THE SCHOOLS ARE LOSING COUNSELORS

This is not an article on the college admissions process, but one on how the schools are losing counselors, highly trained individuals who have been all effected by the sign of the times.

It makes me realize just how important my job as a consultant is becoming. If you have a student who is in the 10th, 11th, or 12 th, and seeking entrance into college.. check us out. We might be able to assist you.

IF YOU ARE GOING TO BE A HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR, NOW IS THE TIME TO PREPARE FOR THE APPLICATION SEASON

The summer is flying by - and with August 1st approaching within days, half the summer is already gone.

While we know that you are trying to take in all the excitement and fun of the summertimes, we want to encourage all the you to start on preparing for the college application season that is almost around the corner, to start on your research and find the best schools that will best fit with your academic niche they are portraying on the application.

If you plan to complete the Common Application, you will note on the front page that there is a line which asks you for your “area of academic interest” – that’s where you want to announce your academic niche.

REMEMBER, your goal is to make it clear to colleges who you are and what you will add to their school on the academic front. Your goal is to show colleges and universities why the match is perfect!

Next to the essay, this is the most important part of the application process.

HOW A WELL TRAINED COLLEGE CONSULTANT CAN SAVE YOU MONEY

A well trained college consultant, while parents feel are expensive, can save a family several thousands of dollars in ERRORS or MISTAKES.

I just recently had a father come up to talk to me while I was having coffee --"I am so distraught, I don't know what to do. My daughter calls herself an "aspiring artist" and she was at UCLA but she has dropped out cause she says it is not the right school for her and that she does not feel like she can fit in-- I dont know what to do, I wish she would go back"

I hate to hear these stories, and this poor man is part of the UNDER employed in our country right now. He is trying to give his daughter opportunities, but he has NO CLUE where to start... so I asked to meet his daughter.

One look at her told me she did not belong at UCLA. I was not sure how she had been accepted, but she had and she had gone, and now we had to pick up the pieces. Her work is unbelievably good and she told me what she wants to do.

I sat down later in the day and looked at schools that might help her.. the two schools that jump out at me repeatively, and look to be a good fit are NYU and Otis/Parsons Institute.

I talked again to her father when I saw him and told him about these schools and he said,"you know my daughter visited NYU and loved it.. she wanted to go there, but I did not think it was a good idea because we dont have the money"


I asked him if he had applied for financial aid, and his daughter had a great award from UCLA...

So I asked him to consider letting me have a couple of hours with her to see if we can rework her educational efforts and see if we can get her on track.

This is a story I hear a lot, and it is no wonder that only about 52.% of all college students graduate in 5-6 years, after that no one knows. High School counselors had a different agenda, their goal is to matriculate students to college and then what happens, happens.

As a consultant, my goal is a little different. My goal is to not only matriculate the student to college, but help them walk through another graduation ceremony,

As for this man's daughter, I am hoping to work with her so that I can help her reach her goals. She lost one year going to UCLA, and hopefully we can transfer the units... so schools accept it, some don't --- and she has lost this year being lost.. so two years out, she is confused, lost time, and is looking for the next step.

I am confident I can salvage this situation and get this girl on track, but so many student's go down the same road.

Most of the time, students will follow their college search based on a best friend and their advice of where to go to school, followed by a good relative, sibling and then a parent.

A good college consultant can encourage a student to think through their selection and choices of schools. They can help a student blossom into the next stage of life and find a positive experience for both the student and family.

The goal is to find the RIGHT situation so that the student completes their course of study and graduates.

DOES APPLYING TO A COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY AUTOMATICALLY GIVE AMERICAN STUDENTS LIVING ABROAD AN EDGE IN GETTING IN?

Many families and students believe that just by being international, or applying from overseas, they have the golden ticket. I see this particularly in my American kids overseas.

Here’s the hard truth. If you are applying to a college that ranks "highly selective to very selective" , you are competing with highly accomplished students from the United States and abroad (International Students). Students, regardless of their national standing need to be just as competitive as any other student – noting that coming from overseas may add just one slight tip factor, but only if the rest of the application sings to the admissions committee.

For less selective colleges, or colleges that would like to attract more students from overseas, then yes, applying from overseas might be a very important tip factor. Therefore, if a student or family that thinks that merely applying from overseas is the key to an elite school like U.S.C., NYU, Columbia or Harvard, you may confidently and quickly put that myth to rest.

This is why students with American passports (all considered American Citizens by most colleges) want to know if they can check the “international” box on the application – believing it will give them an advantage, DON'T.

If you are abroad and need assistance with the application or are an international student and need assistance including I-20 forms, contact us, we may be able to assist you.

TWO SPOTS LEFT ON A NORTHEAST COLLEGE TOUR

I have just received an email regarding an EAST COAST COLLEGE TOUR is anyone is interested in the week of
July 16-22 ---------- it is a week away, and they have TWO SPOTS LEFT! it's not too late to join them! Here is the Email I received..... they are staying at the
Boston Park Plaza and Sheraton NY & Towers. If you are interested, contact them NOW! Let them know The College Admissions Consultant referred you!

"This is going to be a very special college tour, and with current arrangements we have space for just two more students! The trip runs July 16-22, and students arrive in Boston where they spend a full day sightseeing. Then, starting on day 2 of the trip, students visit an array of great schools such as Harvard, MIT and Boston College. Students go on to Providence where they spend the night, and after a morning visiting colleges there, they go on to stomp the campus of Yale University. The next night and day are spent in New York City, and students will visit such NY greats as Columbia and NYU. Day 5 students spend visiting Philadelphia and will get in some great sightseeing at the birthplace of our nation while seeing more world class colleges. The final day is spent in Washington DC, visiting more wonderful schools such as American University and Georgetown.

One of the many things that distinguish this trip from others that are offered is the exceptional array of hotels we will be staying at. While it's true that the main purpose of the trip is to see the colleges and their hometown cities, it's also true that it's awfully nice at the end of the long day to get a restful night of sleep in a world class hotel. While our fee for the trip is comparable to basic trips offered by other organizations. look at just a couple of the hotels we'll be staying at and compare these with the often tourist class, two star type properties that many such groups book for their participants and you will see our trip is in every way really in a different class from most, all for basically the same price:

Parents have often shared that the staff they encountered at Education Unlimited was even stronger than the information we provided, often dramatically so, and that we really should do more to tout the unusually strong staff we recruit. These are the two leaders for our East Coast College Tour who will take our little band of about 20 participants on what should be a powerful and important event, perhaps for some students a highlight of their year:

Nermin Kamel grew up in Southern California and received her Bachelor of Arts in English and Political Science with a minor in Business from Whittier College in 1999. She later received a Master's Degree from California State University, Fullerton in Educational Administration. She taught English and speech/debate for 10 years at La Mirada High School in Southern California before going into school administration. She has served as assistant principal of San Ramon Valley High School for the past two years and is the newly appointed principal of Alhambra High School in Martinez, CA. Ms. Kamel comes to us with extensive experience in student travel having led delegations of students all over the United States and to more then 15 countries across Europe, Asia and the Pacific Southwest. In addition, for the past 8 years, Ms. Kamel has served as the vice-president of the California High School Speech Association directing the California High School Speech and Debate State Championships for nearly 2,000 students and coaches from throughout the state of California.

Janet Willford grew up in the East Bay and received her Bachelor of Arts in English from UCSB in 1993. She has been teaching and coaching since 1994. Currently, she teaches speech and debate and leadership at San Ramon valley high school. She has served as the activities director for San Ramon Valley High School for the past 12 years. Mrs Willford is married with two children, aged 4 and 1, and resides in Danville. As the winner of the Eukel Teacher's Trust award in 2004, the following was part of the extensive praise read in honor of Mrs Willford: One student said: “I have never known a teacher who cares so much about her students, their lives, and their school. She is truly the best asset San Ramon Valley High School has”. A departing senior told us “Students naturally gravitate to Ms. Willford. Whether I had a problem with a class, a friend, or a speech, she was there to listen and offer advice. Her classroom is not just a place to learn, but a home for many students.” A parent wrote: “Every mother dreams of a mentor to help their daughter blossom into a young woman. I could not have chosen a better woman for the job. Janet Willford is excellence on two feet”. And finally, one student who equated Janet with her own Mother told us :”Her spirit shines, her smile comforts, and her laugh makes you want to be around her. Janet is flat out amazing.”

Please join these great staff on the unique and extraordinary tour that we've arranged. There are only two spots remaining, so as soon as you are certain you want to attend you should sign up immediately. Once we are full, while we will try to arrange to fit in extra students, at this point it looks like further additions may not be possible. I'm including my email address below so that if you sign up and need confirmation that you've been accepted so you can book a flight, you will be able to reach me directly.


Matthew Fraser
Executive Director & CEO
Education Unlimited
mfraser@educationunlimited.com

STATISTICS FOR THE CLASS OF 2015, HOW A COLLEGE CONSULTANT CAN HELP THE NEXT CLASS

We are getting phone calls from many students who are asking questions about essays or applications. I am listing to students talk as they are feeling that they have everything under control and that they know which schools they want to apply to, as well as nerves, and all I am hearing and feeling is that they are picking out straws. Students who are applying to college this coming fall MUST be prepared to fill applications come September 15th. As soon as the applications are filled out and submitted, then comes the supplemental applications, transcript requests, letters of recommendations, etc.

Last week I received a call from a girl who told me that she wanted to get information on my services, and that she had already picked out her schools. Her first choice school is UCLA. That was wonderful, and to be amired, but there is a minor problem. UCLA had 54,000 acceptable (by their computer system) applications, many with 4.0 + GPAs, not to mention wonderful resumes amd amazing accomplishments. The problem comes in there are only a little less than 4,000 spots available for the incoming freshman class.

This girl went on to tell me she had other schools to apply to.... her list included Well, all the UCs, USC, Stanford, Columbia, NYU, and a myraid of others. these are all top schools, but they are also schools with very different personalities. In listening to her talk, she was going to have to take virtual tours of the schools ahead of applying, and I knew from what she was saying, many of these schools were not for her.

The college admissions process is a very daunting process, and it requires time and research hours. Students have to be open minded on the process because the competition levels are stressful and high. I am sure that the parents of this girl are going to think that she can do this on her own, but the reality is that if she does not pick the right school, she may drop out and come back home, end up at a local community college, and not graduate on time. It might cost her another
$ 25,000 - $100,000 all because she wanted to save money at the start of the process.

Many people do not know this, and high school guidance counselors are only interested in matriculating students, not assisting families to make sure that little Johnnie graduates, but FREE financial aid is only good for four years. After four years, it is all subsidized or un-subsidized loans, fellowships, etc. The federal government feels that students can get through college in four years.

A good college consultant knows the playing field. They visit colleges, participate in on going continue educational classes, have the proper training and can really make an impact on your family. They are able to reduce the stress levels that come with the college admissions process, not to mention they can save you thousands of dollars in mistakes.

Below please see the level of competition that the class of 2011 faced as they were perparing to graduate from High School. We expect that it will not be much easier this coming year.

If you feel you need assistance in helping your family meet the pressures of the college admissions process, visit our website at www.thecollegeadmissionsconsultant.com or call us for a free 1/2 hour consultation to see if we are right for your family.

Here is a sneak preview of this past year's class, and the competition that student will face in the coming months.


Statistics for the Class of 2015. Preliminary Results – Early Action and Early Decisions – Entering Fall 2011

Ivy League
Early Rounds 2015 2014 2013
Admit Applied % Admit Applied % Admit Applied %
Brown ED 577 2,796 20.64 567 2,847 19.92 551 2,348 23.47
Columbia ED 632 3,229 19.57 631 2,995 21.07 594 2,945 20.17
Cornell ED 1,215 3,456 35.16 1,176 3,594 32.72 1,249 3,405 36.68
Dartmouth ED 444 1,759 25.24 461 1,594 28.92 401 1,550 25.87
Penn ED 1,195 4,557 26.22 1,200 3,842 31.23 1,156 3,666 31.53
Yale SCEA 761 5,257 14.48 730 5,235 13.94 742 5,557 13.35
Total Ivies 4,824 21,054 22.91 4,765 20,107 23.70 4,693 19,471 24.10
Brown University accepted 577 of the 2,796 applications received for the class of 2015. The 2,796 applications for early decision this year represent a slight decrease of almost 2 percent from last year’s 2,847.
Columbia University received 3,229 early applications compared to 2,995 last year, and admitted 632 students.
Cornell reported a three percent decrease in the number of early decision applicants with 3,456 applications for the Class of 2015, as opposed to the 3,594 applications that were reviewed in December 2009. In the latest early decision cycle, Cornell admitted 1,215 students, slightly more than the 1,176 granted admission last year.
Dartmouth received 1,759 Early Decision applications for the Class of 2015. This represents an increase of 12% over the 1,594 Early Decision applications for the Class of 2014. Dartmouth accepted 444 ED applications, 27 fewer than last year’s 461 students.
Penn received 4,557 early decision applications for the Class of 2015 and reported a 19 percent increase from last year’s 3,842 early decision applications. Penn admitted 1,195 students under the Early Decision program for a record low 30% admit rate.
Yale reported a total of 5,257 applications, a number that is almost to last year’s 5,235 applications for its SCEA program. The school offered admission to 761 applicants for its Class of 2015.
Harvard and Princeton no longer accept early applications.
Stanford and MIT

Early Rounds 2015 2014 2013
Admit Applied % Admit Applied % Admit Applied %
Stanford SCEA 754 5,929 12.72 753 5,566 13.53 689 5,363 12.85
MIT EA 772 6,405 12.05 590 5,684 10.38 540 4,681 11.54
Total 1,526 12,334 12.37 1,343 11,250 11.94 1,229 10,044 12.24
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology received a record 6,405 early action applications (up 13% from the 5,684 received last year) and accepted 772 students for an acceptance rate of 12%.
Stanford reported an increase of more than 6% for the Class of 2015. Stanford accepted 12.72% percent of its SCEA pool by admitting 754 out of 5,929. Last year, Stanford admitted 753 students out of 5,566 applicants.
More Selective Schools
Early Rounds 2014 2013 2012
Admit Applied % Admit Applied % Admit Applied %
Chicago EA 1,400 6,960 20.11 1,676 5,855 28.63 1,146 3,795 30.20
Duke ED 645 2,287 28.20 602 1,924 31.29 548 1,539 35.61
Georgetown 1,122 6,654 16.86 1,160 6,105 19.00 1,160 6,100 19.02
Northwestern 715 2,127 33.62 618 1,776 34.80 590 1,595 36.99
J. Hopkins ED 518 1,330 38.95 493 1,155 42.68 502 1,049 47.86
The University of Chicago received 6,960 early-action applications to the College, a dramatic increase from the previous year when 5,855 applications were received. Despite an estimated total class of 1,350 students, Chicago offered admission to 1,400 students under its Early Admission non-binding program.
Duke reported that 2,287 students applied under its Early Decision program, an increase over the 1,924 who applied early in the prior year. Out of the 2,287 who completed their applications, 645 were offered admission to the Class of 2015. Last year, the university accepted 602 students through Early Decision. This year’s acceptance rate is a record low for Duke, as the number dips below 30 percent.
Johns Hopkins reported that 1,330 applied for the Class of 2015. This represents an increase of 15% from last year. The acceptance rate has dropped to below 40%. 518 applicants will be the first students welcomed into the Class of 2015.
Georgetown received 6,654 applications and admitted 1,122 students for an admission ratio of 17%.

Northwestern University reported 2,127 applications and admitted 715 students to its Class of 2015.

Volume of Applications and Changes – Early and Regular Decision – Class 2015
In the past five years, applications to the eight Ivy League schools plus MIT and Stanford increased from slightly above 200,000 applications to almost 300,000 early and regular applications, for a compound increase of more than 40 percent.
Ivy League, Stanford and MIT – 5 Years Trends
Change in Volume Early +
Regular Applications 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011
Brown 31,000 30,136 24,988 20,633 19,097
Columbia 34,587 26,178 25,428 22,585 21,343
Cornell 36,273 36,338 34,381 33,073 30,383
Dartmouth 21,700 18,778 18,130 16,538 14,176
Harvard 35,000 30,489 29,112 27,462 22,955
Penn 31,651 26,938 22,939 22,922 22,646
Princeton 27,115 26,247 21,964 21,369 18,942
Yale 27,230 25,869 26,003 22,817 19,323
Stanford 34,200 32,022 30,429 25,298 23,958
MIT 17,908 16,632 15,661 13,396 12,445
Total 296,664 269,627 249,035 226,093 205,268

Ivy League, Stanford and MIT – 5 Years Annual Changes
Change in Volume Early +
Regular Applications Change
14 to 15 Change
13 to 14 Change
12 to 13 Change
11 to 12 Change
11 to 15
Brown 2.87% 20.60% 21.11% 8.04% 62.33%
Columbia 32.12% 2.95% 12.59% 5.82% 62.05%
Cornell -0.18% 5.69% 3.95% 8.85% 19.39%
Dartmouth 15.56% 3.57% 9.63% 16.66% 53.08%
Harvard 14.80% 4.73% 6.01% 19.63% 52.47%
Penn 17.50% 17.43% 0.07% 1.22% 39.76%
Princeton 3.31% 19.50% 2.78% 12.81% 43.15%
Yale 5.26% -0.52% 13.96% 18.08% 40.92%
Stanford 6.80% 5.24% 20.28% 5.59% 42.75%
MIT 7.67% 6.20% 16.91% 7.64% 43.90%
Total 10.03% 8.27% 10.15% 10.15% 44.53%

Other Selective Schools – Total Applications Class 2015 and 2014
Universities 2015 2014 Change
Caltech 5,240 4,859 7.84%
Chicago 21,669 19,374 11.85%
CMU 16,474 15,496 6.31%
Duke 29,526 26,784 10.24%
Georgetown 19,300 18,070 6.81%
JHU 19,201 18,459 4.02%
Lehigh 11,500 10,328 11.35%
Northwestern 30,925 27,615 11.99%
NYU 42,242 38,037 11.06%
Rice 13,776 12,393 11.16%
Tufts 17,074 15,433 10.63%
UVA 23,942 22,516 6.33%
Vanderbilt 24,650 21,811 13.02%
William Mary 12,776 12,539 1.89%
WUSTL 28,800 24,939 15.48%

ARE YOU AN INJURED WORKER WHO CAN NOT GO BACK TO WORK, BUT WANTS TO GET AN UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE?

Every year, many people are injured on the job, and face not only the physical, but emotional trauma of having to learn that they will never again do the job they love, or the job that supported their family and paid their house payment. If you sustained an injury on the job on or after January 1, 2004, this will apply to you.

Under California Labor Codes 4658.5 in place of the old vocational retraining program, there is now a "Vocational" Voucher System

In layman's terms, this means that if the injury causes permanent partial disability and the injured employee does not return to work for the employer within 60 days of the termination of temporary disability, the injured employee is eligible for a supplemental job displacement benefit in the form of a nontransferable voucher for education-related retraining or skill enhancement, or both, at state approved or accredited schools.

While many of the people involved wish to quickly retrain and go back to work, some are individuals who want to go to a institution of higher learning and obtain a college degree.

As a college consultant, with extensive experience in worker's comp law, we are able to offer injured workers a chance to fulfill their dreams by consulting with them on their goals, skills, talents, and ambitions, and steer them in the right direction. This would include applying for federal funding to help them reach their goals of receiving a Bachelor's Degree from an accredited institution of higher learning.

There are 4 types of vouchers available that range from $4,000. to $10,000 in benefits. Because you no longer can drive an 18 wheeler truck due to a knee injury, does not mean that you can not fulfill your childhood dream of becoming an accountant.

The voucher, that your attorney will explain to you in further detail, may be used for payment of tuition, fees, books, and other expenses required by the school for retraining or skill enhancement. With our assistance you may be eligible for additonal federal funding which assist you in completing your education.

If you are an individual that falls into this category, your employer is to provide you the necessary forms with instructions and a "notice of rights" on how to receive your benefits. This notice should arrive to you by certified mail.

While this program is not for everyone, anyone who has a dream of going to a high institution of higher learning should contact us.

ARE YOU A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT WITHOUT LEGAL STATUS? HOW TO FIND FINANCIAL AID FOR COLLEGE

Students who do not reside legally within the United States in which they live ARE NOT eligible to receive federal funds, such as the Pell Grant or federally funded loan packages. However, that does not mean there are not numerous privately funded scholarships do exist for students who fall into this category, and listed below are the organizations that fund such scholarships.

In California, the Senate passed SB540 that allows students who have attended school here in the state for at least 3 years to apply and receive in-state tuition rates for college. The problem that occurs is that these students are NOT eligible for any financial assistance through the state or federal government. Many other states offer the same benefit.

However, that all said, does that mean that those who are here without the proper legal documentation a student who has been schooled in the U. S. should be unable to attend the college of their choice? Have you heard the story of Dr. Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa?

Dr. Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa, a renowned brain surgeon at John Hopkins University and whose story figured prominently on CBS 60 Minutes is an immigrant who came to American illegally and exemplifies an element of the immigration debate not often heard on cable talking head shows. Quinones-Hinojosa as he put it “hopped the fence” – his words – from Mexico in 1986 and worked in the fields before he was able to put himself through Cal-Berkeley and Harvard. He says proudly..... “ The same hands that picked tomatoes are now picking at brain stems,” and then he smiles.

Dr. Quiñones was an illegal immigrant, entering the United States after hopping over a border fence in Mexicali. Through years of determined work as a farm worker, he saved enough money to become a U.S. citizen. His life's story was told as a documentary by others.

He started his U.S. education at San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton, California, and completed his bachelor's degree at University of California, Berkeley. He then went on to receive his medical degree from Harvard Medical School, where he graduated with honors. After completing his residency in neurosurgery at the University of California, San Francisco, as well as a postdoctoral fellowship in developmental and stem cell biology, he became an Associate Professor of Neurosurgery and Oncology at Johns Hopkins.

Dr. Quiñones serves as the director of the brain tumor program at The Johns Hopkins Bayview campus. He focuses on the surgical treatment of primary and metastatic brain tumors, with an emphasis on motor and speech mapping during surgery. He is expert in treating intradural spinal tumors as well as brainstem and eloquent brain tumors in adults with the use of neurophysiological monitoring during surgery. He further specializes in the treatment of patients with pituitary tumors using a transphenoidal endonasal approach with surgical navigation and/or endoscopic techniques.

Dr. Quinones has a strong interest in treating patients with skull base tumors and the use of radiosurgery as an adjunct to the treatment of these lesions. He conducts numerous research efforts on elucidating the role of stem cells in the origin of brain tumors and the potential role stem cells can play in fighting brain cancer and regaining neurological function.

His most recent accolade was being honored with the American Association of Neurological Surgeons Ronald Bittner Award. He has also received multiple teaching awards including Popular Science's Brilliant Ten list in 2008.

Dr. Quiñones-Hinojosa has been nominated by Johns Hopkins University to be one of the USA Science and Engineering Festival's Nifty Fifty Speakers, and as such also speaks about his work and career to middle and high school students.

That is a pretty amazing story don't you think? I am sure there are many more who are similar to Dr. Quinones, and who face the same struggles.

To those who think that because of their immigrant status or standing puts them in harms way or, that college is "only" a dream, perhaps you should think again. Did you know there are privately funded resources that are available for all students regardless of immigration status?

These are scholarships do not require a social security number, legal residency, or citizenship in order to apply. Students who are interested in these kinds of awards should contact each scholarship provider for details about updated requirements and deadlines. They are scholarships which are funded privately by individuals, groups, societies, etc.

If you are a student who wants to go to college but fear that you will not be able to attend due to your residency status or because you can not find financial aid to fit your need. Our program works with Avid and International students. We help point students in the right direction toward academic success.

NEW RULES FOR ADMISSIONS, JUST WHEN YOU THINK YOU HAVE IT, IT CHANGES!

As we have mentioned earlier, the admissions game changes yearly because every class is different, and this year was no different. Read how one student"WON" her way into the hearts of admissions officers as well as countless other students.

THIS IS WHAT SCHOOLS WANT TO SEE...... thinking that happens OUT of the box.

ARE YOU A THIRD CULTURE KID? YOU MAY BE AND NOT KNOW IT

In a discussion, this video surfaced from Dubai and I thought I would share it with you as it was shown on a foreign television station.

http://vod.dmi.ae/media/video/10249/Ep_27__Third_Culture_Kids

This video shows students who appear to b just a small group of students who fall under that category of Third Culture Kid... however there are students like this all over the world including right here in the United States. There can be many different senarios, so nothing should be ruled out.

For those who are thinking about coming to the US either as an international student or for those who are US citizens and have been raised in other parts of the world, you probably fall into this category.

If you are thinking about coming to US Colleges and Universities, it is important to know what is required to apply. Plan early, and if you need assistance, contact us for assistance.

For TCKs here in the United States, some of you have the unique position of falling under the DREAM ACT, for others the situation is different. Students have come to this country to live with their families on a permanent basis from other parts of the world, or are US citizens living in another part of the world today, you may fall into this category and feel lost and like an outsider.

These students often feel misunderstood, and like outsiders. They are not alone, there are many like them.

Additionally, this article just came in for those who are returning home from living in another part of the world... you may find this article helpful as well

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/expateducation/8608997/Helping-your-child-return-home-for-university.html


Watch this video site, and if you feel like you fall a category like this and need help with the application process, feel free to contact us for assistance.

ARE YOU IN NEED OF SCHOOL BOOKS, A NOVEL OR SCHOOL TOUR BOOK?

This past week, many of us had to say good-bye to an old friend, "Village Books" as we have come to know it. It was part of a small village of many friends for well over 14 years where people on Sunday mornings had breakfast at a local diner, shopped at the local "farmers' market", and then stroll through the new collection of books. However, as many of you already know, books like technology are changing too, just like everything else.

Village Books is now going Global. Village Books, while they had to close their store, will still be open for business on line, with 10%-20% of on orders and FREE shipping.. great if you are a student!

If you are in need a book, and miss the "OLD FASHION" service rarely seen these days, look up the new version of Village Books. They offer what larger book stores don't, personalized service.

Go to the link below for instructions on how to order your books for school or one to read for fun..... http://www.palivillagebooks.com/vb/

"THERE IS ONLY ONE SCHOOL FOR ME" IS A MYTH

What is the one trait that Ivy League students all share who have been admitted to one of the schools? What is the “something” they have that when coupled with their perfect GPAs, top test scores and multiple national awards makes them that much more appealing to Ivy League admissions officers. Well there is no exact formula. It is a matter of putting people in each application pool who when put together will deliver the personality the school is looking to create.

The “Ivy League” Schools are made up eight SMALL schools —Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, University of Pennsylvania, and Yale. The term “Ivy League” actually refers to the athletic conference the schools belong to, just as UCLA , USC, Stanford, and Berkeley all belong to the Pac 10’ or Michigan or Ohio State belong to the Big 10.

Why are the Ivy Leagues considered the best schools in the country? Well it depends on your perception of what is “the best”. Harvard usually is seen as the #1 school in the country, but that title has been stolen away by Cal Polytechnic in Pasadena, California which is a rival of MIT a couple of times.

Perhaps the reason these schools are recognized is because they are willing to go out on a limb and be the first to create new ideas. In the 1940s, these eight schools met and ultimately agreed to standardize their athletic eligibility requirements and financial aid practices for athletes, and maybe because they are such small schools their popularity increased due to their atheletic programs making the demand higher than the room available. Even more interesting, most students who attend these schools never actually said the words, “I want to go to an Ivy League school”, unless there are legacy students

Students who quickly advertize, “I want to only go to an Ivy League school” have either

1) heard that this is where they should go

2) care more about how famous these colleges are than about the unique learning environment will be like, and/or

3) is demonstrating symptoms of name-brand glitz.


These colleges are not looking for name-brand seekers. They want ambitious, passionate, intellectually curious students who want to make valuable contributions in and out of the classrooms, and demonstrate that they are confidence.

Brown University for example is a school that puts the liberal in “liberal arts”. Students who are drawn to this school to apply and accepted there are because they want to embrace the academic freedom Brown offers to explore a wide range of intellectual interests. They appreciate the uniqueness that is Brown.

If you are considering attending a college like Brown or other Ivy League school, show them that you’re mature and confident Demonstrate that you care more about what your experience will be in college than you do about how famous a college’s name is. When you are asked “Why do you want to attend their college?” have a better answer than, “It’s a great school”, or worse, “I am name dropper”.

If you are serious about a school like this, contact us for a FREE ½ hour consultation to find out how we can assist you reach your dreams.