T TA ASSIISS T Thhee A Am meerriiccaann SScchhooooll iinn EEnnggllaanndd COLLEGE COUNSELING NEWSLETTER August 2012 Volume 1 Welcome to our first TASIS College Counseling Newsletter! Each montly newsletter will highlight important college-related information, deadlines, and tips for students and parents. It is our goal that this will be a resource for all students even before they officially begin the college search process. It is never too soon to start becoming familiar with the college process and terminology! If you have any questions about any of the articles or information, please contact the college counseling department. The college counselors are available to assist any family with questions regarding the college search and application process. We hope you enjoy this newsletter and find it helpful for both students and parents! Number 1 College Counselors Mrs. Anna Wright - Director of College Counseling awright@tasisengland.org 044 1932 582 Ms. Mindy Larson - College Counselor mlarson@tasisengland.org 044 1932 582480 Dr. Gwen Martinez - College Counselor gmartinez@tasisengland.org 044 1932 582404 www.tasisengland.org Academics - College Counseling COLLEGE COUNSELING WEBSITE For helpful information, links to websites, and tools, visit the TASIS College Counseling website. http://england.tasis.com/ page.cfm?p=286
Seniors COUNSELING NEWSLETTER Page 2 1) WHEN STUDENTS RETURN FROM SUMMER BREAK, SENIORS SHOULD HAVE THE FOLLOWING ON FILE BY MID-SEPTEMBER: - Summer Writing Assignment - Parent Questionnaire (If we have not received yours, a copy can be found by logging into your Naviance account. Please return it ASAP). - Any missing transcripts or other information noted on the transcript 2) GET A JUMP START ON YOUR APPLICATIONS: If applying to the U.S., come back to school with your 2012-13 Common Application done! It can be found at WWW.COMMONAPP.ORG. For the colleges on your "definite" list (colleges to which you will definitely apply), come back to school with the application supplements filled out -- it will save you time and stress later (they are available on each college's admissions website). Be ready to submit applications to any of your colleges on rolling admission in the first four to six weeks of the school year. 3) IF APPLYING TO U.S. UNIVERSITIES, WRITE TWO COMMON APPLICATION ESSAYS: Many English 12 teachers will be working on these with you early in the fall. If you don t like any of the topics, make up your own! Use Tips for writing Winning College Application Essays at: http://collegeapps.about.com/od/essays/a/essay_tips.htm OR College Board s College Application Essay at: http://professionals.collegeboard.com/guidance/applications/essay IF APPLYING TO U.K. UNIVERSITIES, WRITE A DRAFT OF YOUR PERSONAL STATEMENT For help getting started and important dos and don ts, use the pointers on the UCAS website at: http://www.ucas.com/students/applying/howtoapply/personalstatement/ 4) HIGH SCHOOL RESUME: The college admissions process in the United States and the United Kingdom is much more than a combination of academic achievement and standardized test scores. Institutions of higher education are looking to understand who you are as a person, what interests and skills you might bring to the community, and how you might distinguish yourself from other academically excellent applicants. The resume not only helps you in filling out applications and writing your essay or personal statement, it also provides valuable information for your college counselor. Use the Resume Builder in Naviance to help create your resume. FINE AND PERFORMING ARTISTS: If you are applying to a talent-based program of study, be sure and keep an eye on résumé, portfolio and audition requirements and start preparing. Requirements vary widely from college to college. You may be required to submit original artwork or slide/cd of your work as part of your application. Drama and music applicants will be required (or encouraged) to audition on or off the college campus on a certain date. Check to see if when you visit a campus, you can meet with a professor in your artistic field. Be prepared to talk about your work or demonstrate your talent! Be assertive colleges want to see your passion and commitment.
COUNSELING NEWSLETTER Page 3 5) REGISTER FOR FALL SAT AND ACT TESTS Most seniors will take the opportunity to retake the SAT and/or the ACT in the fall of their senior year. Register well in advance of the deadline to get your choice of test center. Use your College Board or ACT web account to register; don't create a new account! Check the specific testing requirements of each college on your list especially SAT Subject Test requirements. The SAT Reasoning Test and SAT Subject Tests are offered on each of the deadlines listed below. You can register for one or the other but not both on the same date! Note that not all Subject Tests are offered on each test date (for example, Language with Listening Tests are offered only in November). A small minority of colleges requires SAT Subject Tests. Many colleges (but not all) accept the results of the ACT in lieu of both the SAT Reasoning and Subject Tests. To register for either the SAT or ACT visit the following websites: SAT: www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/sat/reg.html (use the same user name and password as last year; do not create a new account! Call College Board customer service if you have forgotten or are having problems: 609-771-7600. ACT: www.actstudent.org/: call 319-337-1270 REGISTRATION CODE School Code: 724-736 (TASIS England) TEST DATES AND REGISTRATION DEADLINES ACT Test Date Registration Deadline October 27, 2012 September 21, 2012 December 8, 2012 November 2, 2012 February 9, 2013* January 11, 2013 April 13, 2013 March 8, 2013 June 8, 2013 May 3, 2013 *ACT Plus Writing not offered on the February 2013 test date. (Testing offered at TASIS December and April dates only) SAT Test Date Registration Deadline October 6, 2012 September 7, 2012 November 3, 2012 October 4, 2012 December 1, 2012 November 1, 2012 January 26, 2013* December 28, 2013 May 4, 2013 April 5, 2013 June 1, 2013 May 2, 2013 (*Testing offered at TASIS ALL dates except January) For more information about College Admissions Testing visit the TASIS College Counseling testing link at: http://england.tasis.com/page.cfm?p=885
COUNSELING NEWSLETTER Page 4 6) TOEFL EXAM: We advise all non-native speakers planning to attend university in the US or UK to take the TOEFL at least once before coming back to TASIS. Students can retake the TOEFL in the autumn, but it is important that we have an initial score. Students can register to take the TOEFL anywhere in the world via www.ets.org/toefl. 7)FINANCIAL CERTIFICATION: US colleges and universities require proof that non-us citizens have the finances necessary to pay for college. Two documents are required for this proof: 1) A letter from your bank indicating that you can cover at least the first year of tuition, which can be as much as $55,000+, and 2) A letter stating that you are willing to use these available funds to pay for your child s education. Many institutions may also have their own form for you to fill out. It is possible that the student will require two original copies of these documents for every application he or she files. Planning ahead and preparing these documents this summer will make everything easier when we need these documents in the application process. Please plan on sending 10 original copies of each document to TASIS with in the autumn. Naviance Family Connection Naviance Family Connection is a web-based, college counseling program that the TASIS College Counseling Department uses to aid students in the college search and research process. It is also the vehicle in which the college counselor is able to process and monitor student application materials to colleges and universities. Among a variety of services, Naviance allows students to complete an online college questionnaire, build a resume, and research colleges. Through Naviance, TASIS college counselors can easily communicate with students, particularly regarding upcoming meetings and events, scholarship opportunities, and to offer other valuable web resources for college and career planning. Returning TASIS students have been given passwords and login information, as well as a Naviance tutorial exercises during college counseling class meetings. Here are some helpful reminders to get to some key areas. Feature Description How to Access Resumé Explore Interests Record your activities, awards, volunteer experience, etc. Arrange your information into multiple printable versions of a résumé that you can use for potential employers or colleges. A career survey about interest in types of work activities. Use the results to explore suggested occupations; examine the education, training, and skills required (and there to obtain them), as well as wages typical for these occupations 1. Click the About Me tab 2. Click the Résumé link under the Interesting Things About Me section 1. Click the Careers tab 2. Click the Career Interest Inventory link under the What Are My Interests?
(NAVIANCE continued) Do What You Are College Search A personality survey. Use the results to explore suggested college majors and careers based on your strengths. Set search criteria to yield a list of colleges to explore. Narrow down you list using the links above (type, location, students, admission, etc.) Click on the various tabs of the college profile to learn more. Add colleges you re interested in to your My Colleges list. COUNSELING NEWSLETTER Page 5 1. Click the About Me tab 2. Click on Personality Type 1. Click the Colleges tab 2. Click the College Search link under the College Research section Family connection is a wonderful resource to investigate many different colleges and begin to prepare for the application process and the years ahead. Explore the different areas and be sure to check back for frequent updates and activities! Please contact your college counseling office with any questions. Help with Financing a University Education The Cost How much does a college education cost? Worldwide, tuition costs and related expenses have grown significantly over the past several years. The U.S. Department of Education has prepared a helpful website which allows you to search by highest and lowest Net Prices (price families actually pay), not just tuitions. When planning for college expenses, families have a tendency to compare tuition, when in fact the Net Cost is more important--hence why Federal Legislation mandated last October that a Net Price Calculator (NPC) be implemented within three clicks of a College/Universities home page. See the following link for a helpful tool in calculating the Net Cost of a college education in the U.S. http://collegecost.ed.gov/catc/# Financial Assistance Many parents want their sons and daughters to apply for SCHOLARSHIPS. While the overwhelming majority of financial aid comes from the federal and state governments and from the colleges themselves, there are many scholarships awarded annually to students by private individuals, business, foundations, and civic organizations. It s never too early to explore these funding possibilities. The Internet has made a wide search quick and easy: FREE U.S. SCHOLARSHIP SEARCHES ON THE WEB www.fastweb.com http://apps.collegeboard.com/cbsearch_ss/welcome.jsp www.scholarships.com For more information on Financial Aid and Scholarships in both the U.S. and U.K. go to: http://england.tasis.com/admin.cfm?tab=0
COUNSELING NEWSLETTER Page 6 College Representatives at TASIS England Every year, approximately 100 colleges and universities visit TASIS to speak with our students. Meeting with an admission representative is an excellent way to learn more about a college, express your interest, and allow the representatives to get to know you. We strongly encourage both juniors and seniors to attend these sessions during their lunch period. Most representatives visit during the fall, so juniors need to start early! The schedule of representatives visiting TASIS can be found on Naviance: click on the Colleges tab, then on view all upcoming visits. The following schools are currently on the calendar: Sept 19th: 12:00: University of Notre Dame Sept 25th: 12:00: Middlebury College Sept 26th: 12:00: Regis College & Marymount College Sept 27th: 12:00: Loyola Marymount University October 1st: 12:00: University of Toronto October 3rd: 12:00: Florida Institute of Technology October 5th: 12:00: Jacob's University Bremen (Germany), IE University (Spain), Universita Bocconi (Italy) October 16th: 12:00: Boston University October 17: 9:15: Colby College November 5th: 12:00: Bucknell University & Lafayette College November 19th: 12:00: Emory University, University of Miami, Penn State, & Ringling College of Art & Design Important Upcoming Dates August 2012 29 and 30 First Days of School: College Counseling Class Meetings for all Upper School Grade levels September 2012 14 SENIORS: Paperwork due including: Summer College Counseling Assignment, List of Colleges and Universities, Draft of Resume, Education Records Release Form, Application Deadline Agreement, and Teacher Recommendation Request Forms 28 & 29 Fulbright London College Fair for US Universities: All grade levels are invited to attend October 2012 3 SENIORS: TASIS Deadline for all UCAS Oxford, Cambridge, Medical, Veterinary, and Dental Applications to be completed 10 SENIORS: TASIS Paperwork Deadline for Early Decision, Early Action, Rolling, and/ or any applications due before December 15 11 and 12 Parent Conferences: College 101 for 9 th and 10 th grade parents and students 17 SENIORS: College Workshop Day, including U.S. and U.K. Case Studies and Essay Seminars 17 PSAT Tests for 10 th and 11 th grade students November 2012 Review of all essay drafts and personal statements finished by the end of the month 15 SENIORS: Transcript Request Deadline: All internal paperwork, including U.S. transcript request forms are due in the College Counseling Office 15 SENIORS: All UCAS Applications must be completed and submitted electronically to your College Counselor