Apply Now for Critical Language Scholarship Program

Critical Language Scholarship Program 2011 Application Now Open - Deadline: November 15, 2010

The United States Department of State is pleased to announce the scholarship competition for the 2011 Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program for overseas intensive summer language institutes in thirteen critical need foreign languages. CLS institutes provide fully-funded group-based intensive language instruction and structured cultural enrichment experiences for seven to ten weeks for U.S. citizen undergraduate and graduate students. Students may apply for one language, and will be placed at institute sites based on language evaluations after selection.

Interested applicants should review the full eligibility and application information on the CLS Program website at www.clscholarship.org/applicants . Arabic, Chinese, Persian, Russian, and Japanese institutes have language prerequisite s , described at http://www.clscholarship.org/applicants.htm#prerequisites .

Students in all disciplines, including business, engineering, law, medicine, sciences, and humanities are encouraged to apply. While there is no service requirement attached to CLS Program awards, participants are expected to continue their language study beyond the scholarship period, and later apply their critical language skills in their future professional careers.

The CLS Program has planned outreach events at universities across the U.S. in September and October 2010. Please encourage your students to visit the website as we may be coming to your institution . To RSVP for an event on Facebook, go to: http://bit.ly/CLSfbEvent .

To access the online application, or for more information about the CLS Program, please visit the CLS website at http://www.clscholarship.org or email cls@caorc.org .

10 Tips for Writing the College Application Essay - Professors' Guide (usnews.com)

10 Tips for Writing the College Application Essay - Professors' Guide (usnews.com)

College Admissions Office Blogs

Some of you have probably gotten emails from colleges of interest with a link to the school's own "admissions office blog" to help you get to know the office/college. Some posts are silly, some are serious, but they all help to provide hints as to what the officers are looking for and speak to the vibe on campus.

Some blogs like UChicago's "The Uncommon Blog" are all over the place, with multiple authors writing off-key, sometimes whimsical, mostly intellectual posts about their very diverse and fulfilling pursuits at Chicago. Recent posts range from "Transformers descend on Chicago" about the upcoming movie's filming in Chicago, to "Summer Research" following some exciting projects.


Other college admissions office blogs are much like my own: attempts to clarify the college admissions and selection process. Blogs from Tufts and Dartmouth offer really useful information with a lot of outside info on student life and stories of memorable applications the counselors have seen.

Here are some of my favorite college admissions office blogs (some more active than others):

University of Chicago - The Uncommon Blog
Swarthmore College - Parrish Beach Patrol
Brown University - Prospects and Providence
Perspectives from Dartmouth Admissions
Vanderbilt University - The Vandy Admissions Blog
Tufts University - TuftsBlogs
MIT - Admissions Blog

Who Says Private Tuition is An Alternative to School Education

You must be aware of recent hue and cry raised on the issue of ӀPrivate Tuition in IndiaԀ. The concern is getting exaggerated as educationalists, media analysts and ministerial system of our national education department are showing different aspects of the home tutoring system.

What experts have to say?

In fact, during a recent interview session on a radio channel, India born Nobel laureate Mr.Amartya Sen commented that Inefficient School systems and disorganized teaching staffs have led rise to this private coaching system. It is not just about the extra care or special treatments from a private tutor which makes this industry vibrant; rather it is the disability and mismanagement of our conventional national education system  that have made the way for these private tutoring centers to expand and reign as  a Para-teaching supplements.

Analyze of your own

Too some extent we agree on this point as far as origin and reach of private tutoring system are concerned. But if you look the other side of the coin you would realize why this industry is performing better than traditional school-derived education structure?

What is the reason behind this huge success where popularity of private tutoring has just started gearing up?

Find the answers of these three questions:

1. Why other developed nations like UK, US, Australia where education system is so strong are still continuing their online search for good private tutors? In fact home tutors over there are on high demand and highly paid also.

 2. What is the reason for online tuition job being outsourced to third world countries like India?

3. Why there are so many specialized coaching and training centers evolving around the country? Is it just for the business purpose or there are other valid reasons too?

We should also analyze the strong and positive aspects of home tutoring service as a remedy to better learning resource and proper guidance. There are many complementary roles of private tutors all around Globe that canҀt be considered as mere replacement or alternative to regular teachers. In fact, their roles are dominant and convincing too.

What makes Home teaching System self-sufficient and unmatchable?

1. The growing need of one-to-one guidance and customized learning tips, which a school can never provide irrespective of having proficient teachers and teaching system.

2. A substantial number of the private tutors are of generation Y. They have modern technologies and tricks to use while giving tuition to students. Their smart tutoring approach coupled with use of latest information tools, online exposures makes tutoring experience better and comfortable.

3. Teaching is all about relating practical application to the theoretical study materials. Private tutors have time and energy to devote for the betterment of their students that a school teacher canҀt afford at all. Home tutors can do enough research on teaching methodologies and evolve out with multiple techniques to sort out studentҀs problems.

4. Students feel more comfortable expressing their concerns to their home tutor rather discussing it in school in front of many students. They feel shy interacting or disclosing silly problems to their teacher.

 

Hence it is evident that Private Tutoring system have originated most naturally, not just born out of influence or fueled by corrupted school systems. There are many feathers to add to this view point.

We can rightfully expect that even after the revival of education system and teaching structure in India, the essence of private tutoring is not going to be obsolete. One canҀt deny the contribution of private tutoring system towards our society.

Boren Scholarship Webinar Today, 2 PM!

If you are a U.S. undergraduate student who is interested in applying for the Boren Scholarship, donҀt miss this webinar! Institute of International Education staff will explain the eligibility requirements for the scholarship along with the program preferences for country, language, and field of study. We will also discuss the service requirement and give an overview of the application. Monday, September 13, 2010 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EST
http://www.borenawards.org/webinars.html

Advanced Placement courses donҀt always come with credit - San Francisco College admissions | Examiner.com

Advanced Placement courses donҀt always come with credit - San Francisco College admissions Examiner.com

Five common mistakes on college applications and how to avoid them

Five common mistakes on college applications and how to avoid them

New Crabby Post!

Check out the Crabby Counselor's new post about stress and the college application!

Benefits of self-learning | the positive vibes within yourself

There is no substitute to self-teaching or self-learning. All of us right from school level education need classroom coaching, private tuition, guidance from parents and other helps. You get class notes, practical training, one-to-one guidance, voice support everything at the cost of money. This is to ensure you grow up with maximum advantages and supports from paid service. It is not spoon-feeding, but a type of it.

Can you think of doing all these yourself? If you are confident enough on your potentiality and give it an honest try, self-learning can be easier and effective too.

 LetҀs see what the other advantages are there:

1. Saves you money and travel time

2. Gives you ample opportunity to analyze things much faster

3. Increase your research capability

4. Makes your knowledge gathering process strong

5. Enhance intelligent quotients and judgment efficiency

6. Gives you broader concept of a topic, thus improving natural background

7. Increases memory power and retention ability

8. Develop practical sense of maturity

9. Use of flexible timing gives you freedom


Thus you can become a self-teacher and magnify your ingenious attitude. Self-sufficiency teaches a lot about encouragement and develops boldness in your character. You know what to do, how to do, when to stop and how to regulate others. Personal coaching motivates your ego and directs it in positive side.

How to win the formula?

What could be the mantra of such self- learning strategies? Of course, the answer is study Online. When you are open to the Web, the world is open to you, resources are limitless. Whatever is the subject, however difficult it is to understand can be learnt and practiced methodically through tips, suggestions, help guide and references available on the internet. And, these all are free to you. Just a proper search for best and easily comprehendible tutorial tips- That is all needed to get you the achievable steps.

No, more wait and no more late. Try it today; show your activeness, spontaneity. Make yourself self-reliant. You will enjoy learning more.

The Importance of Campus Atmosphere

Everyone always wants to know how important the demographic of students on campus is. Well, coupled with the location of the school, it can greatly define one's college experience, as I've experienced firsthand through my two six week pre-college programs. That reassuring proverb endlessly spewed by adults "you'll find your niche anywhere" or "people everywhere are pretty much the same and you'll find your crowd" now seem incredibly uninformed to me.

I use Northwestern as an example of a school that simply didn't fit with my personality. When I first arrived on campus for my pre-college program two summers ago, I was wowed by its historic, prestigious feeling, and I soon came to love its natural beauty and proximity to Chicago, not to mention it's awesome location in Evanston. This satisfaction soon changed once I began the second week of classes (anthropology and history) and we were still solely in lecture format, even though my classes had only 5 and 12 other students respectively. There was zero class involvement in either of my classes, and after class my professors promptly got up and left, not leaving room for questions or discussion. I was simply disappointed that for so much money, my education was what one would expect from a community college class. For that much money, I now expect the intimacy provided only by extremely wealthy universities who can provide an intimate liberal arts experience (think Ivies) and small liberal arts colleges themselves.

In addition to academic disappointments, the social environment slowly grew more taxing on me. Though I at first loved the lively nature of eventful nights and sporadic trips into Chicago, this lifestyle really started to drag on my studies, and things became so social that I had very little time to study. I realized that the school was just not compatible with my priorities: most people there really wanted a 50/50 balance of work and play, as opposed to my 70/30 preference. On top of that, play at Northwestern consisted of things like going to the beach and joining Greek life, rather than doing something intellectual like going to a museum or play, which is much more valuable to me.

Thus, in terms of both academic focus and social scene, Northwestern simply did not fit my personality. I later realized that most people who graduate from Northwestern go into pre-professional fields like business or medicine rather than intellectual pursuits such as going into academia or further graduate school. This is a minor distinction to make, but I think it really has a huge impact on the academic experience. People who love learning and want to continue learning for the rest of their lives choose small liberal arts schools or more intense universities that are more focused on the intimate, genuine academic experience and don't go to large, state universities or schools like Northwestern.

Harvard provided a completely different environment that was much more compatible with my personality. Specifically, Harvard had a much more academically intense student body that had a much more valuable balance of work and play. This meant that I never felt pressured to skip out on work like I did at Northwestern, and I could really be myself much more with friends taking the time to do meaningful studying and just going out  for fun on nights and weekends. Students were also much more interesting, and the things we did outside of class were extremely engaging but also intellectual, whether it meant seeing a noir movie, stopping in one of Harvard's many free museums, or wasting away hours exploring the COOP bookstore.

Ultimately, I want you to leave with the message that student demographic does matter. College should be an experience to facilitate your existing personality and interests, throwing in some twists along the way as you find yourself. It should not be a vastly different and uncomfortable experience where you are constantly fighting your environment, even if it's only in small ways like I realize I now was at Northwestern. Campus visits are the best way to gauge the priorities and general demographic a school has, but guides like Barron's Guide to the Most Competitive Colleges, the Fiske Guide to Colleges, and the Princeton Review's Best 373 Colleges guides are a great way to get a feel of how a school falls on the study-hard/party-hard spectrum and should help you find the place that will really speak to your personality.

Are you college ready? - SunGazette.com | News, Sports, Jobs, Community Information - Williamsport-Sun Gazette

Are you college ready? - SunGazette.com News, Sports, Jobs, Community Information - Williamsport-Sun Gazette

Countdown to college: Learning about the Common Application - National voices - MercedSun-Star.com

Countdown to college: Learning about the Common Application - National voices - MercedSun-Star.com

GT-Sponsored Scholarships due Sept 8 for Spring 2011

Apply now for scholarships to study abroad in Spring 2011! Deadline to apply is Wednesday, September 8.

GT-Sponsored Scholarships are open to undergraduate Georgia Tech students who have applied or are going to apply to study abroad in Spring 2011. There are three scholarships in one application! For further eligibility requirements and application information, please visit: http://www.oie.gatech.edu/sa/preparation/index.php#9

Student Testimonial:

Dear GT Alumni Scholarship Class of 1968:

Thank you for your support on the scholarship! I had a blast while studying abroad in Hong Kong, and it was quite an experience being able to learn in a different environment, experience cultural differences, meet new people, and explore various regions. Not only was I able to collaborate with the locals, I also met a lot of other students and professors there from around the world. It was pleasing to share my thoughts and culture with others and learn about othersҀ culture as well.

There were a lot of things I had to adapt to while abroad. Among everything, transportation was the biggest difference between abroad and home. It was awesome to have such an exciting semester studying and traveling. I visited several countries and each country was special. Whether it was their food, people, or society, it was amazing. It was an unforgettable experience, and IҀm glad I chose to study abroad. It was definitely a fulfilling and memorable experience I would share and recommend to friends and undergraduates and convince them not to miss a great opportunity. Thank GT Alumni Class of 1968! Thanks for your support on study abroad and exchange programs!

Once again thank you for your generosity. On behalf of all recipients, thank you for supporting students at Georgia Institute of Technology.

~Allison C., Spring 2010 scholarship winner, ISYE undergraduate

How to improve output of a home tutor

Managing home tutors and improving their efficiency depends much on the parents also. You need to follow some guidelines to achieve the maximum out put.

It is as good as a journey of investment with trial and error policies for most of the parents. Once you start searching for a good private tutor for your child, you will face so many obstructions right from area selection, to time scheduling to tuition fees. And above all the teaching nature and seriousness of the teacher well in advance. We can say you are about to organize part time wedding agreement between your student and the employed tutor. They need to understand each other first then talk about study pattern and everything else in the earth.

Therefore you can never be assured of being successful in arranging an ideal teaching companion for your kids. But you have many things to do with the ongoing process of tutoring services by the tutor you are paying every month. Though you can not change the teaching pattern drastically but it is possible to monitor and manage those hours. Let us see how best we can improve the relation and net output from this duo while in operation.

a. Be well wishers:

Mingle with the teacher and be close to his daily activities up to certain extent. You can do it while the tutor is about to leave your place after finishing his course of time. Show little interest to his professional activities during the day and ask about his families and other minutes. This way you can develop healthy relation with him as well as can address any serious issue where your student needs immediate attention. Discussing study related queries or forecasting comments on studentҀs expectation with home tutor often become so simple if you can improve your communication in a healthier way.

b. Never badmouth in front of student:

It is quite natural that you do not like a personal trait of a teacher coming to your home. But do not discuss or openly comment on it in front of your kid. This may hamper the respect and obedience your student has on his master. Never criticize a tutor among your neighbors or friends or mates. This can depress a tutor and negatively affect in his tutoring effort. Rather if any problem arises during study periods try to resolve it later in friendlier manner. Do not gossip on it any more. It is advisable to encourage him and positive appreciation from the student also can make him more energizing and serious to his responsibilities.

c. Keep him in loop:

You should not just blindly depend on the tutor for imparting knowledge to your student. Rather keep yourself updated on educational news and share it in front of both. This will help the tutor to get prepared for all such updating and latest happenings. Obviously he will regard you as a serious parent who knows how to monitor performance and efficiency of a student. This way you are helping both of them as well make the whole interaction quite informative. Keep a close watch on your student and tutors during tutoring session but dramatically. Do not forget to ask study progress in front of your child only, but make it twice in a week not frequently.

Certain precautions and strategies based on you tutorҀs activities can do real help to your student. It is good not to complain too much on tutor or student. Rather pacify the whole matter judiciously. Remember any home tutor will execute his job seriously if you are intelligent enough to drive him in your way with out his sharp notice. After all this is not just an investment of large sum every month .The career and future of your child is directly related to it. Both ways you can not be a silent spectator.