Are you good enough for a top-tier university? Yes, you are!
Photographs: iStock
Text: Skyler Bentley Hall
This year I had the privilege of participating at the Nordic Study Abroad Community Conference in the heart of Copenhagen, meeting over 120 Scandinavian students who aspire to study abroad. NSAC is a non-profit student organisation whose sole purpose is to inspire like-minded students about university studies in the US, UK, Canada, Europe, Australia, Asia and the Middle East. The destinations and possibilities are endless.
Global destinations
Fifteen international universities were represented with a full day of presentations for students to enjoy, including Bocconi, ETH Zurich, Imperial, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, McGill, SciencesPo, St. Gallen, University College London, UBC, and many more. In addition, participants had the chance to connect with university admissions while interacting with students studying outside Denmark. Representatives from Project Access, Fulbright Denmark and Danish Students Abroad also offered tips to assist students with their academic journey. This inspiring event was organised by NSAC President Lasse Frank Voss and impressively dedicated and enthusiastic university students.
NSAC alumni
Adding a personal touch, NSAC Alumni Jørn Emborg shared his insights. “Studying abroad opens up a door to the world, broadens one’s range of experiences, and can simply make for a more interesting life.” Jørn studied Engineering at the University of Cambridge, followed by two years at Yale University. Together with another Danish Cambridge Alumni, Jørn founded the Biotech-IT startup, BioLib.
"We were happy to participate in this year’s NSAC conference and meet Scandinavian students who were eager to learn about the global study opportunities NYU offers. The questions and comments we heard from students showed that learning about other cultures and having a global mindset is probably more needed in today’s world than ever before." - Zsuzsanna Kovacs, Outreach Officer, NYU Abu Dhabi
Believe in yourself
Making a guest appearance was a Diplomat from the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Klara Christensen. Klara is currently raising awareness about global climate conditions, she has strong beliefs about gender equality, and she makes great efforts to promote LGBT+ rights. Klara was an inspiration for these eager Nordic students, highlighting international studies at Oxford, Barnard College, London School of Economics and the University of Copenhagen, where she is now also teaching a course on Climate Diplomacy. “Often, the biggest obstacle for fulfilling our dreams is that most of us don’t believe enough in ourselves. It sounds cheesy, but I really think that’s a crucial component of success. And remember – the road is often full of detours and mishaps. I’ve applied for a thousand things that didn’t go through; you just need to keep going.”
International admissions
I also had the pleasure of collaborating with NYU Abu Dhabi to host a UK versus US Admissions presentation. Students were informed about the difference in admissions procedures, including the Common Application Essay, UCAS Personal Statement, recommendation letters, financial aid, and numerous other tips when preparing a profile that stands out. Navigating university admissions can be complex, but we hoped to simplify matters with a few quick tips. Again, the inquisitive nature of the participants was impressive. Overall a thoroughly enjoyable experience, and kudos to the NSAC team for a job well done!