Rejection sucks.
And the worst part about getting rejected from NSLI-Y is that you’ll never know why your application got eliminated, or why you’re interview wasn’t adequate.
When I applied this year, I knew the process better, and I was able to figure out what I might have said last year that got me rejected from the finalist position. So, here’s some advice.
There are many factors that decide who will be a finalist, but the two major ones are your essays and your interview. Again, they are not the end-all-be-all, but they are the sections of the application where the reader will learn the most about you.
ESSAYS:
The main thing the reader is looking at when you submit your general application are you essays. In them, they assess “motivation for language learning, sense of character, and demonstrated cultural awareness.” They are also screening for “maturity and readiness for a challenging academic and international experience.”
There are three essays you will write: a letter to your host family, an essay explaining why you choose your language program and duration, and one of three essays topics they will provide.
In the first essay, NSLI-Y will give you a list of things you need to address, but feel free to add things that aren’t specifically mentioned. Remember, it’s a letter, so it’s okay to write casually. That doesn’t mean don’t use proper spelling and grammar; it just means that your writing doesn’t have to have flowery language.
The second essay is a good place to show your motivation for language learning, global awareness, and future plans. When you list the reasons why you want to go to “X” country, give examples to back up your reasons. AKA: show, don’t tell.
For example, if one of your reasons for wanting to study in China is because you want to get a more global perspective, don’t say: “I want to be more globally aware.” Instead you could say: “I would like to use this trip as an opportunity to become more globally aware of the Chinese culture. When studying Chinese history in America, I learn it through the American lens. I think it would interesting to learn Chinese history from a Chinese perspective.”
This answer is much more fleshed out and shows that you actually know what it means to be “globally aware."
Another tip is to try and relate your future career goals to your NSLI-Y language. If you demonstrate how you plan to use the language in the future, you show a willingness to continue. It shows that you plan to take this trip seriously: remember, this is not a vacation; it's a language immersion program.
The third essay topic changes from year to year, but they typically discuss a time you were wrong about something in the last 2 years and how you coped with it. Once again, this is a good opportunity to show and not just tell. Instead of regurgitating the question back at the reader, open your essay with a story that will lead into the prompt. By opening with a story, you make your essay much more interesting to read, more unique, and more memorable from the +3000 essays they’re going to be reading.
Here’s part of the essay I wrote this year as an example.
Describe a time in the past two years when your first impression about someone or something was wrong. What did you do and what did you learn from the experience?
“Stepping foot onto the Ringling College of Art and Design campus caused my already low feelings and expectations towards the school to drop further than I would like to admit. Not only was I touring a school with a previous reputation of being a “clown college”, but the campus itself was small, and the buildings were bland compared to those of competing art schools whose pamphlets displayed ostentatious architectural feats. In short: not impressed.”
I’ve established a story, and as you can probably tell, my first impression about the school was wrong. I think this introduction is much more interesting to read than: “My first impressions about the Ringling College of Art and Design campus were wrong because of X, Y, and Z.”
If you're having trouble with word count, then cut back on flowery language, use contractions, and take away filler words. (Instead of "I really want to study Chinese..." just say "I want to study Chinese...") This is not an English paper; it's okay to be blunt to a degree. You want to elaborate on the high points of your essay, but don't add unnecessary details.
Example: I became interested in studying the Chinese language once I realized how fundamentally different it is from English. Romanized languages are easy for English speakers to learn because the writing system is essentially the same. Chinese challenges me to think differently because I'm learning an entirely new system. In turn, I gain a new way to express myself.
This gets the point across without being excessive. What you don't want to do is this:
I like Chinese because I like Chinese characters. Chinese characters are cool because they are words and not letters. When you read a Chinese character, you read a full word. This mean that you cannot sound out a word to figure out how to write it. Chinese uses a stroke order, which means if you write a character out of order, you write it wrong. You have to write "top, bottom, left, right." Chinese also had pinyin, which is the romanized version of Chinese. This is only used for typing though.
You don't have to explain how to write Chinese, or how the language is used per-say. What you want to communicate is why this reason is significant to you.
Essays are probably the main determinate of whether or not you will be a semi-finalist, but again, it's not the only factor. I wouldn't stress too hard about the essays. You should write what you want to write, and you should write in a way that expresses who you are. Don't write something down if you don't genuinely believe it.
INTERVIEW:
Congratulations you semi-finalist you!
So, some time in early December (around December 1st or 2nd), you will be notified whether or not you are a semi-finalist. Unfortunately, there is no guaranteed way to know if you’re a semi-finalist or not since both acceptance and rejection letters are sent out at the same time.
But, if you are a semi-finalist, go you! You now get to partake in an interview.
During your interview, a NSLI-Y volunteer will ask you a series of questions ranging from stuff about your application to how you would handle different situations abroad. You want to sound intellectual here. Once again, show don’t tell.
So you’ve answer the question. Well that’s great, but can you elaborate? Can you give an example?
One of the questions I was asked was about community service, so I told them about the organization I volunteer with every summer and explained how I was able to use my hobbies/passions to help those I was working with.
I think it’s important to backup your claims with a story, because then they know you’re not just sprouting stuff you think they want to hear.
Another thing to remember is that it is okay to brag about yourself!!! You are interviewing to be sent across the world for free, so you better be listing all your positive qualities and achievements. You want to stand out from the other semi-finalist, and in this case, it might call for some humble bragging.
Of course, you don’t want to come off as an asshole, but talk yourself up when prompted. That’s why your there! To talk yourself up.
I actually did a mock college interview at my school and one of the things I got marked down on was “low academic drive” despite taking most honors and AP courses throughout high school. And the reason I got marked down on this was because I just didn’t want to mention the level of the classes I was taking because I thought it would sound off putting to say: “oh yeah, I’ve taken X number of APs!”
If something similar happens to pop up into conversation, mention it!
Brag about yourself a little because you are an awesome person with awesome qualities.
WHERE I THINK I WENT WRONG:
Prior to applying to NSLI-Y, I applied to Tennessee Governor's School for the Art. In order to be selected as a member, all students are required to go through an interview process (you see where I'm going with this?) So, it just so happens that gov. school very rarely accepts rising juniors into the program since they have more opportunities to apply than rising seniors. That being said, I actually got in as a rising junior, AND I got offered a full scholarship.
And thus, I went into my NSLI-Y interview a little cocky. I figured that if I could secure a full ride to gov. school then surely I had NSLI-Y in the bag.
Wrong.
I think I tried too hard to be funny in my interview, and I probably did come off as a little arrogant when talking about my governor's school experience.
Another thing that I think killed my interview is that I hadn't really done any research about NSLI-Y. While I was applying because I absolutely love Chinese, I don't think I focused enough on language immersion and spoke more about touristy things I thought would be fun to do.
Here's a transcript of my biggest mistake and a perfect example of what NOT TO SAY.
Interview: So what are your hobbies?
Me: I really enjoy singing, acting, and filming.
Interview: Okay. Now, what would you do if you couldn't all those things in China? What if they told you you couldn't sing while there.
Me: Well, I can't imagine why I wouldn't be able to sing in China. I guess I could hum to myself. Or go to a karaoke bar with some friends after class.
WHAT WAS I THINKING????
First of all, I completely missed the point of the question: she asked me what I'd do if I couldn't sing in China, and I essentially told her that was a stupid question and gave her reasons why. A more appropriate answer (that I thought of literally months after the interview) is: Well that's okay! I think this would be a great time for cultural immersion and to find a new hobby that I'm really passionate about. It's an opportunity to branch outside my comfort-zone and try something new.
In conclusion:
1. Write strong essays
2. Show don't tell
3. Don't get cocky
4. Do some research about NSLIY
5. Pray (lol jk but really)
Learn from my mistakes.
I wish you all the best of luck in wherever you happen to be in the application process, and if you have questions or want me to look over essays, feel free to contact me!