H3 STUDENTS AND PARENTS UNIVERSITY INFORMATION EVENING THE UNIVERSITY SEARCH PRESENTED BY: JACK SHULL UNIVERSITY AND CAREERS COUNSELLOR

CONSIDER YOUR CHARACTERISTICS What kind of person are you? What makes you happy? What are your interests? Are you sure you know what you want to study? Why do you think studying in another country will be good for you? What about studying in another country makes you anxious?

UNIVERSITY SEARCH CRITERIA Program of Study Does the university offer what you want to study? Undecided (difficult to change) Location Geography – climate Distance Surrounding Community Safety Institutional Characteristics Student body Individual attention Community Style Academic life Academic program Class structure Degree Structure Cost

UNIVERSITY SEARCH Does the university offer the degree you are seeking in your desired field of study? What type of university is it? How many students are enrolled? How many of them specialize in the field you are interested in? How many international students? Can you describe the campus environment from what you have read about it? What is the total cost? Are scholarships or other forms of financial aid available?

University/College SEARCH Resources TES UCC Website Websites University Representatives University Fairs Naviance Rankings Should not drive the college selection process

Components of a Student’s Candidacy Helpful, if not necessary Strength of HS academic program Standardized Testing When required School Recommendation Teacher Recommendation Limited and Polite Additional Information – School Profile Could help, could harm Athletics/Arts/Service/Leadership Objective Extracurricular Experience Demonstrated Interest in the School Child of Alumnus Diversity Financial Need

Components of a Student’s Candidancy HARMFUL DON’T DO IT Unsolicited Contact from Parents Too Many Ungrounded Recommendations Overly Aggressive School Lobbying

ACADEMIC RECORD TES TRANSCRIPT H1, H2, H3 AND H4 IGCSE RESULTS IB PREDICTED SCORES OBTAINED IN JUNE 2015 Used for UCAS Early applications OBTAINED IN JANUARY 2016 Mid-Year Report sent in January

UNIVERSITY ADMISSIONS TESTS KNOW WHAT TESTS ARE NEEDED SAT I/ACT Dates and Registration Plan Schedule of Tests Test Prep UK Universities Specific Programs may requires certain test LNAT, BMAT, UKCAT, etc. English Proficiency

TEACHER LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION Give careful thought to which teachers you will request LOR Two teachers – academic subjects Will write about ‘you’ the student. What are you like in the classroom? Ask them in person September 1 deadline to request October 1 LOR due to UCC Listed in Naviance

DEADLINES JUNE 2015 – long list of universities in NAVIANCE SEPTEMBER 2015 – Short list of universities in NAVIANCE September 1 – Request Teacher Letters of Recommendation OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2015 (Internal Deadlines) October 1 -UK Medical programmes and Oxbridge October 15 – ED and EA applications November 1 to 30 University of California deadline November 15 – UCAS November 15 – Regular decision deadline

ADVICE FROM CURRENT H4 STUDENTS Peer advice Listen to your classmates They have been through the university planning process

ADVICE – Kevin (US and UK and Canada) Start early: plan essay ideas during the summer Know all the deadlines and decide on your schools as soon as possible Collaborative work and peer advice when it comes to essays is often helpful as well \

Advice – Sunny (UK/Australia/Canada) If applying to UCAS remember to check with Mr. Shull your grade requirements and predicted IB score range. Give good impressions to teachers you will be asking recommendations from. Don’t be too ambitious, always have a backup/safety school Talk to Mr. Shull a lot Do lots of Reach

ADVICE FROM – Jensen (UK and US) 1. RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH. Start thinking about what schools you want to apply to during summer – before H4. 2. Watch and list the deadlines. They don’t change. 3. Prepare for early deadlines! 4. Watch out colleges coming to visit. They can provide insight! 5. Think about what you want to write about in essays? Do you have any defining moments in your life? 6. Sometimes, for essays, the impact of a seemingly ‘mundane’ event may be most effective.

EVEN MORE ADVICE – Anni (UK) Time management (plan ahead, leave time to sort out problems, less stress) Research know the requirements (any additional tests to take – IELTS, SAT, TOEFL) Know what your goal is – helps guide you Ask questions if you’re unsure ( the university/go to university fairs/international offices in Taipei Interviews (show your enthusiasm, ask questions, prepare for possible questions you could be asked)

MORE ADVICE – Denise (Australia) Focus on getting the best IB score possible because besides your recommendation letter it is the only thing will get you into one of the Australian universities. Make sure you know enough about the university and the “course” you want to study. No SAT required for Australian universities. Research about the course you want to take…..

THE FINAL ADVICE –Fiona (UK and USA and Canada) Know the difference between the countries you are applying for and their ‘wants’ in regards to the Personal Statement US wants to know YOU as a person, your passion, what you can contribute UK PS focused on the course you want to pursue, add some activities and other things you feel passionate about. Be creative! If you get an interview chance, don’t reject it, its great preparation and to show universities what your’re like as a person.

H3 UNIVERSITY CONFERENCES INDIVIDUAL H3 STUDENT CONFERENCES Starting in December and January CONFERENCE WITH STUDENT AND PARENTS Starting in February 2015 – earlier by request

NAVIANCE WEB BASED CAREER AND COLLEGE COMMUNICATION s University Visits Share with UCC, students, parents FILE SYSTEM Personal Data Test Scores (SAT. ACT, TOEFL) Resume Colleges I Am Thinking About Long List of universities Colleges I am Applying to Short List of Universities Transfer of Documents Transcripts, Predicted IB scores LORs, IGCSE results Tracking System of Documents

SUMMER 2015 University Visits Plan ahead – check the website may need to register Contact university University Tours TS College Tours Summer University Programmes Work/Internships