Hello you guys, today we have another very amazing guest here at HS tells HSs, and that is Munkhzul Batmyagmar from Mongolia! Recently, she just got accepted to Swarthmore College, which is one of the best liberal arts colleges in the United States! You can follow her on Iscicle at @mnhzulaaa. Anyways, let’s get straight to the conversation!
1) How did your application process go? Can you share a bit about the application process? Also about required papers or stuff like that.
I applied by myself because I studied at a rural public high school with no information about studying abroad. I just applied to Swat by ED and was admitted, which was less stressful. But being alone was not really nice. PS. There weren’t required papers except two required supplementals which I most struggled to figure out and write. Luckily, F&M graduate helped me a lot remotely. And college prep courses and counseling were kinda expensive for me.
2) I heard that the acceptance rate at Swarthmore is only 7% which is so low, so what do you think makes you stand out? If you have any tips for high schoolers wanting to get into your school, what tips would you give?
I didn't know many things about standing out college applications. After getting acceptance, I read my whole application many times to find out what aspect contributed the most. And at the end of this, I knew that I had shown them myself as an opportunity builder not seeker. In my isolated area, there were limited options to know more about career, top universities, and other future education related stuff. So, I initiated an instagram account which gives this information to help students from anywhere in Mongolia. So, my point is to prove yourself as someone who can be a great contribution to that specific college. And ignore the acceptance rate if you really want to enroll in that college. In my case, if I cared about acceptance rate, I would never be brave enough to apply to college in America.
3) Swarthmore is liberal arts, but I still can’t differentiate between national universities and liberal arts, so hope you can help me.
To be honest, I can't even find a specific difference between them but some general info on the Internet. I think I will have a chance to experience the difference when I come to Swarthmore because I can also take courses from Upenn. I am sorry. I am going to answer this question after a year.
4) Do you think the environment in the US is good overall?
I think so. There are quite a lot Mongolian students in the USA. They are doing well. Yeah, of course some bad things happen. But college campuses are safe. I don't worry about this.
5) Do you think it’s worth applying ED (early decision), because basically it’s binding?
Yes, I believe that if I apply ED, this means I can express my extreme interest for that university. For your information, last two years, 2 Mongolian students (including me) applied to Swat by ED. Maybe, considering your country's case will help to determine which term is best suited for you.
6) Do you think the school environment is good there at swarthmore? Like the people there, extracurricular stuff, etc. Also are there internship opportunities while you’re at the school?
There are 3 mongolian students at Swarthmore, and I am coming there. All of them are so happy about their college experiences. I assumed that they put so much care into their students. As for extracurriculars, there are tons of things to do if I have enough time. I am planning to learn to play table tennis. And, of course there are many internship opportunities and study abroad programs.
7) Soon I’ll apply for college, and I’m planning to go to America even if I fail from getting to Swarthmore haha. What things do you think any international student needs to bring? And how can we make bank accounts there?
I wish I could answer this question. But I am an incoming freshman and don't have experience with that. Still trying to decide what to bring. As for bank accounts, I heard that I get a chance to open a bank account during international orientation.
8) Do you think it’s hard after college for international students to stay back there in the us? Like is the work environment there competitive?
Ohh, that's a very big question for me. I am 18. I think you should ask it from someone who graduated.
9) What extracurricular activities should high schoolers do?
I would definitely say do what you love and what you have to do. There is no "better extracurricular" thing. It's holistic.
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