Essential University and Future Planning for Year 12 students:

Post UniQuest Session

Secondary Counselors @ NIST Thursday 10 January, 2013

Future Goal.. The Short List (beginning of Year 13)

By August of Year 13, students will have developed a firm list of 6-9 schools to which they are applying with a range of Reach, Safety and Star schools Students will apply to no more than ten universities. (Please note that the UK universities will count as one choice, as will the University of California campuses.)

Discussion about family finances

You should have engaged in a discussion with your parents about how much money is available per year for four years. It is much better for you to understand what is (and what is not) possible now rather than later. While some entrance and merit-based scholarships are available to international students, it is not safe to rely on them, regardless of how strong a student you are.

University Research
You should have spent lots of time researching universities this year. You should be working on your Long List of universities on Naviance (Colleges Im thinking about)

2010 Alumni Advice

Please work hard on your university research! I have never put so much dedication into anything in my life! I worked so hard on applying to colleges, doing my research, getting advice...etc. And in the end it is SO worth it. When I look back, I am so incredibly proud of myself and I really hope you can get that feeling too. Do your research, look for schools that you think would fit YOU! Don't just apply for the sake of applying, because you never know where you're gonna get accepted into, make sure you're gonna love all of them!

How long is the long list?

Selecting an initial pool of 15 to 20 universities gives you the flexibility to eliminate universities that do not suit you. When you move from your long list to your final short list of 10 universities, you will still have a full range of schools to which to apply! Important: You should have classified your schools as Reach, Fit, or Star.

Great Long List on Naviance

Not so great Long List on Naviance

You should have completed the UniQuest Assignment

UniQuest Survey Friendly Reminder!!!

Post-UniQuest Meeting
with your Counselor
30-45 min meeting Beginning on Monday next week You must have completed the UniQuest Assignment before this meeting

Welcoming Ms. Jackie to the Counseling Department

You will receive an email from Ms. Jackie if you are one of her students this year.

Conducting the Research

You should have developed a set of criteria, your own personal Road Map, and used a number of resources including online resources, friends, family members, your teachers and counselors. You should have visited new websites as often as possible, and talked with the university representatives who visited NIST this year. You should keep track of what you learn in an organized manner using the University Research Data Spread Sheet.

University Research Data Spread sheet

In your email today (together with directions on how to fill it out) Feel free to use your own version Working document Helps you keep track on research data Very useful when you communicate with parents and counselor

University Research Data Spread Sheet

This is an example of what you need to bring to your 3-Way Conference in April/May

Education UK Exhibition 2013

@ Centara Grand - Central World

19 - 20 January 12 6 PM

77 UK Universities

30 UK Universities at NIST in January

University of East Anglia Wilfrid Laurier University
The University of West London University of Birmingham Regents College York St John University University of Bristol Goldsmiths College, University of London University of Liverpool Loughborough University Manchester Metropolitan University Bangor University University of Brighton City University

10 January 16 January 17 January

18 January

21 January

30 UK Universities at NIST in January

Coventry University University of Gloucestershire Kingston University University of Reading Staffordshire University Coventry University University College Worcester University of Leicester University of Nottingham in Malaysia University of York
University of Hull University of Strathclyde University of Southampton Coventry University Brunel University London School of Economics

21 January

22 January 23 January 24 January 28 January 8 February

Upcoming College Visits on Naviance

99 NIST Alumnis Feedback on their University Experiences

(Guidelines in your inbox today)

How do I know if it is a Reach, Fit or Star school?

Universities in UK, Canada, Australia and most Asian countries state their requirements as minimum IB scores. For the US it gets a bit more complicated
You need to look into acceptance rates and mid50% SAT scores

Mid 50% of SAT Total for First Year Students

1760
2120

25%

50%

25%

Your score: 1690

Your score: 1910

Your score: 2200

Reach School

Fit School

Star School

Reality Check
Universities that accept less than 20% of applicants are Reach Schools for any student even if he or she has outstanding SAT/IB scores

Naviance Scattergrams

Oxbridge Candidates
If you intend to apply to Oxford OR Cambridge, OR Medical/Veterinary School in the UK Preparation Meeting Thursday, January 31 2:30-3:30 (This is a 3-way Conference Day) Parents encouraged to attend as well

Tests
IB internal and external assessments Tests for Medical School
UK (UKCAT, BMAT) @ British Council Australia (UMAT)

SAT/SAT Subject tests for America-bound students TOEFL or IELTS (English Proficiency) Thai University Entrance Tests
(CU-AAT, CU-TEP, TU-GET, etc.)

SAT preparation courses and books Importance of setting goals for improvement

TOEFL/IELTS
You should take any of these tests if you dont have a passport that says:
North-America UK Australia New Zealand

English A1/B is not enough for some universities They want to see a standardized test score Some Asian nationalities need IELTS (not TOEFL) for their Visa application to Australia

Top Scholars SAT Prep program at NIST

See Ms. Brenda for more information

Top Scholars

Summer experiences and campus visits

Planning on spending the summer gaming or working on your tan/biceps? Think again Work Internships Volunteer Continue university research College Essays Attend a sport camp or college prep program Visit universities whenever possible If you cant visit universities, use your network of Nisties throughout the world (Facebook)

Letter of Recommendation from your School Counselor

About you as a person outside the classroom Based on the Resume on Naviance and the Historic Demographic Survey on Naviance The more information you provide the better letter you get Guidelines on how to fill out the resume will be in your inbox today

Naviance Resume

Historic Demographic Survey on Naviance

Milestone Completion Report from Naviance for Year 12 students

Milestone
Career Interest Profiler Do What You Are - Personality Type Test UniQuest Assignment Naviance Resume University Research Data Spreadsheet Historic Demographic Survey

% Completed
16.3% 19.4% 30% 0% 0% 0%

Students
16 out of 98 19 out of 98 29 out of 98 0 out of 98 0 out of 98 0 out of 98

Lets mark it as completed!

(If you are done)

The Three-way College Conference

Three-way conferences (student, parent and counselor) will take place in April/May Students must have completed the following before they sign up for the conference:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Do What You Are Career Interest Profiler UniQuest Assignment Naviance Resume (working document) Historic Demographic Survey on Naviance University Research Data Spreadsheet Long List on Naviance: Universities Im thinking about

This will help you tremendously

What are you supposed to do today?

First:
1. Mark the milestones you have already completed as Completed on your checklist Then you work on the UniQuest Assignment (must be completed by Monday January 14).

Then you can choose from:

1. Start working on your Naviance Resume 2. Start working on your Historic Demographic Survey 3. Work on completing your University Research Data Spread Sheet 4. Continue adding universities to your long-list on Naviance by using your favorite online research programs

Tools and Resources

Blogs

Internet

College Library

Excellent Research tools for universities worldwide

4356 universities worldwide Rankings, Reviews, Information, Pictures and Forums

Research Tools for Australia

Comprehensive and independent information source about tertiary education pathways in Australia.

Australian University Ratings by students

University and course search for Australian universities. Guide to studying and living in Australia.
45

Research Tools for the UK

Research tool for UK Universities and Courses

UK University Search Tool based on the National Student Survey

University and Subject League Tables. UK universities are ranked on nine quality factors

Use a psychometric questionnaire to find your most suitable UCAS degrees and diplomas.

46

Research Tools for North-America

Reviews, videos, and photos created by students at colleges in US/Canada

College reviews written by current students. Guide to every aspect of campus life with thousands of unbiased student reviews and ratings.

Explore hundreds of private colleges and universities in the US.

College Search Tool for US Colleges

School research and rankings for the 376 best colleges in the US

How to Browse NIST Alumni Responses by College

Follow the link below.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/sr.aspx?sm=8DDi6OQypSAuOvXWLRKKVOh6owm4QKqykRuTuhFgI9w_3d

Click Show replies in section 2 of the survey as shown below.

Change to 50 responses per page.

Look for a college/university you are interested in, and click Find.

Now you can read this persons responses to all questions for this particular college/university.

You can navigate through the colleges/universities by using Prev. and Next or go back to look for another interesting college/university in the Summary section.

Enjoy the reading! The Secondary Counselors

When should I write the SAT and when should I register?

Year 12
Registration deadlines are always about a month before the test date. It is not possible to do any standby or late registrations at NIST.

October

November

December

January

May

June

Take the PSAT at NIST in October. Many students have already taken the PSAT in Year 11, and try to improve their scores in Year 12. The results will show where your strengths and weaknesses are. You can also use the scores when you research universities on Naviance. Contact your counselor for more information on the PSAT.

Students may take SAT preparation courses during the first semester of Year 12 and write the SAT for the first time in December or January.

May and June are ideal test dates to take the SAT again or to sit for Subject Tests.

Year 13

October

November

December

January

May

June

October and November are test dates where many students will sit for a third and final SAT 1. You may also write SAT subject tests if they are required or recommended for your university applications. November is the only test date that includes Language tests with Listening. December is the last chance to write the SAT for most students applying to US colleges. Remember to register during summer as these test dates fill up quickly.

January might be a possible test date for some students applying to US universities (not highly selective ones). It is also a possibility for students applying to universities in Asia where the application deadlines are later on in the school year.

Naviance Resume Guidelines

One of your milestones on Naviance is the resume. It is not to be considered a traditional resume where you list your accomplishments in a very brief and focused way. The rationale of this resume is to give a comprehensive overview of your accomplishments and involvments in and out of school. It will help your counselor write your letter of recommendation. You will need to write essays in some of the modules. We will need as much information about you as possible to be able to write a favorable letter for you. Please take a good look at these guidelines as you write your resume. Specific advice will be given for each of the modules. So, if you are ready, lets begin writing.

Open the resume page as shown below.

Work Experience
This is a very important module. Use the Description/Comments Box highlighted below, and tell us as much as possible about your work experience in year 11. Try to relate your work experience to the university program you are planning to apply to and your future career. Please use the guiding questions below. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Why did you choose this career area? What are some of the important things you learnt there? Mention some of the difficulties you went through and what you learnt from these. Mention some interesting experiences you had. In what ways did you become a more mature individual during the internship? How did this work experience further your interest in your chosen field/career?

You can just ignore these tips. They are meant for traditional resumes and wont apply to your writing.

Education
Fill in the relevant information about your high school years. If you have studied at other schools before NIST you need to create extra modules to include that information. Make sure that you provide your grades for each subject from your Year 12, semester 1 or 2 report card. Dont forget to state if the course is standard or higher level.

Volunteer Service
This is also an extremely important part of your resume. We always emphasise your involvement in community service when we write your letter of recommendation. Most admission officers want to see that you have been supporting the disadvantaged in your community, or in other ways improved your environment. Try to incorporate some of these points in your writing. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Describe the activities you took part in. In what ways do you feel you were able to make a difference? Did you take on any leadership roles? Explain. What new skills did you develop? How does this experience relate to your future program/career? What is your best memory of this service? What are some obstacles, and how did you overcome them?

Extracurricular Activities
This is another very important module. Most universities are interested in well-rounded students, and you need to let them know that you have been highly engaged outside the classroom as well. Make one entry for each of your extracurricular activities. Make sure to mention any special recognition, outstanding performances, and leadership roles.

Awards/Certificates
This is your chance to share with us all awards and certificates that you have received. Make one entry for each award or certificate. Tell us what this recognition was given for, and also discuss any struggles it involved, and how you overcame these.

Skills/Academic Achievement
You can just ignore this module.

Music/Artistic Achievement
In this module you will add all of your musical and other artistic achievements. Emphasize special events like concerts, exhibitions, recognitions, etc.

Athletic Achievement
Take some time to reflect on your involvement in sports during your high school years. This is another chance for you to show universities that you are a physically active person. Make one entry for each of your sports. Make sure to mention any awards, medals, outstanding performances, and leadership roles you have had. This is especially important for students that are thinking of applying for a sport scholarship.

References
Fill in the names and subjects of the two academic teachers who will write your letters of reference. Make one module for each teacher. You can ignore the other fields in the module.

Additional Information
This is your chance to add any information you think is important for your counselor to know when they write your letter of recommendation.

Customize your resume

Good job. Now you are almost done. The last thing for you to do is to customize your resume so that your counselor will get a good overview of your content directly on Naviance. You will also be able to print out your resume.

Press this part here first.

And then get started by clicking here.

Congratulations! You are done.

Directions on how to fill out The University Research Data Sheet

Type in the names of your universities here.

Type in your latest IB scores (out of 42) here.

Please note that you will not be able to find any specific IB requirements for universities in the US.

These are minimum requirements from Australian Universities. You find the requirements on the universities websites.

These are UK course specific requirements. You find them here: http://www.ucas.com/students/coursesearch/2013searchint/

The following information is found on the universitys page on Naviance. Pull the data as shown below for each university.

Hit Admissions!

Under Admissions you will find the mid-50% SAT score ranges. Please note that this part only applies to US bound students.

Type in your highest SAT scores here.

Under Admissions you will also find the worldwide acceptance rate.

Looking at all the data you have at this point, you should be able to decide if each school is a Reach, Fit, or Star (Safety) school.

Rank the universities based on your personal preferences.

You should personalize the following criteria to reflect other aspects of university life that are important to you. You can then evaluate how well each university meets your criteria.

Please keep the university research data sheet as a working document. It will help you stay organized in the university research process, and it will make it easier for you to communicate with your counselor, parents, and others. -The Secondary Counselors @ NIST