Choosing The Right College Advice for International Students: Looking Beyond the Ivy League Written by Emily Toffelmireon March 3rd, 2018 I came to College Coach after working for many years in college admissions and high school counseling. As a school counselor, I assisted students in the college application process and wrote hundreds of letters of recommendation, while also helping them and their families cope with any emotional, social, and academic concerns throughout the year. I transitioned from the high school setting to the admissions office when I joined the University of Southern California as an assistant director, reading freshmen and transfer applications and collaborating on admission decisions for over 150 majors, including the liberal arts, engineering, business, cinema, and the fine and performing arts. I subsequently took on the role of senior assistant director in the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, where I coordinated the division's Mork, Stamps, Trustee, Presidential and Dean's merit scholarship selection process, as well as recruitment publications and outreach, and traveled everywhere from Honolulu to Miami presenting to and interviewing hundreds of applicants each year. Learn More About Emily applying from abroad, college admissions advice, college lists, international students, International students, just like their domestic counterparts, should strive for a college list that encompasses a range of admission selectivity. While it's fine to aim high and dream big, it's smart to have a safety net and multiple options. To better understand how to build a balanced list and why rankings aren't everything when it comes to the college search, see Emily Toffelmire's recent article on www.wes.org, home of World Education Services, a non-profit organization advocating for international education since 1974. Click here to learn more about "Applying to Safety, Target, and Reach Schools." Related Resources Read | Posted on April 11th, 2025 The Basics of First-Year Study Abroad Programs Read | Posted on December 10th, 2024 Navigating Medical School Applications: The Three Types of Letters Applicants Send Read | Posted on November 12th, 2024 Unlocking College Admissions: The Power of the Common Data Set
