Sonya Ohlsson
sonyao@isb.ac.th
Seniors:
If you have received a decision from a university, please put it into Cialfo. If you have made your final decision about which university you will attend, please also indicate that in Cialfo. This is how we will know where to send your Final ISB Transcript. If you do not indicate your attending university in Cialfo, we will not be able to send a Final ISB transcript. For the schools you are not going to attend, please let those schools know so they can dip into their Waitlists and make offers to other students. Do this by going on to your portal or sending an email to the admissions office that includes your full name, date of birth and high school. Everyone on a Waitlist would really appreciate it!!
Several weeks ago, you would have received instructions from Mrs. McMillan about which schools you want to have access to your IB exam results–this is different from the ISB transcript. We do not send your IB Exam Results to your schools, so make sure that if your chosen university needs your IB Exam Results you have followed those instructions. IB Exam Results are only official if they come directly from the IB Organization.
If you are Waitlisted, please don’t forget to go ahead and make a deposit somewhere you were admitted so you have a spot saved for you in case you do not get off the Waitlist–make sure it’s someplace you would be happy to attend!! Waitlists are tricky and unpredictable!
If you have received all of your UCAS/UK school decisions, please make your choices–one Firm and one Insurance choice. Then please release any remaining offers so that those spots can go to other candidates.
Juniors:
Juniors had their first essay draft due to their college counselor on April 9th. We look forward to reading them and giving feedback to help support the development of some amazing essays.
April 9 was our last Junior College Seminar of the year. We had a lot to talk about as a group, but it is not the last time juniors will meet with their counselors! They should continue to reach out and schedule times to meet throughout the rest of the semester.
Juniors have also formally asked their teachers for letters of recommendations this week. They have a questionnaire they must fill out, one for each of the two teachers they asked, and they put the questionnaire and requested the teacher in their Cialfo account, following the step-by-step directions they were given after the presentation on April 9.
Juniors have all met with their counselor and presented for their Junior-Led Conferences. At this point, they should be continuing on with their research, looking at their Cialfo Longlists and adding or deleting things from it as they research. It will be important for them to keep meeting with their counselor so that we can provide feedback and guidance, especially as they look at potential colleges and universities.
Parent Coffees:
On Wednesday, we held a webinar on Financial Aid and how it works in multiple countries around the world. It is a complex issue and it can change each year, so it’s important for students and families to do their research. It’s helpful if a student and their parents can share their realistic budget with their college counselor early on in the counseling process so we can have an understanding on how to help support the student in their searching for schools and helping them find options.
To watch the presentation, please find the recording on our site: tinyurl.com/isbcollege. And here is the PDF of the presentation with clickable links.
On Thursday, we hosted a representative from the US Embassy to talk about applying for a student visa. For all students, no matter what your passport is or where you are attending university, if you will need a visa to study in a certain country, please reach out to that country’s embassy or consulate to get the latest information about what you need to get a student visa to attend university. A recording of the session will be placed in the Resources section of our college website.
Summer Programs:
If you are wondering what to do during the summer, check out our summer program opportunities list on the College Counseling Google site: Summer Programs
PSAT10:
Just a reminder that the PSAT10, scheduled for the afternoon of April 27th, has been cancelled. Students will have the opportunity to take another Practice test in October, as juniors.
ISB Virtual University Visits:
There are currently no virtual visits scheduled, but we strongly encourage students, especially Juniors, to take the time to check out the schools they are interested in or want to learn more about and join in on one of their virtual campus visits, virtual information sessions or open houses. Showing demonstrated interest (officially signing up and participating) will play a far more significant role in admissions in the next few years than it ever has done in the past–this is coming directly from universities. So, please, do not neglect the usefulness of gaining virtual access to places you might apply to!
To find the links and registration for some virtual events, go to our College Site.
There is a USA Community College Fair is tomorrow. Community Colleges are a great (and cheaper) way to prepare for a 4-year degree!!
Saturday, April 24th from 11:00am-1:00pm (Thailand time). This fair is FREE and is open for students and parents to join!
Here is the link to pre-register, learn about the participating colleges, and join the fair: https://aeotour.com/community-college-event/
Zoom presentations (these will also be recorded and the links are on the website):
- 11:00am-11:10am (Thailand time) – “Meet our University Partner! CCS+Gonzaga University” – Trina Allen, Community Colleges of Spokane
- 11:10am-11:20am (Thailand time) – “Advantages of Studying at Community Colleges” – Sandra Bonifield, Bellevue College
- 11:20am-11:30am (Thailand time) – “Misconceptions About 2 Year Colleges” – Rachel Wood, Butte College
~Sonya Ohlsson (she/her)
Head of College Counseling