How to Win in Dodgeball
-or- 
at least look cool trying

By Tracey Grimm
Lincoln School, Costa Rica

It can be said, in no uncertain terms, that the International ACAC Dodgeball Tournament is a highlight of the annual conference. What started with only 12 rag-tag teams at the TCU conference in July of 2006 has morphed into the epicenter of entertainment for higher ed folks and college counselors alike. Seriously, where else will you find cow costumes aplenty, David Zutautas on the mic and a gaggle of overly-competitive Jesuit university reps eager to trash talk anyone who mentions the fact that they were out in 1st round last year? 

The field of international admissions and counseling has multiple topics and trends that influence and shape our profession. With the 2018/19 academic cycle nearing an end in many parts of the world, now is a good time to review which of these topics that relate to our Association are most on the minds of our members. International ACAC seeks feedback on membership status, the pillars of our strategic plan, regional networks, and voter participation to ensure we focus our energy in the right areas as we head into planning our summer Executive Board meetings.

Please take a few minutes to complete this brief survey

Grant Application Period for Europe Regional Institute Extended until April 15th

The 2019 Europe Regional Institute is fast approaching. Just over a month from now, colleagues from around the world will meet at the historic American College of Sofia in Bulgaria for International ACAC’s first-ever dedicated professional development conference focused on international university admissions in this region of the continent. We’re honored by the positive response we’ve received from you as registrations continue to grow.

The Faculty Co-Chairs have put together a stellar faculty to address compelling topics that are key to understanding the region’s students and university systems. We’re keen to share this learning, networking and recruiting opportunity with as many colleagues as possible. To that end, we hope you’ll take us up on our request that you share the attached invitation to attend the Europe Regional Institute with those contacts you know would benefit from the International ACAC brand of professional development. Some of them might not even be members (yet!), but we bet that, if they got to know us at our best- when we’re generously sharing our knowledge with others or engaging in effective and enjoyable networking with colleagues- they’d be just as hooked as those of us who are already members.

"IB very confused": the new math courses and me

by Tu Anh Gilmore


 

Sitting behind my counselor’s desk, I often find my days in conversations with the Grade 10s as they decide on which IB Course selections they ought to choose to best fit their life’s trajectory. It is easy to simply say, “Just do what you are good at...pick the courses that you are naturally talented in and like.” Well for me, this answer isn’t good enough. Whilst I have now found my life’s calling in a career that is almost perfectly in tune and playing to the strengths of my Via Character Analysis and true passions, the journey here wasn’t without great financial costs and extra dedicated time.

I picked a first career that I was good at: Maths. But after advancing to lead IB workshops in mathematics, I realised the greater intersection was yet to come. And after taking the full plunge, I find myself in my happy place. In this intersection lies my responsibility within my own communities and the greatest impetus for my change in career: IB recognition in math through high school and college counseling, in order to change one life at a time.

Conference Funding Request Template

Many counselors attend the International ACAC Conference thanks to the support of their school's administration. However, sometimes just finding the time to write a letter of request can be a challenge.
 
If you need help requesting funding for this valuable professional development opportunity, International ACAC has drafted the following letter template to get you started. 

INSTRUCTIONS: Simply access the template from this blog post, copy the content into a word document, edit and personalize, mail to your principal/superintendent, cross your fingers ...  

School Profiles - Nuances, Benefits, and Fresh Ideas!

For many of us who have experience managing and creating our school’s profile, it’s well understood that the purpose of it is to provide insights and knowledge of our school and our students. And rightly so - the school profile is used by university admission officers to understand the context of every senior class and to evaluate students within their educational environment. 

Each portion of the school profile is important, but there are elements most schools would consider the be “fundamental,” -- the school’s name, contact information, history, demographic breakdown, curriculum, and university matriculation list. However, when it comes to displaying this information as well as using the school profile for advocacy purposes, we see great diversity. 

Your Voice Will Be Heard

by Sherrie Huan

Not on American Idol. Not in a Karaoke room, but through voting.

International ACAC Executive Board Applications Now Open!  

It’s the most wonderful time of the year….

Remember the highly talented Nepali students whose scholarships were revoked this past April due to an administrative oversight? Here’s an update on how they’re doing:

Students have made their first attempts at carving pumpkins, and experienced their first snowfall. Some have built rockets in the desert for an Embry-Riddle course project and nearly all have found on-campus work. Roman Shrestha at U of Denver says, “I’m so happy to share that I got appointed as a lab assistant for my Chemistry professor. It is a great feeling to start my freshman year with this position.”

On the other side of the globe, the students at SUNY Korea are amazed at Korean efficiency as they watched a whole football field constructed within days. Students at NW Qatar are testing their journalism skills and sharing their stories, including this one by Krishna Sharma. Shashwat Maharjan just won Central Michigan University’s American Mathematics Society’s Annual Integration Bee - as a freshman!  

by Barbara Chen

In 1998, every Friday a mystery guest would come and read a book to my daughter’s entire kindergarten class. This ritual was the source of great excitement as each week, students would try to figure out who would be coming in to read, and what type of book they’d chose. The mystery guest was usually a parent, aunt, uncle or grandparent of one of the students. The teachers loved this tradition because it exposed students to a variety of styles of books from multiple English-speaking countries. Books and authors previously unheard of were now sought after in the weekly library visit, and given as birthday gifts. In a nutshell, this was story-time on steroids.

Chatter That Matters, December 2018 

Though the Trump Administration is not moving forward with a proposed ban on visas for Chinese students at American schools, it is pursuing a change in rules to limit the amount of time a student can stay on a visa.The status quo is that student visas are valid for the “duration of status,” meaning as long as the program of study lasts. The administration has not specified how long the time limits would be.

The University of Birmingham will begin to accept the Gaokao, meaning students who score at least 80% on the exam, as well as meeting other criteria, including English proficiency, will be eligible for direct admission without a Foundation year. This is part of a broader trend of Anglophone universities using the Gaokao as part of the admissions process.

President’s Corner : Celebrating Success & Looking Ahead
by Aaron Andersen, International ACAC President

NACAC and International ACAC: How we work together

Did you know...

International ACAC is an affiliate of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC). NACAC has guided the evolution of college admission counseling into a recognized profession since its founding in 1937, and over the years has issued charters to affiliates—23 currently—that share a common mission to serve and support the needs of the admission counseling professionals and the students they serve. NACAC and its affiliates work together to broaden geographic representation through partnership programs, activities, and operations.

As Ronn Beck, director of international recruitment and admission at Salve Regina University (CT), recounts:

Getting Involved with International ACAC

by Johanna Fishbein, Past-President, International ACAC

We always tell our students that it’s important they get involved in their community; whether that’s service, activities, sports, and much more - universities value involvement. Well... we at International ACAC feel the same way; we want our members involved!

We fully recognize that time is not something readily available, so there are many different ways to get involved - some that require much more of a time commitment than others. In February of 2018 we held a webinar on Getting Involved with International ACAC which you can access here. As we look to 2019, here are some ways you can consider getting involved:

Getting Involved: The Benefits of Board Service

by Kristin Dreazen, President (2016-2017)

As a brand-new international admissions counsellor in 2001, I had no idea what to expect when I went to my first OACAC Conference at Clark University. I had been to other ACAC conferences but, leaving campus after that week, I knew that OACAC was something really special. I was welcomed and made to be ‘part of the family’ and those members I met all those years ago are still mentors and friends.  Since then, what is now International ACAC contributed so much to my own personal and professional development that when the opportunity to give back in the form of Board service presented itself, I felt compelled to get involved.

Being part of the incredible – and ever-changing - group of people that makes up the Executive Board, first as a Delegate and then as part of the Presidential Team, was an amazing experience.  I gained a deeper understanding of the Association and the membership – now, so different than when I joined; was given the opportunity to shape the future direction of the work done on behalf of the members; and had the privilege to represent their voices in NACAC’s Assembly as it debated and voted on matters dealing with commission-based agents and the revamp of the SPGP (among other things).   

Having finished my service on the Board just a few short months ago, it’s still hard to quantify exactly what it has meant but in the short term, I am grateful for the time spent in conversation and at work with such a smart, dynamic, hard-working, and collegial group of colleagues on the Board. 

Association Annual Award Winners: In Their Words

Last Spring the International ACAC board placed their votes for three awards that honor leaders in our field. These include the Distinguished Service Award, the Rising Star Award, and the Peter Hauet Lifetime Achievement Award. This year the awards went to some inspiring individuals who have made big contributions to International ACAC over the years.

Jenny Tassell and Christine Grover were selected for the International ACAC Rising Star Award for their service to their students and our community, especially due to their tireless work in organizing the recent International ACAC Regional Institute in Panama City.

Jenny writes, “Thank you from the bottom of my heart for this great honor.  There is really no other association like International ACAC.  I have been lucky enough to have some amazing mentors who have encouraged me to keep pushing myself towards goals that have seemed too challenging at times.  Fred Johnson, Juan Camilo Tamayo, Ray Marx, Meg Mahoney, Christine Grover, and Jolynn Vallejo to name a few.  Everyone in this association wants its members to become more involved and they will encourage you every step of the way. 

In Panama it all started with helping to create the Panama School Counselor Association (PASCA).  With the amazing counselors in Panama we worked hard to help Panama become a place that was easy to navigate and welcoming to all university reps that came here.  We created the PASCA website which has become a model for other countries. 

What characteristics do colleges seek in an applicant? Ask Amazon’s Jeff Bezos.

Written by Barbara Carletta Chen

A recent article on CNBC’s website revisited Amazon Founder and CEO Jeff Bezos’ 1998 Letter to Shareholders in which he shared his three essential interview questions for new hires. The article struck a chord; not because I am seeking a job with Amazon, but because it was published on August 1^st, the day The Common Application went live for the 2018-2019 application year.

Calling all members with an interest in UK Advocacy

A UK All Party Parliamentary Group is currently conducting an inquiry into international students in the UK. Details of the inquiry:  

http://www.exeduk.com/appg-for-international-students/inquiry

The Advocacy and Outreach Committee are keen to submit a written response to this by the deadline of 3^rd September.

The focus of the response will be from high school and independent counsellors as our UK HE members views will be represented by UUK. We will however work with UUK to ensure our responses are coordinated as much as possible. In order to capture the views of high school and independent counsellors AOC have developed a brief survey for high school and independent members:

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/BPMQ2LT

Top Ten 2018 Conference Moments

By Aaron Andersen
President, International ACAC 

In July 2018, International ACAC hosted our 25th annual Conference at Tulane University and Loyola University New Orleans.  It was an incredible week of learning, sharing, connecting with friends, and southern hospitality in New Orleans.  You can read the official Press Release HERE... but I thought I'd take a minute to share my personal favorite moments from the conference...in no particular order...

Top Ten 2018 Conference Moments

1.  Dr. Michael White creating and performing a song for our conference on the topic of Peace, right on the spot during our Conference Opening session.