Nefertari American International School Presents The College Planning Guide 2011-2012 The College Planning guide provides students and parents with information on college Selection, admission, financial aid and scholarships. The information prepared in this book is all taken from websites. Information is subject to change. Please contact the school Counselor Mrs. Rania Allam , directly for specific College program information. Table of content It's Time to Plan for College 1 Identify a career choice (or choices) 1 Until you identify your career choice (or choices) 2 You have to College Planning in Grade 9 3 College Planning in Grade 10 3 College Planning in Grade 11 4 College Planning in Grade 12 4 College Selection 5 College Application Process 7 Application process in Egypt Application process in USA 8 Application process in UK 9 Application process in Canada 10 The Student's Responsibility 10 Complete the Application,, Transcript, SAT, Essay Tips for Making the Application Process More Manageable 12 The College Essay 13 College personal interview 14 20 SAT I Reasoning Test 21 SAT II Subject Tests 22 SAT Tests Registration Guidelines for SAT Students ID forms 22 SAT Score Reports 22 SAT ways of Scoring and calculating the Test 23 TOEFL test 24 The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) 32 Top private universities in Egypt 32 The American University in Cairo The German University 58 The British university Misr International University ( MIU ) 76 The Modern Sciences and Arts University (MSA) 81 Aviation 85 Public Universities 87 Ministry of Higher Education TopUS Colleges and Universities 96 Ivy League Schools The five college consortium in the US 97 US universities that accepts large proportion of international 99 students Universities in Canada 99 Information for International students Universities in Uk 106 International Universities in the Middle East 108 Qatar Foundation Universities International Universities in the UAE 114 The American University in Dubai Information for Athletic students 118 Websites that offers athletic Scholarships 118 Helpful websites for Int. universities 119 Balancing School and Activities 119 College Application Checklist 122 2 3 It's Time to Plan for College It is amazed to find students who will offer up a list of colleges they would like to attend, but remain at a loss when asked what they would like to study. When we search further, responses such as the following: "I want to go to X University because my cousin goes there." "I’m going to X, Y, or Z colleges because it is easy and I do not want to exert effort." "I'm going to X University because it has a good reputation." These are not reasons to pick a college. College choice should be driven first by the program a student wants to study, and then by any number of less important variables which might include location, cost , size, and MANY others. Sometimes the toughest part of planning something is just 1- Figuring out where to start. 2- Get on track to finding an education and the career that matches your skills and preferences. 3- Learn about all your options — and how you can achieve them. Identify a career choice (or choices) The career choice(s) will allow you to determine the further training or education required. One excellent resource to help at this stage is the search on website for Occupational Outlook Handbook . The OOH offers information such as working conditions, qualifications, and earnings on a huge number of occupations. Once you have career choice information in hand, it will be possible to search for the right place to continue your education. At the OOH page, you can search for a particular career, use the index for a complete alphabetical listing, or browse career clusters located on the right-hand side. Either way, as you research career options here, be sure to take note of a few things. One important bit of information is the job outlook. I explain it to my students this way. I may love the idea of being a Fashion designer but if the job outlook section tells me that each year 1 9,000 Fashion designer graduates compete for 700 job openings, I’ll have to think seriously about considering another option. Another favorite section of the OOH is the related occupations section. This is truly a "web" at its best. After selecting one occupation to study, view the list of related occupations. As you click on each link, you’ll be directed to the OOH page for that career. Notice that each career has a new list of related occupations. Some will overlap, but many will not. You may very well find an occupation you like that you would never have thought of on your own. Finally, for any career you’re considering seriously, check out the section on training, other qualifications, and advancement. This vital information will help you search for a college that can prepare you for your career of choice. Once you know what you want to do and what you need to learn to be prepared, you’re ready to select from the thousands of colleges and universities to the few you’ll apply to. Until you identify your career choice (or choices) You have to, 1-Work hard if you expect to go to college later, expect to study now. No one can do it for you. Develop good study habits and other skills that will help you in college and beyond. 2-Challenge yourself academically Colleges do look at your grades, so challenge yourself academically by taking challenging courses and consistently showing your best effort. 3-Ask for help if you need it. If you’re having trouble in a class, or you have a problem that's getting in the way of schoolwork, don't ignore it. Talk with a teacher or counselor to find out what type of tutoring or other assistance is available. Let them know you want extra help. Do not leave your problem unless solved. 4-Find ways to get involved. Getting ready for college isn't all work. Find something you really like doing, then dive into it. Maybe you're drawn to sports, student council, music or art. Join a school group or club, or find other ways to follow your passion. You'll develop skills and show colleges you can make a commitment and stick with it. 2 5-Read regularly. Read at least 30 minutes every day, in addition to studying and doing homework. This habit will pay off when you take standardized tests. Also, people who read more know more. College Planning in Grade 9 (freshmen) It's never too early to start planning for college. Decisions you make as early as the ninth grade can have a huge effect on your college career. Your high school transcript is a record of every grade you earned in high school (grades 9-12), and that means all your grades are averaged to produce your cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA, a system used to evaluate academic performance. The most frequently used system of numerical values for grades is A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, and F=0. The G.P.A. is reached by multiplying the number of credits given for a course by the grade received in the course). Colleges also expect your grades to be consistent. Therefore, the effort you will make (or will not make) will have an impact on the type of college you wish to join .You could be eligible for a scholarship, Or ineligible to join the college you want. By making smart decisions, you can widen your choices and have endless possibilities to choose from. In your first year of high school, college may seem far away, but get on the right track now and you'll be ahead of the game. College Planning in Grade 10 (sophomores) While Grade 9 was all about transitioning to high school, grade 10 is all about starting your college planning. Start thinking seriously about your plans after high school. You don't have to make any major decisions yet. Explore and understand your options for college, majors and careers and find out how to realize them. Take a good look at all your classes and extracurricular this year. They'll help you prepare for the next two years and get you on the road to college. By the end of Grade 10, in June it is recommended to sit for the SAT 1 test. The school will prepare you throughout the year of grade 10. And you will be guided to make your registration online. 3 College Planning in Grade 11 (Junior) You'll have a busy year as you start your college search seriously, handle challenging schoolwork for classes, and take important SAT tests.You need to spend a lot of time this year trying to figure out what you want to do with your life and which college you want to attend. Start by making a list of your abilities, preferences and personal qualities and things you may want to study and do in college. Start your college planning by reading about majors and careers. Refer to Occupational Outlook Handbook Use College Search to find colleges with the right characteristics. Plan to take the SAT early in the year (SAT is given 6 times per year: in October, November, December, January, May, and June). Also consider taking the SAT 2 Subject Tests as well, since you'll need to submit two or Three Subject Test scores if you plan to apply to highly selective colleges or certain majors such as Engineering, Medicine and Pharmacy.