Counseling Newsletter

Jeffrey Harper
jpharper@isb.ac.th

Grade 8 – Course Registration is now open (until Monday). Consult the Program of Studies here: https://inside.isb.ac.th/parentportal/hs/program-of-studies/

Freshmen: Course Registration for the 2013-2014 school year is now open (there is a link on the students’ PowerSchool).  Parents may want to visit the ISB on-line “Parent Portal” and access the 2013-2014 Program of Studies for information about grade 10 classes for your children: https://inside.isb.ac.th/parentportal/hs/program-of-studies/ .

Sophomores: Course registration for the 2013-2014 school year is now open (there is a link on the students’ PowerSchool).   Consult the High School Program of Studies about next year’s courses:  https://inside.isb.ac.th/parentportal/hs/program-of-studies/

Juniors:  Junior conferences are in full swing.  Have you made an appointment to see your son’s/daughter’s counselor yet?  If not, don’t delay!  Course registration for the 2013-2014 school year is now open (there is a link on the students’ PowerSchool).   Juniors should consult the new 2013-2014 Program of Studies about their course selections for their Senior year.  On-line course registration opens March 20:  Program of Studies is here:  https://inside.isb.ac.th/parentportal/hs/program-of-studies/

The popular University Labs began last Monday; this week’s University Lab will be about Australian universities.  As a part of your Junior year university research, you should be looking into the admission process to universities by country.  Monday, March 25, Australia – 2:10 in room 3-203.  Future University Labs will include the UK on April 1, Japan/Korea on April 22, Thailand on April 29.  Please mark your calendars.

BIG SAT PREP NEWS:  ISB is making available the “Prep Me” SAT prep course as a part of grade 11 students’ Naviance account.  Just go to your Naviance Home Page and click on the Prep Me link, register, take a diagnostic test and/or enter any previous SAT results, and begin the exercises. There is no charge for the Prep Me service.  Start preparing for your May or June SATs!

Seniors:  If you are a U.S. citizen applying to schools in the U.S. you may be eligible for loans, grants, work study, or any combination of the three.  You need to file a FAFSA with the colleges in the U.S. that you have applied to.  Go to https://www.fafsa.ed.gov/  – it’s a free application and might be well worth your time.  Most schools start assigning financial aid in March so time is of the essence.  If you haven’t done your 2012 taxes yet, estimates based on 2011 are accepted.

Seniors applying to universities in Japan, Korea, Australia, South Africa etc. with late deadlines, PLEASE be aware of those deadlines.  They can vary from university to university!! See your counselor if you have any questions.

Some universities have begun sending out invitations to receptions for just admitted students (UC:Irvine, UC:LA, among others).  These require an RSVP for attendance.

WARNING:  We have been notified that there have been unscrupulous agents who have been posing as a Northeastern University Enrollment Service to help admitted students in the enrollment process.  Northeastern University does not employ, or sanction, any outside agents in Thailand.

Watch out for the dreaded SENIOR SLUMP. OH NO!

As you receive your offers for universities, remember that when you make a deposit for a university, you are committing to that university for a year.  You may not deposit at more than one university.  You have to make up your mind!  Remember that, because universities that learn that their accepted students have “double-deposited” will sometimes remove their offer.

The Senior Transition Program dates have been announced: May 23 and June 6.  Mark your calendars.

Dr. Cathy Curtis will be out of her office next week.

Upcoming University Visits (Consult Naviance for additions or changes)

University visits are a great opportunity to ask specific questions about the university admissions process of the very people who make admissions decisions for their respective universities.