The Three-way College Conference 2

Long-List of universities on Naviance 3

What’s the deal with TOEFL/IELTS/SAT? 4

Visiting universities during summer 5

Australia and New Zealand University Fair 6

New Online SAT Prep Option 7

Guidelines for SAT registration 8-10

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Newsletter

March 28, 2013

F O R Y E A R 1 2 S T U D E N T S

Meet the Counselors

Last Thursday of every month!

The NIST College Counseling Newsletter provides extra

guidance for you. It will be sent to you on the last Thursday of every

month until you are done with your applications. Please read each

newsletter carefully, and save it in the “College/University” folder on

your tablet, so that you can find it easily, and go back to review im-

portant information, dates, and deadlines when needed. This news-

letter will also be sent to your parents and teachers.

Steps to College/University

Inside This Issue:

This issue will remind you of what you need to do to get ready for

the Three-Way College Conference in April-May. Are you done

with your university research? Have a look at what a long-list of uni-

versities should look like on page 3. As summer is approaching, we

also share some hints and tips regarding university visits.

Meet the Counselors Meet the Counselors

Mr. Joachim Ekstrom

(Mr. Kim)

jekstrom@nist.ac.th

Room 4203

Phone Extension: 353

Ms. Jacquelyn Valenzuela

jvalenzuela@nist.ac.th

Room 4205

Phone Extension: 205

Mrs. Brenda Manfredi

bmanfredi@nist.ac.th

Room 4204b

Phone Extension: 204

Before registering for the three-way college conference you need

to have completed:

1. Do What You Are

2. The Career Interest Profiler

3. The UniQuest Assignment

4. The Post-UniQuest Meeting with your Counselor

5. The Historic Demographic Survey on Naviance (under “about me”)

6. The Long List on Naviance: “Universities I’m thinking about”

7. The Naviance Resume (only for students applying to US Universi-

ties) It is ok if the resume isn't completed.

The Three-way College Conference

At this meeting, please advise us if you intend to apply to UCAS by

15 October (Oxford OR Cambridge, medical/veterinary school) or via

Early Action or Decision by 1st of November (U.S.A.)

1. Register for the conference by sending an email to your counselor

with a few preferred days and times.

2. Make sure your parent(s) are really available at this time

3. Your counselor will then confirm your time by email

The Three-way College Conferences will begin when we

come back from the Song Kran break. This conference

will be led by you with the support of the counselor. We will review

your university research and discuss what you should have done by

now, and what else you need to do to get ready for the application

process that begins early in Year 13.

April 22 - May 22

What should a Long-list on Naviance look like?

This is an example of a good long-list on Naviance. It is ok for you to have 20-25 uni-

versities on here if you are applying to universities in North-America or around the

world. If you apply only to the UK, or only to Australia, your list would of course be

shorter.

If your long-list on Naviance still looks like this, you should be concerned. It might be

that you have saved the universities you are interested in on another list. If that is the

case, please move the universities over to Naviance. Please note that you will move the

universities from your long-list to your short-list on Naviane in the beginning of Year 13.

It is very important that you keep your universities on Naviance as your counselor will

send the supporting documents to your universities on this list (mostly online through

Naviance) when you have completed your applications in Year 13.

By August of Year 13, stu-

dents will have developed a

firm list of 6-9 schools to

which they are applying with

a range of Reach, Safety and

Star schools.

Students will apply to no

more than ten universities.

(Please note that the UK uni-

versities will count as one

choice, as will the University

of California campuses.)

What’s the deal with TOEFL/IELTS?

It is quite easy. You should take any of these tests if you don’t have a

passport from UK, USA, Canada, Australia, or New Zealand

English A1/A2 is often not enough proof of English proficiency.

Many universities want to see a standardized test score.

Most students don’t need to prepare for these tests, and they most

often get very high scores (which looks good on your application).

Compared to IELTS, it is easier to send TOEFL scores to universi-

ties

Note: Some Asian nationalities need IELTS (not TOEFL) for their

Visa application to Australia.

What’s the deal with SAT?

NIST is a registered SAT Test Center

You are better off taking the SAT at NIST as you are used to this

environment, but there are other centers in Bangkok as well.

You have to register way ahead of time as our test center always

fills up and we don’t have any reserved spaces for NIST students

You need to find out, by screening your universities’ websites, if

they require SAT Subject tests, and if they do, what tests do they

want you to take (or can you choose yourself)

Also sign up for subject tests on time

Register on www.collegeboard.com

You need to follow the steps on page 8-9 carefully when you register

for the tests

You can take the SAT in May (now full at NIST), June, October, No-

vember, December

Please view the outline on page 10 to see when you should take the

SAT tests.

Visiting a college/university campus during the summer break is an invaluable experience:

it is a way to verify your assumptions about that school, city, region, or country; to ask im-

portant questions; to let the school know of your interest to attend there; and, to try to get a

sense of your comfort level there. Don’t just drive around campus and look at the buildings

and trees. Here are some ideas of some activities that might help you get a feel for the

school:

Take a tour. Arrange this ahead of time. Remember that some tour guides are enthusiastic

and dynamic; others are not. Don’t use this as your only measure of the school.

Attend an information session if offered. This will provide you with a well-rounded founda-

tion for decisions and help to distinguish features of the school. It might also provide some

tips for admissions.

Eat a meal. It may not be the best cuisine, but you will get an idea of how you will survive if

you attend that school. Notice the ambiance—is it friendly, how much diversity do you see?

Stay overnight in the dorm if possible at your top choice schools. This will give you an oppor-

tunity to meet students and ask questions. Be sure to call well in advance to schedule this.

Attend a class or two. Choose to see one of the large lecture style classes and a smaller sem-

inar class if possible. Again, ask to set this up in advance. During the class, take note of the

level of involvement of the students in the class. See if you can determine if the professor is

actively engaged with the students or just going through the motions.

Visit with students in the academic setting. If possible, meet some students enrolled in the

area of study in which you are interested. Ask about academic and extracurricular activities.

Arrange an interview with an admissions officer.

Read the university newspaper. Get an idea of what is going on around campus and the com-

munity. Search for controversial issues to discuss with students or faculty.

Check out the bulletin boards around campus. This will help to identify the activities that

are available in the area and may imply something about the student body in general.

Write down your impressions, especially if you are visiting more than one campus! The impres-

sions of one can easily get jumbled up with others. Pay attention to your “gut” reaction. Take

note of things that strike you as interesting, positive or negative. How would you describe this

school to someone who had not had the chance to visit it?

Remember to dress appropriately as you may have the chance to meet an admissions counselor

while on campus. It is necessary to phone ahead to set up campus tours and interviews. Do

your homework! Read the college catalog and prepare questions for the interviewer and tour

guides. If you are interested in or will need financial aid, set an appointment with a financial

officer to find out what is available and what guidelines need to be followed.

Visiting universities during the summer break

Australia and New Zealand University Fair

March 30-31, 2013 www.thailand.idp.com

Here is a quick video on why TestRocker was created: The TestRocker Story

and one on: How the TestRocker SAT program Works.

For more information visit www.testrocker.com

New Online SAT Prep Option for Students

Next NIST College Counseling Newsletter will be in your inbox on

Thursday April 25th

Have a great Song Kran Break!!

Kind regards, The Secondary Counselors

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

Although this is not a complete SAT registration guide, if you follow these steps carefully you will certainly be able to

sign up as a NIST student, get access to our reserved seats, and get the chance to write the SAT at NIST.

First, you need to make sure the system knows that you are a NIST student. This is done under the “Tell Us About Your

High School” (1) section of the registration. When you are asked for the name of your high school, press “Find your

School” (2).

When you press “Find your School” a new window will appear. Tick “Outside the United States” (3). Type in the NIST

High School Code (695270)(4) and press “Search for High School” (5). NIST will appear in the list below. Press “Select” (6).

2

3

6

5

4

1

The second important part is where you select the center at which you want to write the SAT. Press “Search by School

Name or Code” (7).

When you press “Search by School Name or Code” a new window will appear. Tick “Yes” (8), and type in the NIST TEST

Center Code (71108) (9). Press “Search for My Test Center” (10). NIST will appear on the list. Press “Select” (11).

Congratulations! You have completed the most important parts of your SAT registration. In this case it says that a seat is

available (12). If it says that the test is full, please contact Mr. Kim and he will try to help you sort it out.

7

9 8

10

11

12

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

Registration deadlines are always about a month before the test date.

It is not possible to do any standby or late registrations at NIST.

October November December January May June

October November December January May June

Year 12

Year 13

May and June are ideal test dates to

take the SAT again or to sit for Subject

Tests.

October and November are test dates where many students will sit for a third and final

SAT 1. You may also write SAT subject tests if they are required or recommended for

your university applications. November is the only test date that includes Language

tests with Listening. December is the last chance to write the SAT for most students

applying to US colleges. Remember to register during summer as these test dates fill up

quickly.

Take the PSAT at NIST in October. Many students

have already taken the PSAT in Year 11, and try to

improve their scores in Year 12. The results will show

where your strengths and weaknesses are. You can

also use the scores when you research universities on

Naviance. Contact your counselor for more

information on the PSAT.

Students may take SAT preparation

courses during the first semester of

Year 12 and write the SAT for the first

time in December or January.

January might be a possible test date for

some students applying to US universities

(not highly selective ones). It is also a

possibility for students applying to

universities in Asia where the application

deadlines are later on in the school year.