College Counseling for the International School of Ulaanbaatar

Graduation Advice

2011-06-14T10:43:00.009+08:00

It has been my pleasure to work with all of the students at ISU, and especially the seniors of 2010 and 2011. Good luck to you all, work hard, be kind, and amazing things will happen!

Sincerely,
Mr Larrison

Conan's advice for the Dartmouth Class of 2011, two days ago:

More Career Interest Tools

2011-05-25T14:42:00.002+08:00

More career interest tools have been added to the link in the "About You" section, on the left-hand side of this page. They are all free, so check them out!

There are paid versions of the tools that are also available. For the most part, the paid version provides significantly more information, but may be more than you need.

From Stanford Unversity

2011-04-12T08:57:00.002+08:00

Counselor Update

April 2011 Volume 1.4

From the Director

Hello from the Farm,

As you may already know, we received 34,348 applications for freshman admission this year--a number that we see as both welcomed and unwelcomed. We welcomed such numbers as they afforded us the opportunity to review students with a wide range of academic, socioeconomic, geographic, and ethnic backgrounds, giving us flexibility as we created our class; however, it was an unwelcomed number because we knew that we would have to give the vast majority of our applicants disappointing news. Hopefully, we can help you and your students contextualize the decisions they received.

The majority of our applicants are highly qualified for admission, with records that include flawless academics, nearly perfect standardized test scores, and jaw-dropping extracurricular activities. Unfortunately, we do not have the space to admit all of these qualified applicants. This year we were able to offer admission to only 2,427 students for the Class of 2015. In an effort to give as many students as possible a timely final decision, we offered a space on the waitlist to 1,080 applicants. In recent years, as many as 125 students have been admitted from the waitlist. In other years, that number was zero.

It is extremely challenging for us to make these decisions. Our admission officers read each application thoroughly and holistically, and then decisions are made via a committee presentation and vote. Each applicant presents a unique combination of achievement, potential, and intellectual vitality, as well as personal qualities and story. It is the composite of these factors that ultimately influences the outcomes in committee. We too are heartbroken when our favorite applicants don't garner enough votes for acceptance.

Stanford's founding philosophy was to provide an education for all. While we can't offer admission to everyone, we do strive to ensure that there are no barriers to the application process or to enrolling. Our comprehensive review process coupled with our substantial financial aid packages support our core beliefs. We are proud to say that our admitted class has students from all 50 states and over 40 countries, half are students of color, and over 15% will be the first in their family to attend college. We are extremely excited about about this year's class, and we once again thank you for all of your hard work and dedication to the lives of our youth.

As we wrap up this admission cycle, we know that many of your juniors are just beginning to embark on their college search. We will continue to provide you with information to aid your students in figuring out if Stanford is a potential fit for them, and we look forward to our continued partnerships.

Sincerely,

Bob Patterson
Director of Admission
Stanford University

Summer Opportunity

2011-04-12T08:29:00.000+08:00

ANNOUNCEMENT: MONGOLIAN YOUNG SCHOLARS PROGRAM

The Mongolian Young Scholars Program will unite 20 Mongolian High School students (10th grade graduates) for a seven day intensive academic experience in June 2011. The program will be taught in English by undergraduates from Harvard and Stanford Universities, USA. The undergraduate instructors, recruited through a competitive application process, will teach seminars in the liberal arts, English language composition, and college preparation. These college-level seminars will prepare students for rigorous academic environments.

Purpose: To identify and prepare promising Mongolian High School students for admission to leading American and international universities.
Location: Nairamdal Camp, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Date: June 10-17, 2011
Cost: A student fee of $200. Financial aid is available for eligible students.
Language Requirement: Students must have strong English language skills; all classes will be conducted in English.

Application: Application deadline is March 31, 2011. The application is available on the YSP website at www.ysp.mn

Student Participant Benefits:

• Work with and receive mentorship from students and recent alumni of leading American universities
• Get deep exposure to a liberal arts curriculum and receive extensive guidance on the college admissions process
• Meet talented peers from across the nation and build a social entrepreneurship project
• Engage in fun activities outside of class, such as dance, art, debate, and sports

Management Education in Asia is Booming!

2011-04-11T05:04:00.002+08:00

With four schools firmly ensconced in the Financial Times top 20 global M.B.A. rankings--China Europe International Business School (CEIBS), Hong Kong UST Business School, the Indian School of Business, and the Indian Institute of Management--those who pursue an M.B.A. in Asia are banking on the idea that studying in the region will open doors faster, and wider, than ever before.

Flexibility and cost are just two factors swaying applicants to look at programs in the Far East. Most are much shorter than the traditional two-year program in the United States and are significantly less expensive than the top American programs.

For international applicants, a program in their home country or region may offer better opportunities for career advancement. And as a student from the United States pursuing international opportunities, a school in the target region may have similar benefits.

[Read more about the search for a world-class M.B.A.]

The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), which administers the GMAT exam, noted the eastern shift in its recently released "World Geographic Trend Report." GMAT test-taking is at an all-time high among Chinese citizens, the Council reports, as China has become the largest group in Asia sitting for the GMAT exam and the second-largest group in the world.

This increase, says GMAC Asia Pacific Regional Director Julia Herries, reflects the growing need of young Chinese for quality graduate management education to better equip them for positions in the domestic market's public and burgeoning private sectors.

"The wealth of opportunities reflects China's extraordinary ascendancy as an economic power...and the need for talented management professionals to steer its development course while tackling a complex variety of attendant socioeconomic challenges," Herries says.

John Quelch, the new dean at CEIBS as of February 1, wants to tap into China's growing economy and aims to position the school to help. "Instead of being focused on teaching what we already know, we now have to be focused on creating new knowledge that is China-based, because it's absolutely clear that China is going to shift from a production economy to a knowledge economy," Quelch said in a Forbes.com profile earlier this week. Once the dean of London Business School, Quelch took the reins at the Chinese school after a 10-year stint as associate dean at Harvard Business School.

[See U.S. News's rankings of Best Business Schools.]

CEIBS, which launched in 1994 as a joint venture with the Chinese government and the European Commission, has seen its reputation soar due in large part to the success of its Executive M.B.A. program. With 800 students this year, it is the world's largest (versus only 200 in CEIBS's M.B.A. program), Forbes reports.

The program has also seen a jump in American applicants over the past five years, Lydia Price, the school's former dean, told The Wall Street Journal last summer. Almost 8 percent of the class of 2009 was made up of U.S. students. Many are self-selecting for an education in Asia, taking Mandarin language courses and studying up on Chinese markets and business well before applying.

Coming from Harvard, where one can afford to be blasé about rankings, Quelch admits that the ranking you achieve at a second-tier school actually does have significant impact in terms of driving M.B.A. applications.

"Obviously the bigger the M.B.A. application pool, the more selective we can be in terms of the submissions, and the better the students you get (and) the better the faculty you're going to get and retain, because they want to teach good students and work with good students. So like it or not, ranking is important," Quelch says.

[Explore U.S. News's rankings of the Top 50 Asian Universities.]

With that in mind, Asian universities have stepped up their game when it comes to competing for students. CEIBS, HKUST Business School, the Indian School of Business, and Singapore's Nanyang Technological University have formed their own so-called Asian Ivy League and now recruit jointly to raise visibility and lure more Western candidates.

Calling itself "Asia4," the group has established a Web presence and touts the region as the first-choice destination for management education, a place where one can learn to address the challenges of today's increasingly complex business world.

Whether the goal is to establish themselves ahead of U.S. candidates for international jobs, or simply to have a degree that carries the cachet of regional knowledge, it's clear students in China and the West have found a new destination for top-flight management education.

By Stacy Blackman, US News & World Report

IB Recognition Policy Summaries

2011-02-11T09:05:00.007+08:00

As part of the college search process, IB students and their parents seek universities that recognize the rigour of the IB. The number of colleges and universities actively recruiting IB Diploma students is growing. Recently, the IBO published policy statements for many universities in both the United States and Canada. They are available online in pdf format, below.

Many of the schools with specific IB recognition policies provide college credit for particular IB courses taken in high school and some even award, entering students, 2nd year status! Policies change without notice, so, always ask a university if they have an IB Recognition Policy, even if they aren't listed in the links, below.

Recognition Policy Summary Charts

CANADA
Uploaded PDF file size

All provinces May 2010 38 kb

UNITED STATES

Alabama Mar 2010 28 kb

Arizona Mar 2010 28 kb

California May 2010 32 kb

Colorado Oct 2010 22 kb

District of Columbia May 2010 29 kb

Florida May 2010 28 kb

Georgia May 2010 25 kb

Illinois Jan 2011 28 kb

Indiana Mar 2010 24 kb

Kentucky Mar 2010 28 kb

Louisiana Mar 2010 28 kb

Maryland May 2010 29 kb

Massachusetts Oct 2010 24 kb

Michigan Mar 2010 24 kb

Minnesota Oct 2010 23 kb

Missouri Mar 2010 24 kb

New Jersey Jan 2011 24 kb

New York Oct 2010 28 kb

North Carolina Jan 2011 28 kb

Ohio Jan 2011 28 kb

Oregon Oct 2010 22 kb

Pennsylvania Mar 2010 28 kb

South Carolina Mar 2010 23 kb

Tennessee Mar 2010 23 kb

Texas May 2010 29 kb

Vermont Jan 2011 24 kb

Virginia May 2010 32 kb

Washington Oct 2010 22 kb

Wisconsin Oct 2010 22 kb

A Personal College Search Blog

2011-01-26T10:31:00.002+08:00

Viewing College as a ‘Joyful Celebration,’ as Yet Unaffordable

By UYANGA TAMIR

I always thought that after high school, I would return to my home country, Mongolia, to pursue my undergraduate studies. All this changed during the summer before my junior year; my mentor persuaded me to try my chances and apply to elite colleges here.

Since then, I have been taking the most challenging courses at my high school to boost my G.P.A. An acceptance into a top school has been my goal; however, now I realize that any acceptance is not a thing to be joyfully celebrated if it does not come with generous scholarships.

Financial aid has become the most important aspect of a college; if I cannot afford the tuition, I simply cannot go. Moreover, there is one thing that further complicates my already too stressful senior year: I am an international applicant.

My application will be read with the large pool of intelligent and well-rounded applicants from all around the world. Space is limited, and competition is intense.

Additionally, most colleges require international students to provide their own tuition. Only the top schools consider an international student’s application without looking at his or her financial circumstance.

This is why colleges like Princeton, Yale, and Dartmouth are on my list; they are need-blind to international students and meet the fully demonstrated needs of every admitted student.

To add to my concerns, tuition for international students among public schools is significantly higher; my so-called safety school, the University of Colorado at Boulder, cannot even be considered safety since my single mother cannot afford to pay the tuition of $30,000 a year.

Considering all these facts, my chances of attending a reputable school seem minimal, and I fear that I will end up going to a community college after all the hard work I have put in. This fear has been reinforced by my first rejection.

I started off my college application process by applying to a generous scholarship program called QuestBridge. Through the QuestBridge National College Match Scholarship, I did a special, multischool early-admission program in which my application was submitted on my behalf to six institutions: Brown, Dartmouth, the University of Chicago, Pomona, Princeton and Yale.

I was chosen as a finalist, and the final results came out on Dec. 1. Nerve-racked, I sat in the car with my mother, holding my phone in my hands. With one touch I opened an e-mail that could be life-changing.

Instead of the “Congratulations” that I wished to see, it was a “Thank you for applying” instead. I instantly knew that I had not been accepted.

Though my hopes were crushed, I am still optimistic about the rest of my college application process. In fact, I am still free to apply to these colleges on my own, and plan to do so.

It will be exciting to discover if a quality education in America is obtainable, and affordable, for a poor international student like me.

I have about 13 college applications that I am juggling – 12 in the U.S. and 1 in Korea. The journey down the regular decision road should be interesting to experience.

Comments to her post are very interesting, some helpful and some not

Ms. Tamir is one of six seniors at Cherry Creek High School in Denver who will be blogging about their college searches for The Choice (NY Times) between now and May.

Read her blog.

Does Helping Out Help You?

2011-01-18T10:39:00.003+08:00

Even the most altruistic applicant wants to know how community service looks to colleges: would admissions officers prefer a summer of health care work in Africa, or three years of Sundays spent at the local senior citizen center? Would creating a charitable Web site impress more than campaigning for a local politician?

According to a new study, volunteering doesn’t necessarily add do-gooder gloss to an applicant’s file.

Do Something, a nonprofit organization that promotes youth volunteerism, surveyed 33 colleges and universities among U.S. News & World Report’s top 50. The admissions teams distinguished among the type and duration of service seen on college applications. Seventy percent of them, it turns out, were more impressed by long-term local grunt work than a summer of volunteer work abroad.

“I was a financial aid student, so when I read some of these folders, I think to myself, ‘My parents couldn’t have done that for me,’ ” Lee Coffin, dean of undergraduate admissions at Tufts, explains in an interview. “Just because you have the means to do something exotic doesn’t mean we can’t read through that if the experience isn’t reflected elsewhere in the student’s interests and experiences.”

For example, a prospective prelaw student who works for a political campaign — and writes about how the experience differed from what he had learned in Advanced Placement Comparative Government — demonstrates consistent involvement. But a student who clocks in sporadically at a nonprofit organization or takes a service trip abroad, and doesn’t back it up on the application with context, isn’t adding much to a résumé. An admissions officer may even go “hmph.”

Mr. Coffin says students often write about their worldly service, and “there’s a degree of homogeneity to the way people experience those trips.” He cites the file of one applicant last year who wrote movingly of caring for a blind woman. “She gave a vivid description of the woman’s look of joy when she fed her ice cream,” Mr. Coffin recalls. “She didn’t have to jet off in an airplane for that.”

That’s not to say eco-work in Costa Rica will count against you. “Those trips can be a terrific experience for those who have the option,” says Rose Martinelli, assistant vice president for enrollment management at the University of Chicago.

Bob Patterson, director of admission at Stanford, notes that not all students need to have done volunteer work. “Some applicants work 30 hours a week to support their families and don’t have the time to volunteer,” he says. “Others may just not be passionate about volunteering.”

But he warns about padding a résumé with what he calls “stealth activities.” Can he tell if a student is insincere about his volunteer involvement? Mr. Patterson responds without hesitation: “Absolutely.”

And now that volunteerism is required by many high schools and even states, perhaps the term itself should be reconsidered. In the Do Something survey, 75 percent of colleges professed not to be put off because a school requires service, but they frowned on students who described it as “mandatory” or “required.”

The three most appealing words were “commitment,” “leadership” and “passion.” Also lending credibility: “engaged,” “meaningful” and “transform.”

“Community service shouldn’t be about ticking off a box,” says Nancy Hargrave Meislahn, dean of admission and financial aid at Wesleyan University, whose team discussed how to deal with “de rigueur” volunteerism at a recent staff retreat. Of course, she says, community service benefits communities and promotes social change; the question for admissions offices is, what is the impact on students?

“What we’re looking at is, what is the student doing with his or her time?” Ms. Hargrave Meislahn says. “And part of that, we’d hope, is that they show some form of engagement toward the community at large. How has the student demonstrated a change in world view as a result of that work? What kind of impact has it had on the student and is there evidence of that in the file?” (Like in a good essay!)

Admissions officers at Duke like to think of a prospective student in terms of both academic and personal qualities. “Once we’re comfortable with a student’s academic credentials,” says Christoph Guttentag, dean of undergraduate admissions, “we want someone who will be a constructive, rather than a disruptive, member of our community: socially, culturally and interpersonally.” In short, a good person. The kind you — or any university — would want to have around.

By PAMELA PAUL
New York Times
Published: January 7, 2011

US Families Seeking Financial Aid

2011-01-13T00:11:00.003+08:00

The latest FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid, which was released on Jan. 1, 2011, is a document that families must fill out if they want to be eligible for federal college loans and grants. Financial aid assistance through the states, as well as colleges and universities, also often require families to complete the FAFSA.

I've run across plenty of parents who worry that they messed up when completing their FAFSA. Paula Bishop, a CPA in Bellevue, Wash. and a friend of mine who has handled countless financial aid applications for clients, told me that she has never seen a FAFSA form completed by parents that didn't contain at least one error.

Here's what scary about that: even a single mistake can cost parents thousands of dollars in assistance.

If you plan to tackle the FAFSA in the next few weeks, here are seven tips to boost your chances of getting it right:

1. Don't dawdle: Complete the FAFSA soon. If you procrastinate until April, when your income taxes are due, you could miss deadlines for state financial aid assistance, as well as help from your child's school. If completing your income tax promptly is impossible, fill out the FAFSA with estimated numbers. If estimating, you can log back into your FAFSA account with the updated figures later.

[See why it might pay to wait until February to file your 2011-12 FAFSA.]

2. Don't mention retirement assets on the FAFSA: One of the best ways to torpedo your chances for financial aid is to include your retirement assets on the FAFSA. The FAFSA doesn't want to know about money that you have in such vehicles as 401(k) plans, Individual Retirement Accounts, and other qualified retirement plans. If you mention these assets on your FAFSA, your chances for need-based financial aid will shrink. Don't do it!

[View tips on how to report your savings on the FAFSA.]

3. Forget about home equity: The FAFSA won't ask if you own your residence, so any home equity that you enjoy won't hurt your chances for need-based aid. The federal financial aid form does inquire about second homes and real estate investments. In addition to a primary home, you also shouldn't mention vehicles, boats, furniture, and other household possessions as assets.

4. Have the correct parent complete the FAFSA: When parents are divorced or separated, make sure the right one fills out the financial aid form. The parent who is the legal custodial guardian won't necessarily be the one to complete the FAFSA. The parent responsible for filling out the form will be the one who has lived with the student for the majority of the year. If a child, for instance, resided with the father for seven months and the mother for five months, the dad would complete the document.

Ideally, the divorced or separated parent who handles the FAFSA will be the one with the lowest income. That's because only his or her finances will be shared on the aid form.

5. Ask for help: When filling out the FAFSA, you can obtain help through the government's toll-free number: (800) 433-3243. You can also take advantage of the government's online chat sessions by using FAFSA on the Web Customer Service Live Help from Monday through Saturday.

[Read 3 ways applying for financial aid will be easier in 2011.]

6. Correct mistakes: You can correct errors after you've submitted your FAFSA. Return to your online form and click on "Make FAFSA Corrections." The government will process your changes within three to five days.

7. Check out a sock puppet video: No, really. Kim Clark, my friend and colleague at U.S. News, assembled links of videos that can help you complete the FAFSA. One involves a sock puppet. No reason why you can't have a little fun with the FAFSA!

from US News & World Report's, Lynn O'Shaughnessy

The Best-Value US Public Colleges: Kiplinger List

2011-01-01T00:25:00.002+08:00

The New Year is off to a great start for the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, which has been named Kiplinger's best value public college for the tenth year in a row.

Though the total cost of a year at UNC comes in at around $17,000, in-state students are granted generous aid and graduate with comparatively low debt. UNC is followed in value by the University of Florida and the University of Virginia.

Kiplinger initially reviewed 500 schools using Peterson's/Nelnet data. After narrowing the list to around 120 schools based on academic quality -- using test scores, admission and persistence rates, student-faculty ratios, and graduation rates as their metrics -- Kiplinger evaluated the institutions based on cost, calculated by looking at tuition, compulsory fees, room and board, books and aid, including grants and other forms of aid and outstanding debt. Kiplinger offers their rankings according to both out-of- and in-state tuitions -- when looked at in terms of out-of-state tuition, SUNY Binghamton ranks first, followed by SUNY-Geneseo and UNC-Chapel Hill.

Below, see the thirteen best value public colleges based on in-state cost, and check out Kiplinger

Top Fifty CEO's and their Colleges

2010-12-30T12:44:00.005+08:00

Surprisingly, for some, Time Magazine found out that Ivy League graduates do not dominate the top fifty Fortune 500 Companies. When measuring CEO undergraduate education, the University of Texas system has just as much representation as Harvard: a total of 3 CEOs.

What does this mean for students?

Do your research! You probably have never heard of some of the best schools in the US. Applying to schools only because you have heard of them or because they are at the top of some list is a low probability strategy. There are many more schools where your application will be more successful and future success will remain unlimited!

COMPANY	CEO	COLLEGE
Exxon Mobil	Rex Tillerson	University of Texas at Austin
Wal-Mart Stores	H. Lee Scott	Pittsburg State University in Kansas
General Motors	Rick Wagoner	Duke University
Chevron	David O'Reilly	University College, Dublin
Ford Motor	William Ford, Jr.	Princeton University
ConocoPhillips	James Mulva	University of Texas
General Electric	Jeff Immelt	Dartmouth College
Citigroup	Charles Prince	University of Southern California
American Intl. Group (AIG)	Martin J. Sullivan	N/A
Intl. Business Machines	Samuel J. Palmisano	Johns Hopkins University
Hewlett-Packard	Mark V. Hurd	Baylor University
Bank of America Corp.	Ken Lewis	Georgia State University
Berkshire Hathaway	Warren Buffett	University of Nebraska
Home Depot	Robert Nardelli	Western Illinois University
Valero Energy	Bill Klesse	University of Dayton
McKesson	John Hammergren	University of Minnesota
J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.	Jamie Dimon	Tufts University
Verizon Communications	Ivan Seidenberg	City University of New York
Cardinal Health	Robert D. Walter	Ohio University
Altria Group	Louis Camilleri	University of Lausanne (Switzerland)
Kroger	David Dillon	University of Kansas
State Farm Insurance Cos.	Edward B. Rust, Jr.	Illinois Wesleyan University
Marathon Oil	Clarence Cazalot, Jr.	Louisiana State University
Procter & Gamble	Alan G. Lafley	Hamilton College
Dell	Kevin Rollins	Brigham Young University
Boeing	W. James McNerney, Jr.	Yale University
AmerisourceBergen	R. David Yost	U.S. Air Force Academy
Costco Wholesale	James Sinegal	San Diego State University
Target	Robert Ulrich	University of Minnesota
Morgan Stanley	John J. Mack	Duke University
Pfizer	Henry A. McKinnell	University of British Columbia
Johnson & Johnson	William Weldon	Quinnipiac College
Sears Holdings	Alan J. Lacy	Georgia Institute of Technology
Merrill Lynch	Stan O'Neal	Kettering University
MetLife	Rob Henrikson	University of Pennsylvania
Dow Chemical	Andrew N. Liveris	University of Queensland
UnitedHealth Group	William W. McGuire	University of Texas at Austin
Wellpoint	Larry C. Glasscock	Cleveland State University
AT&T	Edward Whitacre, Jr.	Texas Tech University
Time Warner	Richard D. Parsons	University of Hawaii
Goldman Sachs Group	Lloyd Blankfein	Harvard University
Lowe's	Robert Niblock	University of North Carolina
United Technologies	George David	Harvard University
United Parcel Service	Michael L. Eskew	Purdue University
Walgreen	David Bernauer	North Dakota State University
Wells Fargo	Richard Kovacevich	Stanford University
Albertson's	Larry Johnston	Stetson University
Microsoft	Steve Ballmer	Harvard University
Intel	Paul Otellini	University of San Francisco
Safeway	Steven Burd	Carroll College

Parents: The Cause of Poor US School Performance?

2010-12-16T17:29:00.003+08:00

Associated Press
Published: Monday, December 13, 2010 9:02 AM MST

SEATTLE — Blaming teachers for low test scores, poor graduation rates and the other ills of American schools has been popular lately, but a new survey wags a finger closer to home.

An Associated Press-Stanford University Poll on education found that 68 percent of adults believe parents deserve heavy blame for what’s wrong with the U.S. education system — more than teachers, school administrators, the government or teachers unions.

Only 35 percent of those surveyed agreed that teachers deserve a great deal or a lot of the blame. Moms were more likely than dads — 72 percent versus 61 percent — to say parents are at fault. Conservatives were more likely than moderates or liberals to blame parents.

Those who said parents are to blame were more likely to cite a lack of student discipline and low expectations for students as serious problems in schools. They were also more likely to see fighting and low test scores as big problems.

“Nobody is too busy to raise a child for a successful future,” said Wilfred Luise Vincent, 65, of Coppell, Texas. Vincent worked early or late shifts for Delta Air Lines Inc. during most of his career so his two daughters would have a parent at home after school...

Adults: What they didn’t teach me

2010-12-09T15:12:00.002+08:00

In our busy worlds today, quite often we may forget what are the really important things to share with our children and hopefully instill in their characters.

Right now, it could be very easy for us to immediately say that we do all the things mentioned below because we feel challenged or really believe in our hearts that we do these things. This is not judgmental, but rather developmental, so please make this reflective exercise positive by design, not negative by default.

This interesting list was compiled by S. Hein, a teenager. She began it on January 26, 2005 in Jaen, Peru. While we must be mindful of the underlying South American cultural perspectives, it certainly is excellent food for thought for us as parents and teachers to reflect on. Let’s begin:

I am sitting by a waterfall now. It is so healthy for me to be surrounded by nature, listening to the sound of water. They never taught me this in school. Here are more things they never taught me in school.

They didn't teach me:

to be forgiving. Sarah taught me this when she was 12 and she would say, "It's okay, best friend."
that I could learn more from children and teenagers than I could from adults
to take children’s and teenagers' feelings seriously
the importance of travelling
to walk away from people who were hurting me, mocking me, judging me and disapproving of me
to walk away from people who were trying to control me, who were pressuring me or manipulating me
to see when someone was trying to do any of these things. They never even mentioned any of these things
the difference between deserved and undeserved guilt
about emotionally abusive parents. Steph and Tatiana at 14, and Nicole at 17, did
how to live simply
what was really important in life and what was unnecessary
much, if anything, about Ghandi
anything about Buddhism, Hinduism or any of the worlds non-Christian belief systems
anything about personal growth and self-help literature
to know myself
to identify my emotional needs
to believe in myself
to understand how my family was hurting me and using me to try to fill their unmet emotional needs
the names of my feelings
how to express my feelings with feeling words
anything about emotional literacy
that we are each primarily responsible for our own feelings and we have more control over them than most people realise
that it is healthy for me to write
anything about depression or why a teenager would want to kill or cut themselves
how to listen
how to show understanding
anything about compassion
how to silently hug a crying child
that there is already too much competition in the world
to see the many ways people distract themselves and numb themselves from their feelings
the difference between fear and respect or respect and obedience
that making "good" grades doesn´t make someone a good person
to think about the difference between a good "Christian", (or a good "Muslim", "Jew" etc) and a good human being
that patriotism is not good for the world
that the word "good" is a very subjective word
about the messages in songs like John Lennon's “Imagine.”
anything at all about children of alcoholics
anything about emotional, verbal or psychological abuse
that people will try to use you in all kinds of ways, and that if you obey these people long enough, there will be nothing left of you
anything at all about love
that it feels good to help people
to follow my heart.

“Children have never been good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them” James Baldwin

Keep It Short and Tweet

2010-11-19T10:21:00.005+08:00

KFC Looking to Award $20,000 College Scholarship Based on Applicant's Twitter Message

Students to Spotlight How They Embody Dedication to Community and Education Via Maximum of 140 Characters

LOUISVILLE, Ky., (BUSINESS WIRE) -- KFC is taking the application process for its KFC Colonel's Scholars(R) program to the "Twitterverse" with a web 2.0 spin. Starting today through November 26, US high school seniors can try to win a $20,000 Colonel's Scholars scholarship by drafting a single tweet, 140 characters or less, including the hashtag #KFCScholar.

Visit from University of East Anglia

2010-11-17T16:05:00.006+08:00

Bryan Maddox of the University of East Anglia's International Development School, visited ISU on Friday, November 12. They offer a unique course on International Development for students interested in study in the UK. He encouraged any student from an international school to build upon their high school experience and continue their international mindedness into their college studies. Many people who are prominent in today's international development efforts around the world, are graduates of their program.

You can click on the picture below to see more about East Anglia University and you can contact:

Bryan Maddox
Director of Admissions School of International Development University of East Anglia
E-Mail: b.maddox@uea.ac.uk
Telephone: +44 (0) 1603 593380

Admissions Advice

2010-11-10T08:10:00.005+08:00

From US News & World Report:

Television shows make performing look fun, but the process of applying to colleges as a prospective visual or performing arts major is anything but. For these students, the admission process can be even more nerve wracking and time consuming because of requirements for auditions or portfolios.

To learn more about what's involved in being a prospective visual or performing art major, USNWR talked with Halley Shefler, former dean of admissions at both the Boston Conservatory and the School of Music at Boston University. She is now a college consultant at The Arts Edge, which works with students who want to major in music, theatre, arts, and dance.

Here are six of Shefler's suggestions on how artistic students--and their parents--can navigate the admission process:

[Get more advice from U.S. News's Guide to Admissions.]

1. Don't apply where everybody else is. This is good advice no matter what your major is. Ambitious students who are aiming for the same elite schools that are on everyone's short list will usually be disappointed. These schools are overrun with applications and will reject most students. In musical theater, for instance, applicants tend to flock to the University of Michigan, New York University, Boston Conservatory, Carnegie Mellon University, and the College-Conservatory of Music, which is part of the University of Cincinnati.

5 more tips

Writing Your Essay or Personal Statement

2010-10-08T11:20:00.008+08:00

Let’s summarize the general US & UK essay instructions and how the writer might accomplish a powerful essay or personal statement:

1. The purpose of the personal essay/statement is for the admissions committee to get to know you and to make yourself standout from the crowd of thousands.

2. The best way to see a person is to hear a story about him/her.

3. Telling an intelligible story involves sequencing ideas and events in the proper order.

4. The committee wants to hear your individual voice. “Voice” is your topic and tone.

5. The committee wants to know what you really care about.

The essay isn’t just a summary of your extracurricular activities or some creative free response! And it isn't a place to brag or try to impress (you can't).

Now let's summarize the elements of a good story:

1. A story is a journey...

The best kind of story to tell for your college personal statement is going to be one in which you have gone on a character journey. A character journey isn’t your family’s last vacation, per se. It is how you have grown or learned something as a person.

2. A story has a beginning, middle, and an end.

3. Beginnings... are about dilemmas–a problem or a challenge. Think about the fairytale, Little Red Riding Hood, and how it begins. Poor Red’s grandmother is ill and Red's mother wants to send her some cakes. Red wants to bring the cakes to Grandmother, but has to go through the forbidding forest to get to Grandmother's. This is also what we would call the story’s setup.

4. Middles... are about making decisions. How/why do you act to solve this challenge? This is especially important for the common application essay. The admissions committee wants to see you making choices and doing things proactively. Ideally, your story should not just be about things you observe or things happening to you. Think of yourself as the heroine/hero of your own tale! Heroines don’t just sit back and watch. They slay dragons…etc.

5. Endings... are about realizations. You need to reflect on your experiences in order to learn from them. For a UK application, you must show how your journey has prepared you to be successful in your chosen course of study. The admissions committees want to see how you think — how you view the world and how you learn from your experiences. Are you a thoughtful, engaged person? Hopefully, yes :)

To show this, you must conclude your character journey by describing what you’ve learned or how you’ve changed. Show how your experience has inspired you to pursue a certain philosophy, course of study (UK), activity or achievement.

For US personal essays, shoot for a final draft of around 500 words or the maximum allowed by the university. For UK personal statements, you are allowed a maximum of 4000 characters (approximately 700 words). It is NOT a good idea to exceed the maximum word or character count allowed.

Some Top International Colleges Offer Free Tuition

2010-10-07T22:01:00.002+08:00

Three-year diplomas, low tuition, and English lectures make overseas study appealing!

The US and the UK aren't the only schools with an academic reputation. As the representatives from Temple-Japan and Asia Pacific University have told us, there are schools as good (or even better!) much closer to home and many of the good ones cost less, too. Listen to what Kim Clark just wrote in US News & World Report. You remember them? Each year they publish one of the most widely read reports on college rankings.

By Kim Clark

September 21, 2010

As the sticker prices of elite American, British, and Australian colleges skyrocket, a few of their competitors in other countries are keeping tuition low and offering more courses in English to attract students from around the world. What's more, many of the elite international colleges award bachelor's degrees after just three years of study, further reducing education expenses.

[See the rankings of the world's best universities.]

Some highly ranked universities in Scandinavia, for example, charge no tuition at all. And a growing number of comparatively low-priced colleges around the world, including the University of Hong Kong, some of the top Korean universities, and the University of Amsterdam, are offering bachelor's programs in English.

[Slide show: some of the world's best bargain universities.]

The upshot: students with top qualifications and a willingness to live abroad can earn diplomas from elite universities for a total cost—including their living expenses and travel—of less than $70,000. Students who can become fluent in languages such as German or Mandarin can earn degrees for less than $50,000. Frugal Finnish speakers, for example, who gain entry to the tuition-free University of Helsinki, ranked 75th in the world in 2010, can survive on less than $1,000 a month for living and travel. That brings the total cost of a bachelor's degree to less than $40,000 including food, rent, books, and travel.

By comparison, the annual in-state sticker price for the University of California—San Diego, which ranked 65th in the world this year, neared $28,000. And many students take five years to graduate, pushing the total cost of a degree (if students receive no financial aid) above $120,000.

Of course, there are some downsides to attending college overseas... Some Top International Colleges Offer Free Tuition - US News and World Report

African Proverb Found on the Net...

2010-10-06T14:22:00.000+08:00

If you want to quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.

The Common Application

2010-10-03T09:45:00.000+08:00

The Common Application is used by over 400 US universtities. You can fill this application out once, and then have that material sent to the universities of your choice, in the US.

Remember, you can look at your application as consisting of two parts; 1) your personal information and 2) supporting information from your high school. The Common Application website has a video for each part, explaining how each part is done for the Common Application. To watch the videos, click on a hi-lighted link below:

Part One - Your personal information

Part Two - Supporting information from your high school

When you are ready to start your common application, click the image below:

Every Parent’s Guide to Middle School Success

2010-09-28T12:32:00.004+08:00

Robert Walrond's new book, Every Parent’s Guide to Middle School Success, was written to give parents and caregivers suggested strategies to use with their middle school student. Parents want to and need to help their children with schoolwork and organization, but they may be unsure what strategies to use. Mr Walrond brought together methods he has used and suggested during his years as a middle school teacher. He is interviewed here by the US publication, Education News:

Interview

PSAT & SAT for 2010-11

2010-08-23T12:42:00.008+08:00

Here are the upcoming SAT testing dates for this year. Put them into your planner and talk them over with your parents. Seniors taking the test again, or taking it late, should consider test dates this Fall. Juniors should consider test dates next year, in the Spring.
You have to register online (follow the links) and for international students the cost is typically $71! If you take additional subjects tests, it costs a little more.

Click on the calendar below and to see all of the test dates for 2010-11 (including subject tests) and to register for any test...

The PSAT will be offered at ISU on Saturday, October 16. It costs $20. Please make payment to Ms Eggie before September 15, the sooner the better!

Advice on Getting into College

2010-08-22T13:04:00.000+08:00

Macalester College is just one college having to contend with many times more applicants applying than they have room for. Here, their admissions personnel give advice to college applicants. It is the same advice given by thousands of other admission personnel at other colleges. Just click the graphic to read the article from their alumni magazine...

Grade 10 Feedback Survey

2010-06-04T09:31:00.004+08:00

Name: _______________________

Please copy, paste & save into your network folder and then answer the following questions as completely as you can. Your answers will help me know what is working and what might need to be changed in College Counseling. My goal is to provide as much help as possible to everyone planning their next steps after high school. Thank you!

Many people believe that the best thing a tenth grader can do to prepare for life after high school (college or something else) is to be the best student they can be and the best person they can be. Do you feel you are the best student you can be? Why or why not?

You looked at many tools, this year, that are meant to help you learn about yourself and create your own success (goal setting, monthly reflections, habits of mind, learning styles, personality assessments, career tools, planners, etc). Which tools will you use next year? Why those tools?

What went well with College Counseling this year?

What could improve College Counseling, for this grade, next year?

Death by Powerpoint

2010-05-28T10:04:00.002+08:00

What's Wrong With Powerpoint? Click below:

Setup your US visa appointment NOW!

2010-05-12T19:04:00.005+08:00

If you are attending university in the US and you are NOT a US citizen, you will need to obtain a student visa from the US Embassy. You need to pay a fee and schedule an interview to do that. That takes time, so do it now!

The US Embassy has an online application system and when you complete your online application, you will receive a number that allows you to set up a personal appointment at the embassy that is necessary to complete your visa. These appointments are only scheduled online and the earliest open appointments are not until August! May, June and July appointments are already filled!! Don't wait to do this.

The only way to get an appointment earlier than August is to visit the scheduling webpage, repeatedly, after you've completed the online visa application and printed it out. You will need to do this often if you want to get an appointment before August! The scheduling page shows current appointments that have already been made by others, but it also shows if an appointment has been cancelled. If you are quick, you can choose a cancelled appointment for yourself. This process requires patience, diligence and quickness. Good luck!

Is there a transfer in your future?

2010-04-27T21:35:00.006+08:00

If you think so, take a look at these statistics from 2008. As with all statistics, take them with a grain of salt. The numbers change each year, and, if you can make a strong case for transferring, your odds will be much better than what you see here (and, of course, the opposite is true too).

Just click below...

College Visits

2010-03-24T14:16:00.006+08:00

Did today's visitors provide some helpful information or motivation? Below are links to tours of each campus. Nandi suggested posting links to our visitors' media presentations, so here they are! Have a fun visit...

After you click on the interactive LMU (iLMU) link below, choose the purple #4 for the Loyola Marymount Video Tour.

Replying to US or Canadian University Offers

2010-03-19T14:45:00.005+08:00

Ready to accept your offer of admission?

To accept your offer of admission, you usually complete an admissions acceptance form and pay your acceptance fee by the deadline indicated in your acceptance letter. You can usually accept online, and you will also need to pay your acceptance fee online, using Visa, MasterCard, or electronic check.

To accept online, you will need the university ID and password you've been using during the admission process.

If you prefer to return your admissions acceptance form by mail, rather than using the online method, print the acceptance form from any link provided. After you complete the form, mail it to the Office of Admissions with a check or money order made payable to the university.

Want to reject an offer?

THE COURTESY OF NOTIFYING UNIVERSITIES OF YOUR PLANS IS A VERY IMPORTANT PHASE OF THE APPLICATION PROCESS!!

It should be completed as carefully as the application itself and should be completed as soon as possible. You can do this notification by a very simple letter or e-mail:

Date

Dear Mr. Or Ms. _ _ _ (or Director of Admissions, whoever made the offer.)

Thank you for your offer of admissions to X University. After careful thought, evaluation of programs (and evaluation of financial offers – if applicable), I have decided to attend Y University.

Sincerely,

Fred T. Student (same as on your application)
Application # (if any)

Replying to UCAS Offers

2010-03-19T14:20:00.001+08:00

Replying to your offers

You reply to each offer in one of the following ways:

firm acceptance
insurance acceptance
decline.

Firm acceptance

Your firm acceptance is your first choice - this is your preferred choice out of all the offers you have received. You only have one firm acceptance.

If you accept an unconditional offer, you are agreeing that you will attend the course at that university or college, so you must decline any other offers. We'll send you a letter which will explain whether there is anything else you need to do.

If you accept a conditional offer, you are agreeing that you will attend the course at that university or college if you meet the conditions of the offer. You can accept another offer as an insurance choice.

Insurance acceptance

You can accept an offer as an insurance choice if your firm choice is a conditional offer. Your insurance choice can be conditional or unconditional and acts as a back-up to your firm choice, so if you don't meet the conditions for your firm choice but meet the conditions for your insurance choice, you are committed to that course.

The conditions for your insurance choice can be higher than your firm choice, but be aware that if you're not accepted by your firm choice, it's unlikely that you will be accepted for an insurance choice that requests higher grades.

You don't have to accept an insurance choice - if you don't meet the conditions of your firm choice but do meet the conditions of your insurance choice, you are committed to taking up that place. So, if you're not sure about any of your other choices, you're not obliged to accept one as an insurance option. You can only have one insurance acceptance.

Decline

Once you have decided which offer to accept firmly, and which (if any) to accept as an insurance, you must decline all other offers. If you don't want to accept any of the offers, you can decline them all. You will then be eligible to use Extra or Clearing, depending upon your circumstances.

How and when to reply to your offers

Use Track to reply to your offers. Your reply date will be displayed in Track. Your reply date is based on when we receive the last decision from your choices, so it might be different to other people's. If you don't reply by the date given, your offers will be declined. If this happens, call our Customer Service Unit to find out what you can do.

**If you live in the UK or European Union (EU), the dates are:**
Last decision by	Your reply date is
31 March 2010	5 May 2010
7 May 2010	8 June 2010
11 June 2010	30 June 2010
20 July 2010	27 July 2010

**If your postal address is outside the EU, the dates are:**
Last decision by	Your reply date is
7 May 2010	8 June 2010
11 June 2010	30 June 2010
20 July 2010	27 July 2010

UCAS "Extra" Session

2010-03-09T17:05:00.004+08:00

A student asked if they could change one of their schools that they identified in their UCAS application. The answer is, "no." Not unless they have received no offers or rejected all of their offers.

Currently, we are in the middle of a time period that the UK system calls, "Extra." If you have NOT received ANY offers or rejected ALL of your offers, you MAY be eligible to use the UCAS online system to apply to other courses of study. Here's what UCAS says:

How to use Extra

What is Extra?

If you have applied through UCAS, used all five choices on your application and aren't holding any offers, you might be able to apply through Extra for another course. Extra lets you apply for courses with vacancies between the end of February and the end of June. In Extra, you apply for one course at a time using Track.

Am I eligible?

To use Extra you need to have:

already made five choices
received decisions from all these choices, and
either had no offers or declined all the offers you have received.

To learn more, you can go to this part of the UCAS FAQ's.

UCAS Decisions

2010-03-02T11:26:00.002+08:00

When will my UCAS universities and colleges make a decision about my UCAS application?

From the UCAS website:

Universities and colleges can take different lengths of time to make a decision. We give them a deadline by which to send us their decision. Often universities and colleges are much quicker than this, but if we received your application:

on or before 15 January, we ask universities and colleges to send us their decision by the end of March. Some of them do not always achieve this, especially on popular courses, so the latest you could receive their decision is early May
after 15 January, your universities or colleges could take as long as July to make their decisions.

email from St Catherine's

2010-02-27T13:51:00.000+08:00

Just received this email from St Catherine's, in the state of Minnesota, USA. They say:

From: aethostenson@stkate.edu [mailto:aethostenson@stkate.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, March 03, 2010 2:55 PM
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Subject: St. Catherine University priority scholarship deadline - March 15

Greetings once again from St. Catherine University!

This email comes as a friendly reminder that the priority deadline for undergraduate international student scholarship applications is March 15, 2010 for entry in the Fall (August) semester. We do grant scholarships to students who apply after March 15, but those scholarships are generally smaller.

Please encourage any of your interested students or advisees to send their application form as soon as possible. Applicants can mail their forms to my attention at the address below, or fax them to 1-651-690-8824. Additionally, students can submit their applications on-line at our website:
http://www.stkate.edu/pages/admissions/apply_now.php

Transcripts and supporting documents can follow, but we must have the application for admission by March 15 for best consideration for a scholarship.

Our largest scholarship is approximately $17,000 per year for female, undergraduate international students in any course of study at St. Catherine University. We also award on-campus jobs as part of our standard financial aid package. If a student works 12 hours a week, she can earn $2,500 for her fees during the year. The remaining expenses could be as low as $17,500 per year if a student is selected to receive one of our highest scholarships. Scholarships are awarded based on academic merit and financial need.

I hope your students and advisees will apply to St. Catherine University. Contact me if you have any questions or concerns. I am happy to assist.

Sincerely,
Aimee

-----
Ms. Aimee Thostenson, MA
ACE Coordinator, NAFSA RAP National Team
Assistant Director, International Admission
St. Catherine University
2004 Randolph Avenue, F-29
St. Paul, Minnesota 55105 USA
Office: 280 Coeur de Catherine Student Center
Phone: +1-651-690-6029
Fax: +1-651-690-8824
Email: aethostenson@stkate.edu
Web: http://www.stkate.edu

Skype ID: aimee.thostenson
Skype hours: Tuesdays 14:00 - 16:30 and Thursdays 9:00 - 11:00.
Local time in Minnesota is 6 hours behind Greenwich Meantime (GMT)

On Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/St-Catherine-University-International-Admission/280916983557

The College Application Process

2010-02-24T19:53:00.004+08:00

Over the years we have learned that the most anxious time in the entire college application process is that time when all of the student and school materials are being gathered and sent. Students are finishing up essays that need to be proofed, faculty are finishing up recommendations, the college counseling office is preparing transcripts and secondary school reports for our largest senior class ever. There is a great deal going on all at once!

To that end the College Counseling Office has complied a list of Frequently Asked Questions to help students and calm parents as together we navigate the sometimes choppy seas of the actual application process. Throughout this journey together, remember three things:

* The College Counseling Office is here to help each and every one of you whenever you need that help.

* Family Connection (aka Naviance) is always your best friend.

* It is far better to get it right than to get it done.

With this in mind, we present to you some of the most commonly asked questions regarding the college application process.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is ISU’s internal deadline for applications?

Our internal deadline for applications is typically two weeks before the application is actually due.

These due dates are printed on the school calendar and on the Senior College Counseling Calendar that was handed out or mailed to all senior parents at Back-to-School Night.

NOTE: Certain programs, scholarships, and opportunities to get application fees waved within colleges have different deadlines than the actual admission deadline. Make sure you read ALL of the information that comes with each application! If you notice that you need to apply before the posted (Naviance) deadline, please let us know so that we can override that deadline with the new one that is unique to your situation.

2. How do I submit an application?

Students have multiple ways to submit applications, but basically it gets down to two: electronic and paper. Many colleges prefer electronic applications, even to the point of waving application fees if you apply electronically. Electronic applications for the US can be done two ways: through the college’s own electronic application (i.e. IU, Purdue) or by sending an electronic Common Application. For UK applications, there is only one way to submit and that is through the online UCAS system.

If you choose to send a paper application, you can mail the application yourself.

3. How do test scores (ACT, SAT) get sent to the colleges?

The test scores belong to the student; therefore, the student is responsible for seeing that the test scores are sent to the colleges to which s/he is applying. There is a link on Naviance for this purpose. Just click on “ACT scores (to send)” or “SAT scores (to send)” and follow the directions on the supplied links. ACT charges $9 per test date to send scores (meaning if you want to send tests from two different test dates you have to pay double), and College Board charges $9.50 for each score report sent.

NOTE: If you are re-testing in the fall of your senior year, you can have your scores sent free to up to four colleges/universities. Just indicate where you wish to have them sent when you register.

4. How do I request my school materials to be sent to the colleges I am applying to?

There are two steps:

1. Students should first move any and all colleges to which they are applying from “Colleges that I’m considering” to “Colleges to which I’m applying.”

2. Once this is completed, simply click on “request transcripts” which is located right above your “Colleges to which I’m applying” and check those institutions to which you would like your school materials sent.

This sends an electronic request to the College Counseling Office and alerts us that you are applying to these colleges/universities. We will then start preparing transcripts and various other school materials for each college/university.

5. Besides a copy of my official transcript, what other school materials does the College Counseling Office send out?

This totally depends on the college we are dealing with. For all colleges, we send an official transcript and a school profile. Other items that might be included are as follows:

* A secondary school report form (very common; almost all colleges)

* A school letter of recommendation (quite common; many colleges)

* A teacher letter of recommendation (quite common; many colleges)

* A second teacher letter of recommendation (not common, but happens)

* A GPA Distribution Sheet (typical for institutions that are considered Most or Very Selective)

* A copy of 1st Quarter grades (typical with Early Action/Early Decision applications)

* Standardized Testing Scores (IU, Purdue, Ball State, and Indiana State only)

6. Can I have a copy of my official school transcript?

Unfortunately, no. Students may have unofficial copies of their transcripts, but not official ones. The only difference in the two is that official transcripts are signed and sealed; otherwise, the transcripts are identical.

7. Why am I asked to “Waive” or “Not Waive” my rights to see the school materials? Which should I choose?

Years ago colleges, like most other large institutions, were faced with privacy issues. Because of laws that were passed, students have the right to see the school materials that are sent to colleges on your behalf. The catch is this: you can only see those materials if the college accepts you and you matriculate to that college. Then in the fall of your freshmen year, or whenever for that matter, you can walk over to the Admission Office and ask to your school materials.

The bottom line for “Waiving” or “Not Waiving” is this: most colleges think that the school is going to give them a more honest appraisal if you waive your rights to see the school materials. ISU sends the same school materials whether you waive or don’t waive your rights to see them. Therefore, we encourage you to waive your rights (as un-American as that may seem) simply because of the message it sends to the colleges.

By the way “Waiving” or “Not Waiving” your rights is one of the first things you need to do on Naviance at the beginning of your senior year!

8. How can I make sure that my teacher recommendation(s) are completed?

1. Regularly talk to the teacher(s) you have asked to write for you.

2. Provide them with a Questionnaire

3. Ask them if they want you to provide a paper Teacher Recommendation Form from the Common Application. If they do, make sure you fill out the top portion of the form and sign it before you give it to them.

4. Check on Naviance to see if the Teacher Recommendation box has changed from “pending” to “completed.” If it still says “pending,” then the College Counseling Office has not yet received the teacher letter(s). Repeat Step #1 above until both the letter and form are completed!

9. Do the teachers write different letters and need different forms for each college/university?

As a rule, they do not. The teachers will write one letter that can be sent to multiple colleges (e.g. it will not recommend you to a specific college; just college in general). Occasionally, teachers will need to fill out different recommendation forms. If the college to which you are applying does not accept the Common Application, for example, and yet they still want a teacher letter and form, you will need to complete the top part of that college’s own form, sign it, and give it to the teacher(s).

10. Can I ask any teacher for a letter of recommendation?

No. You must ask a teacher who has taught you in a core class – that’s English, Math, Science, Social Studies, or Foreign Language – AND been one of junior or senior year teachers.

11. What is the Secondary School Report? Do I need to request one? Provide one?

Part of the Common Application is the Secondary School Report (SSR). This is a form that the College Counseling Office completes for each student. You do not have to request this specifically. Once you request a transcript, we will prepare a SSR for you.

Most institutions that do not accept the Common Application (e.g. IU and Purdue and others) have their own version of the SSR. For these colleges you need to print out the SSR, sign it, and bring it to the College Counseling Office.

12. What about the School Letter of Recommendation?

As part of the Secondary School Report, the College Counseling Office writes a School Letter of Recommendation (SLR) that we attached to the SSR. You do not have to request this or sign it. Much of what goes into this school letter comes from materials you submitted to us last spring during College Counseling. If you have additional items or accomplishments you would like for us to touch on that have happened over the summer of this fall, please bring them to our attention.

13. My primary teacher knows me well. Can I ask that teacher to write my School Letter of Recommendation or a supplemental letter?

No.

14. Can I check to see that my school materials have been sent once I request them?

Students and parents can check on Naviance to see if the school materials have been mailed. Under “my colleges” you can see next to each active application a column called “office status.” This will say “pending” if the materials have not yet been mailed. It will say “initial materials submitted” if they have been mailed.

If you would like further detail of just what was mailed, you can click on “view detailed status” which is located right above your list of active colleges. There you will find checkmarks next to what we mailed to the colleges. The only thing we cannot show on Naviance is the date that the school materials were mailed, but we do record that also in the College Counseling Office.

15. Why do I need maintain the accuracy of my tracking form for each application?

The tracking forms are just that: a way for us to track exactly what was sent and when it was sent to each college. Your cooperation with these forms helps us help you make sure everything that needs to be sent to each college is actually sent and on time. It also helps us follow up with colleges when they inform you that some materials are missing – a very common occurrence.

16. I received an e-mail/post card/letter saying that my application is not complete or that it is missing certain materials. What should I do?

1. Do not panic; this is very common

2. Do not assume that the materials are missing; most of the time they are not missing, just not filed or credited to your application.

3. Do come calmly to the College Counseling Office with your e-mail/post card/letter and we will follow up to see just what the status is of your so-called missing materials.

NOTE: Be advised that more and more colleges are generating automatic “missing materials” e-mails as soon as they receive your electronic application or your test scores. This is their way of making sure you follow up to see that the school materials are indeed mailed in a timely manner. It is also their way of terrorizing you! Stay calm and come and see us. This happens all the time, and the number of times materials have actually been missing over the past twenty years, I can count on one hand. It does happen, but it is extremely rare.

17. I requested transcripts and school materials several weeks ago, but Naviance is still showing “pending.” What is holding up the sending of these materials?

Again, this is a very common question and an important one. Multiple things can hold up the sending of your transcript and school materials. Here is a partial list:

* Your ISU account is not paid up

* We are waiting on a teacher letter

* We are waiting to see your 1st Quarter grades

* We are waiting to see your new test scores

* We are waiting to see your 1st Semester grades

* We have more requests right now than we can handle at one time and we have to submit school materials for students with approaching deadlines first.

Generally we turn requests around in two weeks or less. The exception to this general rule is October 15 through November 15 and January 15 through February 15, when we are processing the bulk of college applications that have deadlines. During this time your request could take 3-4 weeks as applications without deadlines – Rolling Admission applications that we asked you to submit in September so that you would not get caught in this backlog – tend to get moved to the bottom of the processing pile.. As always please come and see us if you are concerned about any part of your college application process

18. One of my colleges let’s me track the status of my application on line. When I go to the college application website, it says that they are missing some things. Should I be concerned about this?

That depends. Each fall colleges and universities are literally inundated with thousands of applications. It takes a certain amount of time for the school materials in particular to show up on these tracking sites because the data input people at the colleges just cannot keep up with the numbers of applications they are receiving. A good rule of thumb is to wait 3-4 weeks after the College Counseling Office has mailed your school materials before contacting us about this situation. At that time we would be happy to contact the college in question to inquire about the status of your missing materials.

Learning Style Inventory

2010-02-05T08:23:00.007+08:00

Do you know what your learning styles are? Did you even know that you have these? You were born with them. They strongly influence how you learn.

By recognizing and understanding your own learning styles, you can use learning techniques better suited to You. This improves the speed and quality of your learning.

Take the Learning Style Inventory to see what your styles are by clicking on the graphic below. To see your results at the end, you can enter your real name and email or a fake name and email, for privacy. Copy and Paste your results into a document that you can save.

If you enter your real name and email, you will be able to share your results with others via email!

Career Decision-Making Tool (CDMT)

2010-02-02T08:31:00.001+08:00

The CDMT helps teachers, counselors, and parents assist their students or children in identifying an appropriate career direction and selecting or developing an educational program or plan that will provide the knowledge and skills needed to succeed within their chosen career field.

The process that students—or anyone else—must go through to identify a career direction and evaluate an educational preparation plan is provided in a six-step decision cycle that may be entered at any point and repeated over and over until a satisfactory conclusion is reached. Check it out, below:

New College Guides in the Library

2010-01-28T09:47:00.005+08:00

Thanks to Michelle, our ISU Librarian, there are several new College Guides in the library. Each of these can help make your college search easier. They offer similar information, but each one offers that information in different ways. By using the right book, you can find what you want faster, depending on what you are looking for. I've highlighted what I believe are the relative strengths of each book. The new books are:

The College Majors Handbook:
This book offers very detailed descriptions of majors offered at universities, the careers that are possible after graduation with that major, and what that career is like. Useful no matter where you intend to matriculate; US, UK, Europe, Asia, Australia, or New Zealand.

The College Board Book of Majors:
This book offers descriptions of majors and where each major is offered, what courses you will likely take to pursue that major, and the type of careers that are possible after graduation. Useful no matter where you intend to matriculate; US, UK, Europe, Asia, Australia, or New Zealand.

Princeton Review's Guide to College Majors:
The strength of this book is that, when you read their description of majors, they include lists of other majors you might be interested in. For example, if you look up Business Management, it will list other related business majors you may not have known existed! Then you can look up descriptions of those majors. Who knows what you may find? Useful no matter where you intend to matriculate; US, UK, Europe, Asia, Australia, or New Zealand.

US News and World Report's Ultimate College Guide:
Not only provides detailed information about every US college, but the strength of this guide is its many lists. Universities are listed by Safety vs Reach (easy or hard to enter), lists by cost, lists by the amount of financial aid they offer, and lists by diversity (including % of international students attending).

The College Board's College Handbook:
The Handbook provides descriptions of US colleges (about 1/3 of its contents lists 2-year colleges). It also provides a very good glossary of terms used in the college application process, lists of universities by size, and a list of universities by selectivity (how hard or easy they are to enter).

SAT Study Guides:
There are also a few SAT preparation guides and study guides available in the library. The items are not allowed out of the library. If you need to use one at home, please see your College Counselor for written permission to be communicated to the Librarian.

Rumors

2010-01-14T12:32:00.003+08:00

Some people are thinking that the UCAS deadline has been extended beyond January 15, 2010. The extension really only applies to UK students who have been unable to apply due to weather in the UK. That does not apply to us in Ulaanbaatar!

Here is what the UCAS office has posted on their own website:

UCAS extends January deadline to help those affected by the recent bad weather

Due to the current severe weather conditions affecting the majority of the UK, UCAS has decided to extend its January deadline for applications for higher education courses by seven days.

Schools, colleges and applicants who are able to, should still submit their applications by 15 January. For those who have been affected by closures and the bad weather, a later deadline of 22 January is available.

Don't Be Late!!!!!

2009-12-11T08:50:00.005+08:00

Your applications MUST be in by the deadline or a school can refuse to consider it. Supporting documents can be sent later as they are available. You can see your application as divided into two parts, as below. You are responsible for getting part one in on time. ISU will follow your application with supporting materials sent later...

1. The application (all the parts you need to submit...the name and address page, essays, responses to questions and application fees)

and

2. Supporting materials (those sent by ISU...transcripts, teacher recs, school letter of recommendation. etc. and those sent by 'third parties' like the SAT's from ETS. Give your College Counselor the list of universities and their addresses that you want the materials sent to.

So if the deadline is January 1 for a school, students have to get the application (Part 1, including all of the parts listed above) to the school (or postmarked...or sent electronically) by that date or universities certainly have the right to return it and/or not consider it.

You need to check with each university and be clear about the deadline. Some univesities require your application to be in their hands by the deadline, while other universities only require a postmark on an application sent BEFORE the deadline.

University Video Tours

2009-12-09T14:09:00.005+08:00

Tour major US campuses at:

http://youniversitytv.com/youlife/cvt.php

You will have to register, but it is free! This site is the result of a good idea, but it has a lot of growing pains. Check it out.

Be careful what you click on, there is a lot of advertising.

University Interviews

2009-12-02T12:11:00.007+08:00

Congratulations! You have applied to university and have received an invitation to an interview! These interviews are one more opportunity for you to share why you deserve a place at their school. There are examples of two UK interviews, below; One good, and one bad. What do you notice about the good interview? What do you see the candidate do? What do you hear?

Good Interview:

Bad Interview:

Oxbridge can be used as a noun referring to either or both of Oxford and Cambridge Universities.

Fixing Your University Admissions Essay

2009-11-27T09:08:00.004+08:00

Take a look at this personal statement with edits from an admissions officer. The admissions officer comments are in bold, additions are in red, and recommended deletions look like ~~this.~~

Do you have any of these problems in your admission essay?

++++++++++++++++Essay with Comments++++++++++++++++

From an early age I have been fascinated by the workings of life. The first four words of this personal statement represent the ultimate cliché. The chances of the applicant really being interested in the workings of life from an early age are very slim. The fact they've been interested for longer doesn't mean they'll be a better doctor The human body is a remarkable machine with many diverse systems producing an organism that could never be artificially reproduced. Again, another line that I see coming up in statements again and again. I think this love of it could be stated with somewhat more of a personal angle, to set the applicant apart from others. My love of science is just one of my reasons for choosing medicine. I enjoy a challenge, particularly towards a rewarding objective, as although medicine is a tough career it can be enormously gratifying, highlighted by the doctors I have spoken to during my work experience and on a personal level. This feels more suited to the conclusion - the applicant has drawn conclusions from their work experience before we've even seen the evidence. As an introduction, it has a promising start, but it needs more work to stand out and be unique.

To further my insight into the medical field I participated in a work shadowing week at a GP surgery. I gained a valuable understanding of the workings of the surgery, with opportunities to observe and speak to the doctors regarding a medical career. It's more important I think, that they learn to understand the complex interactions between doctor and patient, what this means to them about becoming a doctor, and how it will affect them during their professional working lives. I arranged another placement week myself Here, the applicant has implied that they didn't organise for themselves the work experience previous to this statement, it would be better to put this work experience first, thereby implying all subsequent work experience was also organised by themselves. at a local hospital, which was a superb opportunity to observe medicine from another point of view. What is this other point of view? I would assume it was from a non-surgical perspective I observed the ward rounds, an MRI scan, a skin biopsy and an endoscopy clinic all of which I found interesting. We assume that the applicant found it interesting - otherwise, why did they apply? Nothing is more boring in a personal statement than a list. It's not about the procedures you saw, it's about what you learned from the patients and what you learned about actually, truly being a doctor - the deaths and the hours on your feet and the hunger from being unable to just stop for a second to eat properly. It's important to show an understanding of the downsides of being a doctor. I spent the most time with the haematology team, responsible for patients with diseases such as Chronic Myelogenous Leukaemia ~~(CML)~~ There's really no need to abbreviate a condition if the applicant is never going to use it again in the same piece of writing, ~~haematology~~ Being one of my interests, it was captivating that I could see the speciality from a more complex side than the AS biology course. Captivating is one of those words you see again and again in statements, and you start to cringe when you see it. It doesn't really mean anything. Anyone can say something is captivating, but it's a lot lot more believable if they actually show they find it captivating, and avoid using the word altogether if they can help it For example I was able to understand how the level of platelets affects blood clotting. It's not entirely clear what they really mean here. This would be the sort of thing an interviewer would pick up on, so if specifying a particular interest in your statement, make sure you can answer questions on it. Throughout the week I expanded my confidence and communication skills through speaking to patients and doctors. Can you really expand your confidence? It sounds awkward. What did they speak to the doctors and patients about? How did this improve their confidence and communication skills? They could have been talking about anything! The applicant really needs to provide more detail. Although I enjoyed the week, it was at times extremely heart-rending; I was able to get close to many of the terminally ill patients, helping and caring for them where I could, getting them tea or just talking and empathising with them to build their spirits. It goes from heart-rending to getting tea. What's so heart-rending about getting tea? This area of the statement needs better cohesion. They really need more detail about why it was heart-rending too, although this is a good attempt to show the negative aspects of being a doctor. I volunteered at a local home for the elderly which ~~was very rewarding as I~~ helped build my caring skills by making tea for the residents or playing cards with them The sentence is slightly ambiguous - did they build their caring skills by helping residents, or did they build their caring skills and help residents?. At school I took part in a paired reading scheme ~~for 6 months~~ where I was able to help young children to read~~, speaking and listening to them to help~~ and improve their English. Alright, though the applicant's missed a prime chance to say why this is helpful to them wanting to become a doctor All my experience has made me more determined to accomplish my ambition to be a doctor. Yes, but how? It's right to try and summarize all of these experiences but thought needs to be put into how best to do this.

My love of science and aspiration for a medical career is reflected in my A-Level choices where good time management, self motivated study skills and ability to cope with stress and pressure are essential. Biology and chemistry have helped me further my interest and develop my analytical skills But how, and what does this really mean?, while maths develops my problem solving skills, helping me to work logically Do good problem solving skills automatically equal good logical ability? I would reword it so that the one isn't a result of the other ~~and ICT gives me a valuable insight into the rapidly developing technological world where computers are crucial.~~ Every character is essential in trying to get a place and so must all be fairly relevant and application-enhancing. IT probably isn't that important ~~I believe all the qualities I have developed through my courses are essential for any good doctor.~~

I have participated in the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme through which I achieved a first aid certificate Odd wording, as if the applicant were unable to get a first aid certificate unless doing DoE. including cardiopulmonary resuscitation training. Isn't cardiopulmonary resuscitation training the cornerstone of first aid? Would anyone not teach this? I also enhanced my inter-personal, communication and team building abilities, valuable skills for any medical occupation, as I witnessed during my work experience. Examples are essential, because anyone can say that they've enhanced this or that skill, it needs to be believable. Second half is work experience, I assume, but this isn't clear. I'd just get rid of that part as the link seems strained For two years I have volunteered at a local vet There's no reason why this shouldn't be here, as long as the applicant can tell us what they've learned - but they haven't. They've just tacked it on there in the middle of a list of what else they do and so some of its value is lost hospital observing and ~~helping out 2 hours per week~~ communicating with the public in a different environment. ~~I enjoy reading mainly factual books to expand my general knowledge.~~ There are more interesting and relevant outside interests that the applicant has to offer here. To relax I enjoy sports including football and cricket, for which I was captain of the school ~~team~~ and my local team for the past three years, improving my leadership skills. Yes, but how? Was there some dispute that only the captain could resolve? Did the captain need to rally the team when they were losing? Did the captain have to organise practice and make sure everyone went? The applicant really needs to provide examples rather than just stating things ~~I also recently rekindled my childhood passion for golf, another pastime I enjoy even if it is a little expensive!~~ This doesn't really add anything by itself

I am a self motivated, determined individual and I look forward to the social I would stay away from words like that in a personal statement, since it can present connotations of being a party animal. This might be true but perhaps not something the applicant wishes to advertise in a personal statement. and academic challenges of university. I am aware of the demands of a medical career but my commitment and desire to become a doctor has only been strengthened through my experience and work in a voluntary capacity. This provides a good and succinct summary of both what the applicant has to offer and their interest in studying medicine.

School Closure Work - Nov 6 through Nov 20

2009-11-06T16:44:00.010+08:00

Here are your assignments to help you be successful with your college planning. If you have any questions, please leave a comment, here, or email me at: collegecounselor@isumongolia.edu.mn

Seniors:

SAT's are tomorrow, Saturday.

Stay on top of your college application deadlines.

Finish your admission essays

Peer review your essay for:

Introduction - Body - Conclusion

Spelling

Complete Sentences with proper punctuation

Keep both versions in your College Counseling folder and bring them to class.

Juniors:

SAT's are tomorrow, Saturday.

Finish your practice admission essays

Peer review your essay for:

Introduction - Body - Conclusion

Spelling

Complete Sentences with proper punctuation

Keep both versions in your College Counseling folder and bring them to class.

Don't Be a Distracted Driver

2009-11-03T15:27:00.002+08:00

Think you can drive while being distracted? Think again! Try driving through the toll booths below while responding to text messages on the phone. It just can't be done safely...agree?

It's Almost November...Are You on Schedule?

2009-10-29T12:14:00.004+08:00

Seniors:

By now you should have done these things...
•Take SAT-Reasoning or II
•Register for December SAT-Reasoning or II, deadline 31 Oct...see Eggie
•Meet with your college counselor
•Finalize college choices and give the forms and envelopes to teachers writing recommendations
•Request transcripts and school forms be sent to colleges
•Continue to work on applications and essays
•Begin searching scholarship opportunities

Juniors:
By now you should have done these things...
•Read PSAT bulletin and take sample test
•Take PSAT
•Develop a list of your interests, talents, educational priorities, etc.
•Make a list of what you’d like to study and do in college and find out more about each area

Nandi says...

2009-09-17T18:19:00.004+08:00

You might want to check out this list of 100 top ranked universities:

Top Ranked Universities - World

They also rank:

- Europe
- UK
- Asia

These lists are from Quacquarelli Symonds (QS). They organize the largest business education event in the world, the QS World MBA Tour and the leading postgraduate studies information event, the QS World Grad School Tour, amongst an extensive product range including print and online publications and software solutions.

They are a medium-sized company with over 100 staff in offices throughout the world: London, Paris, Singapore, Shanghai, Boston, Washington DC, Johannesburg and Alicante. A multi-cultural employee base, there are 26 languages spoken in the marketing department alone.

Search Tool for US Schools

2009-09-17T18:02:00.004+08:00

Search over 7,000 US colleges and universities to find the school that best suits you. Find detailed information on each college: admission statistics, tuition and fees, financial aid and scholarships, academic majors and more. One of the best online resources that I've seen. From Scholarships.com!

Another respected search tool is, Peterson's. This tool searches nearly 3,000 universities in the US and internationally.

NY Times Info About US College Admissions and Aid

2009-09-17T17:47:00.003+08:00

The Choice is a great place to learn about what is happening with the US College Admission process.

Mr. Larrison says there is money for college!

2009-09-17T14:44:00.003+08:00

This expert confirms what Mr. Larrison has been telling his class...there is money available for you to attend college through scholarships! For US students, most scholarships do not come from the university a student attends. In this interview, an expert points out that there are thousands of scholarships offered every year in Canada.

Still, these scholarships are hard to find, and for international students finding them is even harder. Listen to his advice, even though he speaks for Canada. If you are interested in US schools, the US offers many times more scholarships than are available in Canada!

Just for Fun: Design Competition at Camp

2009-09-16T12:10:00.008+08:00

If you have a YouTube account, you can watch this private video of the camp design competition put together by Ms. McDermott. Click on the picture:

US Scholarship Search

2009-09-15T10:06:00.002+08:00

Searching for scholarship money is difficult. Although the site below is one of the best, it is primarily for US citizens attending US universities and lists only a few of the thousands of scholarships available.

Crossing the Finish Line

2009-09-14T12:55:00.002+08:00

Parents: If you want your student to make it to a bachelor's degree, it's far more important for him or her to earn at least B's in high school and reach for the best possible college. Oh, and saving a few thousand bucks by sending your kid to a community college could turn out to be an expensive mistake.

Some of the best-respected educational researchers in the US are likely to reconsider much conventional wisdom today with the release of surprising findings from an analysis of US educational records of more than 200,000 US freshmen who started at public four-year colleges in 1999.

More...

Financial Aid

2009-09-14T12:17:00.009+08:00

Financial Aid (money to help pay for college when college tuition is more than a family can afford) includes scholarships, grants, loans, work-study and other sources. If you don't need financial aid, skip this information.

To maximize your chances of receiving aid, you have to start early. Grade 11 is the time to begin making a list of colleges. Think BIG. Don’t let location, size, or costs limit you. If you have a dream-school list, that’s great. If it’s in your head, make the list! Write down the names of the schools and their tuition rates. Talk this list over with your parents, now!

If the tuition is more than you afford, one option is to revisit your list of schools and maybe consider less expensive schools! These can be other schools in the same country, other schools in different countries (Canadian schools cost a little less than US school, for example) or two-year colleges, instead of four-year colleges. The Fiske Guide and US News & World Report College Guide, in the ISU library, can help.

But, if your heart is still set on that school and it's more than your family can afford, then start the search for financial aid, now! You will be looking for scholarships, university grants, bank loans, and loans from family or friends.

US citizens attending US universities can try using some of the suggestions you can find here, at Peterson's. Peterson's is one of the most respected collectors and publishers of college and university information available. Peterson's Guide to University Applications is available in the ISU library.

International students attending their home country's universities often find they can attend at no or low cost! But, they must be accepted at their university. Also, most students from EU countries can attend UK schools at the same, or nearly the same low cost as UK students.

International students NOT attending school in their home country, need to communicate clearly with their parents about university choices and the costs of tuition. There is not a lot of financial aid for international students who chose not to study in their home country. Very few schools or countries offer aid to non-national undergraduates. The US offers the most, but it is hard to find. Try some of these tools:

List of Korean Colleges

2009-09-12T03:41:00.001+08:00

Ga Yeon sent us this link for a list of Korean Colleges. It is a private list, put together by a student studying in the US, at Duke University. It is incomplete and outdated, but it identifies many Korean universities: http://www.duke.edu/~myhan/c_blku.html

List of Engineering Universities (US)

2009-09-12T03:01:00.003+08:00

A great list from the iMahal site...

A

Air Force Institute of Technology

Alabama A&M University

Alfred University

Arizona State University

Arizona State University East

Auburn University College of Engineering

Baylor University

Binghamton University

Boston University

Bradley University

Bridgeport University

Brigham Young University

Brown University

Bucknell University

California Institute of Technology

California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

Cal State Poly University, Pomona

Cal State University, Chico

Cal State University, Fresno

Cal State University, Fullerton

State University, Long Beach

Cal State University, Los Angeles

Cal State University, Northridge

Cal State University, Sacramento

Calvin College

Capital College

Carnegie Mellon University

Case Western, Case School of Engineering

Catholic University of America

Cedarville College

Christian Brothers University

City University of New York

Clarkson University

Clemson University

Cleveland State University

College of New Jersey

Colorado School of Mines

Colorado State University

Colorado State University-Pueblo

Columbia University

Cornell University

CUNY - Graduate School and University Center

Dartmouth College, Thayer School of Engineering

DePaul University

Drexel University

Duke University

East Tennessee State University

Eastern Kentucky University

Eastern Michigan University

Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, FL

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, AZ

Fairleigh Dickinson University

Florida A&M University

Florida Atlantic University

Florida Institute of Technology

Florida International University

Florida State University

Gannon University

George Mason University

George Washington University

Georgia Institute of Technology

GMI Engineering & Management Institute

Gonzaga University

Grand Valley State University

Idaho State University

Illinois Institute of Technology

Indiana University

Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis

Institute of Paper Science and Technology

Iowa State University

Jackson State University

Johns Hopkins University

Kansas State University

Kettering University

Lamar University

Lafayette College

Lawrence Technological University

Lehigh University

Long Island University - C.W. Post

LeTourneau University

Louisisana State University, Baton Rouge

Louisisana State University, Shreveport

Louisiana Tech University

Loyola College, Maryland

Loyola Marymount University

Marshall University

Manchester College

Marquette University

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Mayo Graduate School

McNeese State University

Mercer University

Miami University of Ohio

Michigan State University College of Engineering

Michigan Technological University

Milwaukee School Of Engineering

Minnesota State University, Mankato

Mississippi State University

Monmouth College

Monmouth University

Montana State University - Bozeman

Montana Tech of the University of Montana

Morgan State University

National Technological University

National University

Naval Postgraduate School

New Jersey Institute of Technology

New Mexico State University

New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

New York Institute of Technology

North Carolina A&T State University

North Carolina State University

North Dakota State University

Northeastern University

Northern Arizona University

Northern Illinois University

Northwestern University

Norwich University

Oakland University

Ohio State University

Ohio University

Oklahoma State University

Old Dominion University

Oregon Graduate Institute of Science and Technology

Oregon Institute of Technology

Oregon State University

Pennsylvania State University, Harrisburg

Pennsylvania State University, University Park

Polytechnic University of New York

Portland State University

Prairie View A&M University

Princeton University

Purdue University, Calumet

Purdue University, West Lafayette

No links available

Rensselaer at Hartford

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Rice University

Rochester Institute of Technology

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Rutgers University

Saginaw Valley State University

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Louis University

Saint Martin's College

Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College

Saint Mary's University of San Antonio

San Diego State University

San Francisco State University

San Jose State University

Santa Clara University

Seattle University

South Dakota Sch of Mines & Technology

South Dakota State University

Southern College of Technology

Southern Illinois University, Carbondale

Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville

Southern Methodist University

Southern Polytechnic State University

Stanford University

State University of New York at Binghamton

State University of New York at Buffalo

State University of New York at Stony Brook

Stevens Institute of Technology

SUNY - College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Swarthmore College Department of Engineering

Syracuse University

Temple University

Tennessee State University

Tennessee Technological University

Texas A&M University, College Station

Texas A&M University, Kingsville

Texas A&M University - Texarkana

Texas Christian University

Texas Tech University

Union College, New York

University of Akron

University of Alabama, Birmingham

University of Alabama, Huntsville

University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa

University of Alaska, Anchorage

University of Alaska, Fairbanks

University of Arizona

University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

University of Arkansas, Little Rock

University of Bridgeport

University of California, Berkeley

University of California, Davis

University of California, Irvine

University of California, Los Angeles

University of California, Riverside

University of California, San Diego

University of California, San Francisco

University of California, Santa Barbara

University of California, Santa Cruz

University of Central Florida

University of Cincinnati

University of Colorado, Boulder

University of Colorado, Colorado Springs

University of Colorado, Denver

University of Connecticut

University of Dayton

University of Delaware

University of Denver

University of Detroit Mercy

University of Evansville

University of Florida

University of Georgia

University of Hartford

University of Hawaii, Manoa

University of Houston

University of Houston, Clear Lake

University of Idaho

University of Illinois, Chicago

University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

University of Iowa

University of Kansas

University of Kentucky

University of Louisiana, Lafayette

University of Louisville

University of Maine

University of Maine, Orono

University of Maryland - University College

University of Maryland, Baltimore County

University of Maryland, College Park

University of Massachusetts, Amherst

University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth

University of Massachusetts, Lowell

University of Memphis

University of Miami

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

University of Michigan, Dearborn

University of Minnesota - Duluth

University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

University of Mississippi

University of Missouri, Columbia

University of Missouri, Kansas City

University of Missouri, Rolla

University of Montana

University of Nebraska, Lincoln

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

University of Nevada, Reno

University of New Hampshire, Durham

University of New Haven

University of New Mexico

University of New Orleans

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

University of North Carolina, Charlotte

University of North Dakota

University of North Texas

University of Notre Dame

University of Oklahoma

University of Oregon

University of Pennsylvania

University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh

University of Portland

University of Rhode Island

University of Rochester

University of Saint Thomas

University of San Diego

University of Scranton

University of South Alabama

University of South Carolina, Columbia

University of South Florida

University of Southern California

University of Tennessee Space Institute

University of Tennessee, Chattanooga

University of Tennessee, Knoxville

University of Texas, Arlington

University of Texas, Austin

University of Texas, Dallas

University of Texas, El Paso

University of Texas - Permian Basin

University of Texas, San Antonio

University of the Pacific

University of Toledo

University of Tulsa

University of Utah

University of Vermont

University of Virginia

University of Washington

University of Wisconsin, Madison

University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

University of Wyoming

Utah State University

Valparaiso University

Vanderbilt University

Villanova University

Virginia Commonwealth University

Virginia Tech University

Walla Walla College

Wake Forest University

Washington State University

Washington University

Wayne State University

Webster University

Wentworth Institute of Technology

West Virginia University

West Virginia University Institute of Technology

Western Michigan University

Western New England College

Wichita State University

Widener University

Wilkes University

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Wright State University

No links available

Yale University

Youngstown State University

No links available

Colleges with Hospitality Programs (mostly US)

2009-09-09T11:47:00.004+08:00

Here is a list of colleges for students interested in the hospitality field. What other schools should be on this list? Tell me in a comment!

Academie Internationale de Management (AIM) – Hotel Management – Paris, France

Academy of Travel and Tourism – New York, NY

Alexandria Technical College – Hotel & Restaurant Management Program – Alexandria, MN

Aprinda – Online Hotel & Resort Training Solutions – Chico, CA

Arkansas Tech University – Hospitality Administration – Russellville, AR

Art Institutes Int'l Minnesota – Culinary Arts & Hospitality Management – Minneapolis, MN

Asheville-Buncombe Technical Comm. College – Dept. of Hospitality Education – Asheville, NC

Auburn University – Hotel and Restaurant Management Program – Auburn, AL

Blue Mountains Hotel School – Tourism & Hospitality Management – Leura, Australia

Borough of Manhattan Community College – New York, NY

Boston University – School of Hospitality Administration – Boston, MA

Canadian Tourism College – College of Tourism & Hospitality Management – Vancouver, BC

Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality Administration – Georgia State University – Atlanta, GA

Champlain College – Hospitality Industry Management Program – Burlington, VT

Chemeketa Community College – Hospitality Systems Management Program – Salem, OR

College of Charleston – Hospitality & Tourism Management – Charleston, SC

Columbus State Community College – Hospitality Management – Columbus, OH

Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management Program – Houston, TX

Cornell University – School of Hotel Administration – Ithaca, NY

Culinary Institute of America (CIA) – Hyde Park, NY

Culinary School of the Rockies – Professional Culinary Arts Programs – Boulder, CO

Dakota County Technical College – Meeting & Event Management – Rosemount, MN

Dedman School of Hospitality – Tallahassee, FL

Delaware State Univ. – Hospitality & Tourism Management – Dover, DE

Douglas College – Hotel and Restaurant Management Diploma Program – Coquitlam, BC

East Carolina University – Department of Hospitality Management – Greenville, NC

Eastern Michigan University – Hotel and Restaurant Management – Ypsilanti, MI

Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management – Dubai

ESHOTEL – Ecole Supérieure de Gestion Hôtelière et de Tourisme – Paris/Lille, France

Fairleigh Dickinson Univ. – Int’l School of Hospitality & Tourism Management – Teaneck, NJ

Florida Atlantic University (FAU) – Hospitality Management – Boca Raton, FL

Florida Gulf Coast University – Resort & Hospitality Management (RHM) – Fort Myers, FL

Florida Int’l Univ. – School of Hospitality & Tourism Mgmt – Biscayne Bay Campus, N. Miami, FL

Foothill College – Travel Careers Program – Los Altos Hills, CA

Fort Lewis College – School of Business Administration – Durango, CO

Frederick Community College – Culinary & Hospitality Institute – Frederick, MD

George Washington Univ. – Dept. of Tourism and Hospitality Management – Washington, DC

Griffith University – School of Tourism and Hotel Management – Queensland, Australia

Hesser College – Assoc. of Business Science Degree: Travel & Tourism – Manchester, NH

Highline Community College – Hotel & Tourism Management – Seattle, WA

Hong Kong Polytechnic University's School of Hotel and Tourism Management (HTM)

Hotel School – Sydney, Australia

Humber College – School of Hospitality, Recreation & Tourism – Toronto, CN

IMI International Hotel Management Institute – Switzerland

Imperial Hotel Management College – Hotel Management School – Vancouver, BC

Indiana Univ.-Purdue Univ. (IPFW) – Hospitality & Tourism Management – Fort Wayne, IN

International College of Management – Sydney, Australia

Iowa Lakes Community College – Travel And Tourism Management – Emmetsburg, IA

IUPUI – Department Of Tourism, Conventions and Event Management – Indianapolis, IN

J. Sargeant Reynolds Comm. College – School of Hospitality and Tourism – Richmond, VA

Johnson State College, Hospitality & Tourism Management – Johnson, VT

Johnson & Wales University – Hospitality College – Charlotte, NC

Johnson & Wales University – Hospitality College – Denver, CO

Johnson & Wales University – Hospitality College – North Miami, FL

Johnson & Wales University – Hospitality College – Providence, RI

Kemmons Wilson School of Hospitality & Resort Management – Univ. of Memphis – Memphis, TN

Kendall College – Hospitality & Restaurant Management – Chicago, IL

Lester E. Kabacoff School of Hotel, Restaurant & Tourism Admin. – Univ. of New Orleans, LA

Lexington College – Hospitality Management – Chicago, IL

Lincoln University – Hotel & Institutional Management – Lincoln (Canterbury) New Zealand

Lynn University – College of Hospitality Management – Boca Raton, FL

Mercyhurst College – Hotel, Restaurant & Institutional Management Dept. (HRIM) – Erie, PA

Miami Dade College – Hospitality Management Program – Miami, FL

Michigan Licensed Beverage Association – National Hospitality Institute – East Lansing, MI

Michigan State University – The School of Hospitality Business – East Lansing, MI

MiraCosta College – Hospitality, Restaurant, Travel & Tourism Programs – Oceanside, CA

Montclair State Univ – Commercial Recreation, Tourism & Hospitality Mngt – Upper Montclair, NJ

National Schools – National Culinary & Bakery School – La Mesa, CA |

New England Culinary Institute (NECI) – Hospitality Education Programs – Montpelier, VT

New York Univ., Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism & Travel Admin. – New York, NY

Niagara University – College of Hospitality And Tourism Management – Niagara Falls, NY

Normandale Community College – Tourism & Hospitality Management – Bloomington, MN

North Carolina Central University – Hospitality and Tourism Program – Durham, NC

Northeastern State University – Hospitality and Tourism Management – Tahlequah, OK

Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) – Hospitality Management – Alberta, CN

Northern Arizona University – School of Hotel & Restaurant Management – Flagstaff, AZ

Northwestern Business College – Chicago, IL

Oklahoma State Univ. – School of Hotel and Restaurant Administration – Stillwater, OK

Penn State – School of Hotel, Restaurant, and Recreation Management – University Park, PA

Professional Development Institute of Tourism (PDIT) – Parksville, BC/Canada

Purdue University – Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management – West Lafayette, IN

Red Deer College – Hospitality & Tourism Program – Red Deer, Alberta, CN

Richland College – Travel, Exposition and Meeting Management Program – Dallas, TX

Robert Morris University – Hospitality And Tourism Programs – Pittsburgh, PA

Rochester Institute of Technology – School of Hospitality & Service Management – Rochester, NY

Roosevelt University – Steinfeld School of Hospitality & Tourism Management – Chicago, IL

Rosen College of Hospitality Management – Univ. of Central Florida – Orlando, FL

San Diego State University, Hospitality and Tourism Management Program – San Diego, CA

Schiller International University – Hotel Management University – Engelberg, Switzerland

Seneca College – School of Tourism – Markham, Ontario Canada

Seton Hill University – Bachelor of Science in Hospitality and Tourism – Greensburg, PA

Sinclair Community College – Hospitality Programs (Culinary/Travel/Tourism) – Dayton, OH

Southern Cross University – New South Wales, Australia

Southern Illinois University Carbondale – Hospitality and Tourism – Carbondale, IL

St. Cloud State University – Travel and Tourism Program – St. Cloud, MN

Sullivan County Community College – Division of Business & Culinary – Loch Sheldrake, NY

Sullivan University – National Center For Hospitality Studies – Louisville, KY

SUNY College of Agriculture/Tech. – Culinary Arts, Hospitality & Tourism – Cobleskill, NY

SUNY College of Technology At Delhi – Hospitality Programs (inc. F&B) – Delhi, NY

Temple University – School of Tourism & Hospitality Management (STHM) – Philadelphia, PA

Texas Tech University – Restaurant, Hotel & Institutional Management – Lubbock, TX

Travelcampus – Education Systems – Salt Lake City, UT

University of Arkansas, Fayetteville – Hospitality & Restaurant Management – Fayetteville, AR

University of Calgary – World Tourism Education and Research Centre – Calgary, Alberta, CN

University of Colorado at Boulder – Tourism Management Program – Boulder, CO

University of Delaware – Hotel, Restaurant & Institutional Management – Newark, DE

University of Denver – School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management – Denver, CO

University of Guelph – School of Hospitality & Tourism Management – Guelph, Ontario

University of Hawaii-Manoa – School of Travel Industry Management – Honolulu, Hawaii

University of Massachusetts – Department of Hospitality & Tourism Management – Amherst, MA

University of Missouri-Columbia – Hotel & Restaurant Management – Columbia, MO

University of Nebraska at Kearney – Travel and Tourism Program – Kearney, NE

University of Nevada, Las Vegas – Harrah College Of Hotel Administration – Las Vegas, NV

Univ of New Brunswick – Bachelor of Applied Mngt In Hospitality/Tourism – New Brunswick, CN

University of New Hampshire – Department of Hospitality Management – Durham, NH

University of New Mexico – Travel & Tourism Management – Albuquerque, NM

University of North Texas – Hospitality Management – Denton, TX

University of San Francisco – Hospitality Management Program – San Francisco, CA

Univ. of South Carolina – School of Hotel, Restaurant & Tourism Management – Columbia, SC

Univ. of South Florida/Sarasota-Manatee – B/S in Hospitality Management – Sarasota, FL

University of Tennessee – Consumer and Industry Services Management – Knoxville, TN

University of Wisconsin-Stout – Hotel, Restaurant & Tourism Management – Menomonie, WI

Virginia State University – Hospitality Management Program – Petersburg, VA

Virginia Tech – Hospitality And Tourism Management – Blacksburg, VA

Washburne Culinary Institute – Culinary Arts Careers – Chicago, IL

Washington State University – School of Hospitality Business Management – Pullman, WA

Western Culinary Institute – Hospitality/Restaurant Management, Pâtisserie & Baking – Portland, OR

Widener University – School of Hospitality Management – Chester, PA

William Rainey Harper College – Hospitality Management – Palatine, IL

What is the PSAT?

2009-09-08T11:35:00.003+08:00

PSAT stands for Preliminary SAT. It is good practice for the SAT, which contains the same types of questions. The PSAT tests critical reading, math problem solving, and writing skills.

The PSAT Critical Reading sections include reading comprehension questions about full-length and paragraph-length passages. They also include sentence completions.

The PSAT Writing sections include multiple-choice questions on grammar, usage, word choice, and organization. There is no essay section (unlike on the SAT), but schools are provided with a practice essay to help students prepare for the SAT essay.

The PSAT Math sections include multiple-choice questions and grid-in questions, which require the student to generate a response. Topics include numbers and operations; algebra and functions; geometry and measurement; and statistics, probability, and data analysis. Math topics that most first-semester juniors have not yet covered are excluded from the test.

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What is the SAT?

2009-09-08T11:27:00.004+08:00

The SAT Reasoning Test (formerly Scholastic Aptitude Test and Scholastic Assessment Test) is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a non-profit organization in the United States, and was once developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). ETS now administers the exam. The College Board claims that the SAT can determine whether or not a person is ready for college. The current SAT Reasoning Test takes three hours and forty-five minutes and costs $45 ($71 International), excluding late fees. Since the SAT's introduction in 1901, its name and scoring has changed several times. In 2005, the test was renamed to the "SAT Reasoning Test" with possible scores from 600 to 2400 combining test results from three 800-point sections (math, critical reading, and writing), along with other subsections scored separately.

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Senior (12th Grade) Schedule

2009-09-08T11:16:00.004+08:00

Click on the schedule to make it larger...

Senior Year

The fall of your senior year is when the real work begins in the college admission process. This is the time to finalize your college list and prepare your applications. This is also the time to be working closely with the College Counselor and your peers on these tasks. The more open the lines of communication are, the better the process will be. The following is a college admissions calendar for the senior year. Read it carefully so that you are informed about what to do and what is available to you as you go through the year.

August and September
* Meet with the college counselor to let us know where you are in the process. Come prepared with a list of colleges you have researched and are seriously considering for application.
* Begin to narrow your college list. We recommend you have two to four schools that look likely, have a reach or two (based on objective data), and have a sure bet or two. That rule of thumb has been around for decades because it's based on experience and realism.
* Register for the October and/or November SAT Reasoning or Subject Tests. Consider the ACT as well. You may register at www.collegeboard.com or www.act.org. The college counselor can help you decide which test to take and when.
* Make arrangements to visit the colleges to which you have decided to apply. Arrange for an interview with the admissions office if it is required or recommended. Fall break could be an excellent time to visit schools while they are in session.
* Work on your college essays! Familiarize yourself with what you will need to complete each of your applications.
* Ask your teachers for recommendations. Choose teachers who know you well and can offer anecdotes about your classroom contributions. Ask the counselor if you have questions about who to ask for a recommendation.
* Representatives from colleges will visit ISU during the year. Check the visit schedule regularly and meet with representatives from the colleges that interest you. The list will be posted and announced on this website.
* Most important of all, keep focused on your schoolwork. First semester senior year grades are a very important part of a selective college application.

October
* Take the SAT Reasoning Test again, especially if you are applying under an Early Decision or Early Action program. Take the ACT if colleges you are applying to require it.
* If the colleges on your list recommend or require SAT Subject Tests, the October test date is a good time to take them.
* Continue to narrow and refine your list.
* Work on your applications. Get serious about your essays! The counselor is happy to look at drafts and answer any questions.
* Continue to meet with college representatives visiting ISU. The list of visitors is posted and on this website.
* If you haven't done so, ask your teachers for recommendations.
* Many scholarship deadlines are in November and December. Research scholarship opportunities or visit www.fastweb.com for more information.

November
* Take the SAT Reasoning Test again if you did not take it in October. Or, take the SAT Subject Tests if your school recommends or requires them.
* Continue working on your applications. We STONGLY suggest you complete all of your applications before the Holiday Break.

December
* Finalize your list if you have not done so.
* You can take the SAT Reasoning Test or Subject Tests in December.
* Complete all of your applications. We STRONGLY suggest you complete your applications before the Holiday Break. You'll be very glad you did.
* Prepare well for your final exams. First semester senior year grades are a very important part of a competitive college application.
* Enjoy your break!

January
* After completing all of your college applications, this is the time to relax and wait for the college admission decisions.
* Focus on doing well in the spring semester. Don't let senioritis take over! The colleges' acceptances are conditional upon your successful completion of your senior year at the level at which you were performing when you applied.
* The College Counseling Office will send an updated transcript with first semester senior year grades to every college to which you have applied.

February
* Keep waiting, although some of you will hear decisions in February.
* If you hear from a college, let the college counseling office know!
* If a college requests additional information, let the college counseling office know.
* Keep senioritis at bay. Stay focused on doing well in school.

March
* College decisions will continue to arrive, and you can begin deciding which college you would like to attend from those to which you are admitted. The college counselor is glad to discuss this with you!
* Many colleges will offer admitted student programs on campus. These are helpful if you are unsure about your college choice(s).

April
* Most colleges will notify you of a decision by mid-April. Notify the college counseling office when you hear news from a college.
* Carefully choose your college based on all the information you have gathered throughout this process. If you need someone to talk things over with you, don't hesitate to talk to the college counselor.
* Write a letter of acceptance to the college you choose to attend and enclose the required deposit(s).
* Decline any other offers of admission in writing.
* Don't let senioritis kick in just yet! You're almost there!

May
* May 1st is the deadline for you to notify colleges of your decision. You may place only ONE deposit!

June
* The College Counseling Office will mail a final transcript to the college you are attending. Keep us posted on how things are going your first year in college! We'd like to know how you're doing!

CANADA	Uploaded	PDF file size
All provinces	May 2010	38 kb

UNITED STATES
Alabama	Mar 2010	28 kb
Arizona	Mar 2010	28 kb
California	May 2010	32 kb
Colorado	Oct 2010	22 kb
District of Columbia	May 2010	29 kb
Florida	May 2010	28 kb
Georgia	May 2010	25 kb
Illinois	Jan 2011	28 kb
Indiana	Mar 2010	24 kb
Kentucky	Mar 2010	28 kb
Louisiana	Mar 2010	28 kb
Maryland	May 2010	29 kb
Massachusetts	Oct 2010	24 kb
Michigan	Mar 2010	24 kb
Minnesota	Oct 2010	23 kb
Missouri	Mar 2010	24 kb
New Jersey	Jan 2011	24 kb
New York	Oct 2010	28 kb
North Carolina	Jan 2011	28 kb
Ohio	Jan 2011	28 kb
Oregon	Oct 2010	22 kb
Pennsylvania	Mar 2010	28 kb
South Carolina	Mar 2010	23 kb
Tennessee	Mar 2010	23 kb
Texas	May 2010	29 kb
Vermont	Jan 2011	24 kb
Virginia	May 2010	32 kb
Washington	Oct 2010	22 kb
Wisconsin	Oct 2010	22 kb