By: Kevin Callahan
kevinc@isb.ac.th
Did you know…:
- Many rankings of universities around the world use criteria that apply only to graduate programs (advanced degrees such as Masters and PhD)? Therefore, they are neither appropriate nor accurate for the undergraduate experience, and institutes of higher education that are geared specifically toward undergraduates (“colleges” in the U.S.) don’t even get ranked! Let the buyer beware!
- Confucius said, “By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third, by experience, which is bitterest”.
Semester Exams: It’s not too early to begin preparing for your semester exams. Make sure that you have your materials organized and that you begin review from the beginning of the semester, because you are responsible for the whole semester. Cramming a night or two before the test isn’t really a good strategy for test success, and it sure won’t help you retain the material. So take a look now at what you’ve been studying all semester!
Freshmen: The next Freshman Seminar meets November 26th and 27th for grades in progress. We counselors look forward to these opportunities to talk with our 9th grade students. Also, on December 6th and 7th we’ll talk with freshmen about preparing efficiently for semester exams.
Sophomores: High School Dean of Academics Mr. Rogers gave a presentation to parents on Wednesday evening about the International Baccalaureate (IB) program and how we do it here at ISB. He is currently updating the links on the ISB website to the IB program, and will make his presentation available as well. If you have questions about whether the IB program is right for your son or daughter, you can ask your counselor, or of course, Mr. Rogers.
Juniors: Next week, Wednesday 28 November and Thursday 29 November, will be our second junior seminar during students’ free period (or flex on Thursday for juniors with no free period). This is an important session where students will begin to explore their possibilities after ISB and begin building a plan. Parents have work to do, too, as they will be asked to fill out a form to help counselors know their sons and daughters better.
Seniors: It is important to know that universities often have automatic responses when they receive your application. It will instruct you to have a transcript or other official documents sent, even though you requested them long ago. Don’t worry! We keep track of everything and send documents in a timely fashion. Give a few days for the university, not us, to update your application. If your file still shows items missing after two weeks, see your counselor.
If you still haven’t turned in the simple transcript request form for schools with deadlines of February 15th or earlier, we cannot guarantee that school documents will reach universities by the deadline. We’ll try but you are awfully late by now.
University visits at ISB in the Coming Week (lunchtime in 203):
Monday, November 26 – International Christian University (Japan)
Want facts on any university in the U.S.? If you google the university name along with “common data set”, you’ll get everything from average weather patterns per month to student data to financial aid awarded to international students. And by the way, a good site to check out financial aid statistics and possibilities is www.finaid.org