How I got into the University of Cincinnati | Aryan’s student success story

Aryan Shukla, a recent high school graduate, plans to attend the University of Cincinnati for a co-op Bachelor of Computer Science program next fall. The University of Cincinnati is a public research university in Ohio, USA and is among the best schools in the country for Science and Engineering. But the institute is quite difficult to get into. Read on to know more about Aryan’s student success story and learn how he handled his application process, finances, and more!

Why study abroad?

Aryan was sure that he wanted to pursue his bachelor’s degree abroad ever since he was in the 9th grade. When asked what inspired him to study abroad, he recalled watching videos of student bloggers sharing their experience of studying abroad and how fascinated him.

He told us how he decided on the course he wanted to pursue and found out everything he needed to do well before time. Aryan wanted to study computer science and try his hands at entrepreneurship. He already has a startup with one of his friends.

Student success experience with iSchoolConnect

Aryan was sure of moving abroad and the course he wanted to take up, but with the amount of information available online it’s easy to get confused and overwhelmed. He found iSchoolConnect while looking for study abroad consultants online. Aryan recalls, “I came across your YouTube video on scholarships and decided to visit your website”. He adds that our services were reasonably priced and in alignment with his goals. 

Choosing universities and taking the final call

Aryan applied to about seven universities including the Illinois Institute of Technology and NJIT, etc. Out of which he shortlisted Illinois Institute of Technology and the University of Cincinnati. His final choice was however the University of Cincinnati, because of their co-op program in computer science. Aryan says that the program will give him 2 years of valuable work experience alongside his degree.

The application process and its challenges 

The application process was quite overwhelming for Aryan. Colleges across the United States required different documents and essays. However, the most time-consuming and tedious task was writing his SOPs and personal essays. Everyone who knows a thing or two about studying abroad knows that LORs and SOPs are an integral part of your application.

He says that counselors at iSchoolConnect really helped him improve his essays. Aryan mentions how many schools in India are not accustomed to writing LORs for their students and how he had to take special care to make sure that it was written as required. 

Challenges due to covid

Aryan recalls how last year when the pandemic began some students were unable to sit for the SATs. There was a lot of uncertainty.

“Right before my exam my father tested positive. I saw that many students were not able to sit for the SATs and so, colleges started accepting students without SAT scores. It was hard to figure out how the colleges were assessing applications. The application process was relatively tough.” 

-Aryan Shukla, University of Cincinnati

Managing finances

Finances are a big concern when it comes to studying abroad. We asked Aryan how he plans to finance his education. Here’s what he had to say, “I am already involved with my startup so I will try to fund myself to the best of my ability. Thankfully, my parents have the resources to help me as well”.

The question of finance is quite subjective. Some students depend entirely on their parents to fund their education, others look for collateral-free loans or scholarships. Aryan also shared insights on how for some of his friends, their parents were the only resort while others were applying for loans. 

Studying abroad can be quite expensive. The first step to planning your finances is to understand your profile properly. Invest in a good study abroad counselor and understand your profile to make the best out of the options available to you.

Future plans and advice for fellow aspirants 

Aryan plans to continue working for his startup post his graduation. He also hopes to get more involved with entrepreneurship and apply everything that he learns while studying at the University of Cincinnati. 

One of the most valuable success tips Aryan shares is to start preparing as early as possible because the application process is quite complicated and overwhelming. He says that getting done with the SAT exam in the 11th grade can save students from so much anxiety. They can then focus purely on their 12th grade GPA. 

He also adds that an integral part of a student’s success is support from their parents. He advises speaking to your parents when you have the slightest inkling of wanting to study abroad. The most important reason being finances. Talking with your parents gives you both the time to reach a common ground and plan things better. 

Aryan iterates the role of a good study abroad counselor in student success while applying abroad.

We congratulate Aryan and wish him the best of luck in all his future endeavors.

WRITTEN BY

Aastha

Sr. Content Writer

Aastha Arya is a Senior Content Writer at iSchoolConnect who writes about topics covering study abroad trends, exclusive news updates and prolific college courses. She has a 4-year of experience in this field and also likes to keep tabs on recent events, visa policy changes, and many other concerns that affect international students.

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