INFORMATION for

UNIVERSITY APPLICATIONS

DR. DEREK M. BLEYBERGUNIVERSITY ADMISSIONS ADVISOR

collegehelp@gohillel.com925 1980 ext. 249

COLLEGE VS. UNIVERSITY

• COLLEGE = Undergraduate courses only

• UNIVERSITY = Undergraduate and postgraduate courses

CHOOSING A COLLEGE

• Liberal arts vs. specialist college( business, engineering, art and design)

• Am I absolutely sure I know what I want to study? That I understand what the course involves? That I have the prerequisite skills / knowledge?

CENTIGRADE

• Interest questionnaire• 150 Questions and report based

on student’s responses• Overall match• Looks for inconsistencies /

contradictions /potential difficulties

• US$ 50

CHOOSING A COLLEGE

• REPUTATION:– Not for profit vs. for profit– Public vs. private:

• % of students out-of-state• State admissions requirements

– Accreditation• Only regional accreditation counts• Transfer of credits

CHOOSING A COLLEGE II

• Can I meet the entrance requirements? What are the expected SAT scores?

• Location: What part of the country?

• Location: Urban, suburban, rural?

• Campus vs. city centre

CHOOSING A COLLEGE III

• PROGRAMME OF STUDY: STRENGTH OF ACADEMIC DEPARTMENT

• SIZE:– Number of undergraduate students– Number of international students

CHOOSING A COLLEGE IV

• TEACHING METHODS:– Lecture– Seminar– Tutorial

• INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES:– When?– For how long?

• STUDY-ABROAD OPPORTUNITIES• RELATIONSHIP WITH FACULTY

CHOOSING A COLLEGE V

• Accommodation facilities and policies:– All first year– All final year– All international students

• SOCIAL FACILITIES:• Community spirit• Social life. How much depends or revolves around

fraternities and sororities?• Sports. Which NCAA division?

IntercollegiateIntramural

CHOOSING A COLLGE VI

Know thyself

Study the published materials (can be found in the school library)

Do not just rely on alumni, or parents, friends etc. Many people tend to romanticize their experiences.

Open days / visits / virtual tours

Talk to students studying there

CHOOSING A COLLEGE VII

• COST:– Can vary greatly– Tuition and fees– Room and board– Books and supplies– Transportation– Personal expenses– Bank guarantee needed in order to get a US

visa

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

• MERIT SCHOLARSHIPS– Given for proven ability– IGCSE OR CSEC Results– Quality of the school program. IB diploma

often regarded as the most challenging school program

– IB Predicted Grades– SAT Scores

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE II

• NEED:– US CITIZENS WITH SOCIAL SECURITY

NUMBER:– FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).

Establishes eligibility for federal aid (loans)– CSS/FIANCIAL AID PROFILE (called Profile for short).

Establishes eligibility for institutional aid– Individual college financial aid forms

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE III

• WHERE DOES THE MONEY COME FROM?– 53% Federal loans– 15% Federal grants and work scholarship

programs– 5% State grants– 20% College scholarships– 7% Outside scholarships

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE IV

• NON-US CITIZENS:– Not eligible for federal funds nor for state

grants, in most cases– College-offered scholarships

– INTERNATIONAL STUDENT FINANCIAL AID APPLICATION (WWW.COLLEGEBOARD.COM)

– College Application Forms

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE V

• Know which colleges give the most money to international students!

• See me!• Apply early

• Aid package:– Grants and scholarships– Loans– Work-study

FINANACIAL ASSISTANCE

• ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIPS– Eligibility to participate in Division I and II

college athletics decided by NCAA.– Financial aid only available to Division I

and II athletes (not Division III)– “Few students receive a partial athletic

scholarship, and even fewer receive full scholarships. It helps to have college athletic directors talk with students about financial aid availability.”

WHAT CRITERIA DO ADMISSIONS OFFICERS CONSIDER TO BE THE MOST RELIABLE INDICATORS OF SUCCESS IN COLLEGE?

• SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENTS 93%• TEST SCORES 87%• RECOMMENDATIONS 50%• ESSAY 44%• INTERVIEW 33%• ACTIVITIES 30%

THE APPLICATION PROCESS

• Common Application Forms OR individual university / college application forms

• Application form can usually be completed online• (College application) essay• College Supplement• Resume

WE WILL BE SENDING ALL COMMON APPLICATION FORMS ELECTRONICALLY

• Financial aid forms (parents)• Financial guarantee• Application fee

APPLICATION ITSELF

• Presentation is everything! Never work on an original application before completing the draft copy with your career counsellor. Neatness and clarity are important. The appearance and content of the application will reflect a great deal about you, therefore, it is very important that you invest time and thought into each application. Unless otherwise stated, you should always type your application.

THE APPLICATION PROCESS II

• Transcript

• School Report / Guidance Councellor Recommendation

• International Supplement

( includes predicted grades)

• Teacher letters of recommendation (2 or 3). Teachers should be from the IB years.

TRANSCRIPT I

• The most important factor in the college admissions decision is your academic transcript ( your grades from grade 10). Colleges are looking for strong grades in an academically challenging programme. Specifically, they will be looking at the types of courses you have taken, the number of courses, the level of courses and the grades earned.

TRANSCRIPT II

• IB DIPLOMA: ALL COURSES TAKEN ARE “HONORS” COURSES AND SO THE TRANSCRIPT ALREADY LOOKS STRONG – THE STUDENT IS TAKING THE MOST CHALLENGING PROGRAMME IN THE SCHOOL.

• BUT THE RESULTS IN IB1 (GRADE 12) ARE IMPORTANT!

APPLICATION ESSAYS

• This is the part of the application that students rush to complete. The essay is a critical factor in the admissions decision and it is entirely under your control! Take time to think about and write an essay that demonstrates your writing ability and makes your application “come alive”. The essay is your golden opportunity to let them know more about who you are, what you value and what your future goals are.

EXTRACURRICULAR INVOLVEMENT

• The emphasis here is on quality and not quantity. College admission officers are not interested in a list of ten activities with little time commitment and involvement. They are looking for those students who have invested their time, energy and commitment to pursuing one or two activities in-depth. They are looking for those individuals that will make a real commitment to their college community.

SPECIAL TALENTS

• Admissions officers are looking for unique individuals, students with special talents or experiences that set them apart from other candidates: outstanding musicians, writers, actors, athletes, and editors. Colleges are looking for individuals whose unique talents will make significant contributions to their college communities.

SCHOOL RECOMMENDATIONS

• The school recommendation is written by your careers counsellor. As your primary advocates, we try to present an assessment that is fair and accurate and which emphasises achievements and talents. This comprehensive letter includes information about academics; extracurricular involvement; and, most importantly, a sense of character of the applicant.

TEACHER RECOMMENDATIONS

• Each college has its own specific requirements for teacher recommendations, but in most cases two are requested. Some colleges are very specific and ask for recommendations from teachers in certain disciplines. The teachers you choose to write your recommendations should be taken from your 12th. and 13th. grade level courses and should be able to speak to your abilities and accomplishments both in and outside the classroom.

RECOMMENDATIONS

• ALL RECOMMENDATIONS REMAIN STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL TO ENSURE INTEGRITY. ALL RECOMMENDATIONS WILL BE SENT DIRCTLY TO THE COLLEGES, TOGETHER WITH THE TRANSCRIPT AND SCHOOL REPORT. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL A COPY OF ANY RECOMMENDATION BE MADE AVAILABLE TO A STUDENT, PARENT OR OUTSIDE AGENCY.

OUTSIDE RECOMMENDATIONS

These recommendations are sometimes helpful and can support your out-of-school activities or work experience.

LEGACY STATUS

• At many colleges the sons and daughters of alumni receive special consideration in the application process. Although legacy status is not a guarantee for admission, alumni children usually get a “second look.”

INTERVIEWS

• Some colleges require or recommend an interview while others do not. For some colleges, the interview is provided solely to inform you about the college and provide you with an opportunity to ask questions. For other colleges, the interview provides admission officers with additional information about you and your future goals. Depending on the college, this information may or may not be used during the application decision-making process. Interviews may be: face-to-face with an admissions officer; face-to-face with a local alumni; a telephone interview.

STANDARDISED TEST SCORES

• The amount of weight placed on standardised test (SAT) scores in the admissions process varies from college to college. Such scores provide colleges with a measure to compare students from different schools. As a general rule, the more selective the college the more important test scores are due to the rigorous and academically challenging programmes offered by selective institutions. It is important to keep in mind that standardised test scores are only one of many factors that college admission officers consider when evaluation an application. However, these scores are important in deciding who gets merit scholarship money.

SAT AND SAT SUBJECT TESTS

What is tested:• Critical reading

• Writing

• Mathematics

• How to beat the SAT test setters!

S A TPREPARATION

JANUARY TO MAY:• REGULAR SAT PREPARATION CLASSES

FRIDAY 2:20 p.m. at School

DATES:• SAT TEST MAY• SAT TEST JUNE• SAT TEST OCTOBER

SAT SUBJECT TESTS

• Some colleges require students to take SAT Subject Tests

• IB Higher level subjects

CRITICAL READING

The critical reading section measures a student’s ability to identify genre, relationships among parts of a text, cause and effect, rhetorical devices, and comparative arguments. Questions assess such reading skills as identifying main and supporting ideas, determining the meaning of words, understanding author’s purposes, and understanding the structure and function of sentences. Reading passages are taken from different fields, including natural sciences, humanities, social sciences, and literary fiction.

WRITINGThe writing section measures a student’s mastery of developing and expressing ideas effectively. The essay, which is always the first question on the SAT, measures a student’s skill in developing and expressing a point of view on an issue. The multiple-choice section assesses the ability to use language in a clear, consistent manner and to improve a piece of writing through revision and editing. Students are asked to recognise sentence errors, to choose the best version of a piece of writing, and to improve paragraphs.

MATHEMATICS

The maths section measures a student’s mastery of mathematical concepts and reasoning skills. It includes topics typically covered in three years of college-preparatory maths, such as exponential growth, absolute value, functional notation, linear functions, manipulations with exponents, and properties of tangent lines. Students are asked to apply concepts they have learned to solve unfamiliar problems in flexible ways, often with real-world applications.

THE SAT AT A GLANCECritical Reading:

Content: sentence completioncritical readingpassage based reading

Score: 200 – 800

Time: 70 minutes ( two 25-minute sections, one 20 minute section)

Writing:Content: multiple-choice: identifying sentence errors;

improving sentences; improving paragraphs.student-written essay

Score: 200 – 800

Time: 60 minutes: multiple-choice - 35 minutes (0ne 25-minute section, one 10-minute section)

essay: 25 minutes

Mathematics:Content: Number and operations

Algebra I and Algebra II and functionsGeometry and measurementDate analysis, statistics, and probability

Score: 200 – 800

Time: 70 minutes (two 25-minute sections, one 20-minute section)

TOTAL TIME: 3 hours 45 minutesMAXIMUM SCORE: 2400

COLLEGE BOARD

• WWW.COLLEGEBOARD.COM

• SAT Question of the Day

• The Official SAT Practice Test

• The Official SAT Online Course – an interactive course with 18 lessons covering all SAT sections. US$ 69.95

• The Official SAT Study Guide: For the New SAT US$ 19.95

SAT SUBJECT TESTS

There are 21 SAT Subject TestsEnglish: literatureHistory: US History, World HistoryMathematics: Math Level 1, Math Level 2Sciences: Biology E/M, Chemistry, PhysicsLanguages: Reading Only: French, German,

Spanish, Italian, Latin, Modern HebrewLanguages: Reading and Listening: Chinese,

Japanese, Korean, French, Spanish, German (offered in November only)