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There are two groups of students whom AED/BDTP places.
One group of students is sponsored by the Ministry of Education (MOE)
to pursue undergraduate degrees, and many are transfer students from the
University of Botswana. The second group of students are generally civil
servants who pursue both graduate and undergraduate degrees. These students
are selected by individual Ministries of the central government and administered
by the Directorate of Public Service Management (DPSM) (for more see Structure
of Central Government).
AED/BDTP's role in the placement process is to ensure
that students are placed in the most suitable programs possible for achieving
the specific training objectives established by the student and sponsoring
ministry. To achieve this, BDTP's Placement Specialist plays a major role
in helping students select appropriate universities for application (See
Elements of Consideration For Placement below).
The Placement Specialist also works closely with university admissions
officers, international student advisors and faculty to provide all necessary
credentials and other information needed for admission decisions. Through
AED's Botswana office, students and appropriate ministries receive up-to-date
information on each placement and help students make their final selection
of the university to attend.
Placement is usually done twice a year, once for the Fall
term and once for the Spring term, with a few additional placements scattered
throughout the year. The process begins once AED/BDTP receives a list
of students' names and the respective degrees/majors each will pursue.
Usually, the academic credentials arrive shortly thereafter.
Student credentials contain the following materials:
- Biodata form
- usually two pages; gives a summary of the student's biographical/academic
info and training objectives.
- Student essay
- a general statement about the student's interest in a particular area
of study.
- Secondary School (High School) Transcripts
- student provides transcripts from Junior and Senior Secondary Schools
showing the Junior Certificate, the Cambridge GCSE, or O-Level Certificate
awarded. In addition, some students may also have earned A-Level Certificates.
- Post-Secondary School (College)
Transcripts - For first-time graduate applicants
and transfer students, transcripts from the University of Botswana or
an American college/university are included. Occasionally, a transcript
will be provided from a British university. Transcripts from the University
of Botswana will be accompanied by a grading translation guide sheet.
- Three recommendation letters
- For undergraduate applicants, these will usually be from professors,
while graduate school applicants tend to obtain letters from employers/supervisors.
- Standardized test scores
(SAT, TOEFL, GRE, GMAT, etc.) - If Educational Testing Services (ETS)
does not send AED's copy in time to be included in the credentials packet,
the Placement Specialist will mail the test score(s) under separate
cover as soon as they are received.
- Student's Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- This is usually included for trainees pursuing graduate studies or
older trainees.
- University
of Botswana Grade Equivalents - For transfer students from
the University of Botswana. This provides an explanation of the grade
equivalents for the U.S. grading system and the University of Botswana.
The Placement Specialist will complete applications for
each student. Since students are applied to as many as five (5) universities
each, it is necessary for the Placement Specialist to send copies of the
credentials packet certified as authentic with an AED seal, signature
and date. The original credentials packet remains in the student's AED
file. All application materials are mailed via overnight mail to ensure
delivery. Once admission decisions are received, the Placement Specialist
submits a Placement Recommendation Memo to the student and sponsoring
ministry for their final decision. AED will inform universities of students'
choices.
What are students sponsored by the Botswana government
looking for when choosing a university? There are a number of important
elements that BDTP, the Botswana government, and the student consider
when placing a student.
- Quality of the Program -
Since students are sponsored to pursue degrees/majors that will meet
explicit training objectives, it is imperative that the university offers
the specific degree for which the student is sponsored and that the
degree has enough specific courses for the student to achieve training
goals.
- Tuition and Fees/ Cost of Living
in the Area - In the government's effort to maximize every dollar
spent sending students overseas and since students are on a loan/grant
scheme and will have to pay back to the government a portion of the
costs incurred, the university's tuition and fees and living expenses
are an important consideration.
- Cost-sharing/tuition reduction
- Because the cost of higher education in the United States is expensive,
especially compared to other parts of the world where Botswana sponsors
students, the government favors American schools willing to offer cost
reductions.
- Receptivity of schools to developing
a working relationship with AED -(i.e., providing information
on students' academic progress and personal/social adjustment, alerting
AED to any problems, etc.) - AED has students sign medical and grade
release forms, and in addition, expects to be notified of any circumstances
that interfere with a student's ability to meet the conditions of their
sponsorship.(See Scholarship Guidelines)
- Academic Support - To ensure
that students receive the necessary assistance to develop in their programs,
the university's facilities, such as Academic Advising Center, Writing
and Tutoring Centers, Computer Labs, and other facilities appropriate
to the student's major (i.e. campus radio/TV stations) are taken into
account.
- Housing - Undergraduate students
are required to live on-campus for the first year of study, if such
housing is available. For graduate students, we work closely with schools
to identify other satisfactory housing alternatives.
- Transportation - Students
on the program are discouraged from owning a car so another important
consideration is the transportation offered by the community and the
university. There should be public transportation to allow students
to buy groceries, visit the bank and other appropriate offices if unable
to travel by foot.
- Community response to international
students - Students are in the U.S. to develop as scholars, but
also to develop as individuals and broaden their life experiences. Communities
that respond positively to international students can enrich a student's
experience, provide a positive learning and social environment, and
help to produce a well-rounded individual.
- Personal Preference - If
more than one school/program meets the above criteria, then the student
makes a choice based on personal preferences (i.e., climate, size of
school, friends or other Botswana nationals at the school, etc.)
All admissions correspondence (including admission decision
letters, visa documents, orientation materials, etc.) and any questions
should be directed to:
Charmaine Davies-Woolard
Project Director
AED-BDTP
1825 Connecticut Avenue, 10th floor
Washington, DC 20009
(202) 884-8493
cwoolard@aed.org
Please do not send admission materials to the student's
address in Botswana.
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©
2001 Academy for Educational Development