A continuación, compartimos con ustedes una entrevista con Claudia Alcántara, una alumna de nuestra casa que está moviendo tierra y cielo para seguir su sueño de estudiar una carrera universitaria en los EEUU. Aquí Claudia nos cuenta porqué quiere hacerlo, cuáles son los desafíos que está encontrando y cuáles son los beneficios que espera obtener si logra ser admitida en una de las universidades con las que sueña.
When did you decide to study abroad?
Since I was very young, I have always loved travelling and I really wanted to study abroad.
That’s one of the reasons why I signed up for the Amancio Ortega scholarship to study the 1st year of Bachillerato in the US. I earned a spot but I couldn’t go because of Covid. One of the things they gave us instead was working with EducationUSA (part of the US embassy) to prepare a competitive application and learn about studying at a university in the US.
I had never thought I could study at a university there mainly because of the cost, but I’ve learnt about many scholarship opportunities that can cover up to 100% of the cost.
Why do you want to study there?
As I’ve said, I love travelling and discovering new places, cultures and people. In the US there is a very diverse population with different backgrounds and also people from all over the world.
While working with EducationUSA, I’ve found out how the educational system is there and it is way more flexible and it gives more freedom to students than the Spanish one. There are what they call “majors” (the subject you are going to focus more on) and “minors” (which you choose to learn other things you like). For example, someone that majors in Economics can study Theatre as a minor.
Also, I love the idea of campus life. Not just going from your house to university and then going back. I would live in a dorm and spend almost every day on campus.
About social life, there are lots of clubs. Some of the universities I have reached out to have 80+ clubs. And they have really good research programs with big companies.
What do you want to study there?
I’ve always been interested in science, and lately I’ve been thinking about studying biochemistry in order to work on medical research and investigation. But I am also a person that really loves to speak in front of others and communicate with people, not only working in a lab. That’s one of the reasons why I’m thinking about minoring in international relations or leadership.
Something really cool is that many universities don’t make you choose a major until the second year, so you have one year of experiencing different subjects and then you choose what to focus on.
What is the most difficult thing about applying to a university in the US?
It is a totally different system of admission. Students don’t only get in based on grades (marks in British English); they also need to submit essays, exams and letters of recommendations. Other universities also offer the opportunity to do interviews and submit video presentations.
If I hadn’t got help from EducationUSA I wouldn’t have known where to start.
Also, some universities and colleges are really competitive which means that they only accept a low percentage of students that actually apply. So, I’m also learning about different universities here in Spain because being admitted and offered financial aid doesn’t totally depend on me.
Where are you thinking of going?
The criteria I’ve used to select universities to apply are the following:
- If they offer good financial aid packages for international students
- If they have a wide variety of majors and minors
- If they have clubs and social life that fit my interests
- Location is also important for me. I’m a cosmopolitan person so it is important for me if the university has a city (even if it is small) close
There are two rounds of submitting an application, but it depends on the university. The majority of them have one deadline in November and then another one in January.
Right now, I have only sent one application and I’m preparing all the materials for January.
Claudia Alcántara
What do you think you’ll miss when you go there?
I’m completely sure that if I study in the US, I will miss my people. I would spend four years abroad but communication has improved a lot. I could videocall my family and friends everyday (being aware of the time difference of course!).
I’m not thinking a lot about it right now, I prefer to focus on doing a good application.
What has been the reaction of your family? And your friends?
My parents and my brother know me very well and they were kind of expecting it. When I got the opportunity to work with the US embassy, they knew that I was going to work very hard to achieve my dream. They have always been very supportive.
About my friends… Some of them thought like my family, but others didn’t understand why I wanted to spend so much time outside of Spain.
What scares you the most about this decision?
If I get admitted my biggest fear is not fitting in. I have attended college fairs, lots of webinars from different colleges and information sessions to find your right fit. I have done a lot of research to find universities that I would love to go to, but I’ve done all of it virtually. And maybe once I go there it is not like I expect (maybe it is better)
Also, it is not that I’m scared of going out of my comfort zone because if I was scared of that I wouldn’t try it. But it is true that I will go there alone without knowing anyone.
I believe those “fears” are just a matter of time.
Would you encourage others to do the same thing?
I would recommend it to people that are open-minded, independent and who are not scared of going out of their comfort zone. If a person really wants to go, I would encourage them even though it is a lot of added work. Those who never try will never achieve their dream. I don’t know if I will be admitted, but I know that I’m trying it, making a big effort and learning a lot.
Thanks so much, Claudia, and we all wish you the best of luck.
