UC Student Scholars

2020-21

UNLOCKING THE FUTURE, PREPARING FOR LIFE AND MORE...

UC Yearbook 2021: What's so different?

Last year was a year marked with uncertainty and chaos. Yet, through it all, UC students and their families have remained resilient. They were hopeful, eager, and with an eye towards the future.

From preparing for college at home to connecting over zoom calls, we were nothing but committed and unstoppable. Together, we steered through anxious times, painted lifelong memories, and indeed became a more tightly knit community.

We want to share with you glimpses from the year gone by with the hope that it encourages you also to follow your dreams.

So, here's to never giving up on yourself. Welcome to our Yearbook 2021- Encore!

Read on. Smile. Share with someone who needs to read this.

STORIES THAT MATTER :)

The Orange team saw more merit in me than I ever did and hence, they pushed me towards achieving goals that I never even dreamt of. For example, when I started looking for colleges, I was only planning for modest institutions. I never imagined that I could get admitted into a university like TU Berlin. Whether it was writing SOPs or preparing for TOEFL, my mentors helped me push my boundaries and outperform my own expectations.

Chaitnya Chopra

University of Petroleum and Energy Sciences, Dehradun | Enrolled for PG Applications CAAS @ UC

Going to TU Berlin, MSc Aerospace Engineering (GERMANY)

The process of college planning can be very agonizing. I can say this from my personal experience and that of my friends. But looking back, there were two important things that I learnt from it. First, never go for only the big, famous colleges. Instead, research and find out which college and which programme is right for you. Second, it is okay to doubt yourself sometimes. Don't be discouraged. Just put in the work and trust that everything will work out in the end.

I am extremely thankful to UC for helping me realize my dream. I believe the most special thing about UC is that they make everyone feel very special and capable of accomplishing wonders. All my mentors were very encouraging and always ready to help. They understood me really well and therefore, their advice was accurate and always welcome.

My advice for students planning to go to college -

"Do not follow the herd."

CHAITNYA - ON THE CHARIOT OF TECHNOLOGY!

While applying for universities in India, I struggled with interviews. While working with UC I discovered how important it is to be authentic and be true to your values at any point in your life. I gained a greater level of confidence and optimism.

NAYANTARA - FINDING HER NORTH STAR!

Total Scholarship £15,000

Nayantara Bora

OP Jindal Global Law School, Sonipat | Enrolled for Liberal Arts CAAS at UC.

Going to University College Utrecht, Liberal Arts (NETHERLANDS)

Got offers from University of Leeds, Durham, Dundee, Maastricht, Utrecht, Birmingham, Nottingham, and Bard College Berlin

College planning to me means considering my financial situation, the unique culture/atmosphere at a university, the country itself, my course of choice, the city, accommodation, etc.

My journey with my counselor has been perfect. I've had a wonderful time working with her. She helped me with everything from the start. Everything was organized so well and I had a clear list of tasks that I needed to complete. She was also very patient with me as I was also studying in law school at the time. She was immensely helpful while I wrote my essays and provided a lot of constructive feedback. She also helped me with the training I needed while appearing for TOEFL and the interviews. She also offered adequate encouragement and support when I needed it. It was wonderful working with her.

My advice to students planning for college- "Listen to yourself. Try not to give in to external pressure or expectations coming from society or family. Have faith in your instincts and decisions. Go after what you want. It gives an indescribable amount of satisfaction to see your independent aspiration come to life after you've put in the work and dedication."

I learned that I have a very clear interest in my life - technology. I can talk about it endlessly and it motivates me to write great essays. This interest was evident with every passing session and it is my clear strength. UC helped me identify my strengths and work around them. This way I never felt like I was doing any "work". They hence made the EC process really enjoyable and insightful.

SAMARTH - GEEKDOM OF DREAMS!

Total Scholarship: $18,000

Samarth Ghai

Shri Ram School, Aravali| Enrolled for 2 Years CAAS at UC.

Going to UC Berkeley, College of Letters and Science (USA)

Got offers from University of Toronto, University of Waterloo, University of British Columbia, UW Madison, University of Manchester, University College London

College Plannning means finding out about your passions, the right colleges for you, planning out essays, getting insight from others, finding out about your course and the faculty, meeting alumni and compiling large sets of data. This has been a long and crucial journey for me and my family and I'm glad about the way it went and ended.

My Orange Counselor made my life way easier. They helped me with planning out my months from testing to extracurriculars to helping me gain connections to editing my essays to compiling long lists of colleges to reviewing my applications and just providing general guidance and advice to make this process way easier. They also constantly motivated me and interacted with me and were really easy to reach out to.

My advice to students planning for college- "This process can be really daunting and can stress you out a lot. Yes, there will be acceptances but there will also be rejections. So don't let the rejections determine your self-worth. Keep calm and trust the process."

I cannot pinpoint any ONE thing that I’ve discovered about myself, but I feel like I’ve definitely learnt to accept constructive criticism, have figured out effective methods of in-depth research, and incidentally realised that I’m really really good at writing emails haha!

NANDINI - THE WRITING LIZARD..OOPS, I MEAN WIZARD

Total Scholarship: $125000

Nandini Narula

Isha Home School, Coimbatore | Enrolled for 4 Years CAAS at UC.

Going to Marist College, Psychology (USA)

Got offers from University of British Columbia, University of Toronto, University of Waterloo, York University, Marist College, Ithaca College, University of Leeds, Berklee College of Music, Newcastle University, Wheaton College.

College to me has always been a stepping stone of life that I’ve looked forward to. Though my idea of a ‘perfect’ college varied from seeking ranks to choosing what’s a better fit for me, I feel like the whole process of college research, brainstorming on and writing essays, going through five-plus drafts before submission, and finally committing to a college and connecting with my classmates via social media, all have ingrained in me an understanding that has helped me grow, and ‘be more.’ I had a very tough time deciding on my final choice, taking into consideration all the scholarships, opportunities involved, and course selections, but I’m glad I had University Connection to clear my confusions and help me out wherever, and whenever I needed :)

From filling in details on complex portals, locating un-locatable email IDs, connecting me to India representatives of colleges, suggesting TV series related to the culture of my college choices, sending thought-provoking articles, and even adding ‘humour’ to the conversation when she saw me tense. My Orange Counsellor has been instrumental in my college journey, and I’m very veryyyy thankful :)

My advice to students planning for college- "Don’t fake it on your essays, you get only one shot to open doors to a place that you’ll thrive in. You’re not proving yourself to the college, you’re showing yourself how much you’re capable of."

My Orange Counselor guided me and helped me narrow down the passions I would like to pursue in college and also provided me invaluable support in the college planning process. Most importantly, my counselor was there with me every step of the way on this challenging and emotional journey towards choosing the right college for myself.

Mahima Rao

Shri Ram School, Moulsari | Enrolled for 2 Years CAAS at UC.

Going to University of Toronto, Co-op arts: Humanities, Social Sciences (CANADA)

Got offers from Bryn Mawr College, UC Irvine, UC San Diego, Smith Colllege, Durham, University of Leeds, King's College, Exeter, Ashoka University, McMaster

College planning involved intense research into various countries and universities and lengthy talks to ensure that I ended up in the place that fit me the best.

I discovered my true passion while I was with University Connection. I received the best guidance and reassurance that helped me realise that pursuing my dream wasn’t so far-fetched and it gave me the courage to ultimately choose to pursue a proper liberal arts higher education.

MAHIMA - WHERE THE MIND IS WITHOUT FEAR!

Besides all the knowledge of the Universities, I feel I now truly understand what I really want to pursue. I know students, who just think they want to pursue a Commerce or a Science degree and just go where the degree takes them. I feel I have now set my goals which I look forward to achieving through my degree, which I think my college planning has helped me with.

ATHARVAN - ON THE RISE!

Total Scholarship: $5,000

Atharvan Anand

Springdales School, Pusa Road | Enrolled for 2 Years CAAS at UC.

Going to McMaster, Business (CANADA)

Got offers from University of British Columbia, Calgary, York University and Simon Fraser University

During the Essay writing stage of my college planning, I had not even realised I had participated in so many extracurriculars. I always thought it was just one activity that I had participated in throughout school, but on the contrary, I was able to write and explain many other things as well. I was initially very anxious about the offers, but once I was finished with all the essays and documentations, I was extremely hopeful and was satisfied with my achievements and accolades. Apart from this, I found it integral to do my own research as well, because in the end, I would be the one making the main decision of choosing my subject and university, and good research helps me putting a step in the right direction.

Ragini Ma'am was not just a mentor to me, but a great friend as well. She has helped me throughout this tough journey and year. I feel she has guided me to the best option every time in tough situations. Every time I had questions and was doubtful about something, I would always try to reach out to her, as I knew she would always be there to lend a helping hand. She has always motivated me by having discussions and guided me to the right path by suggesting the best option to proceed, which seems to have paid off. She also assisted me in writing my essays, by helping me with opinions, and letting me know where I could improve whilst also pointing where I could do better. She was always hopeful, even when I was anxious and stressed at times, which I now realise. She has helped me throughout and has helped immensely to ease the tedious process.

My Orange Counselor helped me in filling college applications, editing college essays, direction regarding what to write and practice for interviews, narrow down my options for college, giving me a complete overview of the field and a certain college.

I would like to thank everyone for helping me throughout this journey.

JAPJOT - ALWAYS COLOURFUL & VIBRANT!

Total Scholarship: $2,000 & £ 6,163

Japjot Malhotra

Isha Home School, Coimbatore | Enrolled for 1 Year CAAS at UC.

Got offers from University of Leeds, Loughborough University, University of Manchester, University of Waterloo, York University, Christ University (Bangalore Campus), Flame University

College Planning means researching about how the course is structured and the college reputation, financing and scholarship offers, location and the social group present in a college, alumni research and future prospects after educational degree.

I learnt many hidden layers that added to my interest in Psychology and writing my college essays helped me formulate my thoughts and feelings for the field. I had the chance to challenge my time management skills because I was late for my college applications amid the time of board exam ambiguity. My speaking skills improved due to all the interview and IELTS practice. I was glad that this time I could put down my strengths, weaknesses and get a bird's eye view of my personality and how I am as a person. Collating my activities over the years will have many benefits in the future because all are in one place. I learnt about what all to do and look for when thinking about college and in the future, I would for sure recommend University Connection to students who require help. It was a smooth journey because of UC and I am thankful to everyone who has helped me.

My Orange Counselor helped me with EVERYTHING.

Aditya Soni

Isha Home School, Coimbatore | Enrolled for 1 Year CAAS at UC.

Got offers from McMaster, University of Waterloo, California State University- Los Angeles & Long Beach, De Paul University

For me College planning involves much more than filling out forms, taking standardized tests, and asking teachers for recommendation letters. The process requires self-reflection and spending time looking at public and private colleges, online learning, and other forms of higher education that you may not have considered previously.

My advice to students planning for college - "Start early"

ADITYA - SOLO SOLUTIONS!

Total Scholarship: $80,000

I am really happy with the service that I was provided with. There are no flaws in my experience with University Connection.

Bharat Kumar Aggarwal

OP Jindal, Sonipat | Enrolled for PG Applications CAAS at UC.

Going to Westminster, MSc in Finance (UK)

Got an offer from Queen Mary University of London and University of Warwick

Planning for college and coming to a decision to do my master's in London was not an easy task, especially due to COVID. But getting in touch with my Counselor was always easy as she was available all the time and always helped me out with the entire application process.

My advice to college students planning for college- "Start early, do your research and build on your academic strengths."

BHARAT - BUDDING BUSINESSMAN!

From selecting my destination to finally getting offers from the universities I dreamt of going into, I have discovered a lot about myself, learned about working hard at myfull potential to get quality work, and helped me socialize. I’d like to thank UC for all their efforts in helping me achieve all that I had aspired to and more, especially they encouraged me not to lose hope. It was a rollercoaster ride for me and I am glad that UC for this ride as I knew they will be there in my ups and downs, always supporting me. Once you enroll in UC, it becomes part of your family which does not have a fixed timeframe in your life.

The Orange team in the first month itself conducted aptitude and SWOT tests to help me prioritise between my hobbies and passion, and help building my profile so that my application could become strong.

My mom believes that the journey with the team at UC has been one of mutual trust and support. She was most satisfied with the way the team went forward at every step of the application. Overall, she believes that this partnership was successful, and she wishes the team the very best for the future.

Chittesh Kumar

Amity International School, Saket | Enrolled for 2 Years CAAS at UC.

Going to University of Manchester, Engineering (UK)

Got offers from University of Sheffield and University of York

College planning was the most crucial aspect of acquiring my dream and get into my dream school. With the correct guidance, I was able to gain confidence to apply abroad and deal with the tiring process which was extremely addicting. And this experience wouldn’t have been possible had I not chosen to apply abroad and work with UC. Looking back to the journey with UC, it seems unreal doing several things to strengthening and developing me as an individual. Charushilla ma’am helped in knowing the essence of writing essays and personal statement. Spending few weeks on writing my SOP was probably still the most strenuous as that required introspection and answers to questions I would’ve probably never thought of otherwise. The college process has led me to immense self-awareness and self-development, and that’s what made it so important to me.

I was completely unaware of the procedure and hard work that goes into figuring out my college which was simplified to quite an extent by Sahiba ma’am and people at UC. Sahiba ma’am with her reminders and deadlines always helped me push boundaries and get the work done, but what I liked best was just how approachable she was, calling her to discuss my doubts was just like calling a friend. She was the source of motivation and a voice of reason in the midst of heaps of confusion for me. It’s wonderful to have such a cooperative team of UC and Charu ma’am who were always eager to help me out. Widgets like CIALFO helped me organising my documents and making the process easier.

CHITTESH - THE COMPUTER MAESTRO!

Total Scholarship: £2,000

Don’t stop thinking about tomorrow, it will be here soon.

Venkatesh Rao

GD Goenka Public School, Gurgaon | Enrolled for 2 Years CAAS at UC.

A Business Mangement aspirant. Got offers from University of Arizona, California State University - Long Beach, San Francisco, Lynn University, De Paul University.

VENKATESH - YOUNG CHANGEMAKER

Total Scholarship: $92,000

Tanya Sanghi

Northeastern University, USA | Enrolled for PG Applications CAAS @ UC

Going to University of Warwick, UK : Masters in Psychology and Education. Other offers from University of Bath and University of Nottingham.

TANYA - THE NEXT BEST THING!

Swati Yadav

Enrolled for PG Applications CAAS @ UC

A Digital Marketing and Management aspirant. Going to ESCP, Madrid. Other offers from GISMA, Grenoble School of Management, City University, and Coventry University.

SWATI - STILL I RISE!

"Striving to be the “third parent”, “mentor", “friend” is easier said than done. Especially when we are physically distanced through restrictive scenarios. The last year became a period of self-discovery and motivation that came sometimes from the student and sometimes from a team that was just not ready to say, that's it. We were on a roll - finding experiences and opportunities for our students and stretching the boundaries of our own mind! What a journey..."

Charushilla (Key Mentor, UC)

NEVER SAY NEVER!

"Understanding the plight of students' mental and emotional well-being is of utmost importance, especially in today's time. A mentoring relationship is a very personal one as you get to know your student beyond just academics. I feel very lucky to have worked with some of the brightest minds at work. Here's to being a learner, always. :)"

Ragini Dangwal - The Research Counselor who's always answering student concerns at odd hours every day

RAGINI-METHOD OVER MADNESS!

The Orange Team

The team that makes it all possible!

We are blessed to have a team that believes in dreams and also a team that believes every student is uniquely poised to achieve those dreams.

"Is a counselor a person who guides you professionally.....not really! A counselor at University Connection is someone who is standing by you all the time and in all circumstances. :) This year, I've seen it all - students falling in grades, dipping in self-esteem, losing someone close to them, feeling lost. I realised that I needed to be the reason for their smiles, I needed to remind them of their purpose and goals and I needed to make sure that they continued to be on the right track! Thank you students for not only listening but also making me believe that I have superpowers to transform."

Komal Singh (Student Admission Manager, UC)

KOMAL - FOREVER SMILING & EFFERVESCENT!

"I know that UC is the place where I can make a difference to the lives of students in school and college. It gives me opportunities to reflect on goals and plan milestones unique to every student and frankly, moving fervently on those milestones, gives me purpose too."
Anisha Kaur (Admissions and Research Team, UC)

ANISHA - REINVENTING PSYCHOLOGY!

A big thank you to the support team of freelance teachers and trainers, tech experts, web developers, accountants and investors & partners who help us in so many ways - we really value your presence!

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