Top 10 tips to build your profile and get into your dream university!

While the process of applying to study abroad can be lengthy and complicated, most students forget to complete one important step – profile building. If you don’t know how to build your profile, it won’t matter how well you write your SOP or how impressive your Letters of Recommendation are.

Building your profile, which means taking up opportunities that will expand your knowledge and skills, gives you tons of content to add to your resume, SOP, and LOR’s. And that’s how you impress the admissions committee at your dream university!

So without further ado, let’s get started on these 10 time-tested profile-building strategies and nail your university application!

 

1. Projects

One of the most valued co-curricular activities, working on projects is a great way to build your profile.

The projects you work on don’t necessarily have to be a part of your curriculum. You can pick any subject you like, maybe get a partner, tap into all the resources you need, and start working on it.

If you get stuck or need any help, you can always go to your mentors or teachers for help.

Besides, if you get really good in a particular field, you can start freelancing for your peers (more on this point later :P)!

2. Course certifications

Universities look for students with a certain set of skills. And unfortunately, the curriculum does not cover everything you need to know.

As a result, students who have real interest in their subjects end up looking for sources online. They pick up trending courses and get certifications.

This not only helps them learn about the latest developments in their fields but also gives them a chance to show off their skills.

And now, it’s time for you to do the same!

3. Research papers

If your curriculum doesn’t make it compulsory for you to work on a research paper, make sure to take it up by yourself.

The task in itself requires weeks of grueling research, analysis, and drawing conclusions. But once you’re through with it, you can send it out to get published and see how the experts in your community receive it.

To that end, more than a profile building for MS activity, publishing research papers will become a great learning experience!

4. Internships

Internships are a great way to both build your profile and establish a network!

While you’re in high school or college, you have enough time to intern part-time during school and full-time in the summers! So take advantage of this fact, draft your resume, apply to companies, and get an internship role that falls in line with your subject of interest.

Not only will you learn about your field but you will also gather knowledge of the industry you end up working in!

What’s more, the people you end up working and interacting with can help you get closer to your goals in the future.

5. Committee work

Apart from internships, there’s another way to build your network with like-minded individuals – join a college committee.

The day you step into your college, tons of committees will approach you to join. It could be the drama club, the cultural committee of your college, chemistry club, a committee of computer science enthusiasts, etc. Name a field, and you’ll find a group of people who share the same interests as you.

What’s more, these committees have their own events, where they network with experts, organize panel talks, or simply get together and build something.

This will not only help you enhance your profile but also expand your mental and social horizons!

6. Community work

When we say community work, we don’t mean you have to sign up with an NGO, volunteer for a couple of months, get a certificate, dust off and move on.

When international students apply to universities and say they have done community work, they mean that they have done it diligently. They spend at least a year working with children or women in need, helping animals, or saving the planet.

And if you want to add it to your profile, we recommend you do the same.

Pick a cause, join an NGO you have heard of, and work with them for a considerable amount of time. Otherwise, it does not count.

7. Entrepreneurship

Starting something of your own will help you build your profile and your personality!

It’s not necessary to follow this tip, but if you choose to, you will learn a lot about yourself. Like how motivated you are, how good you are at handling finances as a student, if you have the ability to manage people, and how you deal with failure.

It’s very likely that your venture might fail, but if you have an appetite for risk, work on one of your start-up ideas (we know you have one, everyone does), see how it goes, and add it to your profile building for MBA bag!

8. Extracurricular activities

Academics and co-curricular activities are only one part of who you are. You have hobbies and interests outside of your career! And if you have worked on honing them, it adds a cherry on the top of your personality.

Be it singing, dancing, trekking, writing, painting, archery, horseback riding, kickboxing, karate, or any other activities you do outside of school, do not forget to add them to your profile.

And if you don’t have a hobby yet, it’s about time you picked up one.

Did any of the ones mentioned above sound interesting to you? Yes? Go for it!

9. Social media presence

Before getting started with this point, search your name on Google and see what shows up. This is your current image on the internet. And it’s very likely that this is what the universities will be seeing when they evaluate your application.

If you feel that your profile needs changing, start working on your website (if you have one) and revamp your image on social media.

If you don’t know where to start, go through this blog for tips on how to improve your internet presence! It will help you go a long way.

10. Express yourself well (or all will be lost)

Let’s say you’ve spent several hours, weeks, and months profile building for MBA or profile building for MS applications.

But what use would that be if you don’t write it down in your SOP, resume, or LOR.

All your accomplishments have to be a part of your university application.

And you need to learn how to structure and express them in these documents.

So before you get started, we recommend you go through our blogs on-

1. How to write a powerful Statement of Purpose
2. How to get a Letter of Recommendation, and
3. Tips to write the perfect resume for your university applications

Use the points in these blogs to draft your university application documents.

And if you don’t know how to get started or feel stuck in the process, feel free to drop a comment or you can also reach out to us. We’d be very happy to help!