Student Highlight: Michael Cho from South Korea
One of our remarkable Amerigo Student Ambassadors, Michael Cho from Amerigo Twin Cities Campus, has received fantastic news from his first choice, Boston University! Michael received his acceptance letter and will become a proud member of Boston University’s College of Communications.
Getting into the dream university
Boston University is one of the finest teaching and research institutions in the world, and home to extraordinary scholars, from more than 100 countries, who share the desire to lead in a global society. Michael has applied to Boston University College of Communications as his first choice because it is one of the oldest public relations schools in the United States. The programs offer a variety of programs in Media and Journalism, which Michael finds it most intriguing and fitting to his future outlook.
In addition to Boston University, Michael also applied for early admissions to University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign, and University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. With a well-prepared and an impressive college application, it is no surprise that Michael was also accepted to the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. Michael’s other top 10 desired universities included the University of Washington, Pennsylvania State University, University of California-Los Angeles, University of California San Diego, and University of California Irvine. At the end, based on his passion for Communications, Michael gladly accepted the offer from Boston University.
A 4-year journey to prepare for college application
In order to best assist our Senior students, Amerigo offers a unique, four-year University Advantage Program designed to enhance students’ competitiveness as they apply to top U.S. universities. Upon arrival at their Amerigo campus, students are assigned to a dedicated Amerigo University Guidance Advisor who works with them to build their exposure to U.S. universities and assists with all aspects of the university planning and application process.
In his Junior year, Michael recalls how Amerigo supported him to develop his English skills in reading, speaking, listening and especially writing. He received lots of support from ARC (Academic Reading and Composition) class, an English Language Learning class conducted by Amerigo, where he was able to improve on his writing and vocabulary skills with helpful feedback from his teachers. The structured ELL curriculum and English language assessment tests from Amerigo also allowed Michael to monitor his own English level and to set goals to advance to a higher level.
One of the main components of a student’s college application is the college essay, or a personal statement that allows university admissions officers get to know a student’s personality, highlights, and future potential. Michael mentions that both his Student Support Counselor (SSC) Ms. Gretchen and University Advisor at the Amerigo Twin Cities campus provided valuable feedback on his college essays. Student Support Counselor Ms. Gretchen and Michael would meet frequently to revise and edit his essays.
One of the useful tips Michael offers to his fellow Amerigo friends is that it is important for them to become more well-rounded and diverse in developing their personal interests or talents.
“I believe that though academic performance is important, it is equally crucial for students to take advantage of the extracurricular activities offered in school or on the Amerigo campus.”
Students should pursue topics of interest to them, whether it is related to arts, (theater, drawing, photography) games (chess, cards), or even subject-related such as Math Club. The key to success is to make sure every student can balance his or her work-life schedule. Michael believes it is important to make sure a college application reflects both the passionate and the academic side of a student. There are also other extracurricular activities students can get involved in if not student clubs, Michael mentions there are many community service, volunteer, internship, work or research opportunities for students to explore and participate in. No matter what students choose, it is critical that their college application shows dedication and passion in the activities they choose to be in.
A memorable high school experience
Michael is so happy and satisfied with his overall study aboard experience that he shares his love for his school Cretin-Derham Hall. He mentions that CDH offers its students a variety of courses on top of the regular subjects. For example, Michael is able to further his interest in Communications by taking classes such as International Relations and Writing Studio, which he is currently taking. He says it is these classes that made him realize that learning can actually be fun and interesting, and that makes him want to learn more.
Overall, Michael describes his Amerigo years at Twin Cities as incredible and unforgettable. He says he would have regretted it had he not decided to join Amerigo. He began his Amerigo journey since he was a Junior (Grade 11) at Cretin-Derham Hall. With the support from Amerigo, he was able to not only improve his academic performance, he had the opportunity to experience in-depth of the American culture and achieve his academic dream.
Learn more about Amerigo Twin Cities and how to apply here!
