Starting Early to Stand Out

Webinar Transcription

2025-04-02 – Starting Early to Stand Out in College Admissions

Anesha: Hi everybody and welcome to tonight’s webinar. My name is Anesha Grant. I am a Senior Advisor at CollegeAdvisor and I will be your moderator today. Today’s webinar is a special session on, “Starting Early to Stand Out,” featuring the Global Youth Excellence and Leadership Program. Before we get started, just to orient everyone with the webinar timing.

Uh, today we’ll start with a presentation by a CollegeAdvisor former Admissions Officer. We’ll switch over to a presentation from the Global Youth Excellence and Leadership Program, and then we’ll open up to answer any of your questions through a live Q&A on the sidebar. You can download our slides under the handouts tab and you can submit your questions whenever you get ready under the Q&A tab.

But first, let’s meet our first presenter, Natalie Herring. Hey, Natalie. How are you? Can you tell us a little bit about you and your background?

Natalie: Absolutely. Thank you Anesha. Thank you everyone for taking some time to join us. Um, I have been doing college admissions, uh, for almost 30 years, uh, and have worked, uh, in particular with, um, under resource groups, first generation college students.

And I worked at both highly selective and uh, selective colleges. So I’m very excited to be here tonight.

Anesha: Awesome. We’re looking forward to hearing from you. Um, I think we have a couple of polls. There’s one that, uh, yes. We are gonna start with a quick little poll just to see what grade level everyone is in.

Okay. Um, so please let us know if you’re in eighth, ninth, 10th, or 11th or 12th grade. Um, if you’re a parent or teacher, we welcome you. You can go ahead and select other as we’re waiting for some poll responses to come in. You obviously have worked at some really great institutions. I always wanna ask people which one’s your favorite, but I won’t, I won’t put you there.

Um, I’ll say, I’ll say, you know, what do you feel like is, I guess, um, one of the biggest lessons you learned from your history at a variety of, of institutions, especially in your 30 year, you know, career, um, what is like the one kind of pearl of wisdom around starting the college process that you would want students to kind of take away before they jump into it?

Natalie: Absolutely. I think the first thing that everyone should do is to sort of just take a deep breath. It, it is a big and important, uh, process, but uh, the student and their family, they have all the answers that they need and there are, you know, programs like CollegeAdvisor and others and guidance counselors, et cetera, that can help navigate the process.

But everything you need, you already have.

Anesha: I love that. That’s very nice and it’s very zen. I appreciate that, especially taking a deep breath. There are a lot of times when I feel like we often need to take a breath in the middle of the process, so I think that’s a great way to start it. Often. It’s also just a lovely sentiment that you have everything you already need.

So thank you for sharing that. Um, Natalie, before we get started, uh, putting us in a very, you got this kind of space. All right, I’ll close. I went ahead and close our poll. So we have a small group for right now we have about 16 folks. Um, not 44% of them are in the ninth grade, so that makes sense. So folks who are thinking ahead, wanting to start early, 19% are in the 10th grade, 4%, or sorry, 25% are in the 11th grade.

And then we have a couple of parents and teachers in the space. So mostly ninth graders with some sophomores and juniors as well. Um, so just so you know, if that changes anything about how to contextualize your um, session, but I’ll stop talking, hand it over to you and be back a little bit later.

Natalie: Thank you so much Anesha.

Anesha: Sure.

Natalie: So, um, what I’m gonna try to do is not read to you, I know you are literate, but, uh, I’ll try to sort of augment, um, the slides. So first up, um, why do this early? Um, it’s a very detailed process, right? We have here that it’s complicated. It’s detailed. It requires your serious thought and consideration, but within each step there’s an opportunity to celebrate a win.

Whether it’s checking off an item on the to-do list, the realization that you know what you want, um, or discovering something new or unexpected. The second bullet here is particularly important in real estate. The saying is, location, location, location

is extremely important and a big reason to start early. Also, be on the lookout for visit programs for applicants and or admits. Why should parents start early? Well, you as parents can set the tone. Decide what kind of college search experience your family will have. Encourage your child to take the lead, but make sure you understand the details.

Ask questions, make it fun. Which school sent mail today? Which ones emailed? Did you like any of those? Do you have questions? Well, I have questions, kid. And, and talk about your questions. Develop the internal knowhow that you all will need to navigate the process. How can you evaluate fit, fit is everything?

Um, and start developing your list. Think about what’s important to you. So we’ve listed some of those things here and we’ve talked already a little bit about location. Here’s some other things that students tell me. Food residence halls, right? So living with a roommate, that might be a, a new thing. Maybe you don’t have siblings or maybe your siblings and you each have your own room.

Understand what is available and what is available at what time. Underclassmen may be housed in a different way than upperclassmen are housed. Um, if you can get a chance to visit campus, grab a bite, see if the food is what you’re expect to be. Think about some of the other extras that may not be on this list.

Are you looking to study abroad? Are you looking for a great arts community? Uh, a diverse community. So think about all of those things. The other thing I wanna encourage you to think about are also scholarships. So understanding what types of scholarships, colleges, universities give. So what are the different components of the college admissions process?

So basically this is all about you. And one of the things that I like to say is, you know, we’ve all been, well, hopefully we’ve all been, you know, very raised very well, and we’re taught to be humble. And the college admissions process is no time for humble. This is your opportunity to really celebrate your strengths.

To really articulate your hopes and your dreams, not only for your academic future, but for your professional future. So colleges want to know everything about you. Are you a first generation, uh, college student? I was. Is it a rural setting in urban setting? Is it, um, under-resourced, resourced, just right.

Grades and testing are a big part of what colleges are looking at. Your transcript is a four year profile of who you are as a student day in and day out. The testing can also be a little terrifying and stressful, but that’s just one day. That transcript is gonna show trends and it’s going to show how you challenge yourself.

I. The personal statement is your writing. And it is one of the ways that your voice comes through in, uh, the process. And so, um, it’s that really and the interview where you have an opportunity to shape in sort of real time the admission officer’s view of you. So what you do in the personal statement is you say, this is me and this is how I plan to fit in, to stand out and to add value.

And then you let them know, I have done my research on this college and so I know this is what I’ll get in return and I could not be more excited. That’s what your personal statement is. School supplements. So the common app. Common app.org has sort of streamlined applying for students and they give all of the common information that every college and university needs to the colleges on your list.

That said, schools still want to know that you know them are interested in them and, and want a little bit more information. And so that’s what we mean when we refer to school. Supplements one word about interviews. You can think that it’s going to be terribly stuffy and scary, but unless you are painfully shy, say yes to an interview.

Typically it’s not mandatory, it’s optional, and it can be run by an alumnus. Of the college or university. This person loves their alma mater and loves the fact that you are interested in their alma mater. It’s an opportunity to connect, to network, and to understand the college experience, not just for the four years, but for life after.

And how the college sets you up for that.

How can you, um, sort of reflect of your brand in your application? So the first thing that you want to do is make sure that you are. Pursuing all of your academic interest. We fall into these little categories where, oh, I’m a math or a STEM person, or I’m an English or an arts person. You, it’s all right for you to have main and minor academic interest, right?

You might be a maker, you might be a gamer, you know, lean into those things. You may love art. Um, the other things that you can do is to go outside of norms, and let me explain what I mean by that. You can do some self-study, YouTube, con Academy, whatever you have, you can learn about something. There’s also an opportunity to partner with two and four year colleges in your area.

Maximize your summers. So we partner at CollegeAdvisor with an organization called Teen Life, and they are the gatekeepers of many summer experiences, job shadowing, internships, et cetera. So make sure that you have a plan for summers after ninth, 10th, and 11th grade. What are some of the milestones that you should hit during these first two years of high school?

Getting involved is important. Come to understand what your high school offers, but also think about math. One of the things that I like to tell students is that I believe it’s important that you can, uh, to get through calculus if you can, if it’s offered at your school. So think about the math you’re taking in ninth, 10th, 11th, and 12th.

Understand how each year builds upon the previous year have lunch. So there are some students who are pushing themselves so that they don’t even have a lunch period. I want you to eat, I want you to have a break. Um, and so make sure that you’re sort of taking care of yourself. Uh, and then the last thing is understand time management from a high school standpoint.

Um, understand your commute, your extracurricular activities, and the study time that each class, um, requires outside of class.

The other thing that you should remember is, is that no one is expecting you to sort of take an all or nothing approach, right? We as college, uh, admission counselors understand where you’re coming from. We, your schools, we know what’s offered. So challenge yourself, but don’t stretch yourself too thin. You should be right at the cusp of a nice, healthy stretch.

You’re motivated, you’re driven, you’re interested, you’re excited about the coursework, but don’t overdo it

when you’re starting out. Um, especially early on the journey. You know, keep in mind, uh, a a couple of things. Uh, one is you have time to really understand the ACT and the SAT. They’re not tests that you can study for, but they are tests that you should familiarize yourself with. You should understand the timing, the sections, the type type of questions, that kind of thing.

Um, the other thing that you should do is, um, understand that. That knowledge helps you steady yourself for test day. Okay.

In terms of what the benefits might be, I think that the benefits of starting early for an admission process have everything to do with also celebrating your wins. You are graduating high school, you are taking APs, you are making excellent marks, and so make sure that you celebrate those things. You may be on the athletic field doing some of the thing, same types of things.

It is a big decision, but as I discussed before, all of the answers you have, you drive this decision making process along with your parents. The other thing is. Um, there are 4,000 colleges in the United States. I know only anybody ever cares about is like the Ivy League. I totally get that. But it is possible, and it has been done that outside of the Ivys people graduate and lead wonderful, happy lives.

Your college experience is what you make it.

So now we are at another poll and Anesha has jumped on to help us get through it. But where are you in the college application process?

Anesha: So you could have not started quite yet. You’re researching schools, working on essays, um, getting your application materials together or be nearly done. Um. Thank you so much for the presentation thus far.

I really appreciating your approach to it. Again, your whole presence is very calming, so I, I can imagine that you’re very, you’re very good at this, at, at pulling people off the ledge and making sure they get through. So I think you’re a great person. Hey. Absolutely. Absolutely. We, we, we can’t make any decisions on the ledge, so we all have to come inside and, and handle it together.

Um, what do you, I mean, in what, what do you think people have stressed about the most that is actually not the thing they should have stressed about at all? Do you feel like you’ve had clients who are like,

Natalie: yeah, I honestly, I feel like it’s the financial aid. I think sticker shock is still a big issue. Uh, but I think what I would like parents and students to leave here tonight, understanding is that when you see that big ticket price, there are often resources at that same level.

To make that college education affordable. And so we’re talking about endowments, foundations, things like that. So don’t let that sticker drive you mad. Just make sure that you apply for financial aid. I know the FAFSA is not necessarily everybody’s jam. I get that, but we can help walk people through it.

Anesha: Yeah. Well it definitely got better this year. I will say. The fast, it was better. It was better. Around this time around, I know we’re, you’re gonna get into this, but I, um, I just wanted to linger for a second and you talking about, you know, summer engagement and that being a positive sign for, for folks and that’s kind of what will the rest of our presentation will be about.

But I, I guess, you know, I always have a challenge with students that summer, after ninth grade, summer after the 10th grade, I feel like a lot more opportunities become available. The older they are. Yeah. So, um, you know, what are some things that students can do after ninth grade, after 10th grade, especially if they can’t get a job or, you know, um, they don’t have the resources necessarily to do an internship.

I’m just wondering if you have ideas of how students can demonstrate that ambition, demonstrate that thoughtfulness in the earlier years where there may not be as many opportunities available.

Natalie: Absolutely. I think, um, there’s a couple of things that folks might be able to do. One, if you are interested in any local companies, you know, reach out and see if they would be willing to offer a job shadowing, um, opportunity.

If you’re interested in any particular cause or project. See if you can volunteer, see if there’s some community, um, service, um, if there is a job. That you are interested in, um, college, look upon that favorably as well. Uh, sometimes students are working, sometimes students have family responsibilities, and so the summer experience can be very diverse.

Anesha: So it’s not like, uh, yeah. I think even, even with that, I think you calmed down blank. It’s not like you have to do some kind of structured thing. You can do things on your own, but taking advantage of, and I think today, during another conversation, we’ll, we’ll figure out what the field is, what’s out there.

For you to be able to explore, explore and what can connect you with different resources. Alright, um, so I’ll go ahead and close our poll. Uh, thanks for folks for, for indulging in that conversation. Thank you for indulging in that conversation. Natalie, I was just of curious. Um, okay. So just so we know where folks are in the process, 44% have not started, uh, 44% of researching schools.

I think given that we have a younger, uh, crowd, I think that’s a perfectly good place to be. That’s right. Um, two are working on essays and two are almost done. So congrats to the people who are almost there. Uh, hope you, you know, are on top of it and you can enjoy your summer. Maybe do something fun this summer since you are almost done, um, uh, with your process, but okay.

I’ll stop talking. Hand it back over to you and, um, be back later. Thanks Natalie. Thank you so

Natalie: much Anesha. I appreciate it. So yes, summer programs. Uh, I am going to, um, hand this over to my partner in crime, at least for tonight. Um, who works with the Global Youth um, excellence and Leadership Program, and it is a wonderful option for students deciding what to do to either help define their skills, add to their strengths, or really just enjoy themselves.

So Hannah, the floor is yours. Thank you all for listening. I appreciate it.

Hannah: Thank you so much, Natalie. And I want to say thank you all so much for being here tonight with us and listening us in. As Natalie said, it’s really important to start early and to celebrate the wins along the way. So thank you all so much and let’s win and celebrate this win tonight.

So, uh, to firstly introduce myself. So I’m coming from a education background, education strategy, background, and I’ve been exactly where you are today. I’ve been going through the college admissions process, doing all the applications, all the different various stages. And I was lucky enough to end up doing two degrees at the University of Oxford.

I did a degree in history and I did a degree in education, particularly around comparative and international education. And then recently I have just come back to the UK from China where I was doing, I was part of the Swartzman Scholars program, which is this big, um, master’s program, which is about a 3% acceptance rate.

So that was a very rigorous admissions process and I ended up doing a Master’s in Leadership and Global Affairs. So I’m really, really excited to be here and talking to you about how you can make your college application as strong as possible. So let’s first address the question, how can we. How can we make sure whether you’re a student or whether you’re a parent, how you can make sure that your application is something that stands out amongst everyone else and make sure that you are one of the top applicants applying to college.

And our goal this evening is to explore how the Global Youth Excellence Leadership Program can empower you as students or empower your students depending on whether you’re a parent or student yourself through meaningful global experiences and leadership opportunities that support your academic development.

Explore and develop your personal development. And particularly if you are, um, you know, lots of us are young on this call. It’s it, our GYEL program runs from grade eight all the way up to grade 12. So it is something you can start early and really get going on developing your leadership skills. So the GYEL program is all, is, is part of a larger, um, UN United States nation system and it delivers the leadership global engagement and real world impact that selective universities are often seeking.

And while GYEL is not a college admissions program, its emphasis on global leadership, policy innovation and hands-on projects has proved invaluable to many, many students as they shape their academic and career paths. So just gonna a bit of overview about the admissions landscape here. So the admissions landscape’s obviously getting more and more challenging.

The percentage of applicants applying is increasing and those getting into the programs is shrinking. So you want to make sure that you are making your application as competitive as. Possible. And over the years, participants have leveraged their GYEL experiences, such as collaborations with dip diploma mats, career defining leadership experiences, and globally recognized certificates to make sure that they’ve strengthened their college application and scholarship materials.

GYER support, including potential letters of recommendation and access to world class mentors helps highlight the dedication and capabilities of all the students that are part of our program. And our alumni frequently reflect on how the leadership training global exposure and practical insights gained through the GYEO program played a key role in showcasing their unique perspectives to admissions committees.

However, it’s important to note that we obviously did not serve as an admissions consulting service, nor we guarantee any results. But it’s all about the fact that you are developing your leadership experiences, your leadership skills, and therefore your potential in making positive impact in our world.

So here’s some data points for you. We’ve got 96% of parents would recommend the GYEL program, and the vast majority of the program really highly is find the the program really highly valuable and worth sharing with others. And more than 90% of parents felt that GYEL has helped their students stand out in applications to college and scholarship applications, as Natalie was saying earlier, and students receive positive feedback from career counselors and college consultants as well as 95% of students.

Feeling incredibly excited about the direct engagement with global leaders. Whilst on the program, students have highlighted that the rare opportunities to interact with world leaders, UN officials, and industry experts is been a huge joy of the program. And 98% of students said they would recommend GYEL to the, to a friend.

Perfect.

For additional questions, we’ve got a huge, um, FAQ page on our website. I. And I want you to take, you know, thank you in advance for taking the time to explore this and the GYEL Leadership Family GYEL is a multi-stakeholder initiative operating within the UN system through formal institutional agreements between the coalition partners of the UN affiliate organizations and agencies recognize the under the United Nations framework and GYEL.

Our correlation partners do not participate in a personal or unofficial capacity, but they represent their institutions in an official role as delegates signatories within the UN system. So it’s really exciting ’cause we’re part of a larger UN system and you can get involved in UN style leadership. So each year our mission and reach and visibility has grown and grown and grown and leading.

To our recent role as Deputy Convenor and principal partner of the UN Forum on Strategic Innovation Fit Impact, which was a live stream on the UN Web TV and hosted at UN headquarters in New York. And so we’re really, really proud to have you all participate in join the UN GYEL program and join our family as we continue this legacy of youth driven leadership development when making decisions about your future as students or your child’s future as parents.

We need you really thinking about how we can make really the greatest long-term impact. And so if we’re gonna break this down into four key areas, we’ve got one being college admissions and academic readiness, making sure that your application is as strong as possible. Obviously, opens, opens doors, makes everything much, much easier going forward.

Number two is all about extracurriculars and leadership experiences. And obviously GYEL is is just that it’s a meaningful opportunity to make meaningful change in your community. We’ve got various programs, opportunities to have volunteer experiences and develop your role as a leader in the community.

Three is avoiding missed opportunities without the right platform to showcase your strengths as students, you risk being overlooked. And the GYO program is about targeting that and the cost of inaction. Gaps in a student’s high school preparation can limit their college perspectives and their career perspectives.

And so through the GYEL program, we work really, really hard to make sure these priorities providing both academic advantage and essential leadership skills, which often young, young people like yourself, particularly if you’re in grade eight or grade nine, you won’t necessarily have these opportunities in school.

And so it’s making sure you are given those opportunities to really develop and make real change. And this is not just about idealism, but it’s about practical strategies that empower you as students, empower your children if you’re a parent who’s got students who are applying to college to make sure they succeed both now and in the future.

So we created GYEL with direct input from people who shape student success, ensuring participants develop not just the right knowledge, but also skills and experiences that universities and future employers demand. G L’S worked with universities and admissions officers, consulting the professionals from top global universities to understand what they look for in applications where students often for sure, and how the GYEL program can bridge these gaps, can offer these opportunities.

The universities and admissions officer are really, after working with parents as well, and parents firsthand experiences and insights drive the program’s focus in the immediate and the long term teachers. Educators and college prep experts all work with GYEL because you university admissions are obviously a critical milestone to, to you as young people and GYEL aligns with the core values that selective institutions really prioritize, as well as working with industry leaders in ai, in STEM and other businesses at an international level.

Because by working with these cutting edge innovation and innovators, we ensure that students can develop key skills that are useful in the workplace, key skills and AI and in Internet of Things and other emerging technologies to really ensure that you succeed in the workplace and exceed in the rapidly evolving world that we’re all entering in, which is current, constantly changing.

And by integrating insights from these experts who actively influence education and industry and emissions. The GYEL program ensures that students are not just prepared, but they’re highly competitive and they’re highly competitive individuals going forward beyond. So, breaking down kind of the key benefits of the GYEL program, one of the only programs in the UN system for university success.

So the GYL program is within the UN system, and this therefore gives, uh, a, a different characteristic and different win. It means that it’s unlike many programs, you know, which obviously do focus on broad student development, GYEL is uniquely designed to help students stand out in a competitive emissions no matter what your field is, whether it’s STEM or leadership, entrepreneurship, or sustainability, there’s many, many, many aspects that fall under the UN system and looking at the different sustainable development goals within the UN system as well.

You got the strategic college prep focus. So we collaborate with admissions professionals from top global universities to understand precisely what they look for and how they cultivate those traits in students, making sure that those are developed throughout the program. Three is exclusive mentorship and global networking.

Participants receive direct guidance from world class leaders, from industry pioneers, coalition partners to the UN opening doors to opportunities that can obviously set you apart in admissions in your careers. So, huge, huge opportunity. And then there is obviously proving results in college and scholarship success.

You know, a huge, you know, over 95% of parents would recommend the GYE program for a reason. There’s a vast majority found the program highly valuable and worth sharing. 93% of parents felt that the GYER program helped their child stand out in their college admissions, their scholarship applications, and students received really positive feedback from career counselors and career consultants.

And five is a gateway to a competitive future. We identify and invest in students with potential, ensuring that they gain the recommendations, experiences, and real world preparation needed to thrive at the highest of levels. We are committed to excellence, committed to equity, and we support students from all socioeconomic backgrounds ensuring that everyone has access to success based on effort, ability, and potential, not privilege.

The program UN Credentials and Global Network focused means from the moment a student is admitted, they gain international credibility, real project experience, and immediate recognition from universities and scholarships abroad.

And the GYL program is all about making sure students get that experience. In real world impact, students will have access to doing various volunteering opportunities in their communities to make sure that they can really feel the tangible change they can make in their communities. It’s all about, um, merging yourself with tangible leadership achievements that admission officers obviously can take seriously, but also can develop your self and your personal skills.

’cause we all want to make positive change in the world. And finally you’ve got the unbeatable essays and recommendation letters because the GYU mentors and instructors come with really top tier credentials, including official UN affiliations so that the recommendation letters carry exceptional weight, and of course, proof of leadership.

Potential universities look for students who will become global change makers, and the GYL program provides exactly that pathway, allowing students in as young as in the grades eight and grade nine to participate, to demonstrate genuine leadership on an international stage at such a young age. It’s an incredible opportunity.

And simply put, GYEL is more than a program, it’s a launchpad for universities, a meaning for careers, for global impact, and that’s what we’re all about, is creating global change and making it more positive future for us all. So while the UN primarily focuses on necessities like clean water and healthcare, our coalition partners recognize that higher education is obviously a hugely powerful tool for breaking the cycle of poverty and catalyzing global development.

And GY O’S contribution to the UN system is to collaborate with universities to bridge the gap between providing a tailored program that aligns with the desires of the world, leading missions universities, and equipping students with resources and knowledge and networks and opportunities, and ultimately securing their place in world class institutions where obviously you can continue developing and accessing further specialized education and building your career until you’ve created long lasting impact.

A program can be obviously well intentioned, but that doesn’t mean it’s gonna be addressing the immediate priorities of you all. And so without enrollment, we can’t scale our impact or offer generous scholarships to students in need, which is obviously a core part of the UN’s mission. Without scale, there’s limited global impact, and at GYEL, we work within the system aligning with the very metrics and credentials universities prioritize.

The alignment allows us to reach more students and fund global impact projects and fulfill our share of the UN sustainable development goals or SDGs, which are a huge, big focus of our course. If you are searching for the missing link that can transform yours or your child’s future in ways of college, obviously you can’t ignore the GYO program.

It was designed exactly for that with that purpose in mind.

And thanks to contributions from multiple institutions and former admissions offices, we built a program that directly responds to what universities explicitly value, and these are leadership and global awareness, real world impact and collaboration, and high level mentorship and external validation.

Ultimately, GEL is not just a a credential, it’s a transformative experience. It’s about going beyond and really developing yourself as an outstanding applicant, but also an outstanding individual in our, in our global world.

So we’ve got overwhelming evidence from missions authorities that we’ve got on the beautiful slide here. So according to the UCLA Higher Education Research Institute of 80% of students at highly selective institutions participated in leadership activities during high school. Leadership experience is an essential part of a university application.

Janet Rapley, the former dean of the admissions of Princeton, says that students who challenge themselves with leadership roles and global experiences bring valuable perspectives to our campus. And that Stanford’s admissions also say that students who take initiative beyond the classroom to address real world challenges demonstrate a rare kind of readiness.

And these, obviously, these confirm the meaningful impact that leadership experiences have. And again, this is exactly the opportunity that the GYAL program offers. College boards found that international experiences and global awareness are among the qualities that the most elite colleges look for. And we’re specifically looking for experiences that demonstrate a student’s ability to collaborate across cultures seeking students who demonstrate intellectual curiosity and leadership, and a desire to engage meaningfully with complex global issues.

And therefore, the GYL program addresses these priorities by offering cross-cultural projects, offering you the opportunity to network with international students and giving you the global exposure and collaboration that these colleges crave.

And the GYAL students obviously lead global projects, often presenting to UN affiliate bodies, creating U unique experiences like. Policy proposals across boarded teamwork projects and lead to essays that no other applicant can replicate. Our students collaborate across continents building true cultural fluency and connect to, to UN advisors and global experts along the program, not just local volunteers.

And the GYEL participants produce tangible deliverables by the end of the program, these such as policy memos, partnerships, presentations, demonstrating real world outcomes. And so

I’ll go on to say

that we’ve got various key speakers so aligned with the, you know, the, the overall. The un, we’ve got the UN Collo Coalition partners at the GYR program. So first being h he Ambassador David Sanchez, um, the permanent observer to the un, the United Nations. And Ambassador Sanchez is a representative, um, is a very highly respected diploma who works with world leaders, US departments and international organizations to advance youth empowerment and sustainable development.

Perfectly reflecting G White’s global mission. Also got the HE Ambassador Carlos Garcia, the chief representative of OPAD and ecco, um, uh, ECO SOC status to the un. With over 25 years in the UN system, ambassador Garcia has led initiatives on poverty reduction, climate change, and the egs offering the GYO students and a match perspective on high level diplomacy.

And finally got Dr. Plaza, the Secretary General, IAAI, strategic Directive and the Climate Change Coalition, a leader in climate action and digital innovation. Dr. Pelosi brings cutting edge solutions for sustainable development, showcasing how technology can accelerate global, inject these obviously three incredible leaders that the students will have opportunity to be part of this larger GYEL family.

And then we also have various guest speakers, including Mr. Kevin O’Leary, investor venture capitalist shark tank personality, known worldwide as Mr. Wonderful. Kevin has a wealth of entrepreneurial insights perfect for inspiring our GYEL students. To think boldly, to think innovatively. We’ve got Dame Didi Wong Knighted UN speaker, award-winning entrepreneur and Hollywood producer and champion of women in business.

Dame Didi’s experience ranges from venture capital to Hollywood production, showing our students the power of global entrepreneurship. Mr. Kenneth Harris, senior nasa, uh, DND engineer, and James wed space telescope leader, recognized by Forbes for his groundbreaking leadership at nasa. Kenneth exemplifies her Dedicated in STEM can lead to world changing discoveries.

Mr. We Walker a Stanford alumni award-winning director and Super Bowl commercial creator. We combines a Stanford neuroscience background with film innovation, having director of major brands like Audi and g Gatorade proving. The creative thinking can come from any discipline, and you can see some other further ones on our slide.

And then the other part of the program is obviously our incredible, um, our incredible instructors. The students will work with through webinars and office hours and group discussions. So you’ve got Miss Megan from Columbia University and Megan has earned her Master’s in Public administration’s sustainable development from Columbia University and has taught in Spain, Costa Rica, and Taiwan.

She’s also advised on global initiatives from Master Count Foundations, young Africa workers to US AID projects, making her an invaluable mentor to international development and social impact. Got myself, Hannah, who’s a sportsman scholar. And as two degrees in Oxford, one being in international education and as previously worked as chief of staff to a top international school in Beijing.

And I brought my wealth of experience in leadership to the program and guiding the students through their their GYEL experience. And also got Ms. Annia from Yale University and I received her masters from Yale School of the Environment and has consulted for the UN agencies on climate adaptation with experience from WWF and teaching fellowships at Yale and specializes in sustainability, disaster risk reduction, and integrating innovative solutions that empower the youth to take part and tackle global environmental challenges.

So. You know, the GYEL program is designed to enrich students’ growth in ways that resonates beyond university admissions, beyond the qualities that you need to lead and in such an interconnected world by enrolling students authentically, demonstrating their initiatives authentically, demonstrating they their ability to solve real world challenges and obviously, and endorsements from recognized international figures.

Participants leave the program with authentic experiences and accomplishments, and a global network that reflects their values, reflects your commitment and your qualities that resonate strongly with obviously so many academic and professional settings.

So, in terms of making, you know, next steps, what are we thinking of the outcome that matters? Even partial scholarships at top colleges can offset your investment many times over. And we want to make sure that you boost your child or your own success rate in your scholarships and college admissions.

Gotta be thinking about this. Um, the admissions deadlines coming up. Obviously we need to try and, as Natalie was saying, get ahead of the game starting early for the best success. And the GYEL program itself has a rolling admission deadline and it works hard to maintain a really limited cohort size to preserve the quality and intimacy of the experience.

And therefore, one in five students are accepted to the program. And so applying early is recommended and increases your, you know, chances of being part of the GYL program. Got, uh, in terms of our enrollment policy. Obviously you personal circumstances might come up and might require you to un-enroll, which obviously you, you may do so at any time with a full right band, um, of your administration fees.

And please note you that, um, no GAEL or completion certificate can be issued for personal attendance and future participation would require a whole new application. But overall, you’ve got to really hold in your mind how transformative the GYEL experience is. Imagine your child writing an essay about tackling climate change with peers from around the world or receiving praise from a UN advisor.

The pride, the future doors that opens is prices. And in terms of making sure this program is accessible, our total program fee ranges from. Not to, um, $5,500. And we offer general generous scholarships so that no family pays more than their 2.5% of their household income for the G Well program. So families can contribute only what’s manageable to them and no student will be turned away for financial reasons.

So I hope that you can join part of the GYEL program, become part of our GYEL family, and feel free to scan this QR code that has come up for further information and there’s lots more further information on our website. And so to find and summarize university’s demand more than perfect academics nowadays.

They want global engagement, they want demonstration of you being real leaders, real change makers. GYEL wants to make sure that you meet these criteria through un backed projects, at top tier recommendations, letters, and distinct essay topics. So we really want to create this GYEL family to support you in these applications.

And early applicants get priority onto the program. We’ve got a full refund policy and needs based tuition. And so obviously this ensures that every qualified student can get access to the GYL opportunity. And if the gal’s mission aligns with you or your child’s admissions in the future overseeing, you’re highly encouraged to take the next steps and follow this QR code and, and get onto our website and reach out with any questions.

Thank you so, so much. Look forward to some of your, some of your questions that are coming up.

Anesha: Awesome. Thank you so much. Uh, Hannah, uh, for that overview of GYEL, uh, we’re gonna get started with questions. I think we can go back and leave your QR code up there for a second as I kind of just get through this next section.

Um, so we’re gonna move on to the q and a portion of our, of our, um, webinar tonight. Just for some context. Um, the way that it will work, you can go ahead and paste your question into the q and a chat. I’ll read it aloud to give our presenters an opportunity to respond and then paste it in the public chat as well so that everybody can see it.

If your q and a tab isn’t letting you submit questions, just double check that you logged into the webinar through the custom link in your email and not through a webinar landing page. You might have to log out and log back in. Um, all right, so I am gonna, we’ll leave the QR code up because our first question is, is about GYL, and it’s a straightforward question.

Um, the question is, what, what is the time commitment for GYL? So what, how long are students in it? How do they participate in it or, or not? How do they participate in it? How much is the time while they’re participating in it? Sorry.

Hannah: Well, that’s a fantastic question. So the GYEL program runs across a 16 week period, and the time commitment in terms of a fixed time period is you come to three hour webinars with me or another instructor, and then there’s drop in office hours throughout the week.

And then there’s overall biweekly, or we would say fortnightly in the UK fortnightly, um, homework assignments that you end up working on, which come in different formats. The students are currently working on a kind of shark tank pitch, um, to, to align with the guest speaker Kevin O’Leary coming up

Anesha: at the moment.

That’s the the next question just have for you of how do students, um, how do students kind of showcase their projects and achievements after the program ends? Can you talk a little bit more about the, the showcase aspects of it?

Hannah: Absolutely absolute. Um, as the program goes along, the showcase. I can hear it very loud.

Okay. The, the program gives you feedback on every single assignment provided, and you do group work with your, your fellow GYEL students talking through your work, whether your peers have feedback, the instructors give you feedback, and then at the, it will all build up to, at the end of the 16 weeks, you will hopefully bring all together all the different skills and experience you have developed and knowledge on the SDGs of, um, the UN’s sustainable development goals.

And then you will give a presentation on a project that you’ll be developing outside in your community. And then GYAL can provide support in that to make sure that you can become going forward an ambassador of the GYL family, and you can end up really developing that out in your community and making long lasting change.

Anesha: Last question I’ll ask and I might reword it, it is how prestigious is the program, but I’ll ask, I guess better how competitive is the program? Um, you know, how do you work to set up students in order to be successful after the program? So I guess those, those are the two, how competitive is it and then how do you work to ensure student success afterwards?

Hannah: Absolutely. So the program, it has about a 20% accept acceptance rate. So when a one in five, um, you obviously can reapply and your application doesn’t get impact your previous one, so you don’t need to panic about that. But it has about a 20% acceptance rate, which obviously is pretty, pretty competitive and it obviously is still a part of the UN’s larger system.

And so we’ve got many, you know, the, um, AL’S primary coalition partners to the UN hold, official UN credentials and security clearances, and they’ll be working with students and being able to provide letters of recommendations. So using the program. Connections with the un, you obviously can take that as far as as, as you, your ambition allows for.

So it’s, it’s, you know, the, the, the power to make change globally is in your own hands from the program.

Anesha: Alright, thank you. I’m gonna switch to gears just so we get some admissions questions and so I’m, I’m gonna move, move on from the, um, the QR code, but the QR code is still available for folks. If you wanna download the slides on the handouts tab, you can see it there.

Um, just so you don’t lose it, but just to move forward with our conversation, I guess my next question, next few questions will be for you Natalie. Um, so someone asked, what if my interest in a certain field or discipline changed throughout high school, um, and they influenced my choice of college or degrees.

Um, is that bad? Um, is my previous interest. Is described in an essay, and it’s not necessarily, I guess I think I wanna summarize it to you. They have had a variety of interests. They would like to write about it, but um, what they’re writing about in their essay may not be reflected as to what their major is.

And is there a point of conflict there? That’s how I’m, I’m interpreting the question. Um, so what are your thoughts there about variety of interests versus what you declare on your major versus what you know, your high school transcript might say about your interest?

Natalie: Um, absolutely. I think that these can be, uh, separate and distinct events.

Uh, one of the reasons why is because, uh, everybody at 17, or even at my age, 152, they don’t necessarily know what they want to do and be. Uh, and so, uh, your personal statement is gonna be that moment in time. What are you most passionate, uh, about? Um, take the time in high school to explore different interests, but do note that colleges do want to see you commit to a few things in.

Sort of several years succession, three years, four years, that kind of thing. You won’t declare a major typically until your sophomore year. The first year is for exploring for some very competitive programs, especially engineering and niche majors. You may have to declare that as an applicant, but that’s a part of your college search to decide, can I come in undecided or do I have to declare a major?

Anesha: Okay, thank you. Um, uh, my next question for you, again, I’m interpreting the question, um, but I’m gonna ask, I guess, uh, what is the impact of applying early on college admissions?

Natalie: Sure there are a couple of different, um, strategies and or programs for early admission, uh, or early action. So let me explain. Um, some, there is something called early decision and typically that’s binding.

So you, if you apply to a college or a university as an early decision student, what you are saying is it, is this college or bust? I love this place. I’m sure of it, and I am going to attend. There’s something called early action where you can apply and they’ll notify you early, but it’s not necessarily binding.

And then there’s regular decision where you learn your fate typically in mid-April and have to get back to colleges, uh, by May one I. And of course lots of variations and gradations in that early action and early decision. Um, sort of milia, remember, you can be admitted early, you can be deferred for a regular decision, um, or you can be not admitted as an early decision student.

So there is some risk, but it does tend to show that you are extremely interested.

Anesha: Um, I’m sorry, you said two things that I distracted me, which is mil, which is a great use of the word, and then you were 152, which was like, that’s absurd. You look great. But anyway, um, my next question, I’m not an thank you. That’s for you, stay hydrated. Um, all right. My, my next question is for, um, you Natalie, and then I’ll try to end with a question for the two of you.

Um, so the student, I think I’m interpreting the question as having a little bit of panic in it, but I apologize if I’m, if I’m wrong. They said, what do you think I should prioritize? I’m currently a junior. I wanna stay in my city to participate in programs that will better prepare me for college, like QuestBridge or SAT prep.

Um, and I’ve done a lot of extracurriculars, but my parents wanna travel to their home country this summer, and so what should I be placing more of my time in? I think she feels that perhaps as a junior, her time is limited this summer and isn’t sure where to kind of, um, or this is a, this is a, I think this is a man, a male, um, he is not sure where to place his energy.

Um. Given kind of the upcoming summer. So what are your thoughts of like what’s to balance that summer right before. Sure. Um, senior here.

Natalie: Um, well, I think the, the opportunity to travel with family, uh, to the home country is something that should be valued, uh, family time should be valued. And it sounds like, uh, that this young man already has spent some time developing his resume, developing his brand.

Different activities. He’s already sort of outlined some community programs to help whether or not it’s QuestBridge. And so there’s still though an opportunity to see if there’s something that he can do in the home country. And so see if there are, for instance, global programs, uh, that students can, um, still take part in and see different parts of the world.

But I would encourage him to sort of equate some balance. Between family time and college admission stuff,

Anesha: both of those can coexist. Yeah. Love that. I mean, I don’t wanna already overburden what it seems like an ambitious student, but I have had some students who spend the summer trying to do volunteer initiatives when they have to go out the country.

And that being a thoughtful way to kind of continue pursuing their interests though, while not at home, obviously is gonna be short term. But, um, there are a lot of things. I love that, that suggestion of like thinking about what you can do while you travel with your parents. It doesn’t have to be kind of on the script of things you’ve already been doing.

All right. Um, what will be our last question and uh, it was kind of directed to the both of you, but the student is planning on doing two years at a community college before transitioning into a four year university. She was wondering how would that impact her candidacy for GYEL? So I’ll let you take that first, Hannah.

And then afterwards, she was wondering how that would impact her competitiveness for colleges. So Hannah, if you could start us, uh, how does the community college pathway impact students’ pursuit of GYL?

Hannah: So GY L’S core missions about making sure we create this. This global diverse group of young leaders who really want to pursue making impactful, positive change in their community.

And so whatever your, your educational background is that is, that is something that the GYL program will accept and will celebrate. And so it’s just making clear on your application why you want to be a global leader. And, uh, yeah, it, it, it, it obviously wherever your journey and your story is to get there, that that is yours and you should own it and celebrate it.

And the GYL program will do so too. Awesome.

Natalie: Absolutely ditto to, to what Hannah, uh, just said. Um, thanks for bringing up the community colleges. Um, this is a really smart and affordable way to take care of the first two years of college. Um, all schools, mostly all schools are admitting, you know, transfer students.

Um, again, there might be some niche or some very competitive majors that maybe are not taking, um, transfer students, but those are, um, uh, easily sort of accounted for. Um, you, uh, if you are looking for a way to stay close to home, save a little money, um, figure out where you wanna go. To college. Here’s an opportunity to keep moving forward and have that transfer over to whatever college you would like to attend.

And they are more than welcome and ready to, um, get transfer students to apply, to admit them and to orient them, orient them to the campus so that they can be successful and be retained and graduated.

Anesha: Awesome. Thank you so much. Thank you to the both, you shared a ton of information that was really, really helpful and insightful for me.

Um, thank you for expanding a little bit extra time to make sure we got through a few of the questions. Thank you to everyone for joining us tonight. That will be the end of our webinar. We hope that you join us for our future sessions and we hope that you gain some tips on starting the college admissions process early and learning a little bit more about the Global Youth Excellence and Leadership Program.

Um, until then, take care and have a great evening everybody. Thank you. Bye now. Thank

Hannah: you so much. Bye bye.