College Counseling News
Which Country? A continuation from last week: USA
US University System
As discussed in a previous article, in the United States, the words “college” and “university” are often used interchangeably to refer to institutions of higher education. The word “college” usually denotes an institution of higher education devoted solely or primarily to undergraduate education. A “university” on the other hand, is usually a larger institution offering a combination of undergraduate, graduate, and professional education, and frequently has a large commitment to research.
Undergraduate study is the first level of post-high school education. As students move through the undergraduate years of study, they are called freshmen during the first year, sophomores the second, juniors the third, and seniors the fourth. While this system of classification can change depending on the number of credits earned, it typically follows the progression of years. Usually an undergraduate student will study for four years in order to earn a Bachelor’s Degree.
Students in the US typically do not declare their major field of study until they are well into their second or third year of the study. In fact, many students begin university not knowing exactly what they want to study. There is a lot of latitude to try different courses and then choose a major.
Changing majors during the first or second year of college is common and relatively easy since students are required to take a broad variety of courses during that time. General education requirements help to ensure that all students have a breadth of knowledge in addition to a specialized area when they graduate. The flexibility of changing majors also allows students to transfer between different universities with a minimum amount of trouble. If a student chooses to transfer at the end of the second year, for example, it would be possible for a new school to accept many of the credits the student had earned to date.
All US colleges and universities set their own criteria to determine which students are admitted. Each one designs its own application, asks different questions, has a variety of application deadlines, and sets its own policies.
US universities think the best predictor of college success is how well you performed in high school. Therefore, grades earned and high school courses taken and the rigor of these courses are the most important factors considered. While the transcript is significant, other strong factors of admission include, standardized test scores (SAT or ACT), writing competence (essay), letters of recommendation, and participation in extra-curricular and community service activities.
The last point to mention is--cost. Costs can range from a few thousand dollars all the way up to over $50,000 per year. Actual fees charged to students depends on their status as a domestic or international student; and if domestic, their state of residency. US citizens should investigate the public schools located within their state of residency. These schools offer lower tuition to students who are state residents.
There is little to no relationship between the tuition charged by a particular college and the quality of the education. A college that costs $40,000 per year is not two times better than one that costs $20,000. Some schools have huge endowments used to support their educational programs. Publicly supported schools use tax money to pay a portion of the costs. Although a student may pay $20,000, the school may actually spend $30,000 or $40,000 a year to educate each student. Therefore, don’t just look at the cost of tuition. Don’t choose a school merely because it costs less—or more.
SAT & ACT Test Prep with TestRocker®
GEMS Education has partnered with an online SAT and ACT preparation program, TestRocker®. This is an award-winning program designed to help students improve their SAT or ACT scores.
All students in grades 9-11 attended a presentation on Wednesday. If you want to find out more, please speak with your son or daughter, or find further details here.
Fall College Visits
DECEMBER
9th – IPC Gulf UK University Fair, UK & UAE, 9:15am
10th – American University of Dubai, UAE, 11:00am
Grade Level Info
Senior Info (grade 12): Check On The Status of Applications. Once applications are submitted, follow-up with the university often to make sure your application is complete. Be sure to check that transcripts, letters of recommendation, and official test scores from the testing agencies have been received.
Junior Info (grade 11): Sign-Up For The SAT or ACT according to your own schedule and plan. The spring test dates are January or May or June for SAT and April and June for ACT. Consider Test Prep With Test Rocker.
Sophomore Info (grade 10): Start Thinking About Test Prep for college admission tests. The summer before grade 11 is a perfect time to practice. Consider Test Prep With Test Rocker.
Which Country? A continuation from last week: USA
US University System
As discussed in a previous article, in the United States, the words “college” and “university” are often used interchangeably to refer to institutions of higher education. The word “college” usually denotes an institution of higher education devoted solely or primarily to undergraduate education. A “university” on the other hand, is usually a larger institution offering a combination of undergraduate, graduate, and professional education, and frequently has a large commitment to research.
Undergraduate study is the first level of post-high school education. As students move through the undergraduate years of study, they are called freshmen during the first year, sophomores the second, juniors the third, and seniors the fourth. While this system of classification can change depending on the number of credits earned, it typically follows the progression of years. Usually an undergraduate student will study for four years in order to earn a Bachelor’s Degree.
Students in the US typically do not declare their major field of study until they are well into their second or third year of the study. In fact, many students begin university not knowing exactly what they want to study. There is a lot of latitude to try different courses and then choose a major.
Changing majors during the first or second year of college is common and relatively easy since students are required to take a broad variety of courses during that time. General education requirements help to ensure that all students have a breadth of knowledge in addition to a specialized area when they graduate. The flexibility of changing majors also allows students to transfer between different universities with a minimum amount of trouble. If a student chooses to transfer at the end of the second year, for example, it would be possible for a new school to accept many of the credits the student had earned to date.
All US colleges and universities set their own criteria to determine which students are admitted. Each one designs its own application, asks different questions, has a variety of application deadlines, and sets its own policies.
US universities think the best predictor of college success is how well you performed in high school. Therefore, grades earned and high school courses taken and the rigor of these courses are the most important factors considered. While the transcript is significant, other strong factors of admission include, standardized test scores (SAT or ACT), writing competence (essay), letters of recommendation, and participation in extra-curricular and community service activities.
The last point to mention is--cost. Costs can range from a few thousand dollars all the way up to over $50,000 per year. Actual fees charged to students depends on their status as a domestic or international student; and if domestic, their state of residency. US citizens should investigate the public schools located within their state of residency. These schools offer lower tuition to students who are state residents.
There is little to no relationship between the tuition charged by a particular college and the quality of the education. A college that costs $40,000 per year is not two times better than one that costs $20,000. Some schools have huge endowments used to support their educational programs. Publicly supported schools use tax money to pay a portion of the costs. Although a student may pay $20,000, the school may actually spend $30,000 or $40,000 a year to educate each student. Therefore, don’t just look at the cost of tuition. Don’t choose a school merely because it costs less—or more.
SAT & ACT Test Prep with TestRocker®
GEMS Education has partnered with an online SAT and ACT preparation program, TestRocker®. This is an award-winning program designed to help students improve their SAT or ACT scores.
All students in grades 9-11 attended a presentation on Wednesday. If you want to find out more, please speak with your son or daughter, or find further details here.
Fall College Visits
DECEMBER
9th – IPC Gulf UK University Fair, UK & UAE, 9:15am
10th – American University of Dubai, UAE, 11:00am
Grade Level Info
Senior Info (grade 12): Check On The Status of Applications. Once applications are submitted, follow-up with the university often to make sure your application is complete. Be sure to check that transcripts, letters of recommendation, and official test scores from the testing agencies have been received.
Junior Info (grade 11): Sign-Up For The SAT or ACT according to your own schedule and plan. The spring test dates are January or May or June for SAT and April and June for ACT. Consider Test Prep With Test Rocker.
Sophomore Info (grade 10): Start Thinking About Test Prep for college admission tests. The summer before grade 11 is a perfect time to practice. Consider Test Prep With Test Rocker.
Here is our Community and Secondary School Calendar - Scroll through the months to see what's planned for this year at GAA
Please make sure you check this calendar regularly for updates and new events