How to get into a university in the USA: an interview with a YEAR finalist

In October 2015, Russian high school graduates and students had a unique opportunity to spend a year at an American university: the host country covers all expenses for tuition, living, flights, etc. We have prepared an interview for you with one of the program participants: Polina Novikova is studying at Northampton Community College and told us about how the educational system works in the US and how to qualify for the YEAR program. More about the program and conditions of participation: http://www.yearprogram.org/

Polina, good afternoon! Tell us where you studied before and why you decided to take part in the program?

I studied at the St. Petersburg State University at the Faculty of Philology, studied the Norwegian language and literature. I learned about the program from the social network Vkontakte: I saw an ad in one of the groups and decided to try my hand. Moreover, the selection procedure itself seemed to me quite simple and understandable.

What was the selection process like for the program?

The first step was to fill out a special application form, which included 4 essays, 2 letters of recommendation, transcripts (official certificates with grades) and various diplomas, diplomas, certificates, etc. All this is loaded into your personal account on the official website of the program. Then I had an interview via Skype with two representatives of the program. They asked a variety of questions on the questionnaire, essay, clarified the details. To be honest, this was the most exciting stage for me, since I had never had an interview in English before and had a vague idea of ​​how it all goes. But, to my relief, the interview went very smoothly, thanks to the openness and friendliness of the organizers. The third stage was the TOEFL exam. The exam itself is simple, but it takes time to prepare for it: deal with the requirements, get used to the format, tasks.

What qualities and achievements do you think make it possible to become a finalist of the program? What advice would you give to future participants?

In my opinion, in order to become a finalist of the program, it is important to be open to everything new, to be able to adapt to different conditions, even if at first it seems that it is very difficult. The organizers will not read your diplomas with a magnifying glass or thoroughly calculate the average mark of the certificate (although academic performance is very important and is a priority item in the selection), but rather they will assess the ability to get used to a new culture, to become part of it, while sharing knowledge about their traditions and customs.

What university are you studying at? Did you choose it yourself or were the students distributed by the organizers?

All program finalists were distributed to various universities and colleges by the organizers. The distribution was based on academic performance and TOEFL exam results. I study at Northampton Community College in the small town of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The undoubted advantage of being here is the proximity to such large cities as New York and Philadelphia.

What is your specialty? What subjects do you study?

My specialty (major) is English and its teaching. According to the requirements of the program, I have 12 credits = 4 subjects: directly English, where we mainly write various essays and then discuss them, American history (a mandatory requirement of the program is to study a subject related to American history or culture), international relations and Speech Communication, where we learn to clearly and competently express our thoughts and speak in public.

Do you communicate with other finalists of the program? Or do they all study at different universities?

Each university or college has 4-5 finalists of the program, so we, of course, communicate with each other.

Is it possible to say that education in the USA is of better quality than in Russia? More practice oriented?

I cannot say unequivocally that education in the USA is deeper and of higher quality than education in Russia. Of course, it assumes an applied, narrower nature, that is, Americans strive to draw exactly the knowledge that will be useful to them for a successful career. In Russia, in my opinion, education is aimed rather at general development, broadening one's horizons, and the formation of critical skills.

How difficult was the integration process? To what extent did cultural differences interfere with interaction with other people?

Personally, my integration process is still ongoing, because every day I learn something new about American culture, about their way of life, habits, traditions. This is very interesting, because you compare, contrast, draw conclusions. Of course, here I felt to a greater extent the peculiarities of the Russian mentality, what distinguishes me from people of other cultures.

Does the university atmosphere in the US differ from what you are used to in Russia? Other relationships with classmates, professors, a different attitude to learning?

The university environment is quite different. At St Petersburg University, I got used to a long study day, long lectures with the most interesting professors, huge lists of literature required for exams, and homework that I often had to do at night. We had a small friendly group, and a truly homely and warm atmosphere reigned at the department. Here, great attention is paid to independent study, which involves working with literature in the library, writing essays, and performing tests on the material covered. Of course, attending lectures and seminars is mandatory, but the emphasis is on self-education. Interaction with professors takes place more often through e-mail: you can ask questions, send finalized materials for verification, etc. There is not very close communication with classmates: everyone has different classes at different times.

What do you think that studying abroad will give you in addition to the skills required in your specialty?

Of course, studying abroad is not just knowledge and skills for a future career and improving the knowledge of a foreign language. For me personally, this is rather an invaluable experience of being in a different cultural environment with people of different life views and attitudes. I am very glad that I was not afraid to break out of my comfort zone, leave my family, friends and my usual routine life in Russia.

Are there any practices, rules, institutions that exist in the United States that Russian universities could use to improve the quality of education?

As for the use of American experience in Russian educational institutions, I think the most effective is the wider use of electronic systems such as Blackboard, through which you can upload your written work, get grades and comments from the teacher as quickly as possible, and participate in online discussions of the material you have read. It actually greatly simplifies the learning process.

And vice versa? Can American universities borrow something from Russian ones?

Personally, I lack the cohesion of the teaching staff in an American college :) But in general, it seems to me that the American educational system could borrow from the Russian one a deeper study of the basics of the specialty.

Do program finalists have any responsibilities outside of university?

All program finalists are required to complete at least 20 hours of volunteer work per semester. It can be absolutely any activity: from weeding the vegetable garden in your college and playing with young children to working with the homeless in local charities. In addition, you need to interview three professionals in the field that matches your specialty. That is, in my case, you can talk with teachers of foreign languages, translators, linguists.

What are your plans for the future? Do you think your professional activities will be connected with the USA?

I plan to return to Russia and continue my studies at St. Petersburg State University. So far I cannot say whether my professional activity will be connected with the USA, but I do not exclude such a possibility.