Our Broward/ Dade/ Miami College Counselors are pleased to announce that Kaplan is presenting a Free Webinar on “The Most Commonly Asked Admission Questions” featuring Mandee Heller Adler on Tuesday April 13th at 8pm.
The link to register is below!
We look forward to seeing you there.
The Team at International College Counselors
by Mandee Heller Adler, President of International College Counselors
Students who want to shine on their college applications should not forget about the summer as well. You don’t need to go to Costa Rica to build huts, but you do need to do something that raises your APA (application point average). If you’re not planning to take classes or attend an enrichment camp—get a job, volunteer or get an internship. Summer is coming up fast so here are some ideas to get you thinking about how to make the most of your summer.
Get a great summer job or internship
There are many opportunities in Miami. And college counselors at International College Counselors know that summer jobs and internships are great ways to show colleges, and your parents that you are successfully maturing into a responsible adult. And there are few better ways to earn a little respect and gain valuable real-world experience. In a tight job market like the one we’re experiencing now, your best bet may be the internship. An internship is a pre-professional work experience that provides students with an opportunity to gain unpaid experience in a field you’re interested in. So what you don’t gain in cash, you gain in experience. Think of it as a summer course. But with persistence and luck, you can land an internship in your dream career. If you think you might like to try advertising, check with your local agencies to see what internship opportunities are available. Think you want to be a lawyer, see if you can work in a law firm. An internship is also great way to secure yourself a recommendation and get your foot in the door for future networking.
If you’re looking for available internships opportunities here in Miami, college counselors at International College Counselors can help you. Opportunities can also often be found on company websites and social networking sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn.
Volunteering gives back
It can be profitable to work for nothing. You can make a difference, gain experience and explore your interests. For example, if a career in medicine interests you, you could volunteer a few hours a week at a hospital or nursing home. Interested in animals? Volunteer at the local animal shelter. Feeling entrepreneurial? Start a non-profit of your own. The choices are endless and all your hard work and time can pay off. Colleges and universities truly adore students who can demonstrate that they make the effort to help others. You may not be making money but you can make friends, and networking connections. You’ll also be creating fodder for those application essays. Then there’s always the fact you will be doing good — a wonderful reason to volunteer in itself.
Take a Virtual Class or Try Dual Enrollment
Flush out your resume and explore something new. Virtual classes and dual enrollment programs offer you a chance to choose something you want to learn. Try out a course from a major you’re interested in. Explore aeronautical science or 17th century literature. At some schools taking a virtual class or participating in a dual enrollment program can even help raise your GPA . Both can also help save you time and money if you take classes that count both for high school credit as well as college credit. Depending on their school, students who enter college with credit can reduce their course load per term or even graduate early.
Enjoy your summer – wisely!
The college admissions experts at International College Counselors are now tweeting.
See the most recent application and essay tips, deadline reminders, important updates, congratulation notices, article links, and more by following us @College_Experts
Parents with students who are hoping to apply for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship need to be aware of the changes made to the program, says Miami college counselor Mandee Heller Adler of International College Counselors.
You can see some of the 2009 Legislative updates as well as information on further changes at
http://www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org/ssfad/PDF/2009_BF_SummerNotice.pdf
We have also listed a few of them below to give you an idea of what you can expect.
For parents new to this, the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program was created by the Florida Legislature in 1997 to reward students for their academic achievements during high school by providing funding to attend postsecondary education in Florida.
The following are some of the more major changes, cut and pasted from the site:
2009-10 Awards
Bright Futures recipients will receive a fixed cost per credit hour award based on:
·award level [Florida Academic Scholar (FAS), Academic Top Scholars (ATS), Florida Medallion Scholar (FMS), or Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholar (GSV)]
·institution type (4-year, 2-year, or Vocational/Technical), and
·credit type (semester, quarter, or clock hour).
See the award amounts on the Bright Futures Web site at
www.FloridaStudentFinancialAid.org/ssfad/bf/newsrenew.htm
Florida Academic Scholars (FAS) Expense Allowance is No Longer Available
·The FAS college-related expense allowance is no longer available. The Florida Legislature amended Section 1009.534(2), Florida Statutes, by removing this provision of the FAS award.
Repayment for Courses funded by Bright Futures that are Dropped/Withdrawn
·Students will be required to repay the cost of any course dropped or withdrawn unless an exception is recommended by the financial aid office at their home postsecondary institution. An exception will be based on a verifiable illness or emergency beyond the student’s control.
·Repayment for the cost of dropped or withdrawn courses is required to renew a Bright Futures award for a subsequent academic year.
Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars (GSV) Remain GSV
·The Legislature removed the provision which allowed GSV recipients to renew as Florida Medallion Scholars.
·GSV students may receive funding for up to 90 semester hours.
Renewal Criteria
·As of the 2009-10 academic year, Bright Futures recipients are required to meet new minimum credit hour requirements to renew their award each year. The Florida Legislature now requires full-time students to earn at least 24 semester hours, or the equivalent in quarter or clock hours, to renew their award (prorated for part-time students) at the end of the spring term.
The Bright Futures Initial Eligibility brochure for 2010 high school graduates can be printed as a 2-page booklet. For your convenience, we have placed booklet printing instructions on our Web site. The brochure is accessible at: www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org/SSFAD/bf/ under Brochures/Posters
The instructions to print Bright Futures and all State Programs brochures booklets are available at
https://www.floridastudentfinancialaidsg.org/pdf/Bookletprinting.pdf
You must have Adobe Reader to print as a booklet.
Apply for the International College Counselors scholarship at www.internationalcollegecounselors.com We’re awarding 4 scholarships worth $250 each.
The college advisors at International College Counselors are available to help you. Please contact us with any questions you may have.
International College Counselors provides expert college counseling on undergraduate and graduate college admissions, financial aid, tuition, essays, and college applications. Mandee Heller Adler, college admissions consultant and Founder of International College Counselors tailors her college counseling and college coaching services to address the goals, needs, and dreamsof each student. Our college advising company works with domestic and international students. Let us help you make the best decisions in choosing, getting into, and paying for college.
International College Counselors
Main Office
Mandee Heller Adler (954) 253-5719
Barry N. Liebowitz (954) 658-4570
mandee@internationalcollegecounselors.com
barry@internationalcollegecounselors.com
International College Counselors
European Office
Kate McKenna
Dialing from the USA call: 011 + 359 + 88-810-9427
Dialing from Europe call: 00 + 359 +88-810-9427
kate@internationalcollegecounselors.com
The personal essay can help you improve your chances for admission. It may be as short as 250 words, but the words you choose can mean the difference between a “maybe” and a “yes”. The essay tells the admissions committee how and why you are different from everybody else.
While there is no exact formula for the perfect admission essay, here are some tips you should consider when trying to make a lasting impression on someone who reads 50 to 100 essays a day:
Write about yourself. The admissions committee isn’t looking to learn about the American Revolution or Bioresearch, they’re looking to learn about you – your achievements, your obstacles, your goals, your values. Whatever topic you choose to center your essay around, make sure you shine through.
Focus on one facet of yourself. Pick one project, one activity, or one passion. Don’t try to cover too many topics in your essay, or you’ll end up with a laundry list of details and activities that won’t give the admissions committee what they’re looking for in the essay: an in-depth look at you. The magic is in the details.
Tell a good story. Demonstrate how you are compassionate – don’t just tell readers you are. If you had a difficulty, don’t tell the admissions committee your complaints, tell them how you overcame them.
Keep it real. Don’t make things up. If you speak from the heart, it will show and your essay will flow more easily. Choosing something you’ve experienced will also give you the vivid and specific details the admissions committee is looking to see in your essay.
Share your opinions, but avoid anything controversial. You don’t know who is going to be reading your essay so you want to appeal to the broadest audience possible. That’s means write nothing about your opinions on what’s wrong with governments or religion, please.
Don’t repeat information already in your application. If you’ve taken 7 AP courses in one year, don’t list that you’ve done it or that you did it because you “love to learn” unless this relates directly to the focus of your essay. Admissions officers want to learn something about you from your essay that they can’t learn from reading the other sections of your application.
Spend time on your essay. Hemingway didn’t write his stories overnight and neither should you write your essay overnight. The admission committee is looking to see what you can do given the time to brainstorm, rewrite and polish. They are looking to see what topic you chose and what you did with it. An essay won’t help you if it’s sloppy and uninformative.
Check your grammar and spelling. Yes, this counts. You can write conversationally, but the grammar and spelling still need to be correct. And don’t solely rely on your computer’s spell check. Often times, the wrong word (spelled correctly) can slip by. And nothing says last-minute essay more than the wrong spelling and grammar.
Show the essay to someone who can give you objective feedback. Sometimes you can get too close to the essay and be unable to see it clearly. Other people can often tell if there isn’t enough being revealed, or your essay rambles, or if the humor is falling flat, or if you’re not making the impression you’d want to. Remember, this essay is going to someone who doesn’t know you and is going to be making a big decision on what they’ll learn from it.
College counselors Miami to NYC at International College Counselors are available to review your essays and help you brainstorm topics. To hop on the calendar for our NYC or Miami college advisors, call or email Mandee Heller Adler at International College Counselors. The number is 954.253.5719. The email is mandee@internationalcollegecounelors.com
It’s summertime and many college bound high school juniors entering their senior year are going to make the most of it by going for summer on-campus interviews.
Many colleges no longer require interviews, but they can give a student the edge if the school is forced to choose between closely matched applicants.
The question then becomes, “What to Wear?”
According to some fashion experts, and this college advisor, students shouldn’t show up in jeans, shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, sandals, Crocs, or anything that ‘s too tight, too short, too sexy or too revealing. Think summer at the country club, and that doesn’t mean the pool.
The key is for a student to dress in a manner that suggests they are serious and that they are taking the meeting seriously. It’s about putting their best foot forward and showing respect, enthusiasm, and interest in a formal atmosphere. It’s also important that they feel comfortable and confident.
For men, a safe list of clothes includes khakis, tie, collared shirt, and jacket. For ladies, a nice blouse, long skirt/pants, and possibly a jacket. Showing a flash of your own style is nice as long as it doesn’t include anything provocative or profane. And, please, clothes do need to be neat, not as if the student fell out of bed and into yesterday’s clothes.
An interviewee should look, not only sound, impressive. The big picture of any student for a school is that this is going to be a representative of them.
Of course, students can always argue that if a college doesn’t like the way they are, maybe the college isn’t for them. Remind them that focusing too much on “being yourself” in an interview can take away from what is far more important to universities, and that is who they will become. After that, you need to trust their common sense. Or bribe them with a quick shopping spree.
Of course, if a prospective college student has a brilliant transcript and sterling SAT scores, those will trump even the scruffiest of looks.
Then again, here are some real no-nos that some college admissions officers swear they’ve seen. Students who:
Arrive barefoot
Obviously haven’t showered in days
Sit on the floor, rather than the chair provided
Put their feet up on either the couch/chair or coffee
table
Pick their noses (or at any part of their body)
during the interview
Swear during the interview
Answer their cell phone and text
Wear their earphones the entire time
Good luck out there! And remember no gum chewing during the college interview!
If you have any other college admissions questions for a college counselor, I’d be happy to answer them. I work with international students (9 countries and counting!) as well as those in the U.S. Please write me here or at my personal email which can be found on my International College Counselors college counseling website.
Mandee Heller Adler, Founder and Principal of International College Counselors
www.internationalcollegecounselors.com
By the way, my college advising company is opening a new branch of International College Counselors in NYC so now you can visit our college advisor NYC as well.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MIAMI, FL – International College Counselors, the leading college advising company in South Florida, today announced an agreement to open a New York City office. International College Counselors presence in New York City is a result of the company’s growing college advising business in the United States and abroad.
“We are delighted to open our first office in New York. We look forward to empowering more students to enter the schools of their dreams,” says Mandee Heller Adler, Founder and Principal of International College Counselors.
International College Counselors provides college counseling on undergraduate and graduate college admissions, financial aid, tuition, essays, and applications.
The New York office will offer face-to-face support for International College Counselors’ expanding client base in the New York area.
The decision to establish an office in New York City is a result of the significant success International College Counselors has had in recent years in full-service counseling and coaching for the college admissions process.
International College Counselors college solutions are becoming increasingly in demand as parents, students and schools discover the advantages of International College Counselors tailored approach.
For further information, please contact Aimee Heller, Marketing Coordinator, at: aimee@InternationalCollegeCounselors.com
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About International College Counselors
International College Counselors provides expert college counseling for undergraduate and graduate college admissions, financial aid, tuition, essays, and college applications for international and domestic students. Advice and help is tailored to address the goals, needs, and dreams of each individual student, whether Florida college or Ivy League university. International College Counselors is based in Miami-Dade, Florida and currently works with students throughout the United States and in over nine different countries.
About Mandee Heller Adler
Mandee Heller Adler is the Founder and Principal of International College Counselors, LLC. She is a graduate of Miami Beach Senior High, and the University of Pennsylvania where she graduated with Honors and two degrees- one from the Wharton School and one from the College of Arts and Sciences. Mandee Heller Adler also received an MBA from Harvard Business School, where she was selected as a Class Day Speaker. Additionally, Mandee Heller Adler received a fellowship from Rotary International and studied at ICADE, a premier business school located in Madrid, Spain.
Mandee Heller Adler currently serves on the Executive Board of the Penn Fund of the University of Pennsylvania, and for 13 years has worked as an alumni interviewer for the school. Additionally, she has spent six years as her Class Fund Chair for the Harvard Business School. Mandee Heller Adler has personally visited over 150 colleges and universities, and continues to do so.
Mandee Heller Adler was a Micro to Millions Awardee for Make Mine a Million $ Business™. She was one of 5 business women awardees in this competition. Female entrepreneurs nationwide competed for business development packages that include up to $5,000 in financing, coaching, and membership in a nation-wide community of women business owners providing assistance to help their businesses grow to million-dollar enterprises.
International College Counselors
3107 Stirling Road, Suite 208
Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33312 USA
(954) 414-9986
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