For the most part, a profile evaluation is a tool that helps pair an international student with the right school based on items such as previous test scores, grades, degrees, and interests/past experience.
- This is not to get confused with a credential evaluation.
- You will need to specify your field of study, and if applicable, the specialization you wish to pursue.
- Oftentimes, profile evaluations are used as a way to translate a foreign GPA (grade point average) into the four point United States GPA.
- So if you have completed all of your studies up to this point in India, a profile evaluation can help find what your United States equivalent would be.
Profile evaluations help you find the right school(s) for your desired degree. The typical profile includes factors such as:
- Grade point average (specify the country);
- GRE score or expected score;
- Any past degrees received and the degree you wish to study for;
- Any past or current internships relevant to the degree you wish to pursue;
- Any papers you have written that are published;
- A statement of purpose;
- A letter of recommendation;
- TOEFL/IELTS scores.
Remember, these are the typical aspects included in a profile evaluation. This is just a model.
- You can add any factors that you believe are relevant and will boost your profile.
- Once you have compiled your profile, it then needs to be evaluated.
- Normally, profiles are evaluated on three levels – Difficult, Medium, and Easy.
- These three levels evaluate the likelihood of your application being selected at a particular school.
- Either you give a list of United States Universities you wish to attend, or you leave it open ended.
Difficult usually means that based on the scores and information you have provided, that particular university may not be a good fit for you. Your scores may be too low for their admission requirements, and receiving admission into that particular school may not happen.
A medium ranking usually means that there is a chance for you to receive admission to a particular university based on your scores and information. You have a better chance with schools categorized under this level than of those categorized under the difficult level. Your scores likely meet the bottom to middle requirements of this particular university.
Finally, an easy ranking usually means that based on your scores and admission, it is more than likely that you will be admitted to this particular university. Your scores more than likely exceed the requirements.
Besides your test scores, which international students are usually most worried about, it is important to remember that admission to a United States University generally depends on the entire package. This means that not only are your scores important, but any essays, personal statements, and letters of recommendation are also of high importance. For example, if the university you wish to attend falls into the Medium category, do not lose hope. A low-test score can sometimes be offset by a strong essay or personal statement.
Another important factor to consider is the acceptance rate into the University and/or program that you wish to attend.
- Some schools have higher acceptance rates for international students. Other schools, even if they fall into the Medium or Easy category for you, still may not accept you due to small overall enrollment numbers.
Once you have completed your profile, it is ready to be evaluated. Normally, the people who evaluate your profile are admissions experts. There are also online tools available now to help evaluate your profile. Some websites have open forums for you to post your profile and experts will get back to you. Others will link you with a person who can give you written feedback or feedback over a communication application, like Skype. It is always recommended that you find the best service/method for a profile evaluation that fits your needs, but listed below are a few websites that can potentially help you in your search:
Again, these are just a select few of the many different tools and services available for profile evaluations.
If you have any questions about scholarships or other options for finding international student loan options to study in the U.S. please visit us at www.nomadcredit.com. We’d be happy to help you search and compare options for education loans or study loans, too. Please send us an email at help@nomadcredit.com if you have any questions! We are happy to help.
