Posts Tagged ‘Add new tag’

How to Help your High School Freshman. Tips from International College Counselors.

Tuesday, July 27th, 2010

Many parents ask our expert college counselors at International College Counselors how early their students need to start preparing for the college admissions process. The answer from our expert college counselors: as soon as possible, especially if your student is looking at competitive schools.

The secret is to make the process fun. And not stress your student out too early or too much. College admissions stress is inevitable but it can be minimized even if your child is aiming for the Ivy League. Plus, expert college counselors know, the journey towards a college degree can be a bonding discovery process for all involved.

Here are some International College Counselors tips for parents:

• Review your student’s schedule with him or her at the beginning of the school year. The goal is to have your child enroll in challenging classes that will help them prepare for college. Help your child be less afraid to reach slightly higher than their comfort level. Build your child’s confidence and offer your support. But, expert college counselors understand, be mindful of the realities and don’t push your student too far above his or her level.

• Make sure your student meets with his or her counselor to discuss college plans. Students tend to procrastinate. (You don’t need to be an expert, or a college counselor, or work at International College Counselors to know this.)

• Help your student start a calendar. Work with him or her to update it regularly with any important dates and deadlines.

• Encourage your child to get involved with extracurricular activities. Who knows your child best, but you? Take what you’ve observed over the past 13 years and encourage your student to explore their interests. Water polo, bowling, harp playing, choir, drama, debate, or starting a business. Explore interests outside the school as well. Is your child interested in science? Have them check out volunteer opportunities at a local science museum or center. If your student likes to write, maybe there’s a place for him or her to cover high school activities for the local paper. If a child has an interest in an activity, there’s a greater chance they’ll stick with it and accomplish something. Colleges like to see that a student stays with something and moves up in it. If you’re in Broward, Palm Beach, or Miami, college counselor at International College Counselors know you have many, many options.

• Start talking about financing college. Talking about money helps students understand how much college really costs, and how they can help defray the costs through applying to private scholarships and getting good grades. Talking about money will also start introducing them to the adult concepts like financial aid and loans. Generally, if you treat your child like an adult now, chances are they will behave more like an adult later. Even in 9th grade there are scholarship monies available to use towards college. Topics expert college counselors at International College Counselors suggest include how much money they’ll need for college, how much they should try to save, and ways to reach their goal, whether it’s part-time work or more AP classes.

• Familiarize yourself with the SAT Subject Tests and help build your child’s confidence in his or her strong subjects. Encourage him or her to take the tests as soon as they finish the course so the material is still fresh to them. Subject Tests include World History, Literature, Biology E/M, and Chemistry.

• Help your student find a summer opportunity. Do some networking on their behalf. If your student is interested in medicine, see who is in your network that you might be able to call. The same goes for if your student wants to be a graphic designer or a vet. Many businesses wouldn’t mind a free volunteer. Suggest opportunities around the community your student might not have considered. Students tend to be so caught up in their own world, they may not even realize there may be a cool museum nearby to volunteer at and gain the kind of experience college admissions officers smile upon.

• Help your student search online for summer school programs for high school students at colleges, if this is the route they choose.

• Encourage your child to read. It’s the best way to prepare for the SAT and all standardized exams. If they don’t have a favorite author? Take them to the local library to explore popular options within their age group.

• Go on college campus visits with your student. At this point in the game, it’s low pressure. Make it fun. When you go on any family vacations, make it a point to visit college campuses around your destination. Even if the schools are not on your child’s radar, these visits will give everyone a chance to get a feel for the options.

Most importantly: Be there for your child. Be present in his or her life. Listen to his or her hopes, fears and goals. Working together can make these dreams more real and much more possible.

International College Counselors provides expert college counseling on undergraduate and graduate college admissions, financial aid, tuition, essays, and college applications. Mandee Heller Adler, lead college admissions consultant and Founder of International College Counselors tailors her wide range of college counseling and college coaching services to address the goals, needs, and dreams of each individual student, whether Florida college or Ivy League university. Our college advising company, based in Miami-Dade, Florida, works with domestic and international students. We also work with high schools in Miami, Boca, Broward and Palm Beach. Let us help you make the best decisions choosing, getting into, and paying for college.

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized, international college counselors blog | No Comments »

Graduation Wisdom for All

Monday, May 31st, 2010

High school students, college counselors are only among the first professional advisors you’ll hear from throughout your life.  In four years (for most of you), you’ll hear from your commencement speaker (the guest speaker at your graduation).   Some will be witty and some serious, all will hopefully leave you a little bit wiser.

Gradspot.com made a list of “The All-time Best Graduation Speeches”.  Whether they’re the “best” is debatable, as are all “-est” lists, but they’re all really entertaining.  Read the full article on The Top Ten All-Time Best Graduation Speeches from gradspot.com.

CNBC also made a list of The Ten Best Graduation Speeches of All Time.

Only three people made both lists, and Will Ferrell is one of them!
They’re all inspiring, so enjoy!

One thought from International College Counselors:
Go out and be successful, but include ethics in your definition of success.

From Mandee Heller Adler, president of International College Counselors, and the other expert college counselors:  Good luck to all graduating seniors, in college and beyond.

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. You are the guy who’ll decide where to go.” ~ Dr. Seuss

International College Counselors provides expert college counseling on undergraduate and graduate college admissions, financial aid, tuition, essays, and college applications. Mandee Heller Adler, lead college admissions consultant and Founder of International College Counselors tailors her wide range of college counseling and college coaching services to address the goals, needs, and dreams of each individual student, whether Florida college or Ivy League university. Our college advising company, based in Miami-Dade, Florida, works with domestic and international students. We also work with high schools in Miami, Boca, Broward and Palm Beach. Let us help you make the best decisions choosing, getting into, and paying for college.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

How to Make the Most of Your Summer Internship or Job

Wednesday, April 28th, 2010

Summer is almost here. For those of you with jobs or internships, take the time to plan on making the most of your opportunity. Mentors and people who you may want recommendations from are almost always on the lookout for promising young talent. One of your other goals should be to turn your experience into a resume builder.

Stand out with your professionalism. Do what you can to show the company you’re the one they should be watching and giving the plum assignments to. Be professional, serious and responsible. This should earn you more respect and responsibility. Be on time for work, meetings, conference calls and team building exercises. Even better - come early. Make sure you dress for success, too.

Reset your expectations. It’s good to have personal goals but sometimes realities don’t match our expectations. Rather than dwell on any negatives of the job or internship, seek out and embrace the opportunities offered. Chances are you won’t be given that assignment that saves the company and makes you a star. But, that’s not why you’re there. You’re there to learn, expand your horizons, and add to your resume. No matter what, always be enthusiastic and upbeat.

Be proactive. If your job or internship appears to be a sea of repetitive tasks like making photocopies or coffee, don’t complain. Ask to have a meeting with your supervisor to ask about new opportunities or projects. If there is a job you want to try, ask your supervisor if you can join the team, observe the meetings or otherwise contribute in some way. You won’t know, unless you ask. Even if they say no, you will gain the respect and attention of your older colleagues. Interns and employees who identify their employer’s needs and ask for new challenges demonstrate the initiative and motivation that companies want.

Learn about yourself. You’re there to watch and observe. Use this time to find out more about yourself. See what kind of people you relate to. What kind of work you like to do. Compare yourself to people on the job who you admire. Do they have skills you lack or can work on acquiring?

Build up your resume. Volunteer for extra tasks and look for opportunities to take advantage of. To do this, the best first step is to prove that you’re responsible and resourceful. Then, let’s say, you’re working in an ice cream shop and your boss needs to leave a few hours early, volunteer to be put in charge. If you’re given the responsibility to lead, this counts on your resume as Management. If you’re working in an advertising firm and think you might want to be a copywriter, ask for the current assignments. Write the ads then ask for feedback. Who know, they may even love your ad so much, they’ll run it.

Ask questions. Always remember that a summer job or internship is a learning experience for you. While your employer expects to get some work from you, you are expected to be interested in what’s going on. So ask questions. This is your chance to get advice and learn.

Make connections. Build up personal relationships. Find a mentor. After the summer is over make sure to stay in touch with the people you met and connected with - and stay connected. It’s never too early to start building your professional network. A professionally geared site like LinkedIn.com is a good place to keep in touch.

Develop your professional people skills. Hone in on people you admire. Study the qualities you admire in them. Take notes on their dress and what character traits put them ahead. Then try to emulate those traits.

Learn to take criticism gracefully. No one likes to be criticized, but you’re sure to encounter many negative opinions throughout your life and career. Criticism can help you. Follow up a negative assessment by asking for their thoughts on what you could have done better. Are there resources you don’t know about? Is it true you need to be more detail-oriented. And then put that information to use. The best part about a summer job or internship is that you’re not expected to know everything. Both you and your employer know that you are there to learn.

Always, always stay enthusiastic and positive!

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized, international college counselors blog | No Comments »

Decision making after the thick envelopes

Wednesday, April 7th, 2010

The envelopes are in.

If you have more than one thick envelope in your hand you’re now in the driver’s seat. The colleges have taken their sweeeeet time choosing you, and now it’s your turn to choose them. They’ve given you the month of April to make your choice. Far beyond the glossy paper of the brochures, here are some things you should consider:

Economics. It’s hard to deny that this may be a factor for many students. If you’ve been offered a generous financial aid package or a scholarship, it’s going to be hard to ignore this “bonus”. However, the price tag may not be so much a factor in some cases. The Ivies and a small number of other schools across the country have policies that allow students to meet the full need of students and allow them to attend irrespective of their ability to pay.

Fit. Where do you feel like you will fit in best? Some students thrive at universities where the city itself plays an important role in one’s overall education. Cities included on this list include New York and Boston and, as you can imagine, the cultural and internship opportunities are enormous. However, city schools tend to be more impersonal and cities aren’t as conducive to a school community atmosphere. Residential campus schools like The University of Florida in Gainesville or Williams College pride themselves on providing everything you need right there on campus, from cultural activities to social life. They have more of a community atmosphere.

Academics. Do you have an idea of what you want to do in the future? Then you need a school that offers a major or program that will allow you to explore that option to fullest. Also be aware that there can be real differences in the course of study at various places. Some schools like Columbia University and the University of Chicago require students to take a core curriculum. The mandatory courses can take up to two years to complete. Open curriculum schools, like Amherst, Brown and New College, have no required courses. Instead they require that students take one of a list of first-year seminars. Guidelines and advisors at these schools help students with their course choices.

Culture. Michael Roth, president of Wesleyan College presents this consideration excellently:

“The evolution of student culture over many years that comes to define the way a place feels to the young men and women who spend these transitional years on campus. Students - not teachers and officials - make that culture. At Duke, for example, there are extraordinary programs and deep research going on. But over several weeks of the spring semester (especially this year), it’s Blue Devil basketball frenzy that takes over campus culture. At Middlebury, there is currently an energetic student debate about the meal plan, which many students see as a defining element in their campus experience. At USC, the entertainment industry seeps into the fabric of the place, even when the subject areas are quite distant from Hollywood. At Wesleyan, the students have created vibrant music and film contexts that seem to fuel independent rock and hip-hop on the one hand, and popular film and TV on the other. Although most students here study neither music nor film, the energy of these areas percolates around campus.”

Only you will know what is truly important to you. What this college counselor suggests is that you create a list of all the questions you want answered and then you go visit the school. If you’ve already visited the schools, then visit your top two choices again. Take a good hard look at the school. Can you see yourself fitting into the culture? Do you feel comfortable? This is going to be your home away from home for the next 4 years.

Specific questions you may want to ask if you haven’t already: How hard is it to get into the classes you want? How small or big are the classes? Are there internships, and how does the school help students prepare for life after college whether that means career placement or help with graduate and professional programs? Does the school offer the athletic opportunities you want to participate in or cheer on? What will it mean to be an alumnus of George Washington University rather than the University of Miami? College counselors can help guide you to the right decision but ultimately, you should be looking for the campus energy that matches your own.

No doubt about it. Choosing your college is a big decision. Congratulations from International College Counselors to all the students offered this decision to make.

Reach deep down inside and make the best decision for you!

Mandee Heller Adler

International College Counselors

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in international college counselors blog | No Comments »

Know Your SAT & ACT Reporting Rights

Wednesday, November 4th, 2009

As many seniors will currently attest, some schools are reporting, on the high school transcript, all college entrance scores provided by the testing agency, namely the College Board (SAT) and the American College Testing (ACT) programs.

Prior to sending their transcripts, students should look into whether their school is doing this. At most schools, students do have the opportunity to decide if their scores will be recorded on the transcript. This will be done on an all or none basis.

If students do nothing, and your school has the capability to include scores, all scores (SAT, SAT Subject and ACT tests) will be reported. If a student’s choice is to not have their scores recorded on their transcript, they can take advantage of the College Board Score Choice option, or even choose to send no scores.

Regardless of which option the student chooses, he/she must understand that all schools and some scholarships require official score reports from the testing agency. In this case, the official score must be sent from the College Board or the American College Testing program.

The college advisors at International College Counselors are available to help you. Please contact us with any questions you may have.

International College Counselors Main office: 954.253.5719

Mandee Heller Adler mandee@internationalcollegecounselors.com
Barry Liebowitz barry@internationalcollegecounselors.com
Kate McKenna kate@internationalcollegecounselors.com

International College Counselors provides expert college counseling on undergraduate and graduate college admissions, financial aid, tuition, essays, and college applications. Mandee Heller Adler, college admissions consultant and Founder of International College Counselors tailors her college counseling and college coaching services to address the goals, needs, and dreams of each student. Our college advising company works with domestic and international students. Let us help you make the best decisions in choosing, getting into, and paying for college.

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in international college counselors blog | No Comments »

Homework for Mom and Dad

Wednesday, September 30th, 2009

You’re not free and clear yet, mom and dad! College crunch time also includes you. Don’t forget to fill out any appropriate financial aid forms before the financial aid deadlines.

Don’t miss out on valuable financial aid money, and please don’t rely on your children to fill in the forms. Very few will understand all the financial jargon and will need your guidance.

Making mistakes on your financial aid forms like FAFSA could delay your application and quite possibly make you lose out on some financial aid. And, you know, If you receive federal financial aid because your FAFSA contained incorrect information, you have to repay it.

The best way to complete financial aid forms is early. Do them online if possible, many websites (like FAFSA) are designed to catch errors.

Our expert college counselors say, you can’t go wrong if you:

1. Very carefully read the directions and the questions.
2. Clearly, accurately, and completely fill in every field.
3. Meet the deadlines.

Here is a link to some information on common mistakes parents make when filling out financial aid forms from the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.
http://www.nasfaa.org/publications/2009/rntips021209.html

The biggest mistake, however, is not applying!

Although our expert college counselors at International College Counselors do not provide financial aid support, we can help you find some help from a reputable financial planner.
Remember, the longer you wait, the harder it will be.

International College Counselors

Mandee Heller Adler
mandee@internationalcollegecounselors.com

Barry Liebowitz
barry@internationalcollegecounselors.com

If you have any other college admissions questions for a college counselor, we’d be happy to answer them.

International College Counselors provides expert college counseling on undergraduate and graduate college admissions, financial aid, tuition, essays, and college applications. Mandee Heller Adler, college admissions consultant and Founder of International College Counselors tailors her college counseling and college coaching services to address the goals, needs, and dreams of each student. Our college advising company works with domestic and international students. Let us help you make the best decisions in choosing, getting into, and paying for college.

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in international college counselors blog | No Comments »

Making it easier to apply for college aid

Wednesday, June 24th, 2009

by Mandee Heller Adler

Thanks to the Obama administration, students and their families will find it easier to apply for financial aid. The forms for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) are being streamlined to be shorter, simpler and more user friendly. For students and their families, this means, the forms will be easier to complete.

Anyone who has seen the form in the past will tell you, it was truly complicated. Students seeking financial aid for college needed to answer about 150 questions.
Next year’s applicants should see a 20 percent reduction in questions.

Most of the extra questions will be eliminated by avoiding redundancies. For example, students who are at least 24 or older will be able to skip the 11 questions concerning parental financial information. Also, in the simplified FAFSA form, low-income students will be able to skip over the questions about assets, since they aren’t even needed to determine their aid eligibility.

The administration will seek legislation to simplify the form further.

Next year’s form goes online in January. The FAFSA form is necessary to apply for Pell grants, Stafford loans, Perkins loans, work-study programs and much state aid.

Over 16 million students and families apply for federal financial aid every year. The government estimates that 1.5 million potential college students could be eligible for Pell grants but have not applied, perhaps because of the complicated paperwork.

Said Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, “President Obama has challenged the nation to once again have the highest percentage of college graduates in the world. To do that, we need to make the college-going process easier and more convenient, and to send a clear message to young people as well as adults that college is within their reach. Simplifying the financial aid process is an important step toward reaching that goal.”

The full Times article can be seen at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/24/education/24fafsa.html?_r=1

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in international college counselors blog | No Comments »

AP GRADE REPORTING

Saturday, May 23rd, 2009

To report the AP test or not to report the AP test, that is this week’s question. 

After taking one of the many various AP tests, there are usually three ways a student will feel:  Great!  Good.  And Awful.

If you think you did great or good, congratulations! 

If you’re sure you did awfully and scored a 1 or a 2, or you’re not sure how you did. You can withhold or cancel your score. 

Because AP grades are released in July, any request for changes in reporting must be received by June 15.

Note that it’s not likely that any one AP grade you submit, no matter how low, will fatally wound you.

Canceling vs. Withholding

Canceling AP grades

Canceling an AP grade permanently means you’ll never, ever see the grade and it’s deleted from your record forever.

The option to cancel a score helps a number of students.  Some of those students took an AP course but found it didn’t cover all the information on the test.  (And this happens more than we’d like to think.)  This option also encourages the risk takers, the students who take an AP exam in a subject they might not have taken the class for. (They’re the ones who study a lot on their own).

To cancel a score, you must notify the College Board by sending them assigned request by mail or fax with your signature. You should include in your letter:

  1. your full name, home address, birth date, and AP number(s)
  2. the year(s) that you took AP Exams
  3. the name, city, and state of the college you specified
  4. the name(s) of the exam(s) for which you want a grade canceled. 

This service is free but note that the grade report that you and your school receive will indicate that the grade has been canceled.

Withholding AP grades

Withholding a score means you may have one or more grades withheld from the colleges you indicated on your answer sheet.  This gives you the chance to see your scores before the colleges.

You may later release the grade to that college by sending AP Services a signed written request and a small fee.

What we suggest to the students we work with at International College Counselors is to not send your scores to any colleges in May.

Our reasoning is as follows: with your test, as explained to me by an AP representative, you only get to send your scores to one school free, any others are $15.   In other words, if you choose to withhold your scores from all the colleges until you see them, you’re only “losing” $15.   Many students can think of the $15 as “insurance”.  It’s easy to see your scores and then end them in if you want to.

You can withhold a score if you already sent them in, but if you took them this year, we recommend waiting until early July.  Beginning July 3, grades by phone are available for the 2009 exams.   It’ll cost you a few extra dollars to get your scores by phone, but it’s a very small price to pay in the larger scheme of things. 

To withhold a score, you must notify the College Board by sending them a letter with your signature. You should include in your letter:

  1. your full name, home address, birth date, and AP number(s)
  2. the year(s) that you took AP Exams
  3. the name, city, and state of the college you specified
  4. the name(s) of the exam(s) for which you want a grade withheld. (All your grades will still appear on the reports sent to you and your high school.)
  5. a check for the exact amount due made out to “AP Exams.” There is a $10 fee per grade, per college.

Note that unlike a canceled score, a request to withhold a grade does not permanently delete your grade. A withheld AP grade counts in your AP average and affects AP scholar designations. This means you can choose the scores that work to your advantage and feel confident to take some extra AP exams.

For more information on AP grade reporting services straight from the College Board go to:
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/exgrd_rep.html

If you need a college advisor or have any other college questions, I’d be happy to answer them. Please write me here or at my personal email which can be found on this International College Counselors website.

Mandee Adler, Founder of International College Counselors and lead college advisor
www.internationalcollegecounselors.com

<http://www.internationalcollegecounselors.com> > 

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in international college counselors blog | No Comments »