Korea International School Grade 11 College Information Night Wednesday, February 20, 2013 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. Mr. Modi

1. Korea International School Grade 11 College Information Night Wednesday, February 20, 2013 6:00-7:30p.m. Mr. Modica, Mrs. Boyce, & Mr. Jacobusse College Counselors

2. How does KIS prepare students for college? • Through the KIS Mission Statement • Through the required curriculum • Through Advanced Placement courses • Through offering out of class activities such as sports and clubs, growth, and leadership • Through the College Counseling Office

3. KIS’s Guiding Principles • College is a match to be made, not a trophy or prize to be won. • Every college search is as unique as the student who is researching. • The college counselor is here to help each student’s college search meet his or her individual needs.

5. Winter of 11th Grade • January-May • Review PSAT Score Reports • Complete forms requested by college counselor • Schedule 1st college meeting with college counselor • Started February 4th • Last day to hold this meeting is April19th • Start researching colleges • Decide on country/countries – different application procedures, admissions criteria, & timeframe • If you understand the US application process, other systems will seem easier

6. Winter of 11th Grade • January-May • Start researching colleges (cont.) • Canada – SATs (for some colleges) and grades 11-12 needed (grade 10 for some) • Australia – SATs of critical importance & APs very helpful • UK – 2nd most difficult system to understand • Course of study must be decided • At least 3 good AP scores (really need to be a 4 or 5) related to area of study • UCAS limits to 5 or fewer applications (counts towards limit of 10 apps) • Oxford & Cambridge have earliest deadlines of any college • Schedule student-parent-college counselor meeting for countries other than the USA (recommended) • Register for the SAT and SAT Subject tests (May &June)

7. Reminder – KIS’s High School Graduation Requirements • English – 4 credits • Math – 4 credits (Geometry & Alg II/Trig) • Science – 3 credits (Bio & Chem) • Social Studies – 3 credits (Asian Studies, W. Geog., W. Hist, & US Hist.) • World Languages – none required • Wellness and Lifetime Activities – 2 credits • Visual and Performing Arts – 1 credit

8. KIS’s High School Graduation Requirements • Electives – 5 credits • 22 Total Credits for a KIS HS diploma • REMEMBER – most colleges are looking for more than our minimum credit requirements in many subjects especially the highly selective colleges.

9. Reminder – HS Graduation vs. College Admission Requirements • They are not the same. • Vary from university to university • More social studies, science and world language credits might be needed. • Know the requirements for your major. They also may vary depending on schools and country.

10. How to Begin to Choose a College • Counselor meetings • Family Connection (FC) search • Individual college websites • Links in left margin of FC home page • Guidebooks • Admission office reps visiting KIS • Campus visits

11. College or University? Arts & Sciences Both offer Bachelor degrees PhD Programs School of Business School of Engineering Arts & Sciences (and sometimes more) School of Nursing School of Law School of Medicine Liberal Arts College: Undergraduate Focus University: UG and Graduate Schools

12. Factors to Consider • Location • Cost • Size (small vs. mid-size vs. large) • Academic reputation of specific majors • Class size • Diversity of student body • Ranking issues (variety of rankings available) • Be careful with rankings as they are deceiving • Campus and/or city safety

13. U.S. or International Student • Based upon citizenship • U.S. passport & another – apply with US one • Financial certification – some colleges want financial documents at the time of application submission • Check the policy of each college • Forms • FAFSA (US citizens) • CSS PROFILE (on College Board website) • Bank letters or statements • Visas • U.S. embassy will require proof to pay in order to issue a visa.

14. Family Connection Sign-In

15. Family Connection (FC) • Each parent has a personal login. • Parent Questionnaire was due 2/1/2013 • Students have separate logins from parent accounts • Resume • Sr. Portfolio • Test scores • College list • SAT prep program

16. Affordability (Can I “afford” it?) • Open and frank discussion with your son/daughter on what’s possible financially • Need-based financial aid • Need-aware • Need-blind • Merit-based financial aid • Talent-based financial aid • Aid for non-US students is highly competitive • Visit each college’s financial aid website

17. Sample Financial Aid Website

18. Paying for College - Resources • 2011 Getting Financial Aid by the College Board • 2011 Scholarship Handbook by the College Board • College Admissions Together – It Takes a Family by Steven Roy Goodman and Andrea Leiman • The College Solution by Lynn O’Shaughnessy

19. College Admission Test • KIS is a private test center • Take the SAT Reasoning test in May or June • Repeat in grade 12 if needed • Only take the SAT 2 to 3 times maximum • ACT is a viable option to the SAT and is accepted everywhere the SAT is • Tests knowledge learned in school • Many students do better on this test than on the SAT – conversion chart is available • Available in Seoul

20. College Admission Test • Test Prep Options • SAT Test Prep provided in Family Connection • Best way to prep for the SAT is to read in English • Over 800 colleges DO NOT require the SAT • SAT Subject tests required for about 50 of the most selective colleges • TOEFL test requirements vary from college to college

21. Prospective College List • Colleges are categorized into 3 groups • Reach – most students with similar profile not admitted • Far Reach: 5-15% chance of admission • Reach: 20-30% chance of admission • Possible: 40-50% chance of admission • Recommend you apply to only 2-4 schools • Likely – your profile is similar to the college admission profile and your chances of admission are good to very good • 70-85% chance of admission • Recommend you apply to 5-6 colleges in this category

22. Prospective College List • Safety - your profile exceeds the college admission profile and your chances of admission are very good to excellent • 90-95% chance of admission • Recommend you consider 1 maybe 2 colleges in this category • Your goal = maximize offers of admission letters so you have choices • An unbalanced & unrealistic college list = way more denials than acceptances

23. Purdue University

24. University of Pennsylvania

25. Stanford University

26. Emory University

27. NorthwesternUniversity

28. How Colleges Evaluate Applications • Holistic approach – look are many variables • Grades, courses, and rank • Test scores • How is the student interesting • Essay • Extracurricular activities • Letters of recommendation • What the college needs (wild card component) • Demonstrated interest by the student is recorded by some colleges

29. How Colleges Evaluate Applications • GPAs are usually recalculated by colleges • May drop the “+” or “-” • May only count the 5 academic subjects • May weight AP courses differently • Could have an admissions formula • SAT 1705 with a 3.4 GPA (B+ average) • SAT 1850 with a 3.0 GPA (B average) • SAT 2010 with a 2.75 GPA (B- average)

30. Applications • “Common Application” • Used by more than 450 colleges • More than 2.1 million applications submitted • Application Types • Rolling Admission (ROLLING) • Priority Admission (PRI) • Early Decision (ED) • Early Action (EA) • Restricted Early Action (REA) or Single-Choice Early Action • Regular Decision (RD) • Recommend 6 to 8 with a maximum of 10 applications

31. Applications • Complete the application carefully • Proof read your application • Write an authentic, personal essay • KIS Authentication Process • Extracurricular activities • Quality over quantity • Sustained effort and commitment • Pick most important ones for college applications • Show knowledge about the college

32. Decision Time • Acceptance • Mid to end of December for ED and EA • March or April for RD • Rolling usually within 2-4 weeks • Denial • Deferred • Happens with some ED and EA applications • Applicants will be reconsidered with other RD applications • Wait-listed • Possible admit but no decision until the college knows its yield from offered places • Colleges then go to waitlist

33. For Parents • Please activate your Family Connection account if you have not already done so. Contact Ms. Han (swhan@kis.or.kr) • Family Connection (FC) • Access from KIS’s website under the HS section • http://connection.naviance.com/kis • Data is seen by you, your student, and KIS only • Complete the Parent Questionnaire (due 2/1/2013) • Add colleges of interest • Student-Parent-College Counselor meetings, which are optional, began on February 4th and will continue until April19th • Monitor application process but do not do it for your student

34. Visits to College Campuses • If possible, visit different types of schools during the summer or school vacations • Check the college’s website and make an appointment for a tour and information session • No more than 2 college visits during a day • 1 in the morning and 1 in the afternoon • Take notes and/or photos • Pick a school newspaper to read • Ask questions of student tour guides • Likes, dislikes, what would you change, etc. • Group tours are available • Talk to Mr. Modica if you are interested in this option

35. College Visits to KIS • You are welcome to attend fairs and college visits to KIS • Some more will be visiting from February through April • Most visit in September and October with a few in November • KIS has been a popular stop for college reps over the past 3 years • 2011-13: 110+ visits per year • 2010-11: 100 visits for the year • 2009-2010: 95 visits for the year • 2006-2009: 20 to 22 college visits per year • College visits are listed in Family Connection • Students must pre-register to attend by noon the school day before the visit

36. College Visits to KIS • KIS’s administration expects students who sign-up to attend a college visit to attend • Failure to attend: • Presents KIS in a poor light • Can result in an unproductive visit for the rep which in turn could jeopardize future college visits • Can impact the personal relationship between KIS and the college rep • Can result in a referral to the associate principal or principal

37. What to Expect from KIS • Experienced and knowledgeable college counselors • First-hand knowledge of many college campuses • Extensive network • Within the international school counseling circuit • With US and Canadian college admission reps • On a first name basis with over 150 college admission reps

38. What to Expect from KIS • Willing to help with • College lists • Application strategies • Testing plans • Essay critique if time permits but will not write it • Application logistics • Trouble-shooting • Timely information and reminders • Frank, honest, and prompt communication • Realistic estimates on admission chances • Offer advice on “ways to improve your odds” • Facilitate the application process

39. Stats on the Class of 2012 • Members of the Class of 2012 enrolled in48 different colleges in the US and in 3 different countries • 253 total college application acceptances (44% overall acceptance rate, a decreaseof7% from 2011) • Choices ranged from liberal arts to specialized colleges; from small colleges to large universities; from public to private colleges and universities

40. Multiple Acceptance Stats College Acceptances2012201120102009 2 or more 77.6% 77.6% 95% 79% 3 or more 64.5% 65.8% 71% 58.5% 4 or more 42.1% 47.4% 52.6% 37% 5 or more 30.3% 38.1% 43.4% 23.5% 6 or more 14.5% 27.6% 18.4% 11.5% 7 or more 7.9% 7.6% 10.5% 5.8% 8 or more 1.3% 5.3% 5.3% 3.9%

41. Stats on the Class of 2012

42. GPA & Decile Range for the Class of 2014 as of 1/25/13 • 1st decile: 4.05-3.932nd decile: 3.92-3.833rd decile: 3.82-3.734th decile: 3.72-3.665th decile: 3.65-3.546th decile: 3.52-3.407th decile: 3.37-3.238th decile: 3.22-3.079th decile: 3.06-2.7810th decile: 2.75 and below

43. Senior Year 2013-14! It will be busy, and we’ll cover that next year in September! - Keep in mind - “What makes you special?” – Why should you be chosen over another candidate?

44. Question and Answer Session TOGETHER WE WILL PARTNER TO FIND THE BEST MATCH FOR YOUR “CHILD” College is a match to be made, not a trophy or prize to be won.

45. Course Registration Process for the 2012-13 School Year • March 13-15th: AP Course Showcase • March 16-28th: AP Survey in Family Connection • You must rank order AP Classes and will only be considered for AP Courses listed on survey • April 2nd-4th: AP Committee meets to review and discuss student AP course requests. • April 9th: Course Registration goes live in P.S. • Choose your courses wisely – No changes after

46. Thank you for coming tonight.