Low Cost Ideas for Summer Adventures

Money may be tight, but it’s not necessary to give up on finding a cost-effective way to spend a productive summer. Free and low cost summer enrichment programs are out there—you just need to look a bit harder to find them, or think outside the box about what makes a productive summer.

Begin by considering your interests. Our nation’s need for engineers and scientists has led to the creation of numerous free and/or low cost programs in these areas. The Research Science Institute at MIT, the MITE program at the University of Texas, the ASM Materials Camp held at numerous universities, the Bridge Program in Biomedical Sciences at Sewanee, and the Summer Institute for Mathematics at the University of Washington are all provided free of charge or at low cost to qualified students. Interested in the environment? Check out the American Hiking Society’s Volunteer Vacations or the Student Conservation Association programs. Students with interests in the humanities and social sciences might look to the Carleton Liberal Arts Experience for a low-cost enrichment program. Telluride offers free residential programs for students with outstanding qualifications, while individual states often sponsor Governor’s programs or honors institutes. Dual enrollment classes taken at a nearby community college are often provided free to high school students.

Many hospitals have outreach programs designed to interest students in the health sciences—check with your local institution for opportunities. Some state attorney’s offices allow student interns to shadow their lawyers. Contact your city government—some departments even offer paid internships to high school students.

Look, too, to local businesses. Aspiring veterinarians can volunteer at their local vet’s office or work at an animal shelter or rescue organization. Budding artists might help out at an art school program, while future scientists can volunteer to work as research assistants for professors. Use your imagnation and work your (or your parents’) network of contacts.

For more ideas, check out www.blayz.com or www.teenlife.com.

Attending College in Canada

The number of international students attending college in Canada increases each year for several reasons. The cost of living and tuition are, on average, lower than in the United States, the United Kingdom, or Australia. Top Canadian universities consistently rank among the best in the world. Their university campuses are rated highly for safety and happiness, and are known for their inclusive, multicultural student bodies. Due to an emphasis placed on research, there are many opportunities for undergraduates to get involved. Canadian colleges also have a shorter academic year than in the US; school runs from September through April.

It is important to note that there is no common application other than in Ontario, which allows students to apply to multiple schools at once. Each university has its own admission requirements, but the process is faster and easier than applying in the U.S. and can be completed online by submitting personal information, educational history, official transcripts, the intended program of study, and the start date. Usually there are no supplemental essays, test scores, or letters of recommendation required, but check with each school for exceptions. Some Canadian universities have multiple start dates and others have rolling admissions, but once they have received your transcript and application, it is not uncommon to hear a decision within a week. Final requirements to enroll vary. Many schools have ‘conditional offer of admission’ conditions, such as maintaining your academic average and graduating from high school. When you receive a conditional letter of admission, it can be used to begin the process of applying for a study permit.

What do you need to do to attend college in Canada? A passport is required to enter the country. You must also apply for a study permit, which is mandatory for any student studying in Canada longer than four months. To be eligible for a study permit, you must have first been accepted by a ‘designated learning institution’ in Canada. You also have to provide documentation showing that you have enough funds to pay your tuition and living expenses for a full year. You need to prove that you are a law-abiding citizen with no criminal record, and are in good health. Finally, you must satisfy an immigration order that you will leave Canada at the end of your authorized stay. A study permit allows you to work part-time on or off campus during the school year and full-time during academic breaks.

If the study permit application is approved, a letter of introduction will be sent as confirmation. This letter must be shown to immigration upon arrival in Canada. An eTA (Electronic Travel Authorization) is then issued for citizens of countries who require one. The eTA is valid for five years or until your passport expires. A visitor visa is issued if you are from a country that requires their citizens to have one. US citizens do not need an eTA or a visitor visa.

There are a few considerations to plan for if you will be attending a Canadian school as an international student. To avoid paying costly international wire transfer and credit card fees, get a cashier’s check from your bank in currency calculated at the current exchange rate to pay your tuition. To bypass foreign transaction fees, consider opening a local bank account in Canada. Look into different cell phone plans so you don’t have to pay roaming charges when calling or texting from Canada. If gaining a new perspective, surrounded by students from all over the world, sounds exciting, consider applying to a Canadian university!

More information about studying in Canada can be found at www.educanada.ca and www.cic.gc.ca.
 

Need Accommodations for SAT or ACT?

Recently, both the College Board and the ACT announced big changes to their test accommodations policy. Unlike the past, when students seeking accommodations had to pass through a number of hoops, the process has been significantly stream-lined for those needing language support or extended time for testing.

Beginning January 1, 2017, the College Board will automatically approve accommodations for nearly all students who currently receive testing accommodations at their school through either an IEP or a 504 Plan (for public school students) or through other plans sanctioned by private schools. These students will generally receive the same type of accommodations for the SAT, Subject Tests, PSAT and AP exams as they do for school-based testing. Granting of accommodations was reduced to a two-question process:

      1. Is the requested accommodation in the student’s educational plan?
      2. Has the student used the accommodations for school-based testing?

A positive response to both questions provides test-takers with the needed accommodations.

In a similar fashion, the ACT announced that it was aligning its policy with that of the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) and approving accommodations for those students currently receiving them at their home schools. In addition, the ACT announced that students in a designated English Learners Program could apply through their high school counselor to automatically receive testing support for the ACT. The College Board has matched the ACT policy and will also provide support for students enrolled in an English Learners Program.

It is still a bit more cumbersome to apply for accommodations for the ACT. To be eligible, the disability must be diagnosed and documented by a credentialed professional. The disability must impact performance on the ACT and the student must receive and use similar accommodations at school. Students submit required documents along with a request for either National Extended Time (students receive time and a half to complete the exam) or Special Testing (students require a variety of other accommodations). Detailed instructions for applying for accommodations on the ACT can be found at www.act.org.

Using the Internet to Research Colleges

Searching for college information? The Internet can be a terrific tool for college research. However, with the dizzying abundance of websites related to college admissions, knowing where to look and which websites to trust is key. Here are some tips to help you optimize the Internet as a resource.

Get the most out of college websites. Individual college websites are the best sources of information on the Internet. Start by clicking on the “Admissions” or “Prospective Students” link, then look for details on admissions requirements, application procedures, costs and financial aid, and an overview of what makes that college or university unique. But don’t stop there! Under “Academics”, look for links to individual departments you may be interested in. Use the site search function to find the college’s course catalog and research graduation requirements. Then do a search for the student newspaper and read back issues to get a sense of what life on that college campus is like.

Find the information you need. Google can be a college hunter’s best friend if you use it effectively. Say, for instance, you want to find a list of colleges that offer a specific major or a particular extracurricular activity. Open Google and click on Advanced Search. Enter the major or extracurricular you’re interested in, then specify “.edu” as the domain. This limits the search mainly to colleges and universities, and usually turns up quite a few hits. Another tip: If you’re interested in a specific major or career field, do a Google search using the major or career and the word “Association.” This will usually turn up any professional associations related to the field or major, and, often, you’ll find a wealth of resources on their website.

Consider the source. Unfortunately, while information on the Internet seems unlimited, not all of it is reliable. When you find a useful college website, try to pinpoint who created it and how trustworthy the source might be. Who owns and operates the site? What is their purpose? Is the site a nonprofit venture or a commercial venture with the ultimate goal of selling you products or services? Do they share your contact information and personal data with other sites?

Take discussion forums with a grain of salt. College admissions discussion forums such as College Confidential have become extremely popular. While they can be a useful place to exchange ideas and information, they can also be riddled with inaccurate information and opinions presented as “fact.” If you’re going to participate in a college discussion forum, be especially careful about who is offering advice. Is it another student with no more knowledge than you, or an admissions expert? Also, consider who moderates the forum. Do they attempt
to correct inaccurate or misleading information, or does the site take an “anything goes” approach? Finally, these forums are not always as anonymous as they may seem. College admissions officers do read these boards, so be careful about posting your personal information or preferences.

Trust, but verify. While there’s a wealth of helpful data on the Internet, make sure to always verify important information yourself. If you see a negative report about a college on a review site such as Unigo.com, don’t automatically rule the college out without doing your own research. Most important of all: always believe what the college website says about its deadlines and admissions requirements over anything published on a site that is not run by the college.

Acing the Interview

It’s not unusual to get nervous before an interview with a college admissions officer or alumni representative. Students are afraid that if they are not brilliant, witty and charming, their chances of getting into the college are next to nothing. But the truth is that interviews have little impact on admissions decisions. Admissions directors understand that well-qualified students can be extremely anxious and may not come across well in an interview, and sometimes the chemistry just isn’t right be-tween a student and interviewer. Recommendations from teachers who know you well and well-written essays can have a much bigger impact on admission decisions.

Knowing that it won’t make or break your application should help students feel more relaxed. Schools that do offer evaluative interviews generally use them to confirm the information in other parts of the application. Sure, there are things you can do in an interview that will tank your application, such as spouting racist views. Admissions officers think about how you’ll interact with dorm-mates, so likeability certainly is a plus, but you aren’t likely to ruin a strong application if you’re nervous and not at your best.

Of course, the fact that interviews aren’t a major factor in admissions decisions means that having a great interview won’t get you into a school. But it’s possible that if it came down to two similarly well-qualified students, and one had formed a bond with an admissions officer during an interview, that admissions officer might be more inclined to advocate for that student. So you do want to make the most of the opportunity.

Being prepared will lower your anxiety level and help you create a better interview experience. Have some clear ideas about your strengths, interests and goals that you can communicate during the meeting.

Interviews are usually optional, and only worth having if you’ve done your research. Have several questions prepared so that when the interviewer asks if you have any questions, you’re ready to communicate a real interest in the school. You should be seeking information that isn’t readily available from the website. It’s fine to ask what students do on weekends, but it’s also a good idea to ask about specific academic programs, especially those that are unique to that school.

If you approach the interview as a conversation, where you and the interviewer are exchanging information, it can actually be fun. The more you initiate conversation, the less time the interviewer will have to ask you questions. So relax and enjoy!