How UAE students should build university profile, think beyond grades
Academic distinction is still high on the priority list for thousands of UAE students targeting top US universities.
But education experts said that grades alone are no longer an indicator of a strong application. What matters more and more is the narrative of those grades — the profile a student develops over time.
It’s about practicing what matters, deliberately and consistently, long before the application season starts.
People are changing, and conversations with admissions teams reflect that — says Nazia Hasmi Ahmad, Educational Consultant at Eye on Ivy.
Reflecting on a conversation she had with the admissions team at New York University Abu Dhabi, she said there is increased scrutiny around predicted scores. “There’s so much grade inflation these days … that it’s impossible to rely on just that” for admission, she said. “Higher education admissions in the U.S… have been shifting toward more holistic models. So grades and the SATs are just one piece of who you are as a student that they want to admit.”
She points out, also building a profile has been the distinguishing factor.
From activities to impact
The response from many high-achieving students in the UAE is to sign up for as many extracurriculars as they can. But Ahmad cautions that this “scattergun” approach might be counterproductive.
“If you’re doing tennis and piano and volunteering at a hospital… as well as planning a pet rescue shelter and debating competitions, you’re scattering yourself,” she said, adding that this leads to “a scattered story which just becomes more performative… rather than something that is showing in depth.”
What universities want, instead, are aligns and measurable impact. “The extracurriculars you’ve done … actually support the major that you’re applying for,” she said. “They want to see what measurable impact you have made in your major that you’re applying for.”
A student interested in engineering would gain more from engaging in robotics competitions, internships or research than shorter-term unrelated pursuits.
Quality, consistency and leadership trump sheer volume.
The power of relationships
Profile building isn’t just what students have done — but who can attest to their efforts.
Ahmad has found that many students come to his firm in Grade 11 with plans to apply only to realise they never developed genuine relationships with teachers or mentors.
“When it’s time to write the letters of recommendation, they really struggle,” she said. “If you’re coming to a teacher out of nowhere and saying you need to write my letter … and she has two weeks, that’s not really going to have that big of an impact.”
Great letters of recommendation come in the context of sustained engagement. “We want students to have really good relationships with the mentors because those are the people who will be writing your letters of recommendation,” she continued.
Telling your story
Building a profile is ultimately about narrative.
“What these activities are saying to the university beyond grades and beyond your SATs is who you are as a person,” Ahmad said. “What are your values? What did you learn … and how will you apply it?”
Students who lack that foundation typically find essays a tough task. We have students saying, ‘I’m really good at math, and I love video gaming.’ It’s not the kind of thing you can write a number of essays about,” she said, emphasizing that deep experience cannot be manufactured at 11:59 p.m. “If you’re not doing the planning … you can’t do that at the very last stretch.”
US applications, she says, are layered. Grades comprise about 60 per cent of a profile, and extracurricular activities, essays and recommendation letters the other 40 per cent — all tightly correlated.
“Your essays, your letters of recommendation — they’re all built off of your extracurriculars,” she said. “It’s layers upon layers… telling your story, your narrative.”
Start early, use breaks wisely
This early planning is essential for families in UAE. Ahmad recommends students start refining their intended field as early as Grade 9.
“You have to really have a good sense of what field that you plan on pursuing,” she said. For those on the fence, psychometric tests can be useful, he said, adding that “a lot of interesting things come out of the psychometric test as well.”
Ideally, volunteering will align with academic interests as well to provide a cohesive profile.
Her most practical advice has to do with school holidays — which many view as downtime. “Winter break and summer break… should not just be holidaying,” she said. “At that time, it’s your time where you can actually do something. Once you enter the universities, “you can take a holiday.
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