the particular college on their webpage. If you are a junior in high school, you should aim to take your first SAT or ACT or TOEFL by June so that it can give you enough time for improving your scores over the summer with the aim of taking it a second time in October. But if you don't believe that schedule works for you, it's okay. Just make sure, to leave enough amount of time so that you can take the exam a second time in case you want to improve it. For most people, the SAT is one of those exams where you need to go through it first so that you can make a cogent plan the next time around so plan on taking it two times. As a plus thinking that you can take it twice can ease your stress and help you perform better too.
If you are a sophomore in high school reading this, you can also plan ahead and take your first SAT in December of your junior year, so that it can give you more time for improvement the second time around, which you could do in June of that same year, giving you the whole summer for other components of the college application. But again, this is just an example of a timetable to get you to start thinking about it; you can change it to whatever fits with your schedule. But please going into the application process, plan to take TWO of the SAME standardized test.
You should also strive to develop good relationships with your teachers. Start thinking about good recommenders you can make use of when the college application season rolls around, especially if you are a junior in high school since teacher recommenders are usually taken from 11th and 12th grade. Don't forget about your counselor as they are also going to write a recommendation on your behalf. Your involvement in school clubs can come in handy when you approach your counselor.
We are into March and we are fast approaching the climax of the application season. As most of you are waiting for your application decisions, we talked about the alternatives that are available for you last week in our segment on Rolling Decisions. This week we are going to take a turn and talk to our members that are aspiring to apply to colleges within the next one or two years. As March is pivotal for those that have already applied to college, it is to also pivotal for those of you that are about to get started.
Let's start from your school life. You should strive to boost your grades. Your GPA can come in handy, especially if you have to make up for the other components of your college application. But, if you feel your GPA isn't on the right course, don't worry as there are various components to the application.
This is also the perfect time to assess where you lie when it comes to extracurriculars. You should start thinking about ways you can participate and take roles in different clubs. This is also a perfect time to think about if you wanna participate in voluntary activities right now or over the summer, as it can come handy in the application process. There are various voluntary organizations which are eager to work with you like SOS Children's Village, Red Cross and many others. It is a good way to give back to your community, while gathering activities you can add to your application at the same time.
The other important things are standardized tests. By now, most of you are accustomed to the SAT, ACT, SAT Subject tests, and TOEFL. U.S. colleges accept either the SAT or ACT. So it doesn't matter which you take, but you can Google the specific requirements of each college to be sure. Most colleges outside of the U.S. like in Canada require the TOEFL, but most U.S. colleges don't require it. You can get your TOEFL requirement waived by most U.S. colleges since you have taken a foreign language(English) in high school. But you should still check the requirements of the particular college on their webpage. If you are a junior in high school, you should aim to take your first SAT or ACT or TOEFL by June so that it can give you enough time for improving your scores over the summer with the aim of taking it a second time in October. But if you don't believe that schedule works for you, it's okay. Just make sure, to leave enough amount of time so that you can take the exam a second time in case you want to improve it. For most people, the SAT is one of those exams where you need to go through it first so that you can make a cogent plan the next time around so plan on taking it two times. As a plus thinking that you can take it twice can ease your stress and help you perform better too.
If you are a sophomore in high school reading this, you can also plan ahead and take your first SAT in December of your junior year, so that it can give you more time for improvement the second time around, which you could do in June of that same year, giving you the whole summer for other components of the college application. But again, this is just an example of a timetable to get you to start thinking about it; you can change it to whatever fits with your schedule. But please going into the application process, plan to take TWO of the SAME standardized test.
You should also strive to develop good relationships with your teachers. Start thinking about good recommenders you can make use of when the college application season rolls around, especially if you are a junior in high school since teacher recommenders are usually taken from 11th and 12th grade. Don't forget about your counselor as they are also going to write a recommendation on your behalf. Your involvement in school clubs can come in handy when you approach your counselor.
March 7, 2020
Another crucial thing is to start thinking about your college application essays. Most people claim this is the most important part of your application. Start looking at the prompts for the college application essay. Sometimes the common app changes the prompts from year to year, but it doesn't make major changes so you can rest assured the prompts are going to look similar when you are finally going to apply. Strive to think about ideas that can't be associated with other people but you and you only. The essence of a good application essay is it's ability to be your story, which can't be applied to any other one. After you come up with an idea or write a draft of your essay, give it to one of your friends or person you know, and ask them who this belongs to or who it describes, if there is no one it could be about but you, then that's a good unique essay.
March 7, 2020
The above tips are just ways to get started in thinking about the college applications process. So, as a sophomore or junior, there is no need to feel helpless or sit idly by as the seniors around you scramble to finish what you’ll be working on in but a year or two. By the time your own senior year rolls around, you’ll be ready to tackle whatever comes your way–and with sleep to spare.
On a final note, we wish all of you that are awaiting college application decisions good luck.
On a final note, we wish all of you that are awaiting college application decisions good luck.
March 7, 2020
Selam fam,
If you haven’t already, check out Qananii as she shows us around Washington University in St. Louis. You can find the entire takeover on the saved stories on our insta page: https://www.instagram.com/ctpethiopia/
Cheers!
If you haven’t already, check out Qananii as she shows us around Washington University in St. Louis. You can find the entire takeover on the saved stories on our insta page: https://www.instagram.com/ctpethiopia/
Cheers!
March 7, 2020
Selam selam everyone! Since rolling decisions’ results are "rolling" in, this week’s post will be about waitlists and gap years! If you’ve applied to a bunch of colleges before, chances are you’ve been waitlisted to a couple of them. Being waitlisted for a college means you’ve been put on a list of applicants whom a school might or might not offer admission to. Now if this happens don’t be bummed at all since there are certain things you can do to increase your chances of getting off the waitlist. You can raise your grades, you can take part in an extracurriculars or internships, and participate in other aspects of the college application. Then you can write a letter to the school’s dean of admissions to talk about the new things you have done since your initial application. Also, it’s important to inform the school that you’re eager to join the college even if you’re on the waitlist since there’s this hidden thinking that you might have went to another school during regular decisions.
April 10, 2020
On the other hand, some of you may have decided to take a gap year after graduating to focus on your applications, not getting the colleges you wanted, financial reasons, life crisis, corona virus, etc. If so, there are a couple of things we want you to be aware of. First is to be intentional with your gap year. Some of you might be taking this time to focus on aspects of your application you felt could be better. This may be test results, your common app, college essay, supplement essays, extracurriculars, etc. If your common app and essay were your weaker points, more time can be extremely beneficial since you can use it to have as many people offer you feedback and you yourself can workshop it more using the internet/books. With testing, you can take more practice tests to improve and stabilize your results (take caution however that improvement in testing is mostly dependent on you learning from your mistakes rather than simply taking more tests so make sure you’re taking the time to really understand and strengthen your weaknesses). Also take this time to do further research on the schools you want to go to and what they look for in their applicants and applications so you can further distinguish yourself amongst the applicant pool.
April 10, 2020
Second, while you’re doing all the above, please make sure to not view your gap year as a setback as it can easily just be a headstart. Getting into college abroad is the beginning while doing well once you’re there requires more effort. If you are fortunate enough to have gotten into college in Ethiopia, have the means to take classes or simply have access to books or online materials, take full advantage of them especially if they align with your career goals. For instance, you may want to be an economics major and had the chance to get into AAU's Commerce, take full advantage of your year in Commerce. Or if you have some books just self-study. You may end up going abroad for school later, but you’ll be learning content similar to what you’ve studied in your gap year which means not only can you breathe easier in classes but you can study ahead in the coursework or use that time to focus on extracurriculars, friends, hobbies and/or personal projects. Also, securing opportunities abroad is still somewhat based on luck so the future will remain uncertain. Therefore, doing the above strengthens yourself for opportunities within Ethiopia as well as abroad. So again, be intentional with your gap year as quite a bunch of us have done the same and tried to make good use of it to better our applications and ourselves. Thanks for reading and please take care of yourselves in the coming months!
April 10, 2020
Hello CTP Fam,
Hoping you are doing well in these extraordinary times, we at CTP would like to encourage and support you. Believe it or not, like it or not, this is a once in a lifetime event, where you have all the time in the world to do whatever you have always wanted to do. The world literally stopped. Take a moment to take that in. What’s happening to our world is with no doubt absolutely horrific, but we have little control over it besides social distancing and personal hygiene. But we still have control of how to spend our time during the quarantine. Instead of lying in bed all day and worrying about COVID-19, we have compiled a few suggestions that will not only help you overcome your boredom but also benefit you in the long run.
1. Take the time to think
Reflect on what you have come to so far and anticipate what you would like for your future to be like. Whether you are the kind of person who likes to meditate or the kind who would rather discuss that with beloved ones, go for it. Focus on the inner self and set clear goals, prepare SMART(Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals and plan out your day on a timely basis. As you look back, take note of the times that are most meaningful to you and why. One of these events could ultimately be included in your essay and/or extracurriculars. It is also a very good time to prepare for tests. You have ample time to prepare, read and practice for standardized tests and there is no better time to prepare for these.
2. Develop a Hobby
Most of us grew up just focused on school and maybe tried to do a couple of things over the summer, but never had a full-grown hobby we love and are passionate about. Well, now is a perfect time to learn something new and either figure out your passion or if you already know it, start dedicating time and developing it completely. Some suggestions are reading books (maybe even start a virtual book club), coding, art, puzzles, chess, knitting, cooking (this will make you the favorite child by the way)
3. Start Thinking About College Applications
Whichever point you are at, think of how you can use this time to contribute to your college application. Researching for a school, or about a school you are interested in and looking at the SAT test and practicing doing questions are examples. The hobbies you developed are potential things you can put on your application as extracurriculars or skills.
4. Prepare your professional self
The present being a time of great competition, it is never too early to prepare your professional self. By that, we mean that you should make yourself ready to be recruited(or become a recruiter). Setup your Linkedin account, prepare a resume( or CV, if you’re a science person), develop professional skills like Microsoft Office, LaTex, or a certain type of programming language
5. Enjoy Your Time
Catch up on movies, play games with your family members, take afternoon naps and relax. Again, you will never find the time to do all these things during a school year and not feel guilty at the same time. So, spend some good quality time with your family and revitalize your energy.
I am sure by now you are all motivated to do all these amazing things and make your dreams come true, but it is also expected if your motivation doesn’t last too long. Coming up with a schedule and keeping yourself accountable to it is helpful. Take it one step at a time, and well, remember there’s always tomorrow to do it. So don’t let it get you down. As for our final word, we will share a quote, “you don’t want to look back at this time and regret not doing anything with it.”
Hoping you are doing well in these extraordinary times, we at CTP would like to encourage and support you. Believe it or not, like it or not, this is a once in a lifetime event, where you have all the time in the world to do whatever you have always wanted to do. The world literally stopped. Take a moment to take that in. What’s happening to our world is with no doubt absolutely horrific, but we have little control over it besides social distancing and personal hygiene. But we still have control of how to spend our time during the quarantine. Instead of lying in bed all day and worrying about COVID-19, we have compiled a few suggestions that will not only help you overcome your boredom but also benefit you in the long run.
1. Take the time to think
Reflect on what you have come to so far and anticipate what you would like for your future to be like. Whether you are the kind of person who likes to meditate or the kind who would rather discuss that with beloved ones, go for it. Focus on the inner self and set clear goals, prepare SMART(Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals and plan out your day on a timely basis. As you look back, take note of the times that are most meaningful to you and why. One of these events could ultimately be included in your essay and/or extracurriculars. It is also a very good time to prepare for tests. You have ample time to prepare, read and practice for standardized tests and there is no better time to prepare for these.
2. Develop a Hobby
Most of us grew up just focused on school and maybe tried to do a couple of things over the summer, but never had a full-grown hobby we love and are passionate about. Well, now is a perfect time to learn something new and either figure out your passion or if you already know it, start dedicating time and developing it completely. Some suggestions are reading books (maybe even start a virtual book club), coding, art, puzzles, chess, knitting, cooking (this will make you the favorite child by the way)
3. Start Thinking About College Applications
Whichever point you are at, think of how you can use this time to contribute to your college application. Researching for a school, or about a school you are interested in and looking at the SAT test and practicing doing questions are examples. The hobbies you developed are potential things you can put on your application as extracurriculars or skills.
4. Prepare your professional self
The present being a time of great competition, it is never too early to prepare your professional self. By that, we mean that you should make yourself ready to be recruited(or become a recruiter). Setup your Linkedin account, prepare a resume( or CV, if you’re a science person), develop professional skills like Microsoft Office, LaTex, or a certain type of programming language
5. Enjoy Your Time
Catch up on movies, play games with your family members, take afternoon naps and relax. Again, you will never find the time to do all these things during a school year and not feel guilty at the same time. So, spend some good quality time with your family and revitalize your energy.
I am sure by now you are all motivated to do all these amazing things and make your dreams come true, but it is also expected if your motivation doesn’t last too long. Coming up with a schedule and keeping yourself accountable to it is helpful. Take it one step at a time, and well, remember there’s always tomorrow to do it. So don’t let it get you down. As for our final word, we will share a quote, “you don’t want to look back at this time and regret not doing anything with it.”
April 12, 2020
Hello CTP fam,
We hope everyone is staying safe in these unprecedented times. Even though everything around you seems uncertain, believe that we will find a new normalcy amidst all the chaos. We got this!
We at CTP are taking this time to reimagine how we conduct our sessions and how we can be of good use to aspiring students like you. Consequently, we have decided to cancel the traditionally in-person Spring and Summer Sessions and replace them with new alternatives. Here are some details about the changes.
1. Spring Sessions: CTP has been conducting 3 Spring Sessions every year at selected high schools in Addis. In lieu of recent events, we have been forced to cancel the sessions this year. As an alternative, we have compiled a quick start guide that will get you thinking about college applications. The guide also includes links and resources that will provide additional information. Feel free to share it with friends.
2. Summer Sessions: our yearly, rigorous 6-8 week session is going virtual this summer. We are still working out the details, so keep in touch for more info.
In the meantime, please don’t shy away from using our Piazza forum to ask questions or browse through previously posted Q&A’s! If you haven’t done so already, you can find the steps to sign up for the forum here: http://www.ctpethiopia.com/forum.html
Cheers!
We hope everyone is staying safe in these unprecedented times. Even though everything around you seems uncertain, believe that we will find a new normalcy amidst all the chaos. We got this!
We at CTP are taking this time to reimagine how we conduct our sessions and how we can be of good use to aspiring students like you. Consequently, we have decided to cancel the traditionally in-person Spring and Summer Sessions and replace them with new alternatives. Here are some details about the changes.
1. Spring Sessions: CTP has been conducting 3 Spring Sessions every year at selected high schools in Addis. In lieu of recent events, we have been forced to cancel the sessions this year. As an alternative, we have compiled a quick start guide that will get you thinking about college applications. The guide also includes links and resources that will provide additional information. Feel free to share it with friends.
2. Summer Sessions: our yearly, rigorous 6-8 week session is going virtual this summer. We are still working out the details, so keep in touch for more info.
In the meantime, please don’t shy away from using our Piazza forum to ask questions or browse through previously posted Q&A’s! If you haven’t done so already, you can find the steps to sign up for the forum here: http://www.ctpethiopia.com/forum.html
Cheers!
April 27, 2020
CTP Ethiopia -- Quick Guide to College Applications.pdf
564.2 KB
CTP Ethiopia: Quick Start Guide to College Applications
April 27, 2020
April 27, 2020
We hope you and your family are safe during these unprecedented times. The New York team has been working hard to develop a suitable means to deliver the CTP summer sessions virtually. We have a great lineup of resources and tools in the works to help you navigate the college application process, and we hope you are all excited for another fruitful summer with CTP. We will be releasing more details about applications for the summer sessions in the coming weeks. In the meantime, make sure to follow our social media platforms: Instagram, www.instagram.com/ctpethiopia/, and Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/ctpethiopia/, for updates. Invite your friends to do the same! We hope you have a wonderful rest of your week!
May 21, 2020
Since we are holding a virtual summer session for the first time, we have prepared this quick survey to gauge the needs of our prospective students. Please fill out the following survey for a chance to win a 25 Birr mobile card by May 30, 2020.
May 22, 2020
Attention all 7-12th grade Ethiopian students:
Interested in free 1-1 online tutoring in Computer Science and other subjects?
Want to connect with people working in the field of your interest?
Check out CTP-OTM, an online tutoring and mentoring platform. It’s completely free!
Read more about CTP-OTM by visiting the website at ctpotm.com
If you like what you see, make sure to apply here: https://forms.gle/Amxbqnx4AasfeQg57
Note: This is a separate program from CTP’s virtual summer sessions.
Interested in free 1-1 online tutoring in Computer Science and other subjects?
Want to connect with people working in the field of your interest?
Check out CTP-OTM, an online tutoring and mentoring platform. It’s completely free!
Read more about CTP-OTM by visiting the website at ctpotm.com
If you like what you see, make sure to apply here: https://forms.gle/Amxbqnx4AasfeQg57
Note: This is a separate program from CTP’s virtual summer sessions.
May 30, 2020
May 30, 2020
May 30, 2020
Hello all,
The application for the CTP 2020 summer session is now live! Due to the current pandemic, we're going 100% virtual and attendance for the sessions is completely FREE! The deadline for submission is June 26th. Before completing the application, checkout our website to read more about the details of our summer program and the two sections that we offer:
Website: https://ctpethiopia.com
Application: https://forms.gle/u7s5DMKToAuHYnSa9
Good luck and make sure to get your applications in by June 26th!
Cheers!
The application for the CTP 2020 summer session is now live! Due to the current pandemic, we're going 100% virtual and attendance for the sessions is completely FREE! The deadline for submission is June 26th. Before completing the application, checkout our website to read more about the details of our summer program and the two sections that we offer:
Website: https://ctpethiopia.com
Application: https://forms.gle/u7s5DMKToAuHYnSa9
Good luck and make sure to get your applications in by June 26th!
Cheers!
June 12, 2020
CTP Ethiopia pinned «Hello all, The application for the CTP 2020 summer session is now live! Due to the current pandemic, we're going 100% virtual and attendance for the sessions is completely FREE! The deadline for submission is June 26th. Before completing the application,…»
June 12, 2020
Hi everyone!
Looping back now to remind you about our summer program. The deadline is on June 26 (which is in only 7 days!) so make sure you apply as soon as you can. There are some required short essay response questions on the application that will take a bit of your time to write so don't procrastinate on starting your applications.
Also don't forget that this year's summer program is a little different from the previous ones. So read more about it on our website: https://ctpethiopia.com
The website also contains information about the essay prompts for each section. You can find that under the Summer Session tab!
Looping back now to remind you about our summer program. The deadline is on June 26 (which is in only 7 days!) so make sure you apply as soon as you can. There are some required short essay response questions on the application that will take a bit of your time to write so don't procrastinate on starting your applications.
Also don't forget that this year's summer program is a little different from the previous ones. So read more about it on our website: https://ctpethiopia.com
The website also contains information about the essay prompts for each section. You can find that under the Summer Session tab!
June 19, 2020