Shaping the future of international education Higher Education Services COMMITTEE FOR EUROPE, THE MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA February 2015 2015 CIS Northern Europe Tour Dear Colleague: On behalf of the CIS Committee for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, I am pleased to present the details of the 2015 Northern Europe tour. The Council of International Schools (CIS) is a non-profit organization that has been sponsoring recruitment tours around the world, with a specific focus on undergraduate students, for over 30 years. The Committee for Europe, the Middle East and Africa is composed of a group of experienced admission professionals who volunteer their time to plan and direct recruitment tours to these regions. The collective experience of committee volunteers allows CIS to provide thoughtful, efficient and professional recruitment opportunities in various regions around the world and the tour to Northern Europe is no exception. The 2015 tour will begin November 2 nd and finish on November 13 th. The tour will visit the following cities: Brussels, Belgium Malmo, Sweden Lund, Sweden Helsinki, Finland Stockholm, Sweden Edinburgh, Scotland Riga, Latvia Oslo, Stavanger, Norway Each stop will provide ample opportunity to meet students while also engaging with parents and counselors throughout the region. School visits will often include a combination of college fairs and presentations on topics pertaining to the college search process and general admission procedures. At the end of this tour, participants can sign up for several CIS Europe fairs (not included in the tour), leading up the CIS Forum. We are pleased to engage the services of a professional travel provider from Wren & Fida International to travel with and provide logistical assistance throughout the tour, which enables us to offer an exceptionally high level of service and support to tour participants both pre-departure and along the tour route. The application deadline for the tour is May 15, 2015 and a deposit of US$1,000 is required with all applications. The cost of the tour is US$10,850 (including deposit). Further details including the tentative itinerary, included features, terms of participation, and the tour application form can be found at the CIS website www.cois.org under the section For Colleges and Universities. Should you need additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me at j.nesbitt@vanderbilt.edu or 615-322-0864. You may also direct questions about the tour or CIS in general to CIS Office at highereducation@cois.org. Whether you are a veteran traveler to this magnificent region or have yet to experience this unique and charming part of the world, you will undoubtedly find your travels with this tour to be personally and professionally rewarding. Sincerely, John Nesbitt, M.Ed. Senior Assistant Director of Admissions Vanderbilt University 1 / 5
2015 CIS Northern Europe Tour Itinerary (Subject to change) Weekday/Date Working City Description Sunday Nov 1 st Brussels, Belgium Individual Arrivals. Overnight in Brussels Monday Nov 2 nd Brussels, Belgium Individual Arrivals. Orientation Meeting. Opening Dinner. Overnight in Brussels. Tuesday Nov 3 Brussels, Belgium School Visits and College Fairs. Flight to Copenhagen. Overnight in Copenhagen. Wednesday Nov 4 Malmo & Lund, Sweden Ground transportation to Malmo and Lund. School Visits and College Fairs. Flight to Helsinki. Overnight in Helsinki. Thursday Nov 5 Helsinki, Finland School Visits Helsinki. Flight to Stavanger. Overnight in Stavanger. Friday Nov 6 Stavanger School visits Stavanger. Flight to Stockholm, overnight in Stockholm. Saturday Nov 7 Stockholm, Sweden Institutional Time. Overnight in Stockholm Sunday Nov 8 Stockholm, Sweden Institutional Time. Overnight in Stockholm. Monday Nov 9 Stockholm, Sweden School visits Stockholm. Flight to Riga, Overnight in Riga. Tuesday Nov 10 Riga, Latvia School Visits Riga, Flight to Oslo. Overnight in Oslo. Wednesday Nov 11 Oslo, Norway School visits Oslo. Overnight in Oslo. Thursday Nov 12 Edinburgh, Scotland Flight to Edinburgh, Evening Fair Edinburgh. Overnight in Edinburgh. Friday Nov 13 Edinburgh, Scotland School visits. Tour Review, Closing Dinner. Overnight in Edinburgh. Saturday Nov 14 Morning departures Individual Departures 2 / 5
Included Features 2015 CIS Northern Europe Tour (Subject to change) Destinations: Transportation: Accommodations: Transfers: Orientation/ Debriefing: Brussels, Belgium Malmo, Lund, & Stockholm, Sweden Helsinki, Finland Riga, Latvia Oslo, Stavanger, Norway Edinburgh, Scotland Flights in economy class. First Class bus: Copenhagen to Malmo to Lund. Twelve 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, by private motor coach. All group transfers for school visits and college fairs are included. Orientation meeting in Brussels, Belgium and debriefing in Edinburgh, Scotland. Meals: Gratuities & Taxes: Daily Breakfast. Opening dinner in Brussels and closing lunch in Edinburgh. 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. Passports/Visas: A valid passport is required to travel, along with a minimum validity of six months and six empty visa pages. US passport holders do not require visas for the countries included in this tour. Non-US passport holders are responsible for obtaining any necessary visas. Counselor Programs: None. CIS Tour Director: Tour Manager: Webpage: Pre-Trip Materials: Tour Materials: Travel Insurance: Miscellaneous: John Nesbitt, Senior Assistant Director of Admissions Vanderbilt University. 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. 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 / 5
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; yellow fever certificate; excess or overweight luggage; 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 Northern Europe Tour 2015 Land & Air Package - Starting in Brussels and ending in Scotland: US$ 10,850.00 Tour applications due: May 15, 2015 Deposit due to CIS May 15, 2015 US$ 1,000.00 Tour Balance due to Wren & Fida June 15, 2015 US$ 9,850.00 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 and all other items not in the control of Wren & Fida International. Registration/Payment: Your deposit of US$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, 2015. 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 may be limited to 20 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 US$1000.00 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 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. 4 / 5
Cancellations/Penalties: CIS and Wren & Fida will only accept written cancellations. Fees will be assessed for cancellations in the following manner: 2015 CIS Northern Europe Tour Date of Cancellation On or before May 15 2015 After May 15 through June 15, 2015 After June 15, 2015 Refund Policy Full refund of the total tour fee, including US$1,000 tour deposit. 50% of the total tour fee is refundable, less the tour deposit of US$1,000 and any unrecoverable tour expenses. No refund APPLICATION DEADLINE MAY 17, 2015 Please send the completed application form along with your US $1,000.00 deposit made payable to CIS to: Council of International Schools Higher Education Services PO Box 1052 Trumansburg, New York 14886 USA Express Courier to CIS 3777 W. Seneca Rd., Trumansburg, NY 14886 Attn: C. Scott. Tel: +1 607 387 3343 Email: highereducation@cois.org For further program information contact: Tour Director John Nesbitt Senior Assistant Director of Admission Vanderbilt University 2305 West End Ave Nashville, TN 37203 Tel: +1 615-322-0864 Email: j.nesbitt@vanderbilt.edu For any questions concerning the travel arrangements contact: Douglas Wren Director of International Programs Wren & Fida International 320 East 900 South Salt Lake City, UT 84111 Tel: 801.364.4481 or 888.303.4481 Fax: 801.364.4330 Email: dwren@wfintl.com 5 / 5