Higher Education Services

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1 Shaping the future of international education Higher Education Services ASIA COMMITTEE February CIS South Asia Tour Dear Colleague, Greetings on behalf of the Council of International Schools (CIS) Asia Committee! As the 2015 South Asia tour director, I m excited to tell you about our upcoming tour this fall. CIS is a non-profit organization that has been sponsoring recruitment tours around the world for nearly 40 years. The CIS Asia Committee is a group of experienced admission professionals who volunteer their time to plan and direct recruitment tours in the Asia-Pacific region and Indian sub-continent. The tour, which is scheduled for August 31 st through September 14 th, is designed to be productive and enjoyable, both personally and professionally. Tour participants will meet in Delhi, India on Monday, August 31, 2015 for orientation and the tour will start its schedule of college fairs and school visits beginning in Delhi. We will visit Delhi, Dehradun, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Colombo, Sri Lanka. The tour will end on September 14 and participants will depart from Colombo to their individual home city in the US or next destination on or after the night of September 14. I m excited to announce that on this year s trip we will host an international counselor fly-in event in Colombo, Sri Lanka on Sunday, September 13. We will be flying counselors in from India, Bangladesh and Nepal to Sri Lanka. In addition, we are working with USEFP (The United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan) and the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan to bring counselors from public and private high schools throughout Pakistan to this event as well. All of the counselors will join our tour for the last two days in Colombo. We are pleased to engage Wren & Fida International as our travel provider again, as well as local guide Naveen Bhatt to travel with us to provide logistical assistance throughout the tour. This exceptional level of service allows tour members to concentrate on the recruitment of students before, during and after the tour. We will use time efficiently and visit the maximum number of schools possible in each city, yet still have time to rest and experience the culture along the way. You will once again have the option to link this tour to the CIS Asia tour which follows the South Asia tour. The CIS Asia tour will begin in Seoul, South Korea on September 15th and will be led by one of our most experienced leaders, Josh Ferchau from Knox College. CIS tours focus on undergraduate recruitment. We will visit international schools as well as some outstanding national schools that typically send students to the US. Tour participants will conduct indepth workshops to help students, parents, counselors and teachers learn more about admission related topics such as financial aid, the application process, and university life. Finally, whenever possible, we will schedule institutional time so that tour participants can meet with alumni, students and families on an individual basis. The application and $1,000 deposit (required) are due by April 17, The cost of the tour, including domestic flights within India and the flight between India and Sri Lanka, train and ground transportation, first class hotel accommodations during the tour and deposit, is $10, Preference will be given to applicants who meet all the participation conditions and deadlines listed below. International flights to Delhi, India and from Colombo, Sri Lanka are not included, though Wren & Fida can assist you with flight booking. If your institution is not selected to participate, your deposit will be refunded. Further details including the itinerary, included features and terms of participation 1 / CIS South Asia Tour

2 follow below. The application form can be found on the CIS website at under the link for Higher Education. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me via at or phone You may also direct questions about the tour or CIS in general to the CIS Office at The 2015 CIS South Asia Tour promises to be both productive and enjoyable. I hope you will join us in August 2015! Sincerely, Darren Conine, Tour Director Director of Undergraduate Admission Merrimack College 2015 CIS South Asia Tour Itinerary (Subject to change) Weekday/Date Working City Description Sunday, August 30 Delhi Individual Arrivals. Overnight in Delhi Monday, August 31 Delhi Individual Arrivals. Orientation Opening Dinner. Overnight in Delhi. Tuesday, September 1 Delhi/Dehradun School Visits/Fairs. Flight to Dehradun. Overnight in Mussoorie. Wednesday, September 2 Dehradun/Delhi School Visits/Fairs. Flight to Delhi. Overnight in Delhi. Thursday, September 3 Delhi School Visits/Fairs. Overnight in Delhi. Friday, September 4 Delhi/Agra School Visits/Fairs. Bus to Agra. Overnight in Agra. Saturday, September 5 Agra/Jaipur Institutional Time. Bus to Jaipur. Overnight in Jaipur. Sunday, September 6 Jaipur/Mumbai Institutional Time. Flight to Mumbai. Overnight in Mumbai. Monday, September 7 Mumbai School Visits/Fairs. Overnight in Mumbai. Tuesday, September 8 Mumbai School Visits/Fairs. Overnight in Mumbai. Wednesday, September 9 Mumbai/Hyderabad School Visits/Fairs. Flight to Hyderabad. Overnight in Hyderabad. Thursday, September 10 Hyderabad School Visits/Fairs. Overnight in Hyderabad. Friday, September 11 Hyderabad School Visits/Fairs. Overnight in Hyderabad. Saturday, September 12 Hyderabad/Colombo, Sri Lanka Institutional Time. Flight to Colombo, Sri Lanka. Overnight in Colombo. Sunday, September 13 Colombo International Counselor Fly-In. Overnight in Colombo. Monday, September 14 Colombo School Visits/Fairs. Closing Dinner. Individual Departures. 2 / 6

3 Included Features (subject to change) Destinations: Transportation: Accommodations: Transfers: Orientation/ Debriefing: Meals: Gratuities & Taxes: Passports/Visas: Delhi, Dehradun, Mumbai, Hyderabad, INDIA and Colombo, SRI LANKA. Flights between India and Sri Lanka and Inter-India flights will be coach. Sixteen nights at first class hotels, single rooms, taxes, breakfast and internet included. Hotel list will be posted to the Wren & Fida website. Included from airport to the hotel and vice versa. All group transfers for school visits and college fairs are included. Orientation meeting in Delhi, India and debriefing in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Daily Breakfast. Opening dinner in Delhi, Counselor Dinner in Colombo, and closing dinner in Colombo. All gratuities and taxes in connection with the Included Features are included. Airport and hotel porters, drivers and guides gratuities are all included. Airport departure taxes are also included. A valid passport is required to travel, along with a minimum validity of six months and two empty visa pages. The India and Sri Lanka Visas for U.S. Passport holders are included in the tour cost. Non-US passport holders will be reimbursed the budgeted amount for visas and are responsible for obtaining necessary visas. Our partner CIBT will assist all participants. Counselor Programs: One counselor program in Sri Lanka. Current price of tour is estimated and is subject to change upon confirmation of Counselor Fly-In Program. As Counselor Programs are based on invited counselors, participation may vary. Number of participants and length of program may vary. CIS Tour Director: Tour Manager: Webpage: Pre-Trip Materials: Tour Materials: Travel Insurance: Miscellaneous: Darren Conine, Director of Undergraduate Admission, Merrimack College. A professional tour manager, from Wren & Fida International, will travel with the group and handle all technical travel details. A Webpage with login and password will be provided for pre-trip communication. Appropriate tour information and pre-trip literature will be provided to all tour participants. Luggage Tags, Tour Booklet, Table Signs and personalized name badge will be provided for all participants. A coverage group policy is included for all participants. Participants can request for a copy with Wren & Fida. Information on schools to be visited on the tour and cultural background information on the countries to be visited will be provided in advance. A CIS brochure with information about each participating institution will be provided to each school to share with prospective students and school counselors. 3 / 6

4 Excluded Features The following services/items are NOT included in the price of the tour: Passport; passport photos; rush visa fees; 2nd passports; additional passport pages; excess or overweight luggage, shipping of materials; meals not specified in the itinerary; telephone calls, laundry, valet service, room service, or any other items of a personal nature; and other service/items not specifically mentioned in the itinerary or under included features above. Terms & Conditions Costs: CIS South Asia Tour 2015 Land & Air Package - Starting in Delhi, India and ending in Colombo, Sri Lanka: US$ 10, Tour applications due: April 17, 2015 Deposit due to CIS April 17, 2015 US$ 1, Tour Balance due to Wren & Fida May 15, 2015 US$ 9, Late Fee: 5% Terms and Conditions: Tour price is subject to change due to: revaluation of the U.S. dollar, fuel surcharges, government taxes, airport departure taxes, reciprocity taxes, entry visa fees, itinerary changes (before and during tour) and all other items not in the control of Wren & Fida International. Registration/Payment: Your deposit of $1,000, directed to CIS, must accompany the enclosed application form. Participants must meet the conditions for participation and application deadlines in order to be considered. Payment for the balance of the tour costs will be due to Wren & Fida International no later than May 15, Institutions will receive an invoice for tour costs directly from Wren & Fida International. General Conditions for Participation: This CIS tour is a rigorous recruitment trip designed for full-time international admission officers; preference is given to applicants with at least two years of admissions or related experience. Participants must take part in the entire tour, due to group travel arrangements and advance publicity. Deviations from the tour itinerary are not permitted. The tour will be limited to 30 participants plus the CIS tour director and the Wren & Fida tour manager. Non-U.S. institutions are welcome on CIS tours; however U.S. institutions will have priority for participation. Any substitution in traveler, after formal tour acceptance, must meet these same criteria for experience. Any substitutions must be approved by the CIS Committee. No substitutions are allowed within 45 days of departure. Approved substitute travelers will pay a $ change fee plus any additional tour expenses. No institution may send more than one representative, nor may any additional travelers accompany the tour participant. Participants must be prepared to make presentations on U.S. higher education and/or the college admissions process in general. They must also be familiar with the specific 4 / 6

5 admission and financial aid policies of their own institutions, and be familiar with the concerns of international students. Participants must adhere to the statements on ethical professional practice and behavior of the Council of International Schools and the National Association for College Admission Counseling. Due to space restrictions, we will be unable to permit any institutional floor displays at the college fairs. Promotional giveaways are also not permitted. Cancellations/Penalties: CIS and Wren & Fida will only accept written cancellations. Fees will be assessed for cancellations in the following manner: 2015 CIS South Asia Tour Date of Cancellation On or before April After April 30 through May 17, 2015 After May 17, 2015 Refund Policy Full refund of the total tour fee, including $1,000 tour deposit. 50% of the total tour fee is refundable, less the tour deposit of $1,000 and any unrecoverable tour expenses. No refund 5 / 6

6 APPLICATION DEADLINE APRIL 17, 2015 Please send the completed application form along with your US $1, deposit made payable to CIS to: Council of International Schools Higher Education Services PO Box 1052 Trumansburg, New York USA Express Courier to CIS 3777 W. Seneca Rd., Trumansburg, NY Attn: C. Scott. Tel: For further program information contact: Tour Director Darren Conine Director of Undergraduate Admission Merrimack College 315 Turnpike Street, North Andover, MA 01845, USA Tel: For any questions concerning the travel arrangements contact: Brett Steele Managing Director Wren & Fida International 320 East 900 South Salt Lake City, UT Tel: or / 6