The university doesn’t have a revolving door policy that allows virtually everyone in, but they do their best to be very welcoming to qualified. It is this welcoming attitude that quickens the students’ entry and returns back to their careers that continues to draw more people in. Universities that were built out of visionary leadership and a mission like this are the bedrock of continued progress in the sphere of education on the continent. It is this continued improvement that the founder of Ashesi University hopes to foster. A dream that is progressively being met. This article is about Ashesi University, its admission, requirements, tuition and other things you need to know.
Ashesi University
Ashesi, which means “beginning” in Fante (a native Ghanaian language) as in Ashesi University was given life after Ashesi’s founder, Patrick Awuah, first read Goethe’s words at a time when he was still questioning the wisdom of undertaking such an ambitious project. Those words “If there is anything you can do or dream you can begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now” encouraged Awuah as he began by undertaking a feasibility study of his idea. Clarifying the risks and issues at hand helped Awuah shed his reservations until one day he realized that he had lost his hesitation and had become very committed to this project. He told himself, “This really is the beginning!”
History of Ashesi University
Ashesi was founded by Patrick Awuah, a Ghanaian who has spent over 15 years living and working in the United States. Awuah left Ghana in 1985 to attend Swarthmore College on a full scholarship, after which he worked for Microsoft Corporation as an engineer and a program manager for eight years. Experiencing firsthand the dramatic impact that education can have on one’s life, Awuah embarked on a mission in 1997 to provide greater educational opportunities in Ghana. He enrolled in business school at the University of California at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, both to evaluate the feasibility of his goal and to gain a broader range of managerial skills with which to found and manage a university.
A little about the founder of Ashesi University
Awuah grew up in Accra, Ghana. He attended the Achimota School where he was a house prefect. He moved to the U.S. in 1985 to attend Swarthmore College with a full scholarship. He earned bachelor’s degrees in Engineering and Economics, graduating in 1989. Following graduation, Awuah worked as a software engineer and program manager for Microsoft from 1989 to 1997. At Microsoft, he met his future wife, software testing engineer Rebecca Awuah. In 1997, Awuah left Microsoft with the goal of returning to Ghana to educate the next generation of African leaders. He enrolled at the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley, focusing his work on preparing a business plan for Ashesi. Awuah, Nina Marini, and other graduate students from Berkeley went to Ghana to do a feasibility study for opening a private university there. Awuah graduated with his MBA in 1999. That same year, he moved back to Ghana with his family to found Ashesi University. Awuah continues to serve as the president of Ashesi University. In 2015, Awuah was listed by Fortune as number 40 in world’s 50 greatest leaders and was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship. In 2017, Awuah was awarded the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) prize, a major global education award.
Understanding the need for Ashesi University
The quest to get universities like Ashesi University set up is a humanitarian one as well as an economic one. In a country like Ghana whose population has doubled within just three decades, from 14.2 million people in 1989 to 28.8 million in 2017 (World Bank). At 2.5 percent, the present population growth rate in Ghana is far above the global average. The country is gaining another 700,000 to 800,000 people each year—a trend described as “alarming” by some observers. This means that the few opportunities that were available to the population as it were will continue to be depleted for quite some time. With that understanding the mindset shifts from one of financial reward to that of impact. With leaders contributing what they can to help, especially in the area of education, there are gaps that more universities like Ashesi can fill. With the little that has been done, Ghanaian children now attend school at higher rates than their counterparts in many other African countries, as well as in developing nations in other world regions. While more than 84 percent of children participated in elementary education in 2017, the gross enrollment rate (GER) in secondary education increased from 57 percent in 2012 to 73 percent in 2017, compared with 42 percent in Nigeria, 45.5 percent in Pakistan, and 65 percent in Jordan. Education spending in Ghana has been high in recent years, even though public expenditures on education recently dropped from a record peak of 8 percent of GDP in 2011 to 4.5 percent of GDP in 2017. In education, significant problems persist in the form of critical shortages of trained teachers, classroom facilities, and learning materials, particularly in rural regions. There remains the need for more opportunities like Ashesi University to fill. Read more
Where is Ashesi University located?
Ashesi University is located at 1 University Avenue, Berekuso PMB CT 3, Cantonments, Accra, Ghana
How to get into Ashesi University
As a university, students they admit must be able to handle the rigour of Ashesi’s academic work. Their admissions committee, therefore, places high importance on proof of academic ability – your high school transcripts, examination results, among others. Under Ghana’s accreditation requirements, students who apply to any university in the country must have a minimum grade of C6 or its equivalent, to be considered eligible. A lot of students who apply to Ashesi qualify to be admitted; this means that the application process is very competitive. In order for an application to stand out, prospective students must place an emphasis on sharing information with the university that highlights their character and personality. You must therefore make it a point to let us know who you are, outside of the classroom.
Ashesi University Admissions
Matriculation into Ashesi requires that you submit to the Admissions Office your original exam results for verification on arrival at Ashesi. Students with non-Ghanaian exam results are required to have their results validated by the National Accreditation Board (NAB) of Ghana prior to submission.
Freshman Applicants
- Completed application form, including personal essays.
- High School transcripts or report cards for at least six terms.
- One of the following examination results is required: West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE); Six subjects are used to calculate your standard WASSCE score: Integrated Science, Core Math, Core English, and three electives. A minimum grade of C6 in each subject is required to apply. Six IGCSE (G.C.E. O-Level) passes including Mathematics, English, and Science are required together with at least three ‘A’ Level passes (with grade A-D) International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma American / Canadian High School Diploma French Baccalaureate (a certified copy of the original score and a certified translated copy in English) Other equivalent exam results were approved by the National Accreditation Board of Ghana.
Transfer Applicants
Transfer student applications will be processed on a case by case basis by the Ashesi University admissions office and academic departments, and students who are admitted may be eligible to have one year of study waived at Ashesi. In order to secure admission, candidates looking to transfer must provide official transcripts from each college or university attended. It is your responsibility to ensure that Ashesi has received an official transcript from each institution attended in order to complete your application.
International Applicants
Applications from international students must meet the following requirements: Certified Translation: Transcripts or other supporting documents submitted by international applicants in a language other than English must be translated and certified as copies of the original document(s). Evidence of English Language Proficiency: International students for who English was not a language of instruction during high school, must submit evidence of English language proficiency, including but not limited to the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), International English Language Testing System (IELTS).
Ashesi University Admission requirements
Though Ashesi University places an emphasis on academic merit, its admissions process also focuses on factors such as character, participation in extracurricular activities, and volunteer experience. Basic requirements West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE); Six subjects are used to calculate your standard WASSCE score: Integrated Science, Core Math, Core English, and three electives. A minimum grade of C6 in each subject is required to apply. Six IGCSE (G.C.E. O-Level) passes including Mathematics, English, and Science are required together with at least three ‘A’ Level passes (with grade A-D) International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma American / Canadian High School Diploma French Baccalaureate (a certified copy of the original score and a certified translated copy in English) Other equivalent exam results were approved by the National Accreditation Board of Ghana.
Ashesi University for international students
In addition to meeting the standard admissions requirements, applications from international students must meet the following requirements: Certified Translation: Transcripts or other supporting documents submitted by international applicants in a language other than English must be translated and certified as copies of the original document(s). Evidence of English Language Proficiency: International students for who English was not a language of instruction during high school, must submit evidence of English language proficiency, including but not limited to the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), International English Language Testing System (IELTS).
Ashesi University Programs
Ashesi University acceptance rate
The admission rate range is 10-20% making this Ghanaian higher education organization a most selective institution.
Ashesi University Accreditation
Ashesi University is accredited by the Ghanaian Ministry of Education. Accreditation is a prerequisite to commencing operations as a university or even recruiting students to the university. Accreditation is usually carried out by the National Accreditation Board of Ghana which is a Government of Ghana agency responsible for the regulation, supervision, and accreditation of tertiary institutions in Ghana. It is an agency under the Ministry of Education.
Ashesi University Tuition
Ashesi University’s tuition fee is $4,007 per semester and this fee is subject to exchange rate and is also subject to review. Applicants are expected to pay a $50 one-time application fee. The cost of application is GHs100 for Ghanaian applicants and $50 for international applicants. The Late Admissions period attracts an extra GHs50.The university also does not accept the scholarship and international applications for the Late Admissions period. Please provide proof of your application fee payment (Transaction ID, Bank Slips, Ashesi Receipt, etc).
Ashesi University Number
The university can be reached atT: +233 (302) 610 330T: +233 302 974 980E: info@ashesi.edu.gh Ashesi University founded by Patrick Awuah in Ghana to achieve his dream of giving quality education to Ghanaians is a school with an incredible reputation for the quality of students it has so far produced.
Conclusion
Ashesi University is a place where people become better versions of themselves. Some set off on their careers by starting at the school while others use it as a transition school to get to better positions. Either way, it is important that the students participate fully and involve themselves in learning as the college immerses itself in tutoring those who have come into it.
