Application season...

Every year, we see a similar pattern - applications to the ITFD program start slow in November, and then pick up from December onwards. Compared to this time last year, application numbers are up 37%, which is encouraging. What is most striking is that the quality seems to vary a lot by date of application, with really good students often applying early. We process applications until the programme is full, and urge everyone to apply as early as they can - and before the end of March if possible. Scholarships are filled periodically until they are gone, so for our applicants who need some funding, applying early is a good idea, too. So if you are thinking of ITFD, maybe the right thing to do is to sit down with a good cup of tea over the holidays, fill in the forms and write the statement of purpose (yes, we do read them, and they do matter!), and give it a shot.

applications...

Was it just yesterday that we finished admitting students for the class of 09-10? And here we are again, looking at the first hopeful applicants for 2010-11. Of course, it's still early days, but having 7 applicants already in the second week of December is a pretty good start. Here, I have used a small travel map generator to highlight the countries on the globe from which we have received applications already. So far, I like what I see. Since financial aid decisions are based on merit, and we allocate by late March, it's a good idea for anyone thinking of applying to ITFD to get their paperwork in early...