You’ve decided you want to experience everything exchange has to offer – no matter where you go, submitted your application and now it’s time to go through the final stage: THE PRESENTATION (and group activity). Trust me, as someone who went through the entire exchange application  process, had the best five months OF her entire life (yes, at 21 I consider exchange the best time of my life), and now having graduated from Schulich, I can promise you with absolute  confidence that the presentation is definitely something to take seriously……just not to  sweat over.

My name is Laura Kong (iBBA) and I completed an extraordinarily exciting  semester at EDHEC Business School (For Talented People; if you go there, you’ll  understand…) in Lille, France and I’m here to serve as your guide.

Don’t stress yourselves out over the presentation; it’s nothing like going through a job interview for internships at one the “Big 4” or TD Securities.  This is a presentation about YOU and why you’re the most deserving to be paired with one of your school choices.  With that said, you can look at this opportunity as a second chance (if you’re  not very proud of your application, the second phase of the evaluation process carries quite a bit of weight) and/or if you’re confident in your written answers, it’s a chance to secure you’re position on the question: Why you??

I know it’s already a busy time of year (as it always is) so I’m going to break it down into my Top 10 Dos and Don’t list. Alright, allons-y!

  1. DO prepare to answer: Why you and what you’ll bring to any school you’re matched to.
  2. DO NOT generalize, be specific. Be sure to talk about the reasons for choosing the schools you applied to and not about the country in general (this applies to those countries that have many of our exchange partners).
  3. DO review your written application to refresh yourself on why you want to go to your chosen schools (aka what makes you special).
  4. DO NOT show up late.
  5. DO incorporate creativity.  The committee will hear and see over 150 presentations.  Set yourself apart from the pack.
  6. DO be sensitive to your peers during the group activity.
  7. DO show enthusiasm, excitement and passion for going on exchange anywhere in the world!
  8. DO NOT discuss rankings (I strongly believe that this won’t help you).
  9. DO back up your claims. For example, if you chose a school in France and give “fashion” as the reason for wanting to go, make sure make sure you can support the fact that you’re actually into fashion. This means dressing à la mode (dressing well), demonstrating that you’re committed to fashion through participating in a club or writing a fashion blog — basically providing something concrete. Saying that you read any of the many fashion magazines won’t cut it. Désolée!
  10. BE YOURSELF, this is actually a cliché but it’s an acceptable cliché because this experience is after all, about you.

I hope you found these tips useful. There’s nothing to worry about, so go into the presentation feeling confident. You’re half way there!

Bonne Chance – Good luck!

-Laura Kong (iBBA ’12)