Dartmouth, Columbia, and Princeton Visit
On Tuesday, October 17th, 2017, the EducationUSA team in Budapest hosted an informational session for three visiting Ivy League universities: Dartmouth, Columbia, and Princeton. Admissions representatives from all three universities were invited to the EducationUSA center in Budapest to speak about their institutions, offer advice and tips for interested students, and answer questions.
In attendance at the event were approximately twenty highly motivated students from around Budapest, including groups from several high-achieving schools in the area. In addition to students, some teachers, counselors, and parents attended as well. While the event took place in Budapest, it was also live streamed to the three American corners around Hungary (Pécs, Debrecen, and Veszprém), giving students in those areas access to the event as well. Each American Corner had approximately a dozen students in attendance, bringing the total attendance for the event to around fifty.
The admissions representatives began by each providing a short overview of their respective universities. To give studens a clearer picture of each university, they discussed the college culture, philosophy, academics, campus life, traditions, setting, and more. Then, all together, the presenters discussed concerns and questions common to all three institutions, such as application materials, timeline, financial aid, and the admissions process for international students. At the end, there was time for questions. Students from all four locations had questions, ranging from advice on essay topics to queries on how international students are assessed for admission compared to Americans. After the presentation, there was time for students to ask questions and network with the representatives individually.
This event marked many firsts for EducationUSA in Hungary. It was the first time three Ivy League universities came to visit at one time. It was also the first time that such an event was live streamed to the various American Corners, broadening the audience who could benefit from it. Feedback from the attendees was overwhelmingly positive. The event was a resounding success, and EducationUSA looks forward to hosting more such events in the future.