NU-Q admissions officers to give students an inside track to successful university applications

More than a hundred high school students from across Qatar gathered in December for the first session of the “Get Ready!” Workshop series at Northwestern University in Qatar. On Thursday, January 12, university hopefuls will converge on the journalism and communication school once more for expert advice on the college application process from Northwestern’s own admissions officers. 

Titled “A Decision Maker’s Perspective,” the January 12 session will give valuable insight into the decision-making process of admissions officers as part of a series of college admission workshops that NU-Q is organizing at its campus in Education City through February 9. All college-bound high school students and their families are welcome to attend the workshops, which aim to give students the competitive edge in applying to university.

In the first workshop of the series on December 8 – titled “Application Essays 101” – director of NU-Q’s Writing Center and ESL (English as a Second Language) specialist, Trish Seapy, led nearly 150 students into the nitty-gritty of writing compelling personal statements and essays, which are at the core of a complete and successful admissions application. 

Seapy opened the proceedings with an interactive trivia game –an effective approach to channeling the youthful exuberance of the audience into focused attention.

By the end of the session, students were visibly more comfortable with the essay portion of the application process.

“I was thrilled to find out that NU-Q was hosting a free public event of this nature. I’ve been so lost since I graduated from high school. I didn’t know how to apply or write application essays, but now I’ve soaked up as much information and knowledge from the instructor here as possible,” said Salman Hamad Al-Muhannadi, a first-semester student at The Community College of Qatar.

“I finished high school in 2009 and lacked the guidance that sessions like this provide. It was great that NU-Q opened it to all rather than only for those interested in NU-Q,” added Al-Muhannadi.

Like many others, parent Mir Arifuddin Hussain attended the event alongside his wife for their 12^th grader, Syed Adnan Arif, and said the points discussed were useful.

“The essay and personal statement are important aspects of admissions criteria. We didn’t want to miss an event like this led by officials who are part of admissions. Now we know what their expectations are,” said Hussain. “The do’s and don’ts were very clear and enlightening,” added Hussain.

The third Get Ready! workshop, titled “Discover Northwestern University in Qatar,” follows on Thursday, January 26, 2012, when students and parents will learn about Northwestern’s media programs in communication and journalism in Qatar, and the various career opportunities that are available to NU-Q graduates.   

The workshop series will close with its final session on Thursday, February 9, 2012, titled “Financing Your Education.”  This workshop will help parents and students understand financing opportunities at NU-Q and the financial aid application process. Attendees will have an opportunity to speak with a financial services representative about merit and need-based financial aid.