Concordia recently hosted Liz O’Connell, Dean of International Admissions at the University of Pennsylvania, to lead our 2024 College Boot Camp.

The Bolt spoke with students across High School about the experience.

“The Boot Camp was extremely helpful since I will apply to the US in the future. It gave me a clearer vision and a clearer path on how I should build my resume and what my priorities should be when building my applications for other universities as well. It was a great opportunity to meet a Dean of Admissions from Penn and get perspective from someone who is in the field.” 
- Phuong (G11)

“It was great to have Liz O'Connell because she brought up some things that sometimes students misunderstand - specifically the fact that colleges care more about learning who you are rather than if your grades are perfect.” 
- Luan (G11)

“The College Boot Camp was very helpful to me, especially because I'm a junior. Having a college admissions officer from such a prestigious school come to our school and talk to us, give us tips and tell us about the specific process of applying to universities was really an eye-opening experience.”
- Clara (G11)

“Dean O’Connell’s presentation was fantastic! I think a lot of students don't understand how college applications work in the US, and it's quite helpful to know that universities are a lot more flexible in the US with what you want to do, especially regarding your major. I feel like a lot of US universities want students to explore first and then figure out what you want to do afterwards. So it's great to learn more about the US application process and how universities work there.” 
- Minh (G11)

“After Boot Camp I realized that academic achievement is not the only factor that makes a student application. The most important factor probably is the fit–how the student fits into the university–rather than just grades or standardized testing.”
- Bao Nhi (G12)

“After listening to our speaker this year, I know more about the admissions process and how grades are not the most important factor; SATs aren’t the most important factor either. They care more about your fit with the school and the different activities you participated in throughout High School.” 
- Bao Linh (G12) 

“I learned more about the process overall and how my parents, my counselor, and I play different roles to help me succeed in this process. I also learned about how schools look for their applicants and to see which applicants fit them. I felt overall it gave me a much more detailed insight into what the process is like, and how I should approach it going forward.” 
- Duy (G12)

“The activities we did during the boot camp gave me a deeper understanding of what the admissions process looks like and reassured me that I was on the right track. “
- JaeEun (G12)

“The college boot camp is very helpful because not only can you listen to what the Dean has to say, but you also have an opportunity to ask specific questions. With your parents there as well, they can understand more deeply what it takes during the college admission process and how they may help you guide you through it.”
- Ngoc (G11)

“I learned a lot during the boot camp because we got to listen to authentic information from someone directly involved in the admissions process at a prestigious university. I also felt reassured because she confirmed that by following the High School curriculum at Concordia, we are doing what is necessary to create a strong application.” 
- Panda (G10) 

“I learned a lot about American universities after the Boot Camp. I'm thinking of going to an American university and it really helped me understand the application process.” 
- Sua (G9)

“It was fun and helpful because I got to know the process of applying to universities in America.”
- Phan Anh (G9)

“The Concordia Boot Camp has really opened my eyes to what the college application looks like and has given me a clearer idea of what I need to do now to prepare for the future. Particularly with the Dean of International Admissions of Penn coming, it was much easier to understand coming from a professional herself. It also gave my parents a different understanding of how to help me as well.”
- Luna (G9)

A huge thank you to our Concordia Counseling Department - Mr. Ben Compton, Ms. Michelle Barini, Dr. Cecelia Erasmus, and Ms. Bac Doan - for your time and effort organizing this year’s Boot Camp! 

Learn more about Concordia’s counseling program.