Posts Tagged ‘broward college advisor’

Seniors: Can You Believe it is January Already? It’s FAFSA Time.

Tuesday, January 8th, 2013

Now is the time to start filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, more commonly known as FAFSA. ** ALL** high school seniors and their parents should be filling the FAFSA out.  It’s a pain well worth it.  Many parents who thought they earned too much to qualify have been happily surprised by financial aid.

 

And, starting this year, all students who wish to receive Bright Futures dollars also need to fill out the FAFSA form.  For more information on Bright Futures, please click here.

 

Some advice when filing for financial aid:

 

Fill out the FAFSA ASAP

 

Although the FAFSA deadline for the 2013-14 academic year is not until June 30, 2014, a desired college’s deadline may be sooner. Chances of collecting the maximum amount of FAFSA financial aid diminish as more time goes by.  Many schools work on a first come, first serve basis when it comes to financial aid.

Finish Taxes Early

Most of the information FAFSA requires comes directly from a family’s tax returns. If the returns can’t be completed for whatever reason before some schools’ February deadline, parents are advised to use last year’s information to estimate their earnings. FAFSA will accept the information as long as it’s realistic.  The FAFSA information can be updated later.

Do Not Report Retirement Assets

Do not include retirement assessments on the FAFSA. This can only ruin a child’s chances of receiving financial aid.  The form does not ask about assets from 401(k) plans, Individual Retirement Account or 403(b) plans-only non-retirement assets. Give them what they ask for and no more.

Report Any Unusual Information

Higher Ed institutions and the government understand that financial situations can unexpectedly change. Because of that, families have the ability to appeal to a college to adjust their financial aid after submitting the FAFSA. This means if a parent is laid off or facing an expensive medical bill, it should be reported. If earnings reported on a tax return will likely not recur the following year, also make sure the college’s financial aid office knows this.  Unexpected money may include a rare bonus or winnings from a game show.

Don’t Inflate Education

Rumors are that some schools will give applicants extra credit if they are considered “first-generation college students.” Optimistically, parents who never graduated from college should select “high school” as their highest education qualification.

Make Sure the Right Person Fills Out the Right Information

If parents are divorced or separated, the right parent needs to fill out the financial aid form.  The parent responsible for filling out the form is the one a student has lived with for the majority of the year, even if the other parent is the legal custodial guardian.

Check and Double Check Check Everything

Make absolutely, positively sure no answers were left blank or lines left unsigned. Make sure everything is spelled correctly and numbers are accurate.   Check and double check the FAFSA before it’s submitted.  Errors will slow the FAFSA process and lower the aid.

 

For more tips on completing the form, find additional information on the FAFSA Help site.

 

This year, college advisors at International College Counselors helped more than 200 students find, apply to and gain acceptance into the college of their dreams. The expert college counselors at International College Counselors are dedicated to helping students and their families successfully navigate the college application process.

 

For more information on International College Counselors, please visithttp://www.internationalcollegecounselors.com.

 

 

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE COUNSELORS:

International College Counselors provides expert college counseling on undergraduate and graduate college admissions, financial aid, tuition, essays, and college applications to U.S. and international students. The college counseling and college coaching services are tailored to address the goals, needs, and dreams of each student. International College Counselors has offices in New York, New York; White Plains, New York; Boston, Massachusetts; Miami Beach, Florida; Miami, Florida; Coral Gables, Florida; Hollywood, Florida; Palm Beach, Florida; Boca Raton, Florida; Medellin, Colombia and Caracas, Venezuela.


10 Opportunities for High Schools Students During Winter Break

Friday, December 7th, 2012

Most high school students look forward to winter break as a welcome break. High school life is busy and stressful with classes, study time, activities, and friends. While students do deserve some rest time, they should not let opportunity pass them by either. Winter break = A little extra time to get ahead on a path to success.

Here’s the compromise, high school parents: After a little rest and recovery, there will still be enough time for a student to do something that looks good on the college application.

Ways for a student to make the most of winter break down time:

1. Volunteering in the community. Winter break is a great time for students to clock time doing community service. Good places to look to are the public library, a nursing home, hospital, soup kitchen, homeless shelter, community center or church/synagogue. There are also organizations with extensive databases of locations looking for holiday help, including The United Way and VolunteerMatch. Volunteer work will count more if it is done in an area of the student’s interest.

2. Taking an educational trip. Consider nearby places to visit, such as a museum, national monument, historical house or even a cruise. It’s best if experiences can connect with what a child is studying in school or possibly wants to study in college. For example, if a child is studying U.S. History, a trip to Philadelphia or Washington D.C. will make the lessons all the more exciting and meaningful. If a child wants to be an environmental conservationist, the Ambassadors of the Environment Youth Program onboard a Paul Gauguin cruise may provide great insight, fun and resume building into a vacation. If a physical trip is out of the question, try an electronic field trip. The National Parks Foundation and the Smithsonian Institution are two places that offer virtual field trips that give students a close-up view of popular destinations around America and the world. Talk during or after the real or virtual trip with your child to help the child analyze and find meaning in the experience.

3. Studying for the SAT and ACT. Students can really, seriously improve their scores by doing a little SAT study every day. It will be much easier to concentrate on the test without the distractions of daily homework assignments.

4. Visiting colleges. The more colleges a student has a chance to see, the better, meaning even freshmen should do some visiting. Schools can be local or near a vacation destination. Winter break is not the best time to get a full campus flavor because students are on their breaks, too. However, admissions reps are at work. So go visit schools that are not even on your student’s list. Students on a stay-cation can go on virtual college tours. There are an ever growing number of schools and sites that offer them. (TYPE: “Virtual college tour” into Google and go from there).

5. Looking into jobs. The job market is tight but temporary holiday jobs may be available. If that’s not a real possibility, winter break is a good time to begin looking for a summer job. It’s not too early. Many employers will hire summer help well before the end of the semester.

6. Doing a short term internship. Winter break is a good opportunity to explore a career. A student can spend time shadowing someone in a field or career of interest.

7. Working on the college application. Most deadlines have passed, but there are still some that haven’t.

8. Searching for scholarships. Here is a link to a past blog on how to find scholarships: How to Apply for a College Scholarship.

9. Taking classes. In the two weeks off, there are a number of options. A language immersion course could prove incredibly helpful.

10. Enjoying some down time. Like adults, students need some down time. The relaxing time will give a student time to recharge.

This year, college advisors at International College Counselors helped more than 200 students find, apply to and gain acceptance into the college of their dreams. The expert college counselors at International College Counselors are dedicated to helping students and their families successfully navigate the college application process.

For more information on International College Counselors or to contact an expert college counselor, please visit http://www.internationalcollegecounselors.com or call 954 414-9986.

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE COUNSELORS:

International College Counselors provides expert college counseling on undergraduate and graduate college admissions, financial aid, tuition, essays, and college applications to domestic and international students.

The college counseling and college coaching services are tailored to address the goals, needs, and dreams of each student. Mandee Heller Adler, founder of International College Counselors, is a graduate of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and also received an MBA from Harvard Business School. International College Counselors’ achievements include being recognized as one of South Florida’s Top 100 Small Businesses in 2012.

International College Counselors has offices in New York, New York; White Plains, New York; Boston, Massachusetts; Miami Beach, Florida; Miami, Florida; Coral Gables, Florida; Palm Beach, Florida; Boca Raton, Florida; Medellin, Colombia and Caracas, Venezuela.

For High School Sophomores: A Mid-Year College Admissions Checklist from International College Counselors

Saturday, November 10th, 2012

Sophomores: graduation may seem a long way off, but you’re permanent record is being written now. Colleges will be looking at how you spent this year.

THE SOPHOMORE MID-YEAR COLLEGE ADMISSIONS CHECKLIST

Work on Your Academic Performance

Now is the time to work hard. Set the goal of moving up an academic level in your junior year. Keep your grades up and you may be able to move from honors to AP or from regular to honors. This step up is what colleges want to see.

Prepare early for your midterm exams.

Evaluate your performance. Are you having problems focusing or understanding the material? Could your writing skills be improved? Ask your teacher what you can do to improve.

Evaluate your study skills. Work on your concentration and time management. Next year, will be your most important high school year academically.

Start preparing now for the SAT/ ACT

If you take on the SAT little by little, it won’t feel so overwhelming later.

Review your PSAT test results. They will give you a good indication of what you need to work on.

Read. Read. Read.

Work on your vocabulary. If you learn a word a day between now and next year, that will put you 365 words ahead.

Evaluate your Extracurricular Activities

Explore your Interests. Try out some new activities. Drop the ones you hate. This is the time to find your niche.

Get involved in the activities you like.

Colleges will be looking for true involvement. This means that at the end of four years you will, ideally, be able to demonstrate to the admissions team some level of accomplishment, initiative, commitment, and leadership.

Beware the sophomore slump

It’s natural to feel like you’re losing interest. Now that you know that, do everything you can to stay focused!

Psyche yourself up about college

Start doing a little no-pressure research. Take a look at colleges online. Don’t know where to start? Start with those you heard about and those with sports teams you like. Take a virtual tour or two. If your family goes on a trip somewhere, see if you can tour a campus away from home. College websites can tell you who to contact.

Consider what you may want to major in.

Introduce or Re-introduce yourself to Your College Counselor

Schedule a meeting for sometime next semester with your high school guidance counselor or your International College Counselors college advisor.

Prepare for the meeting by taking your class schedule. Tell your counselor you want to get into a good college. Ask what you need to do to accomplish that goal.

Meeting with your counselor is also a good relationship building move. For the next two years, this person is going to be one of the most important in your life.

This year, college advisors at International College Counselors helped more than 200 students find, apply to and gain acceptance into the college of their dreams. The expert college counselors at International College Counselors are dedicated to helping students and their families successfully navigate the college application process.

For more information on International College Counselors or to contact an expert college counselor, please visit www.internationalcollegecounselors.com.

The Application is Submitted! What Should I Do Next?

Thursday, September 20th, 2012

You’ve submitted your application but you still have some work to do. It’s time to put the icing on the cake you’ve been baking for the last three and a half years. We’re down to the details and crumbs.

Get your official transcripts sent from your school to each college. These are not sent automatically and colleges must receive them by the application deadline. Be sure to confirm the transcript before it goes out. In particular, please make sure that your classes, grades, community service hours (if on your transcript), test scores (if on your transcript and you want it there) are correct. You’ll be amazed at all the stories we’ve heard about mistakes on transcripts. Then, order transcripts for each of your colleges. While many schools send transcripts for you, if you are mailing them yourself, please send them registered mail. Addresses for transcripts can be found on Naviance, the Common App, and simply by Googling the school’s admissions office.

** Very important for our non-U.S. students – If your transcript is in another language, it needs to be translated into English (If you need help- let us know!).

Confirm that your Letters of Recommendation have been sent/ are in the process of being sent. While many public colleges do not require letters of recommendation, all the common app schools do require a counselor recommendation and at least one teacher recommendation. If your school uses Naviance, the counselor will be tracking the letters for you, but for everyone else, you can simply look under the “School Forms” tab on the common application for those letters that have been “Assigned” and those that have been “Submitted.”

Send your best test scores. Make sure you send the best of your ACT or SAT, Subject tests and/ or TOEFL. These need to be sent by you, and come directly from the College Board, ACT.org or ETS. These do not get sent automatically to the schools unless you indicated where you wanted your scores sent when you registered or tested (depending on the test). If you’ve retaken the test and received higher scores, you will want to send the higher scores to the schools.

Fill out and send in your financial aid documentation. All U.S. students regardless of family income should fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and CSS profile. International students, students who are not citizens, or students who are not permanent U.S. residents may have to send a certificate of finances and a bank letter. Check with each school either by calling or searching their website, to find what you need. Make sure all deadlines are met! These are inflexible deadlines. For Floridians, Bright Futures applications are not available until January.

Visit the campus if you have not done so already. Meeting with admission staff, faculty members and/or sitting in on a class demonstrates that you are truly interested in a school. Also attend any regional events that the school hosts. Schools like to see that you are interested and this gives you extra points with the admissions committee. Visiting a school and/or attending events are also good ways for you to get more information on whether a school if a good fit for you.

Please remember that without just one of the pieces above, your application is not considered complete. In all cases, once you submit your application, you can confirm receipt of these supplemental documents either via an online portal (save those log in and passwords they send you!) or via a phone call to the admissions office. This is another reason to get your applications in early- to provide you with enough time to confirm receipt, and to re-send if something does not make it.

Just a few more steps, and you are officially done! Congratulations! Now the hard part…. the wait!

This year, college advisors at International College Counselors helped more than 200 students find, apply to and gain acceptance into the college of their dreams. The expert college counselors at International College Counselors are dedicated to helping students and their families successfully navigate the college application process.

For more information on International College Counselors or to contact an expert college counselor, please call 954 414-9986 or visitwww.internationalcollegecounselors.com.

Free Upcoming ICC Seminars – Save the Dates!
IMACS Plantation – Oct. 11 – 7pm
IMACS Boca Raton – Oct. 25 – 7pm
Space is limited. Call 561 470-1178 for more info and to reserve your spot.You’ve submitted your application but you still have some work to do. It’s time to put the icing on the cake you’ve been baking for the last three and a half years. We’re down to the details and crumbs.

Get your official transcripts sent from your school to each college. These are not sent automatically and colleges must receive them by the application deadline. Be sure to confirm the transcript before it goes out. In particular, please make sure that your classes, grades, community service hours (if on your transcript), test scores (if on your transcript and you want it there) are correct. You’ll be amazed at all the stories we’ve heard about mistakes on transcripts. Then, order transcripts for each of your colleges. While many schools send transcripts for you, if you are mailing them yourself, please send them registered mail. Addresses for transcripts can be found on Naviance, the Common App, and simply by Googling the school’s admissions office.
** Very important for our non-U.S. students – If your transcript is in another language, it needs to be translated into English (If you need help- let us know!).

Confirm that your Letters of Recommendation have been sent/ are in the process of being sent. While many public colleges do not require letters of recommendation, all the common app schools do require a counselor recommendation and at least one teacher recommendation. If your school uses Naviance, the counselor will be tracking the letters for you, but for everyone else, you can simply look under the “School Forms” tab on the common application for those letters that have been “Assigned” and those that have been “Submitted.”

Send your best test scores. Make sure you send the best of your ACT or SAT, Subject tests and/ or TOEFL. These need to be sent by you, and come directly from the College Board, ACT.org or ETS. These do not get sent automatically to the schools unless you indicated where you wanted your scores sent when you registered or tested (depending on the test). If you’ve retaken the test and received higher scores, you will want to send the higher scores to the schools.

Fill out and send in your financial aid documentation. All U.S. students regardless of family income should fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and CSS profile. International students, students who are not citizens, or students who are not permanent U.S. residents may have to send a certificate of finances and a bank letter. Check with each school either by calling or searching their website, to find what you need. Make sure all deadlines are met! These are inflexible deadlines. For Floridians, Bright Futures applications are not available until January.

Visit the campus if you have not done so already. Meeting with admission staff, faculty members and/or sitting in on a class demonstrates that you are truly interested in a school. Also attend any regional events that the school hosts. Schools like to see that you are interested and this gives you extra points with the admissions committee. Visiting a school and/or attending events are also good ways for you to get more information on whether a school if a good fit for you.
Please remember that without just one of the pieces above, your application is not considered complete. In all cases, once you submit your application, you can confirm receipt of these supplemental documents either via an online portal (save those log in and passwords they send you!) or via a phone call to the admissions office. This is another reason to get your applications in early- to provide you with enough time to confirm receipt, and to re-send if something does not make it.

Just a few more steps, and you are officially done! Congratulations! Now the hard part…. the wait!

This year, college advisors at International College Counselors helped more than 200 students find, apply to and gain acceptance into the college of their dreams. The expert college counselors at International College Counselors are dedicated to helping students and their families successfully navigate the college application process.

For more information on International College Counselors or to contact an expert college counselor, please call 954 414-9986 or visitwww.internationalcollegecounselors.com.

Free Upcoming ICC Seminars – Save the Dates!
IMACS Plantation – Oct. 11 – 7pm
IMACS Boca Raton – Oct. 25 – 7pm
Space is limited. Call 561 470-1178 for more info and to reserve your spot.

Common Application Now Available

Tuesday, August 7th, 2012

The Common Application is now available online at https://www.commonapp.org.

This means students can start to enter their information, and begin their final school essays (supplements too!)
Please note that some schools, which accept the Common Application, have not yet released their supplemental applications, and this is nothing to worry about.

The main Common Application includes two essays: a 150-word essay about your involvement in a particular extracurricular or work-related activity, and a 500-word answer to one of 6 topics, one of which is “Topic of your Choice.”

In addition to the Common Application, several other schools will now be releasing their individual applications for Fall 2013 as well, including University of Florida, Florida State University, University of Central Florida and Indiana University at Bloomington.

The Common Application also gained 37 new members for the 2012-13 application cycle. That brings the total number of colleges and universities that accept the Common Application to 488.  Member schools are in 46 states and the District of Columbia, as well as in France, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom, and Switzerland.

It is to your great advantage to get started on these applications as soon as possible–with some extra effort now, you can have much of the work done before senior year even starts!

Clients of International College Counselors, be sure to contact us with your information once you’ve registered for the Common App or any other schools’ applications, so that we can go over everything with you and help finalize your drafts before you push “Submit”!  Also don’t forget to make note of your log in and password, and to send it to us once there is something for us to review.

In the meantime, should you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to let us know.

SAT & ACT Test Dates. Get Your Calendars Updated NOW!

Thursday, June 14th, 2012

SAT and ACT test dates are coming up fast. We’ve listed them below for your easy reference. If you want the name of a top-notch tutor for your student, don’t hesitate to call an expert college counselor at International College Counselors or email us at www.internationalcollegecounselors.com.

THE SAT

Upcoming SAT dates and deadlines

DATES
2012
October 6 Register by September 7 Late Registration September 21
November 3 Register by October 4 Late Registration October 19
December 1 Register by November 1 Late Registration November 16

2013
January 26 Register by December 28 Late Registration January 11
March 9 Register by February 8 Late Registration February 22
May 4 Register by April 5 Late Registration April 19
June 1 Register by May 2 Late Registration May 17

Register for the SAT here

Find out subject test availability

*Learn about making changes to your SAT test center, date or which test you’re registered to take

Visit the SAT home page

THE ACT

Upcoming ACT dates and deadlines

2012
September 8 Register by August 17 Late registration August 18-24
October 27 Register by September 21 Late registration September 22-October 5
December 8 Register by November 2 Late registration November 3-16

2013
February 9 Register by January 11 Late registration January 12-18
April 13 Register by March 8 Late registration March 9-22
June 8 Register by May 3 Late registration May 4-17

International students will find test dates in other countries here

Register for the ACT here

Visit the ACT home page

For a recommendation on a SAT or ACT tutor or to contact an expert college counselor, please call 954-414-9986 or visit www.internationalcollegecounselors.com

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE COUNSELORS:
International College Counselors provides expert college counseling on undergraduate and graduate college admissions, financial aid, tuition, essays, and college applications to domestic and international students. The college counseling and college coaching services are tailored to address the goals, needs, and dreams of each student. Mandee Heller Adler, founder of International College Counselors, is a graduate of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. She also received an MBA from Harvard Business School. Ms. Adler’s achievements have brought her recognition as one of South Florida Top 100 Small Businesses in 2010.

International College Counselors has offices in White Plains, New York; Boston, Massachusetts; Miami Beach, Florida; Miami, Florida; Coral Gables, Florida; Palm Beach, Florida; Boca Raton, Florida; Medellin, Columbia and Caracas, Venezuela.

Online Courses: Build a Better College Resume and Improve Your College Application without Leaving Home

Wednesday, June 6th, 2012

High School students in their pajamas can enhance their college applications.
 
Colleges love to see that a high school student has taken online courses even if no credit is awarded for the course.   Online courses help your student demonstrate they can do college-level work and show their motivation to learn beyond basic curriculum requirements. By taking online courses, students can also explore interests in a particular profession or field of study. Students can also opt to take online classes that can earn them college credit.
 
Below we’ve listed some courses that can be taken online for credit and no credit. Some are free, some aren’t. This is not a comprehensive list, but a mere sampling.
 
Free online college courses for no credit:
 
Coursera
Coursera offers courses from the top universities, for free to everyone. Current courses come from Princeton University, Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, and University of Pennsylvania. Courses range from the maths and sciences to poetry and world music.
 
edX
Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are teaming up to offer free, online, college-level courses under a joint superbrand known as edX. MIT currently offers web-based courses featuring discussion forums, short videos, and laboratory simulations, all under the guidance of MIT professors and teaching assistants. Harvard plans to officially announce its first courses in the summer and begin offering the courses in the fall.
 
Open courseware at The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Johns Hopkins is a respected medical school offering a selection of popular courses which would be of particular interest to students who plan to study medicine, or a related field.

Udacity
Udacity offers a variety of free online courses and students can sign up at any time. Currently all the courses being offered are computer related, and include: Building a Search Engine, Web Application Engineering, Applied Cryptography and Programming a Robotic Car.
 
Online college courses for credit:
 
Colleges offer independent study online courses that can be taken any time, any place for credit. They also offer a selection of online cohort courses that follow the semester calendar.

California State University
 
Miami Dade College
 
University of Texas
 
 
Online pre-college courses, some for credit and some not
 
Brown University (not for credit)
Students can demonstrate they can do Ivy League level academic work.
 
Northwestern College (for credit)
This is a college in Minnesota, not Northwestern University.
 
Oregon State University (for credit)
Through OSU’s Extended Campus, you can choose from over 40 college classes in subjects like Calculus, Art, German, Philosophy, Wildlife Conservation, Women Studies and Atmospheric Sciences.

Institute for Mathematics and Computer Science (not for credit)
Provides students with university-level online courses in mathematics and computer science.

Contact International College Counselors
If you have questions on online courses, credit transfer or college applications and are a client of International College Counselors, please contact our expert college advisors at www.internationalcollegecounselors.com

Former President of Pine Crest School to Join International College Counselors

Monday, May 21st, 2012

International College Counselors is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Lourdes Martinez Cowgill to the position of Senior Director of College Counseling. Cowgill, who served as president of Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton for 15 years, will work one-on-one with undergraduate and graduate students, advising them and guiding them through the college admission process.
 
As a former President, Headmistress and College Counselor at Pine Crest School, Cowgill worked closely with students including Presidential Scholars, National Merit Scholars, scholar-athletes, visual and performing arts majors, Ivy League-bound applicants, and many others. Additionally, Cowgill regularly spoke with colleges on behalf of students, and was instrumental in making Pine Crest School one of the top private college preparatory schools in the nation. Under her guidance, Pine Crest students matriculated to all of the top colleges and universities in the United States.
 
At International College Counselors, Cowgill will provide expert college advising services to students all over the world who wish to attend a school in the United States. These expert college counselor services include assisting students with college selection, college admissions essay writing, application support, high school planning, interview preparation, scholarship help, wait list / deferral strategies and more.
 
Cowgill’s leadership positions on the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Board, National Merit Corporation Advisory Council, and Educational Records Bureau (ERB) Board of Trustees offer families insight into standardized testing and the role it plays in selective college admissions.
 
Cowgill is fluent in both English and Spanish. She has done national work in that academic field as a member and Chair of the Spanish Achievement Test (Spanish SAT II) and presenter for Spanish AP workshops in the Southern region.
 
Cowgill earned her B.A. from Barry University, her M.A. and Ph.D. from Bryn Mawr College, and her M.Ed. from Florida Atlantic University.

Notes from Our Counselor Breakfast with Admissions Reps

Tuesday, May 15th, 2012

Get your Insider Information here.
 
Last week, the team at International College Counselors attended a counselor breakfast with admissions representatives from Duke, Georgetown, Harvard, Penn and Stanford. There are a lot interesting developments at each of the schools and within the domain of Higher Ed.
 
What the expert college advisors at International College Counselors know you need to know:
 
Schools give a lot of weight to Early Decision.
 
At Duke, 25% of the Early Decision applicants were accepted; 1/3 of the class was filled by Early Decision.
 
At Penn, 1/3 to 1/ 2 of the class was filled by Early Decision applicants.
 
This is significant given that the other three schools have Early Action (Non binding) as opposed to Early Decision (Binding) and therefore do not show evidence of such preference.
 
Without reservation, the expert college advisors at International College Counselors always recommend that students seriously consider Early Decision options when they begin the college process. If there is a school your student really wants to attend, and it offers Early Decision, don’t miss out!
 
Free online financial aid calculators are invaluable tools.
 
For those families who worry about the cost of college, and as to whether you can bind your child to a particular institution without financial aid details, know that every college now offers a Financial Aid Calculator. These can be found on the school’s website. This calculator can help you determine, based on last year’s financials, how much money your family can expect to receive from that particular institution.  
 
Here are links to a few such calculators
Northwestern: https://npc.collegeboard.org/student/app/northwestern
Emory: https://npc.collegeboard.org/student/app/emory
 
Keep in mind, you or your student can always call a school’s financial aid office for information and ask questions,without giving your name.
 
Questions? Contact International College Counselors.
 
As always, the expert college counselors are available to answer any specific questions our clients have. Don’t hesitate to call or email us at 954-414-9986 or www.internationalcollegecounselors.com
 
If you are interested in becoming a client of International College Counselors, please call or email us. College planning is definitely worth thinking about, and the sooner, the better! 

AP Grade Reporting

Monday, May 7th, 2012

To report the AP test or not to report the AP test, that is this week’s question.

After taking one of the many various AP tests, there are usually three ways a student will feel: Great! Good. And Awful.

If you think you did great or good, congratulations!

If you’re sure you did awfully and scored a 1 or a 2, or you’re not sure how you did, you can withhold or cancel your score.

Because AP grades are released in July, any request for changes in reporting must be received by June 15.

The expert college counselors at International College Counselors note that it’s not likely that any one AP grade you submit, no matter how low, will fatally wound you.

Canceling vs. Withholding

Canceling AP grades

Canceling an AP grade permanently means you’ll never, ever see the grade and it’s deleted from your record forever.

The option to cancel a score helps a number of students, say the expert college advisors at International College Counselors. Some of those students took an AP course but found that the class didn’t cover all the information on the test or they didn’t study for the test as much as they should have. (And this happens more than we’d like to think.) This option also encourages the risk takers, the students who take an AP exam in a subject they might not have taken the class for. (They’re the ones who study a lot on their own).

To cancel a score, you must send the College Board a Score Cancellation Form AND a written request by mail or fax by June 15. You must include in your letter:

your full name, home address, birth date, high school
the year(s) that you took AP Exams
the name, city, and state of the college you specified
the name(s) of the exam(s) for which you want a grade cancelled
your signature

This service is free but note that the grade report that you and your high school receive will indicate that the grade has been canceled.

Withholding AP grades

Withholding a score means you may have one or more grades withheld from the colleges you indicated on your answer sheet. This gives you the chance to see your scores before the colleges.

You may later release the grade to that college by sending AP Services a signed written request and a small fee.

What we suggest to the students we work with at International College Counselors is to not send your scores to any colleges in May.

Our reasoning is as follows: with your test, as explained to our company by an AP representative, you only get to send your scores to one school free, any others are $15. In other words, if you choose to withhold your scores from all the colleges until you see them, you’re only “losing” $15. Many students can think of the $15 as “insurance”. It’s easy to see your scores and then send them in if you want to.

You can withhold a score if you already sent them in, but if you took them this year, expert college advisors at International College Counselors recommend waiting until early July. Beginning July 1, grades by phone are available for the 2012 exams. It’ll cost you a few extra dollars to get your scores by phone, but it’s a very small price to pay in the larger scheme of things.

To withhold a score, you must notify the College Board by sending them a written request by mail or fax by June 15. You must include in your letter:

1. your full name, home address, birth date
2. the year(s) that you took AP Exams
3. the name, city, and state of the college you specified
4. the name(s) of the exam(s) for which you want a grade withheld. (All your grades will still appear on the reports sent to you and your high school.)
5. a check for the exact amount due made out to “AP Exams.” There is a $10 fee per score, per college.
6. your signature

Note that unlike a canceled score, a request to withhold a grade does not permanently delete your grade. A withheld AP grade will be sent to your high school. It will count in your AP average and affect AP scholar designations. This means you can choose the scores that work to your advantage and feel confident to take some extra AP exams.

Make sure you keep a copy of all your correspondence with the College Board.

Contact the College Board
For more information straight from the College Board on AP grade reporting services, including addresses, phone and fax numbers:

Contact International College Counselors
For help from an experienced college advisor, please contact the expert college counselors at the Miami based International College Counselors of http://www.internationalcollegecounselors.com

International College Counselors
(954) 414-9986

About International College Counselors
International College Counselors is a Miami-based company that provides expert college counseling on undergraduate and graduate college admissions, financial aid, tuition, essays, and college applications. The college admissions counselors at International College Counselors work with domestic and international students. International College Counselors, founded by Mandee Heller Adler, tailors college counseling and college coaching services to address the goals, needs, and dreams of each student.

International College Counselors has seven offices in three countries.

 

International College Counselors
3107 Stirling Road, Suite 208
Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33312 USA
(954) 414-9986

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