Last Thursday of every month!

FOR YEAR 12 STUDENTS

Newsletter

The NIST College Counseling Newsletter provides extra guidance for you. It will be sent to you on the last Thursday of every month until you are done with your applications. Please read each newsletter carefully, and save it in the College/University folder on your tablet, so that you can find it easily, and go back to review important information, dates, and deadlines when needed. This newsletter will also be sent to your parents and teachers. This issue will remind you of what you need to do to get ready for the Three-Way College Conference in April-May. Are you done with your university research? Have a look at what a long-list of uniINSIDE THIS ISSUE: versities should look like on page 3. As summer is approaching, we also share some hints and tips regarding university visits. The Three-way College Conference Long-List of universities on Naviance Whats the deal with TOEFL/IELTS? Whats the deal with SAT? Visiting universities during summer Education USA Fair on April 4th, 2012 Guidelines for registering for the SAT University Visits March 29 - April 26 2 3 4 5 6 7 8-10 11

March 29, 2012

Steps to College/University

Meet the Counselors

Mr. Joachim Ekstrom (Mr. Kim) jekstrom@nist.ac.th Room 4203 Phone Extension: 353 Family Names A-I Mrs. Brenda Manfredi bmanfredi@nist.ac.th Room 4204b Phone Extension: 204 Ms. Brita Nash bnash@nist.ac.th Room 4205 Phone Extension: 205

Family Names J-R

Family Names S-Z

The Three-way College Conference

April 18 - May 18
You and your parent(s) will meet with your counselor to discuss the university research and application process. We will discuss what you should have done by now, and what else you need to do to get ready for the application process that begins early in Year 13. Students need to have completed the following before they register for the three-way college conference: 1. Do What You Are 2. Career Interest Profiler 3. UniQuest Assignment 4. Naviance Resume (only for students applying to US Universities) 5. University Questionnaire 6. Long List on Naviance: Universities Im thinking about At this meeting, please advise us if you intend to apply to UCAS by 15 October (Oxford OR Cambridge, medical/veterinary school) or via Early Action or Decision by 1st of November (U.S.A.)

1. Register for the conference by sending an email to your counselor with a few preferred days and times. 2. Make sure your parent(s) are really available at this time 3. Your counselor will then confirm your time by email

What should a long-list on Naviance look like?

This is an example of a good long-list on Naviance. It is ok for you to have 20-25 universities on here if you are applying to universities in North-America or around the world. If you apply only to the UK, or only to Australia, your list would of course be shorter. By August of Year 13, students will have developed a firm list of 6-9 schools to which they are applying with a range of Reach, Safety and Star schools. Students will apply to no more than ten universities. (Please note that the UK universities will count as one choice, as will the University of California campuses.)

If your long-list on Naviance still looks like this, you should be concerned. It might be that you have saved the universities you are interested in on another list. If that is the case, please move the universities over to Naviance. Please note that you will move the universities from your long-list to your short-list on Naviane in the beginning of Year 13. It is very important that you keep your universities on Naviance as your counselor will send the supporting documents to your universities on this list (mostly online through Naviance) when you have completed your applications in Year 13.

Whats the deal with TOEFL/IELTS?

It is quite easy. You should take any of these tests if you dont have a passport from: UK USA Canada Australia New Zealand

English A1/A2 is often not enough proof of English proficiency. Many universities want to see a standardized test score. Most students dont need to prepare for these tests, and they most often get very high scores (which looks good on your application). Note: Some Asian nationalities need IELTS (not TOEFL) for their Visa application to Australia. Please remember to complete the College/University Tours Survey on Naviance

Whats the deal with SAT?

Are you thinking of applying to Universities in the US, Thailand, Singapore or Hong Kong? Then you should take SAT Reasoning and probably SAT subject tests. NIST is a registered SAT Test Center, and we have reserved spaces for NIST students, but you need to follow the steps on page 8-9 carefully when you register for the tests to get access to the reserved spaces. At this point, we have 1 space for SAT Subject in May, but SAT Reasoning is full . We have 22 spaces available for SAT Reasoning in June, and 10 seats available for SAT Subject. We recommend that you take the tests at NIST, as you are familiar with this setting, but it is possible for you to take the tests at other test centers in Bangkok as well. Please view the outline on page 10 to see when you should take the SAT tests.

Free workshop for NIST students at Accademia Italiana on 1st April 2012 from 9am. 4pm. See the last page for more information.

Visiting universities during the summer break

Visiting a college/university campus during the summer break is an invaluable experience: it is a way to verify your assumptions about that school, city, region, or country; to ask important questions; to let the school know of your interest to attend there; and, to try to get a sense of your comfort level there. Dont just drive around campus and look at the buildings and trees. Here are some ideas of some activities that might help you get a feel for the school: Take a tour. Arrange this ahead of time. Remember that some tour guides are enthusiastic and dynamic; others are not. Dont use this as your only measure of the school. Attend an information session if offered. This will provide you with a well-rounded foundation for decisions and help to distinguish features of the school. It might also provide some tips for admissions. Eat a meal. It may not be the best cuisine, but you will get an idea of how you will survive if you attend that school. Notice the ambianceis it friendly, how much diversity do you see? Stay overnight in the dorm if possible at your top choice schools. This will give you an opportunity to meet students and ask questions. Be sure to call well in advance to schedule this. Attend a class or two. Choose to see one of the large lecture style classes and a smaller seminar class if possible. Again, ask to set this up in advance. During the class, take note of the level of involvement of the students in the class. See if you can determine if the professor is actively engaged with the students or just going through the motions. Visit with students in the academic setting. If possible, meet some students enrolled in the area of study in which you are interested. Ask about academic and extracurricular activities. Arrange an interview with an admissions officer. Read the university newspaper. Get an idea of what is going on around campus and the community. Search for controversial issues to discuss with students or faculty. Check out the bulletin boards around campus. This will help to identify the activities that are available in the area and may imply something about the student body in general. Write down your impressions, especially if you are visiting more than one campus! The impressions of one can easily get jumbled up with others. Pay attention to your gut reaction. Take note of things that strike you as interesting, positive or negative. How would you describe this school to someone who had not had the chance to visit it? Remember to dress appropriately as you may have the chance to meet an admissions counselor while on campus. It is necessary to phone ahead to set up campus tours and interviews. Do your homework! Read the college catalog and prepare questions for the interviewer and tour guides. If you are interested in or will need financial aid, set an appointment with a financial officer to find out what is available and what guidelines need to be followed.

Education USA Fair on April 4th, 2012

The Fair & Workshops will provide students with opportunities to meet leading U.S. colleges (Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, George Washington, Ohio Wesleyan, St. Olaf, etc), learn about scholarships & financial aid, hear U.S. alumni share their university experiences, understand the U.S. student visa applications, and tips for standardized tests required by U.S. universities.

The organizers of the fair are inviting Year 12 students who would like to help out at the fair.
They are looking for two students who could act as translators (Thai-English) and two students who could take on Event Staff roles. If you are interested in volunteering at the fair, please contact Preeyawan Sakornyen at the U.S. Embassy on 02-205-4596.

Next NIST College Counseling Newsletter will be in your inbox on

Thursday April 26th

Have a great Song Kran Break!!

Kind regards, The Secondary Counselors

A guide for two important steps of the SAT registration on www.collegeboard.com

Although this is not a complete SAT registration guide, if you follow these steps carefully you will certainly be able to sign up as a NIST student, get access to our reserved seats, and get the chance to write the SAT at NIST. First, you need to make sure the system knows that you are a NIST student. This is done under the Tell Us About Your High School (1) section of the registration. When you are asked for the name of your high school, press Find your School (2).

When you press Find your School a new window will appear. Tick Outside the United States (3). Type in the NIST High School Code (695270)(4) and press Search for High School (5). NIST will appear in the list below. Press Select (6).

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The second important part is where you select the center at which you want to write the SAT. Press Search by School Name or Code (7).

When you press Search by School Name or Code a new window will appear. Tick Yes (8), and type in the NIST TEST Center Code (71108) (9). Press Search for My Test Center (10). NIST will appear on the list. Press Select (11).

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Congratulations! You have completed the most important parts of your SAT registration. In this case it says that a seat is available (12). If it says that the test is full, please contact Mr. Kim and he will try to help you sort it out.

When should I write the SAT and when should I register?

Year 12
Registration deadlines are always about a month before the test date. It is not possible to do any standby or late registrations at NIST.

October

November

December

January

May

June

Take the PSAT at NIST in October. Many students have already taken the PSAT in Year 11, and try to improve their scores in Year 12. The results will show where your strengths and weaknesses are. You can also use the scores when you research universities on Naviance. Contact your counselor for more information on the PSAT.

Some students may take SAT preparation courses during the first semester of Year 12 and write the SAT for the first time in December or January.

May and June are ideal test dates to write the SAT for the first time. Many students do the SAT 1 in May, and Subject Tests in June. You can use the results to decide if you need to do a SAT preparation course during the summer holiday or early in Year 13.

Year 13

October

November

December

January

May

June

October and November are test dates where many students apply strategies they learned in the SAT preparation course and increase their scores. It is also a good time to write SAT subject tests if they are required for your university applications. November is the only test date that includes Language tests with Listening. December is the last chance to write the SAT for most students applying to US colleges. Remember to register during summer as this test date fills up quickly.

January might be a possible test date for some students applying to US universities (not highly selective ones). It is also a possibility for students applying to universities in Asia where the application deadlines are later on in the school year.

Visiting Universities - March 29 to April 26, 2012 March 2012

Name of University
Champman University La Salle University IDP University of New South Wales Champman University La Salle University Miami University University of Oregon University of Leeds

Date of Visit
Thursday, March 29 Thursday, March 29 Friday, March 23 Monday, March 26 Thursday, March 29 Thursday, March 29 Friday, March 30 Friday, March 30 Firday, March 30

Location of Universities
CA, USA PA, USA Australia Australia CA PA, USA OR, USA OR, USA UK

Name of Universities Representative

Becky Bob Mr. Carl Leung Becky Bob Ann Robert

Time of Visit
14:30-15:30 14:30-15:30 10:00-11:35 10:45-11:35 14:30-15:30 14:30-15:30 10:45-11:35 10:45-11:35 10:45-11:35

April 2012
Name of University
Johns Hopkins University George Washington University Murdoch University European University St. Olaf College Northeastern University

Date of Visit
Tuesday, April 3 Tuesday, April 3 Tuesday, April 3 Tuesday, April 3 Wednesday, April 4 Wednesday, April 25

Location of Universities
USA USA Australia UK USA USA

Name of Universities Representative

Jessica Geogre Jenny K. Promote Darren

Time of Visit
10:45-11:35 10:45-11:35 10:45-11:35 10:45-11:35 10:45-11:35 10:45-11:35

Short Courses 2012

Today there is a highly ironic, very irreverent and at times conceptual movement that brings humor to serious mundane products whose goal is to make the task of everyday chores just a bit more fun. This renowned popular trend of transforming ordinary household product into objects of design began nearly twenty years ago when important design companies like Alessi realized that products need to go beyond consideration of form and function to become objects of desire. To achieve this end a product must create pleasurable emotional connections with the consumer through the joy of their use and the beauty of their form. Objects that are capable of evoking positive emotions and provocative feelings are designed based on the assumption that emotional needs must be satisfied just as much as practical ones, capturing a new optimism and appealing to the subconscious of the consumer. Project description: