2. Counselors Are Here To Help…
Find the best fit scenario
Determine what a “good college” really means
Select “good” options that fit the student’s academic
profile
Understanding of application requirements
3. Encourage Your Students To…
Be Proactive
Get Organized
Communicate Well
Be an Expert
Stay Positive
Enjoy Senior Year!
4. Reminders
Parent Information Sheet
Application regulations
10 apps worldwide (UC/UCAS are 1 each)
10 application rule applies to entire application cycle
Students must know deadlines and requirements
Procrastination is the enemy (and doesn’t make a good
impression)
Strong to the finish
All offers are conditional
Q
12. Required for:
Early Decision
Single-Choice Early Action
Helps the counselor tailor a version of the evaluation
for the individual college
This essay format is required by some US colleges to
determine fit and genuine interest
13. What Students Do Now…
Teacher Recommendations
Ask teacher(s)
Complete the
Teacher Rec Data
Sheet
Bring to counselor
to be signed
Give signed form
to teacher
14. What Students Do Now…
Teacher Recommendations
• Colleges want to know more about the student as
a person, especially in the context of the
classroom.
• They are not seeking confirmation of the student’s
grade in the course or your memberships of
various clubs and activities.
• The reader of the student’s application is looking
for characteristics that will make the student a
valuable addition to the university. Q
15. What Students Do Now…
Quick Essay Writing Tips
Genuine and personal
Focus on one aspect of the individual
Provide evidence with a good story
No gimmicks and clichés
Specific examples and details
Proofread!
16. Know That Admissions Officers Are Real
People Too. It’s Okay to be Real in the Essay!
Q
17. Common Applications
Common Application – www.commonapp.org
University of California
October 1 – November 30
Two essays; prompts already posted
Make transcript request to get an unofficial copy from our
office – UCs do not require an official transcript at time of
application
OUAC – Ontario University Application Centre
Available mid-September
May apply to 2-3 faculties per university
Preference
Additional fee beyond initial 3 universities/programs
UCAS
Up to 5 choices
One course for either Oxford or Cambridge
Four courses in medicine/dentistry/veterinary
18.
19. Application Deadlines
UK
OxBridge; Medical/Dental/Veterinarian (UK) – Oct 15
UCAS- Apply first semester; Final deadline – Jan 15
US
Early Decision/Action – Nov 1/15 (could be Oct 15 in a
few cases – UNC Chapel Hill)
U of Florida – received by Nov 1
U of California – Nov 30
Others – Regular decision tends to be January; Rolling
20. Application Deadlines, cont’d
Canada
Apply first semester (around November)
McGill due January 15
UBC due January 31
Korea (based on 2011-12 application cycle)
KAIST due late December/early January
Seoul National due end of February (12 year students)
Others: Summer after graduation
21. Application Deadlines, cont’d
Japan (English-based Programs)
Waseda: November – April, depending on college
Sophia: December 14/May 24
Universities tend to offer 2 application periods for Sept 2013 entry
*Japan (Japanese-based Programs) – After Graduation
Hong Kong (based on 2011-12 application cycle)
HKU: December 30
HKUST: December 29, February 29
Australia, Singapore, Others
National University Singapore: February 21 (based on last year)
Applications are generally due in late spring and summer
Check with individual universities
Q
24. Sending Documents Online
We send Documents Online to the US and Some of Canada
1,750+ total institutions
Initial Transcripts
Teacher/Counselor Evaluations + Forms
IB Predicted Grades (All IB Diploma Students)
Mid Year Report (1st semester grades)
Final Transcripts
What We Don’t Send For These 1,750+ Universities
Financial Documents
International Student Certification of Finances
International Student Financial Aid Application
Additional Recommendations or Materials
Students CAN ship these from the school via UPS
Address the envelope
Fill out the form with Eloisa
No later than 3pm!
25. Sending Documents Via UPS
If not online (e.g. Georgetown, UT-Austin)
We send hard copy documents through the Counseling
Center via UPS courier service
Students may send additional documents in the package
Art portfolio
Recommendations from an external source
Paper applications (Korea/Japan)
Documents sent August through April are billed to
student’s account
Documents sent after April must be paid at the cashier
or through bank transfer
26.
27. Testing Dates – No Standby
SAT Test Date Registration Deadline ACT Test Date Registration Deadline
October 1 September 7 October 27 September 21
November 6 October 4
December 8 November 2
December 1 November 1
January 26 December 28
April 13 March 8
May 4 April 5
June 8 May 3
June 1 May 2
ISM: 705 720 Test Center: 74905
28. Sending Test Scores
SAT Reasoning (SAT I) and Subject Tests (SAT II) –
www.collegeboard.com
Score Choice
When to Send Scores
AP – Call 609-771-7366
ACT – www.actstudent.org
TOEFL – www.toefl.org
29.
30. Applying to
the UK?
Learn to apply
through UCAS
with David
Birchenall
August 22
4:45 to 5:45pm
Little Theater
33. College Visits
Evening Meetings
Sept. 11 – Columbia, Duke, Georgetown, Northwestern, Princeton
Sept. 24 – Brown
Oct. 3 – UPenn
August
23 – UBC
29 – Laureate Hospitality Education (Glion, Les Roches and 3 others)
30 – NYU
September
3 – Macalester College
4 – Chapman, Babson, Elon, Augustana
11 – LMU, Seatttle University, John Carroll University, George Mason University, University of Wyoming,
University of Hawaii, Fairleigh Dickinson University
14 – Claremont McKenna College
19 – CIS College Fair (30+ universities)
20 – Yale and Yale-NUS
25 – St. Mary’s College in California
26 – Emerson College
November
Australian University Fair (Date TBD)
36. Counselors’ Contact Info
Jennifer Melton (A-I):
MeltonJ@ismanila.org
840-8656
Curt Nichols (J-N):
NicholsC@ismanila.org
840-8661
Lisa Ball (O-Z):
BallL@ismanila.org
840-8658
37.
38.
39. An Inside Look
http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/16/today-grinnell/
40. Components of An
Admissions Decision
Data Voice Institutional
Academic Record Essay Priorities
Standardized Test Activities & Passport
Scores Leadership Special
IB Predicted Teacher Talents
Grades Evaluations School
Comparisons Counselor mission
School Group Evaluations
Financial
Historical
Applicants Need
41. What does this mean for a student?
Data
Drives college list (safety to reach)
Voice
What student has control over
Can be very powerful
Institutional Priorities
Unknown
Effect can be huge or non-existent
Q
42. Thanks for coming!
Jennifer Melton (A-I)
MeltonJ@ismanila.org
840-8656
Curt Nichols (J-N)
NicholsC@ismanila.org
840-8661
Lisa Ball (O-Z)
BallL@ismanila.org
840-8658
Notas del editor
Welcome and thank you for joining us this evening!Introductions: Jennifer Melton (students A-I), Curt Nichols (Program Leader and students J-N), Lisa Ball (students O-Z)We met yesterday with you Seniors and share much of the same information we are sharing with you tonight.Please be sure to pick up a yellow timeline focusing on dates and deadlines specific to ISM and college applications and if you are planning to apply to US universities and do not have a US passport, there are copies of the Certification of Finances form which is a requirement for international students.We thought we’d try something new tonight to field questions that will arise throughout the presentation. If you brought a mobile device that has internet access, please go to todaysmeet.com/can2012. Here, you’ll be able to type in your questions and we’ll be monitoring them and addressing them throughout the evening. (NOTE: No connection August 2012)
While the process of applying to university belongs to a student, counselors are here to help them spend time self reflecting and analyzing their wants and needs for university as well as manage the logistical process of applying to university. You’ll often hear us talk about “fit” for a university. A university that “fits” one student, might not “fit” another. So how is a student to know? Through the Do What You Are that students do in grades 9 and 10, participating in the Bearcat Career experience, taking challenging coursework and growing outside the classroom through service and activities, students have numerous opportunities to explore possibilities and learn about their strengths.So when a student or parent expresses finding a “good college”, it’s important to put into context who the student is, what they want to explore, and how they want to grow. Then finding a “good” college means finding one that can showcase and develop these strengths.Finally, the requirements for universities around the world and even within a given country can vary widely. We can help students interpret the requirements many of these universities have for admission.
Be ProactiveDon’t wait for your counselor or your parents to ask you questions or to push you; you must be a self-starter…..asking questions, researching online, being in control of your college search Get OrganizedProbably No 1 thingMust keep track of deadlines, what you have requested (teacher recs, transcripts)Need a method to compare the schools you are considering so you will be able to make an informed decision when it comes time to accept EX – student who made a spreadsheet of what was important for her to consider: Major/Program, Cost, Teacher-student ratio, availability of financial aid, housing, and then some more personal things like boy-girl ratio and whether she could have a car on campus her freshman year Communicate WellWith parents, teachers and your counselorOpen and honest communication – don’t be afraid to ask questions of any of us! Is there anything off limits – location, cost (what is maximum?)Parents and students must have good communication. The last thing that you want is for the student to apply to a school, get accepted, and then the parents say they are not allowed to go there…..for whatever reason. Parents and students must work together to make the list of schools to apply to. Be an ExpertOn your college! You should know more than ANYONE about the schools you are applying to. Stay PositiveThe college admissions process is stressful so do your best to stay positive throughout. Remember also that if a school denies you admission, it is not personal. College does not define you! Think positive thoughts and know that what happens in the process is for the best. Enjoy Senior YearThis is your final year in high school. It’s the last time for some of your activities and that last time that all of you will be together. Enjoy it! Take advantage of all that ISM offers. Make time for the things that are important to you. Don’t spend every moment studying in solitary confinement.
Application regulationsStudents are allowed 10 applications at ISM with the UCs and UCAS counting as 1 each. If you are applying to schools later in the application cycle (spring and after), be sure and leave space for those in your list of 10 or less schools. Know deadlines and requirementsAgain…this is part of doing your research, and being an expert on your schools.Keep track of your deadlines so you don’t miss any of them!! Colleges are unforgiving when it comes to missing deadlines. No exceptions are given. Procrastination is your enemy and doesn’t make a good impressionWaiting until the last minute will only hurt you in this processYou need time to write your essay so that is the best everYou must ask your teachers and counselor to write you a recommendation and they must have PLENTY of time if you want a good oneWhen you do things at the last minute, it tells us that you are not organized and could hurt what we are able to say about you in our recommendations Strong to the FinishNo senior slump! No senioritis allowed!!Colleges will look at your midyear grades as well as your final gradesWhich leads to……. All offers are conditionalYour offer of admission to Canada, the US and the UK are CONDITIONAL based on how you complete the year. Universities can rescind their offer of admission for academic as well as disciplinary reasons. We all have stories of students in the past who received “the letter” telling them that there was no longer a place for them at that university. So you must stay strong to the finish! The entire year is important.
Naviance: Family Connection is a web based tool we use extensively in the high school counseling office.
Students can access the Senior Profile Curt will be talking about shortly here. They can also add journal entries.
We ask all students, regardless of where they are applying, to enter colleges they are considering in Naviance here.All college visitors to ISM are also accessible here.
Once students have entered the colleges they are considering, they can also indicate their level of interest (first choice, medium choice, or low choice)Students can also meet with their counselor to review their chances of acceptance (expected difficulty) in order to ensure they are developing a balanced list of schools to which they can apply.
So HOW do students and counselors assess expected difficulty? We do so based on the “data” part of an application. To do this, scattergrams or graphs in Naviance will show specific and historical application data for ISM students at a given university.In this scattergram, you’ll see a chart mapping ISM GPA and SAT scores with green boxes, red x’s, etc. that each represent a student’s application over the last few years to a specific university. Green boxes indicate acceptances and red x’s are denials. You can also see if students were waitlisted. For those students applying to universities that do not require the SAT, you can change this graph to show IB scores. What these scattergrams do not reflect however, is the more subjective part of a student’s application (voice and institutional priorities) that go into an admission decision. Later this evening, we’ll address the fact that those factors can play a large role in the US admissions process.
What Do I Do Now?
Update Senior Profile Counselors need in order to write you a good recommendation; the information in it should also help you as you complete the teacher recommendation form Check your transcript You were given a copy of your transcript at the end of last year. You should look CAREFULLY at it to see if there are any mistakes or errors Why College X essay More to come on this (later slide) Two Teacher Recommendations Two teachers – typically core area teachers, but in special cases could be another teacher like someone in fine arts The US schools will read 2 teacher recs and no more. If you apply to the UK, you can have only ONE teacher recommendation. Canada, in general, does not require nor will they read recommendations. Your job now is to select your teachers….and then ask them if they will write you a letter. Your teachers will be honest with you and tell you if they don’t feel they can write you a strong letter. Finalize Plans/Colleges Select your 10 or fewer schools to which you will apply with the input from your parents and counselor. Essay/Personal Statement Draft You want to spend plenty of time on this essay. What you write and how you say it tells the colleges a lot about you. Allow others to help you proofread. Your English teachers are great sources for grammar, style and content. Your counselor will also read your essay, but we read for CONTENT and not grammar. We are reading it more like an admissions officer will, trying to see what we learn about you from the essay.Create Application Accounts Common Application - now UCAS – ready mid-September OUAC (Ontario) – ready mid-September UCs – ready about Oct. 1 Register for Testing SATs are given Oct, Nov, Dec ACTs are given Oct and Dec, this semester TOEFL dates are on their website – one coming up in September Recommended if you carry a passport of a country whose official language is not English; this does include the Philippines
We need a slide with application plans: ED, SCEA, REA, EA.
Graphic
I think it is important for parents to have an idea of timeframes so that you can provide support at home and also know when those crunch times are going to be. Give you a sense of when applications and supporting documents should reach the universities. Students have additional internal deadlines – dates we shared with them yesterday during assembly – and include things like deadlines for asking teachers for recommendations, requesting transcripts, etc. We have these internal deadlines so that school staff have time to provide high-quality supporting information.
UCAS – while final deadline is Jan. 15, it is always better to apply earlyUS – Student must be an expert on the university. Deadlines can change from previous years so he or she must know all information for this current application cycle.
KoreaSeoul Natl – students out of Korea 12 years or other international studentsIt is our understanding that Korean deadlines are getting earlier and earlier.Specific information on dates and deadlines on the individual school’s website is in Korean – so you can imagine we are a bit handicapped in accessing the data. We rely heavily on you and your children to be the experts for Korean Univ deadlines.
Japan – these dates are current for this year’s applicationsAustralia depends on start date – June admission is midyear entry; February admission is beginning of academic year Deadlines are typically 3-4 months prior to the start of the semester
Once a student has completed the application, here are examples of additional documents that may need to be or could be submitted. Profile – includes data on ISM, IB scores, grade distributions, where past students have gone to college – all information that supports our students when they apply to collegeFinancial docs – international certification of financesAll schools require for intl students – either at time of appl or at time of acceptanceCopies available for you on the table at the back
So perhaps you are wondering now how we know to send documents.Students complete a Transcript Request form, found on the portal.Documents will then be sent either ONLINE or via UPS
We can send documents online to many univ in the US and some in Canada.The 3 p.m. daily deadline is non-negotiable for UPS. Any documents brought in after 3 p.m. will be sent the following school day.
For schools that do not accept online documents – things can be sent via UPS directly to the university.If we are already sending official school documents as hard copies via UPS, then students can also elect to send other materials like: (examples on slide)Students tell us that they have additional documents through the Transcript request form that you saw earlier.
While you as parents fortunately don’t have to take the SAT or ACT, there are points you should be aware of.
No standbyNo changes day of test – cannot change test center, which SAT you are taking, or the test dateISM is a private test center which means that our students must have the test center code in order to register to test here. Sometimes students get confused and don’t see ISM so register for British School and then show up at ISM the day of the test to change their test site. Not allowed any more. Really important everything is correct at time of registration.
Keep in mind – all standardized test scores must be sent directly from the testing agency to the university.Score Choice:Students can send all of their scores from every testing. Most universities will “super score” – taking the highest scores from each section.OR – students can choose to send scores from ONLY ONE TEST DATE for the reasoning test or ONLY ONE of the subject tests. For example, a student could send only scores from the June 2012 SAT Reasoning. Or if she has taken subject tests in math and physics, she could opt to send only the Physics test score.When to Send – In general, we recommend that students send their test scores at the same time that they request transcripts. Any students applying EARLY to a US university, should go ahead now and send their test scores. Don’t wait until they register for October or November.If wait to request scores when you register for October, then the university receives nothing until the October scores are ready to be sent – which is end of Oct/early Nov.Better to send scores now…..and then also send scores when register for Oct/Nov testingAP- Must call to send scoresTOEFL- Recommended for students with passports from countries where English is not the official language (this includes the Philippines).***Now we want to talk to you about resources available at ISM.***
For those students who plan to apply to the UK, Mr. Birchenall will hold a special session for both parents and students focusing on the UCAS application process.
As Curt mentioned, a number of colleges in the US use a common application. Most students who choose to apply to the US, will encounter using this application system. We require students applying to ANY CommonApp school, to attend one of these after school sessions from August 28-September 7. Often there are a few sections of the application that students can get hung up on. We’ll assist students with completing the application as well as linking it to their Naviance: Family Connection site so that documents can be sent electronically to colleges.
In the Spring, Essay Writing Workshop I was held focusing on choosing an essay topic. Now it’s time for Part II. Students are required to have a draft of their CommonApp essay in order to enter this session.
ISM is a popular destination this year!! As you can see, a number of universities have scheduled to come visit our fabulous students! A few of these visits take place in the evening. In some cases, evening visits will require you to RSVP. Keep a look out for this information.Parents are certainly welcome to attend these visits. Most will take place during the lunch hour beginning at 11:30.
Didn’t have enough time to jot down all of those visits? No fear, our blog is here! You’ll notice on the right hand side, you can access our College Visit calendar. This will always be up to date so be sure to bookmark this site.Additionally, tonight’s presentation and others will be posted here for your review.
Coming this fall, ISM will have a new external website. You’ll notice that our college visits are also accessible there.
Our doors are always open for you and your students! You can also contact us via email and phone. On the back table tonight, feel free to pick up the appropriate business card for your child’s counselor.We would advise that you schedule an appointment in advance should you wish to meet with counselors so that you aren’t inconvenienced. Our days are usually quite busy!
This concludes the main portion of our presentation tonight. We’ll take a few minutes to address questions. The final part of our presentation tonight, will focus specifically on how admissions decisions are made in the US. If your child does not plan on applying to the US, you are free to leave before we begin.Don’t forget to pick up the yellow timeline before you leave this evening.
Note: Jen didn’t feel she did the best job explaining this…suggestions?As you’ve just seen, the US style of reviewing application is comprehensive, subjective, and unique solely to the US. Because of this system, parents and students are often left wondering how and why certain decisions are made.There are 3 main components that go into a decision. Let’s take a moment and review those.Data consists of:the academic record of a student (transcript, courses, grades, overall rigor of the courses available compared to what the student took)Standardized test scores (AP, SAT, ACT, Subject tests, etc.)IB Predicted GradesComparisons: School group (how does the student compare to other ISM applicants this school year?) and Historical data (how does the student compare to other ISM applicants from previous years)Up to this point, students know what data is needed for a university and they have control of that dataVoice can be very subjective!EssayActivities & LeadershipTeacher EvaluationsCounselor EvaluationsThis is what students RIGHT NOW have the most control over.Institutional PrioritiesPassport (What diversity would you bring to their campus? Underrepresentation on their campus? Ie: North Dakota in the video)Special talents (Tuba player…)School Mission Financial Need (what does the student need and what are the resources of the university to meet that need?)This can be tough for families as this information is not public!! Students and parents also have NO CONTROL over these.
So….what do we do with the knowledge of how decisions are made in the U.S.?Data – Data is the baseline for all admissions decisions. It must be used when creating the list of universities. A student’s data drives the list of schools – which schools are safeties, targets and reaches. Data is the only black/white element we have that can help us make sure the student has a solid list of schools.Voice – Don’t underestimate it!If a student is a just shy of being a clear admit but has a compelling voice, that voice could tip the scales into a favorable admissions decision. Some universities will read the essay first to get a sense of who the student is before looking at the data.Institutional Priorities – Vary from year to yearUsually come from outside the admissions officeA student could be accepted one year and not the nextBig reason to NOT take a university decision personally – denial may have nothing to do with the studentEx – advisory board of alma mater – Pres wanted school to become a top tier research institution. That designation was based heavily on overall SAT scores of admitted students. So for the next admissions cycle – students were admitted based primarily on SATs…..and students who would have easily been admitted just the previous year, were not. No one could have guessed that was going to happen.Diversity is an institutional priority too. For our students, diversity usually works in their favor. We know that Korean and Chinese passport holders often have to meet higher expectations for admissions. Chinese and Korean students from ISM could have an advantage, though, since they have international experiences that, say, a Korean in Korea doesn’t have.So in summary – the data drives the applications; we strongly encourage students to have the strongest voice possible. And we all have to remember that there are factors that are unknown and beyond our control throughout the process.