The pandemic created many hurdles for EducationUSA advisors, one of them was reaching out to interested students in the most interactive way possible. With schools shut down, it was going to be difficult to hold outreaches and events like in the past, thus, advisors in Karachi came up with a series of bootcamps in June and July 2020, for all high school students interested in applying to the United States.
EdUSA’s virtual bootcamps covered all aspects of the college admission process
Advisors conducted bootcamps with five high schools in Karachi, Nixor College, Cedar College, The Generations School, Beaconhouse School System and Roots Millennium College. These are institutions that are normally visited for outreaches, and that have a considerable number of students applying to the United States for college every year.
The week-long sessions aimed to cover all aspects of the college application process. Every day of the bootcamp discussed one topic in detail, allowing students to log in and out at their time of choosing, and ask questions at the end of every day’s session. The first day would introduce everyone to the 5 steps of studying in the U.S. and the services EducationUSA can provide in terms of advising. The next day would cover the holistic application process, covering what matters, what does not matter and all the priorities to look out for before applying. The next few days discussed college search, financial aid, and lastly a session on planning forward with Covid-19 and an overview of the visa process – the fifth and final step to studying in the U.S.
EdUSA’s virtual bootcamps covered all aspects of the college admission process
The high school counselors EducationUSA worked with, found the sessions to be helpful, especially since they were gearing up for the new academic year that started early in July. “It was an extremely well planned and informative bootcamp exclusively for Nixor students. The information was to the point and helped them make well informed decisions with respect to the applications especially at such an important time, where they needed that guidance,” remarked Yousra Mateen, a college counselor at Nixor College, Karachi.
One of Nixor College’s students, Eeman Azmat said the bootcamp “was very informative and gave [her] a starting point for [her] research. Overall, it was very helpful and covered the entire procedure of applying.”
The bootcamps were successful in reaching more than 450 students across all five schools. Some were followed by an interactive question and answer session, with students asking more than 80 questions in one day. Overall, the bootcamp was a virtual roof under which students could have any of their queries about the college application answered in minutes. It turned out to be an efficient way to prepare for the upcoming application season and also helped EducationUSA increase its access as an advisory source for high school students.
If you are interested in pursuing higher education in the U.S., email advising@usefp.org for your 5 Steps to U.S. Study plan or visit our website for more information on USEFP’s scholarship and exchange programs.
