Finding the Right Fit: A Look at Counselling Models at International Schools 

By Robbie Jefferiss
United World College South East Asia, Singapore
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Counseling international students on university options is an increasingly complex and challenging role. The breadth and diversity of university choices continues to expand as a steady stream of new opportunities emerge; from new joint global ventures between established universities, to the ever expanding list of programs taught in English throughout Europe. The expertise and depth of knowledge needed to “master” multiple higher education systems, and provide advocacy and support for students and families is often more than a full time job. 

However, the diversity of options that stand before our students, is often matched by the diversity of ‘hats’ we wear at our schools. Depending on the size of your school, you may also be the social emotional counselor, a teacher, IB coordinator, assistant principal, registrar, house parent, homeroom advisor, coach, etc. etc. The breadth  of our experiences and the diversity of our schools is what makes working at international schools fascinating; no two schools or programs are alike. Similarly, the role of college counselor at your school may have emerged from various groundings. It may have grown organically from a teacher’s part time additional role, or perhaps from a British, American, or mixed international foundation, sometimes with various heads of school carrying their own perception of the role. A recent article published by Shaun McElroy in The International Educator has prompted discussions on Facebook and beyond, looking at the various models used at international schools.  So we decided to explore these in more depth with some insight from some experienced counselors who have worked in different models.

International ACAC 2017
Pre and Post-Conference Offerings: The Power of Three

Hone and enhance your summer learning! Join us for an extended stay in Cleveland this summer by adding on a pre or post-conference offering:

The Professional Development committee has worked this year to offer engaging and energetic programs that will compliment the annual summer conference:

• For admission professionals with five or more years of experience we have collaborated with Case Western Reserve’s Weatherhead School of Management to offer a custom leadership program for a small cohort of individuals wishing to focus on developing their leadership potential. 

• For school counselors, educational consultants, and your inner Jedi - The Pre-Conference Institute; International University Counseling 101 has returned for those with 0-2 years of experience.  Come network with other international school counselors and superhero admission professionals - learn from the most charismatic and fun-loving people in the profession!

• Go Athletes! A special post-conference workshop on advising student athletes will take place to wrap up your time in Cleveland, OH.  Learn how to best advise your burgeoning athletes in the university process!
   

Pre-Conference Institute: Monday, July 10 & Tuesday, July 11
International University Counseling 101

Are you an international school counselor or educational consultant who is new to guiding students in international admissions and university counseling? Do you feel that you would like to learn more about fundamental topics in the field of international admissions? If so, be sure to sign up for the Pre-Conference International Counseling 101 workshop created especially counselors and consultants with 0-2 years experience. In the two days that lead into main International ACAC Conference, experienced counselors and university admissions representatives will present on a wide variety of topics to help you feel more comfortable, confident, and knowledgeable in your work with students as they prepare for post-secondary life and studies. See more detailed information here. 

Second Annual Vancouver International Universities Fair

By Tatjana Guadalupe 
NACAC International Initiatives Coordinator

The Vancouver International Universities Fair (VIUF) will be held this coming April 30 at the Vancouver Convention Centre-East from 1pm-4pm (PDT). Registration for exhibitors and students is now open through the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) Fairs website.

Volunteering for the Executive Board: My Story

By Joe Giacalone
Immediate Past President, International ACAC
Chair, Governance and Nominating Committee
Executive Director, International Admission, Marist College

This is the first in a three-part series on contributing to the Association through Executive Board Service.   
  Be sure to visit the Board Elections page on our website for complete details. 

When considering a new job or career, people tend to develop a pros and cons list. Under the pros, you’ll generally find: professionally fulfilling, challenging, dynamic team, and ability to make a difference. Becoming an International ACAC board member checked all of those boxes for me.

Running for the board demands a lot. It requires a decent amount of self-reflection on a professional and personal level. The basic questions that require examination are: Is this the right time in my career? Is this the right time for me or my family? You are taking a risk by putting yourself out there, but you know there is an even greater reward if it is successful. I would like to share my story and shed some light on how the board election process works.

Volunteering for the Board: The Five Steps

By Joe Giacalone
Immediate Past President, International ACAC
Chair, Governance and Nominating Committee
Executive Director, International Admission, Marist College

This is the second in a three-part series on contributing to the Association through Executive Board Service.
  Be sure to visit the Board Elections page on our website for complete details. 

So you are considering board service, maybe for this year or the next…how does it work?

Volunteering for the Board: Your Voice 

This is the third in a three-part series on contributing to the Association through Executive Board Service.  
  Be sure to visit the Board Elections page on our website for complete details. 

As we head into a new election cycle for the International Association for College Admission Counseling Board, members of our community will be considering a Board position. No doubt they will be focused on our mission:

To facilitate global interaction among counselors and institutions in support of secondary students transitioning to higher education, while promoting professional standards that foster ethical and social responsibility.

Putting Your Mask on First

By Kelly Braun
International School of Sacred Heart, Tokyo

We’ve all heard the announcement. It comes after learning how to fasten our seatbelts for the millionth time, just before we’re told where our floatation devices are located beneath our seats:

“Oxygen masks will drop down from above your seat. Place the mask over your mouth and nose, like this. Pull the strap to tighten it. If you are traveling with children, make sure that your own mask is on first before helping your children.”

Membership Survey - Strategic Planning For The Future

By Lisa Hollett 
Special Programs Coordinator, International ACAC 

In May, we undertook an ambitious project, a Strategic Planning Survey of all International ACAC members. The survey was sent to our over 2000 members, and we received over 700 responses. Hopefully, you took the chance to let your voice be heard!

A number of our questions focused around our annual summer conference, and the results were illuminating. Over 50% of you attend the conference for the networking opportunities, but professional development opportunities are also very important, with discussions of new trends in Admissions garnering almost 10% of the vote.

Facebook: Let’s Not Reinvent the Wheel!  
Using the FILES feature on the International ACAC Facebook Page

By Tim Munnerlyn
American School of Warsaw

Great insights and resources are shared everyday on the International ACAC Facebook page.  On many occasions, topics and questions are simply answered within the comments section of a particular post.  No matter how great these answers might be to those in need, the posts themselves have a shelf life of mere hours until they are buried in an avalanche of other posts.  A little know, or perhaps a not widely used feature, is the Files button located on the left hand side (or top menu bar) of the International ACAC Facebook page. 

When members post a document, powerpoint or other forms of communication in their responses, attachments are automatically logged and listed under the "Files" section.  Instead of reinventing the wheel building or creating a presentation or handout, having members share/upload their resources directly into posts could make many of our lives just a little easier.  Already, there are useful and fabulous resources posted here. 

How to Say Our Name

-or-

We know it’s a couple of extra syllables, but we’re truly international

By Kelly Braun
International School of Sacred Heart, Tokyo

Dear International ACAC Members,

Booking a visit made easy? Repvisits.com review

By Robbie Jefferis
United World College South East Asia, Singapore

You can book an uber online, buy your groceries online, schedule your dentist appointment online….  So why not schedule your school visits online?   A new tool is attracting interest with busy college counselors and even busier admissions representatives, called www.repvisits.com   

Could this be the end of all the back and forth emails?  

Association Annual Award Winners : In Their Words.

Last Spring the International ACAC membership 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 IACAC over the years.

Rhonda Leshman from the YK Pao School in Shanghai  was selected for the International ACAC Rising Star Award.  She said, "As a 23-year member of NACAC and the WACAC and International ACAC affiliates, I couldn’t be more surprised to receive the Rising Star Award since I often feel more like an old, falling star!  Working abroad in China for the past two years has been tremendously challenging and rewarding.  Being active in International ACAC and attending summer conferences has expanded my network as well as my knowledge of our profession.  Planning International ACAC’s first Regional Institute in Shanghai was a great privilege and the efforts of the association are still reverberating throughout the region.  I will continue to encourage college counsellors and educational professionals in China to become International ACAC members with the knowledge of the growth and rewards membership brings.    I am humbled and deeply honoured to receive this recognition."  Congratulations to Rhonda! 

   
This year’s Distinguished Service Award went to former president and long time member Jack Shull from the Taipei European School. “My wife and I never 'dreamed' when we took our first overseas positions that we would make international education our careers. Now 34 years later living in six different countries (Norway, Belgium, Thailand, Egypt, China and Taiwan) and working in six different schools (American, international and British) it is time to move on to semi-retirement. One of the highlights of my overseas career, as a counselor and now for the last six years a university counselor, is my involvement with International ACAC. I attended the first conference at George Washington University and never imagined that the organization would be so much a part of my life and my career. People continually ask me how I know so many counselors and college representatives around the world. The answer is easy. Through my involvement with International ACAC, my time as president of OACAC, my involvement with NACAC  and on the International ACAC board. Also attending and presenting at the summer International ACAC conferences, attending and presenting at NACAC, attending and presenting at the Council of International Schools university forum and of course I have been doing this for more than a few years. If I have one piece of advice to those beginning their overseas careers in counseling and international admissions is 'get involved with International ACAC' and you will grow both personally and professionally." 

Top 10 Tips: Advice for the Parents of the College-Bound Expatriate  

International ACAC Conference by the Numbers

While International ACAC Events can never be just about the numbers…

Here it is just about the numbers. 

#IntlACAC16 Conference Rutgers

Counselor View: The Value of International Counselor Fly-in

By Kelly Braun
  Int'l School of Sacred Heart, Tokyo 

The contents of my suitcase are strewn across my bedroom floor, new college swag separated from laundry, toiletries that exploded twice waiting to be cleaned for the third time, and just enough room to maneuver around the bed to sleep and then make it to work in the morning. I've just returned from a week long international counselor fly-in and unfortunately there is just not time between returning home and school on Monday to deal with things like suitcases when you have a week of emails, lesson plans, and looming AP exams to prepare for.

Would I trade my week away for a clean room and empty inbox? Never.

Explore the Globes Contest

WINNERS
  Berta Laio, Hsinchu International School
  Kristina Dooley, Estrela Consulting
  Kristin Crosby, Washington & Jefferson College

Correct decoded word: GREEN

Top Ten Things to Know About New Brunswick & New Jersey

 
By Jennifer Hollis
Admissions Counselor, Rutgers University

1) Location, Location, Location! – At the center of the Boston-to-Washington, D.C. metropolitan corridor, New Jersey is at the hub of business, industry, and culture in a region that is unsurpassed in the world. New Brunswick is in a prime location within the state with three international airports nearby and quick travel by mass transit or car to New York City or Philadelphia. New Jersey is home to the headquarters of 19 Fortune 500 companies, four of which are also Global 500 companies as well as more than 1,100 multinational firms representing 40 nations.

2) The Science State – New Jersey employs more science professionals than any state in the U.S. and is home to more scientists and engineers per square mile than anywhere else in the world. Fifteen of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies have their headquarters here as well.

INTERNATIONAL ACAC Scholars 2016

By Joan Liu
University Advisor, United World College of South East Asia

International ACAC actively promotes access to higher education for high-achieving, low-income students around the world by supporting those who work directly with them. Through the International ACAC Scholar Program, high-impact but under-resourced counselors and leaders are given an opportunity to gain much-needed professional development to support these talented students.   

Scholarship recipients are funded to attend the International College Counseling 101 Institute, the annual conference, as well as a bus tour. Scholars are then paired with a mentor for a year beyond the conference. This four-part program allows Scholars to bring new knowledge, best practices, and a larger network to their students, communities, and regions. 

Top Five Things To Do in Vancouver While in Town for The Fair

NACAC’s first International Universities Fair is being held in Vancouver May 7 and the city is ready to welcome visitors from institutions all over the world. The fair, Saturday May 7 from 1:00 - 4:00PM has over a 150 universities from a dozen different countries converging on Vancouver Convention Center to promote higher education options to the region's secondary school students.  Recognizing that many university representatives will only have a few spare hours before or after the fair, International ACAC has received special advice from a local Vancouverite to come up with the ever helpful Top Five Things.

TOP FIVE THINGS TO DO IN VANCOUVER BEFORE OR AFTER THE NACAC FAIR

1. Take a Water Taxi Ride to See the City

College Summer Programs List 2016 

Search below to see a list of member institutions summer program offerings for high school students !

More and more colleges and universities are offering short term on-campus programs that offer a taste of what life would be like at that institution.  Many offer a mixture of academic and social content, courses taught by tenured professors, and some even provide credit.  All provide a fantastic way to discover college life and an enriching summer experience. 

Selecting a summer program can be as challenging as choosing which college to apply for – thankfully its hard to make a bad choice.  Here are some factors to consider while working with your students and their parents:

-       Dream College : This may be the first chance for your student to experience the college they already have at the top of their list.  However, as a grade 10 or 11 student, there is still time to explore.  If a student’s heart has always been set on College X , and will apply there no matter what - - then perhaps a summer program at College Y is the perfect opportunity to discover the next best thing.