Class of 2012

SIS Building Profile

 

Preparing Your College List, 2011-2012

 

Colleges and universities are seeking diversity in their student bodies.  They are looking for students from different racial, educational, economic and geographical backgrounds.

Keep in mind that all the most competitive schools are reporting significant increases in the number of applicants.

Keep in mind that our senior will be part of the geographic consideration that is generally considered international, meaning outside the U.S.

Just in the last two or three years, seniors at S I. S. have reduced their interests to a smaller and smaller number of colleges and universities in the U. S. at the very time these schools are experiencing an increase in applications.

Much of our students talents, accomplishmentsandindividualityare lost when so many students apply to the same schools which are also the same schools that most students in Korea focus on.

The factors that admissions officers consider are:  the academic challenge the student has accepted, the record of academic achievement, standardized test scores and non-academic interests.  You cannot assume that a record of outstanding achievement at S. I. S. will guarantee admission.  A record of achievement will mean that the applicant is at least in the ball park and is qualified to apply.  DECISIONSARE VERY SUBJECTIVE.  They are not objective.  For example, a highly qualified applicant may be admitted to Brown and Stanford and not to U. Penn and Cornell.

I encourage students to do some serious research into colleges and universities.  They should consider such factors as school size, location and programs offered.  If the entire list is composed of schools that are considered acceptable in Korea, too many students are going to have similar lists.  To it astonishing to hear our students speak of some outstanding schools as if they were “safety” schools.  I consider no school in the U. S. a safety school as you cannot make such a blanket pronouncement.

 

                                                                           Fredric M. Schneider             Victor Cho

                                                                           D. P. P. S.                              Counselor

 

FINANCIAL   AID

I.  For students who are U.S. citizens or Permanent Residents (Based on Student’s Citizenship)

 

  1. Need Based
  2. Need Blind Admissions
  3. Amount of aid determined from completion of:

 

            CSS Profile (Some schools)– Available in October

                                                                  ( www.collegeboard.com)

 

            FAFSA (All schools)– Filed after January 1

                                                                            ( www.fafsa.ed.gov )

 

Both Forms determine what is fair for the family to pay.

Both Forms refer to U.S. tax forms.

(If you do not pay U.S. taxes, completing the forms is more

 tedious and complicated)

         

 The student must have a U.S. Social Security Number.

 

II.   For Students Who Are Not U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents

 

  1.  Aid is often merit based, not need based
  2. Some schools are need blind regardless of citizenship

 

Non-U.S. citizens/Permanent Residents will discover significant financial aid is difficult to get.

 

WHATARE THEY LOOKING FOR?

 

YOURRECORD OF ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

 

G.P.A. : Six semesters, unweighted, all subjects and semester G.P.A. (with first semester senior grades).  Early Decision and Early Action use six semester G.P.A. and first quarter senior grades.  G.P.A. will be presented as a percentage G.P.A.

CLASSRANK:  We do not rank except to name the valedictorian and salutatorian.  An estimated decile is provided.

THECHALLENGE YOU HAVE ACCEPTED

The difficulty of your schedule in light of the courses offered at S. I. S.  Did you take some of the most challenging (highest) courses that are offered.

STANDARDIZEDTEST SCORES

S.A.T. Reasoning and Subject  tests in 2 or 3 areas depending on each school’s requirement.

T.O.E.F.L. if English is not your native language, first language or the language you live in.  You cannot use the T.O.E.F.L. as a crutch or excuse for low verbal skills.

YOUR ESSAYS:  This is the only way for the schools to “know” you.

EXTRACURRICULARINVOLVEMENT

Commitment to one or two such as sports, music, student government, community or church service or art.  A list of many activities showing massive hours per week devoted to extracurricular is not to your advantage.

COUNSELORS AND TEACHERS RECOMMENDATIONS

Read what is asked of teachers and me on the Common Application forms. 

These are not required not accepted by most public universities.

THE BOTTOM LINE IS, SCHOOLS ARE TRYING TO DETERMINE IF YOU WILL SUCCEED ACADEMICALLY IF ADMITTED.

 

UNIVERSITY APPLICATIONS – THE PROCESS

 

I.  The Senior’s Responsibilities

 

  1. Complete applications – on-line ( www.commonapp.org)

and non-common applications

  1. Download School Report and Teacher Recommendation forms
  2. Register Promptly for all necessary standardized tests
  3. Assure that test scores reach all the schools to which you apply
  4. Approach teachers who you wish to write recommendations
  5. Meet me to hand over School Report Formsand

Teacher Recommendation Forms

  1. Complete your applications nolater than First Week of December.
  2. Complete forms necessary for financial aid.
  3. Do your best  in your courses the entire senior year

 

II.  Responsibilities of Ms. Lee, teachers, Mr. Cho and me

 

  1. I complete School Report Forms and write your recommendation.
  2. I route forms to the teachers who will recommend you.  Teachers return forms to me. 
  3. Ms. Lee assembles the forms which I complete and those from teachers.
  4. Ms. Lee mails the assembled forms and transcripts.
  5. I complete Mid-Year Report Forms (end of first semester)
  6. Ms. Lee mails forms and transcripts to each school to which you apply.
  7. Mr. Cho assists you in completing your applications to include proofreading your essays.

 

III.  Your Fate

     

A. By spring, results of decisions on your applications are in. 

      (Earlier fromState Universities)

 

B.   By May 1, deposit to the one school you will attend.

 

    C.  Final grades to the school you will attend.  Lower or poor

        grades could result in the acceptance bring rescinded.

 

What Seniors Should Avoid Doing

                                                                                             

  1.  Listening to the current rumors such as:
  • “Everyone should apply to a school in an Early Decision

      or Early Plan”

  • High SAT Scores compensate for a lower G.P.A.
  • Take more subject tests than required
  • Take AP exams in non-SIS courses/subjects
  1.  Wait until just before the SIS deadline to submit your applications
  1.   Assume that contradictory advice from outside S.I.S. is more accurate and valuable than advice from teachers and counselors

                 at S.I.S.

  1.  Preparing portfolios and recommendations that are not required
  1. Sharing all your plans with your classmates and thus furing the entire process into some sort of competition.

 

Early Decision as of 12/21/2010

 

 

 

Accept

 

 

Defer

 

Deny

  Amherst College

1

 

1

  Barnard College

 

 

1

  Boston Univ.

 

 

1

  Brown Univ.

1

2

 

  Carnegie Mellon Univ.

1

2

 

  Columbia Univ.

1

 

1

  Cornell Univ.

1

3

3

  Dartmouth College

 

1

1

  Duke Univ.

 

1

 

  Haverford College

 

 

1

  Johns Hopkins Univ.

 

 

1

  New York Univ.

2

 

3

  Northwestern Univ.

 

 

6

  Rice Univ.

 

 

3

  Swarthmore College

 

 

1

  Univ. of Pennsylvania

1

 

3

  Univ. of Rochester

1

 

 

  Wake Forest Univ.

 

 

1

  Washington Univ.

 

2

 

 

 

9

 

 

11

 

28

 

Early Action as of 12/21/2010

 

 

 

 

Accept

 

 

Defer

 

Deny

  Babson College

1

 

 

  Boston College

1

1

1

  Case Western Reserve Univ.

2

 

2

  Emory Univ. (Oxford)

 

 

1

  Fordham Univ.

 

1

 

  Georgetown Univ.

 

2

 

  M. I. T.

1

1

 

  Northeastern Univ.

 

2

 

  Stanford Univ.

2

 

 

  Univ. of Chicago

2

3

1

  Univ. of Notre Dame

 

3

1

  Yale Univ.

 

2

 

 

 

 

 

9

 

15

 

6