Tips from a Canadian scholarship coach from mycampusGPS Education Consulting
OBC had the pleasure of interviewing Janet MacDonald, a scholarship coach in Canada with mycampusGPS Education Consulting. In this interview, Janet gives alumni tangible, actionable advice about why – and HOW! – to write about their OBC experience in university and college applications. Janet also shares how her son Eldon, who did OBC’s 2-week hiking trip in the Rockies, positioned his experience to win scholarships!
Read the full interview below:
- From your experience as an educational consultant, what are some of the key skills universities look for in applicants?
Universities want students who will come to campus, get involved in campus life, and contribute to the campus community. Universities spend a lot of time and money recruiting students, and they want students to come to the university, and stay and be successful. Studies show that students who get involved in campus life feel a stronger sense of belonging to a community. They develop a stronger support network, and they are better equipped to deal with challenges, which in turn makes them more likely to stay and complete their degree at that university.
Of course, universities want students who are academically strong too. But the most desirable students are those who are academically solid, and who will come to campus and get involved with teams or clubs, form relationships with others, and contribute to the university community.
- How can students effectively translate the skills they learned during their OBC adventure (e.g. teamwork, problem solving, leadership skills) into their college applications?
The key is to show, not tell. Discuss the specific skill you learned through your OBC adventure, and then link it to how that skill will be helpful to you in the future, specifically at university.
For example, “teamwork and working towards a common goal” – this skill is important for many programs but specifically for business and engineering programs as there is a lot of teamwork required in both. I suggest you discuss the situation requiring teamwork, and the task you faced, and what role you played in it. Discuss a challenge you/your team faced and how you resolved it. Then discuss what you learned from the experience and why it will be helpful to you in the future.
- Beyond skill development, how can students highlight the personal growth they have experienced during their OBC program?
From my son’s experience (more on that below) and from my experience as a former admission officer, I think the main thing to highlight is the student’s increase in confidence and resilience. When students transition from high school to university, they are faced with different kinds of challenges – academic, social, and financial, to name a few. The university wants to know that students have the tools to deal with problems when they arise.
The challenges that come with an OBC adventure are such that students are equipped for success, but they must take on the challenges put before them and work through them. They are so-called “safe risks”. It is through challenges that we grow and learn. It is how we build confidence in our ability to deal with future challenges. Having this experience with OBC can change a student’s attitude towards challenges and help them become more resilient.
- Your son Eldon is a former OBC participant who used his OBC experience in his college application. Can you tell us more about how he did that?
Some universities require students to complete a personal statement for admission and/or scholarship applications. My son Eldon wrote several of these applications. Some of the ways the OBC experience came out in his applications was through discussing taking on a challenge and engaging in teamwork.
Universities and scholarship funders like to see students who are willing to put themselves out of their comfort zone and engage in activities that encourage their personal growth and development. They value initiative and positive risk. Some applications also ask students to discuss their experience working in a team.
My son Eldon did the OBC 14-day backpacking trip in the Rocky Mountains when he was 16 years old. He loved it! On his university and scholarship applications, Eldon was able to discuss his OBC experience challenging himself, both physically and mentally, and his experience with team dynamics. He discussed his Solo experience – one of his favourite parts of the trip – and how it gave him time to think deeply about his life and his goals for the future. He also discussed the diversity of the participants and how they developed relationships through meaningful discussions at the nightly campfires. He then linked these experiences with how they will help him transition to university and become an active member of the campus community.
- Many OBC programs are about spending time outdoors and connecting with nature. How can students highlight the value of this experience in their applications, especially for programs that might not be traditionally outdoorsy?
Learning ways to help keep ourselves physically and mentally healthy is vitally important, especially in the complicated world we live in today. Teens are especially vulnerable to risks for mental health.
Evidence based studies tell us that getting out into nature is good for our physical and mental health. Students can discuss their experience connecting both with nature itself and connecting with other people in a more natural environment without the distractions of everyday life. They can then say what they learned from it, and then connect that to how they will use what they learned in the future – perhaps using getting out into nature as a “tool” in their mental health “toolbox”.
- Do you have any specific tips for students who have participated in unique OBC programs (e.g. sea kayaking and surfing) and want to highlight their experiences in their applications?
I think participating in some of the less common programs demonstrate the student’s sense of adventure and willingness to take a risk. It would be important to discuss why they chose that program (their motivation) and, of course, what they learned and why it’s important.
- What additional tips would you give students to help them make the most of their OBC experiences when crafting their college applications? Is there anything they can do in advance to prepare for the course so they can better incorporate their experiences into their future college applications?
I would suggest students reflect on each of the challenges they face on the trip, and document them using the S.T.A.R. method:
- = Situation – discuss the situation before you took action
- = Task – what was the task, problem, or challenge
- = Action – what action did you take to complete the task or solve the problem
- = Result – discuss the result of your actions, including what you learned
The S.T.A.R. method is a quick and easy way to capture information on your trip that you might otherwise forget. Document at least one S.T.A.R. per day on your OBC adventure. When your trip is complete you will have a great cache of experiences to use on applications.
- Is there anything else you would like to say about the value of Outward Bound programs for students considering college?
Many students engage in similar kinds of extra-curricular activities. If you’ve read a lot of admission and scholarship applications, it’s difficult to stand out. The OBC experience is not only less common than other activities, but it also gives students great content to discuss in their essays. They can demonstrate their ability to face a challenge, discuss how they work in a team, and how the experience helped develop their confidence, character, and independence.
About the author
Janet MacDonald is a Scholarship Coach with mycampusGPS Education Consulting. She is a former Canadian university admissions officer. For seven years, she was the coordinator of a scholarship program at a major Canadian university. Janet has helped her student clients win hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships.
You can find her online at mycampusGPS.ca, and on LinkedIn.