Counseling Newsletter

Cathy Curtis
cathyc@isb.ac.th

Please note Change of DATE: US Student Visa meeting has been changed to Tuesday,

23 April.  On the first Tuesday after Songkran holiday, an officer from the US Embassy Visa Section will be at ISB at 2:15 in room 203 to meet with all non-American students to discuss the US Student Visa (F-1) process.  If your son/daughter plans to attend university in the United States and is not an American Citizen or Green Card holder, he/she (and parent if you’d like) needs to attend this meeting.

Seniors:

May 1 is approaching!
Decisions for university are being made.  Remember if your son/daughter is planning to attend university in the US, May 1 is the final deadline for accepting an offer of admissions.  This means that a deposit is usually due by that day to indicate that the student will definitely be attending that particular university.  We strongly suggest that students deposit the week before May 1 (week of April 22) to make sure the deposit is accepted and there are no glitches.

Students going to the US are ONLY allowed to deposit at ONE university; they may not deposit at more than one and if universities find out that they have made more than one deposit, that is grounds for withdrawing the offer from both universities. Be forewarned; there is no double-depositing!

Waitlists:
Some students have been placed on a waitlist for admissions.  This means that currently, the university has admitted all of the students it can, but your son/daughter is totally eligible for admissions.  If after the May 1 deadline, the university may find that it can admit more students and your student might get an offer.  If a student is still interested in staying on the waitlist, he/she should contact the university.

Transition is just around the corner:

Seniors – there are two days of transitions activities planned, May 23 and June 6.  For the May 23rd Transition Day, students will arrive at 7:20 and have planned activities with their friends during the day.  This is a wonderful opportunity for Seniors to have a stress-free fun day at school where they learn about what to expect in the next phase of their lives.  The June 6th day is for Senior Breakfast, Grad Panel and graduation practice.  Both days should prove to be fun and exciting and perhaps a little bit sad as they realize that high school has almost come to an end.

Juniors:
Junior Conferences: Almost all Junior Conferences have been completed and Juniors are currently doing their research to find the schools that they feel most fit their needs for further education.  Some students will be going on university visits this summer and the conference has helped them to be more focused.  Good job, Juniors!

University Research Labs: Juniors who are interested in having a bit of guided university research, remember there are labs every Monday. This next week will actually have two labs – one on Monday, 22 April, which will focus on research for Japanese and Korean universities and one on Thursday, 25 April, which will focus on research for the US.

SAT preparation: Remember, Juniors may practice for the SAT for FREE using Prep-Me on Naviance.  The directions for that (which you may want to share with your son/daughter) are:

Click on the PrepMe icon on the home page of Naviance to access the steps PrepMe will guide you through:
Step 1:  Complete your diagnostic tests
Step 2:  Select your test date
Step 3:  Begin your studying
Step 4:  Connect with Tutors for Q & A (through live chat or email)
Step 5:  Rock the Exam!

All students:

Great Opportunity:
KIS International School, together with Plan International and Intel, students at ISB have been invited to a unique private screening and discussion of the film “Girl Rising“.  The film is a striking portrayal of the power of girls and the value of education for a better world. It is a collection of true stories and is narrated by famous actors Cate Blanchett, Priyanka Chopra, Selena Gomez, Anne Hathaway, Salma Hayek, Alicia Keys, Chloë Moretz, Liam Neeson, Frieda Pinto, Meryl Streep, and Kerry Washington.

KIS has been given permission for a private screening by invitation only. A small cover charge will go to charities that support children and education. The screening will be held on May 7 at 18:00 at KIS International School. The screening will be followed by a discussion with experts from Plan International and the United Nations Girl’s Education Initiative. This is a unique opportunity to see a powerful, meaningful movie that has not (yet) been released in Thailand.

ISB will have a bus going to the screening and any interested student should sign up in the bulletin board outside Ms. McDowell’s office.  When you sign up, you must pay the 100 baht ‘cover charge’ which will go to charities that support children and education.  Sign up will only be from Monday, April 22 to Thursday April 25 at 3:00.  Please give the contribution to Khun Mai.

Songkran holiday is coming!  This is a time for your children to rest, relax and recharge their batteries.  Make sure they catch up on sleep, spend time away from the computer and get plenty of exercise.  This is a vital time for them as the push during May can be tough.  It is a great time for you to have a quiet chat with your child and to give them plenty of attention; you both deserve it!

The counseling office wishes you all a Happy and Safe Songkran!!

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