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elz

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Everything posted by elz

  1. Hi Nikola, You are looking at several different situations here. Let me see if I can knock some of them out for you: I have finished the highschool as valedictorian and straight a student ( with average mark 5.00 ) and i'm also playing soccer for 7 years. Thus i need to know does it helps me in geting full scholarship and am i able to combine the academic scholarship with athlete scholarship ( if i get that.) Yes, it is possible that a coach and an admission officer will work together to create a scholarship package that combines funding for your sports talent along with academic merit. Other schools, including DIII schools, may not offer sports scholarships, but will instead offer full merit scholarships which are based on academic excellence, and a student's overall achievement in other areas. Also i need to know what is the highest percent of academic scholarship that i can get and what is the minimum SAT score that i must achieve to get full scholarship or minimum score which can be combined with athlete scholarship to get full treatment? Each school is going to determine the amount of funding that they will provide to you. A great deal of this depends on how you will compare to the other students that are in the applicant pool. For example, according to the SAT Suite Annual Report, around 1.7 million students took the SAT. Of that group, 6% scored 700 or above on the Evidence-based Reading & Writing Sections (ERW), while 7% scored at 700 or above on the Math area. In the next group, 600 to 690, 23% scored in that range for the ERW, and 18% for the Math. Next we have an ERW of 35% and a math group of 36% in the 500 to 590 range - 400 to 490 scorers sit at about 28% in both areas, ERW and Math. Also i need to know how to be added to the recruiting list( should i send e-mails to all coaches that i can find and ask tham to do that, or i should only send my highlights to them, and they will put me on the list if they want) For getting recruited you have several choices, but you definitely have to write to coaches. Typically the coaches will not only be interested in your athletic data, but they will also want to know where you stand with your TOEFL - you must meet that required number in order for the International Student Offices to sign off on your documentation that makes you eligible to apply for a student visa at that school, so you have to hit that. Naturally coaches are not interested in players that cannot get visas to come and play for the team. If you want to see a good way to present oneself, the newest site that I have found, and I really like it is ViewmySport.com because you see some of the videos that the athletes have put up. I like the introductory video because some of the players have made this video in their room and it looks very nice and informal - they talk about other things outside of sports which I think is very important because it also touches on the admissions office - and that is where acceptances and rejections come from in the final process. Then you can see some highlights. It is my understanding that you can put up a resume for free, and that can be good, but I am not sure how popular this site is with coaches just yet. (I believe that it will take off). However, you can put up some info there, and at the same time, I would suggest that you create a youtube channel that you can direct coaches to as well. Berecruited.com is also an excellent way to get more attention from coaches, and of course, the old fashioned way of contacting them yourself is also tried and true. Mostly they want your data - height, weight, stats for your sport, and they will ask to see SAT and TOEFL scores so they can be confident that you will have a good chance of being admitted. I hope this helps you, some.
  2. Dear Dragan, Thank you for your questions. First of all, applying for a third masters that will be in "Music Business" makes sense because it is for all practical purposes a professional degree program. Of course part of admission is making a good case for yourself - is this a career transition for you from music to the business end of music? Or perhaps you have worked in business and now wish to specialize in this particular area. As far as age goes, you should not be worried. According to this linked Council of Graduate Schools Research Report something like 33% of graduate students in the US are over 35 years of age - and of those 22% are over 40 so you can even find a mentor ;-) One of the big pluses of the US higher education system is that it does allow a person to reinvent him or herself at different points in life.
  3. Dear Visitors, We are thrilled that our forum is back up and running after quite a battle. Everything is here from the archives so that we did not lose our institutional memory. However, I want to take this time to state there is one really big change. As many of you may know IAC stands for International Academic Center. Our team has built up very strong expertise in the area of U.S. Higher Education. At the same time, we are also active with international education in general - attending conferences and making presentations. So this forum is going to take a much more international focus for students no matter where they want to study - Serbia or abroad, full degree or certificate program, online, or other opportunities. In keeping with the culture of U.S. higher, we want to present students with an IAC forum that is based on being inclusive and all about education!
  4. elz

    Film Scoring

    Our EducationUSA colleague, Jeanette Law, at the U.S.- Italy Fulbright Commission in Northern Italy - contributed this information about film scoring programs: Here are a few thoughts for two additional, highly touted, film-scoring programs: --USC's Thornton School of Music offers a graduate certificate in film scoring, which allows participation in their fantastic School of Cinematic Arts programs. http://www.usc.edu/schools/music/programs/smptv/ --UCLA also offers a film scoring certificate through their Extension program: https://www.uclaextension.edu/r/ProgramDetails.aspx?reg=CF513 It's a bit of a heady discussion, but prospective film scoring students may get some insight into the different programs by tuning in to this video discussion by 3 film scoring professionals held--of all places--at MIT (!!) through their Communications Forum. Speakers include the Chair of Visual Media and Professor of Music at UCLA and the Chair of the Film Scoring Department, Berklee School of Music. http://mitworld.mit.edu/video/663 Thanks Jeanette!
  5. Rodic, Thanks so much for this information - it is of great importance and lots of students are so exhausted after the admission process, that they do not realize there is more. One thing I would like to add on this would be about STEM programs. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. Undergraduate students that major in these areas are able to extend OPT up to 18 months.
  6. elz

    GRE Physics

    The key is to successfully present yourself to graduate admissions committees. This is really what our advising services are all about. We help students understand the process and at the same time guide them through the self-reflection necessary to write a powerful and effective personal statement. Keep an eye on our calendar in the coming days, we will start to set up the schedule for the next academic year and you will see some pretty interesting activities that could help you through the process.
  7. elz

    GRE Physics

    Just keep in mind that test scores are only one aspect of the application. In admission offices at both undergraduate and graduate level, the general philosophy is that good scores will not get you in, but bad scores can certainly keep you out. The school will look at your overall application. One guideline for interpreting your test scores and their relevance in your application packet is to look at your percentile. This compares your test performance with other test takers. Naturally, the consideration of your score at each institution is going to be impacted by the scores of the other applicants. What if 1000 students apply to the department and nearly 60% of them have higher scores than you, will that shut you out? Not necessarily, if the other elements of your application are strong and you are a good fit for that department. Graduate school admission, particularly accompanied by funding, is a competitive process. It not an entirely quantitative process. Schools tend to focus a great deal of attention on personal statements and letters of recommendation. The general rule of thumb concerning admissions is "the process is more art than science".
  8. 2009 MATCH PERFORMANCE -- NUMBER OF INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL GRADUATES "IMGS" MATCHING INCREASES For the seventh consecutive year, the number of first-year residency positions offered through the Match increased. A total of 22,427 first-year positions were offered in the 2009 Match, held last month. This represents an increase of 187 positions compared to last year and an increase of 1,825 positions since 2002. The number of IMGs, including Fifth Pathway participants, who matched to first-year positions increased by 98 compared to 2008. Of the 10,980 IMGs who participated in the 2009 Match, 4,796 (43.7%) matched. In the 2008 Match, 4,698 (45.2%) IMGs were matched to first-year positions. There was an increase in the number of matches for U.S. citizen IMGs, IMGs who are citizens of other countries, and Fifth Pathway participants. Of the 7,484 IMG participants who were not U.S. citizens, 3,112 (41.6%) obtained first-year positions. The number of non-U.S. citizen IMGs who obtained positions in 2009 increased by 4 compared to last year. Of the 3,390 U.S. citizen IMG participants, 1,619 (47.8%) were matched to first-year positions, an increase of 78 over last year. This is the sixth consecutive year that there has been an increase in the number of U.S. citizen IMGs matching to first-year positions. Of the 106 Fifth Pathway participants in the Match, 65 (61.3%) were matched to first-year positions, an increase of 16 over last year. This is the third consecutive year that there has been an increase in the number of Fifth Pathway participants matching to first-year positions. It is important to note that the total number of IMGs, including Fifth Pathway participants, who will fill PGY-1 positions for the 2009-2010 academic year will be higher than the number obtaining positions through the 2009 Match. Although the majority of PGY-1 positions in the United States are filled through the Match, a significant number of IMG applicants obtain positions outside of the Match. For example, while 4,563 IMGs obtained PGY-1 positions through the 2007 Match, 7,225 IMGs entered PGY-1 for the 2007-2008 academic year. The 7,225 IMGs entering PGY-1 for the 2007-2008 academic year is an increase of 306 over the prior year and an increase of 1,152 since the 2002-2003 academic year.. ABOUT THE MATCH The annual NRMP Match is the system by which applicants are matched with available residency positions in U.S. programs of graduate medical education (GME). Participants submit to the NRMP a list of residency programs, in order of preference. Ranked lists of preferred residency candidates are likewise submitted by U.S. GME programs with available positions. The matching of applicants to available positions is performed by computer algorithm. The Match results announced in March of each year are typically for GME programs beginning the following July. Copyright © 2009 by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG®).
  9. No there have been more than 2 IAC that have scored above 700. On the other hand, not all students that prepare for GMAT actually take the GMAT. There was a time period, early on, where several of the students had career advancements and decided to opt out of an MBA. However, the largest number of students tend to score between 660 and 680. I will say that most students are satisfied with their scores, not all of them needed 700s for their plans. When I speak of scores, I speak only of the students that we worked with and who shared their GMAT results with us. My role at IAC is that of executive director and yes, I also handle the GMAT test preparation and graduate advising activities. In terms of work experience, it varies with programs. It is important that prospective MBAs thoroughly research programs and fit several good fits. Of course everyone wants to be in one of the top 10 programs, but not everyone is going to be a good match for those programs. In the US, it is also very important to look at other programs, particularly to focus on schools that have close relationships with companies that work in areas that are attractive to you. Often there are agreements in place between the MBA program and the company. This can mean excellent internships, something that could make your CV sterling, and perhaps an offer of employment. As an international student, you also want a program that can bring in companies that will recruit internationals. The main issue that everyone is looking at right now concerns the loan system in place and the economy. Usually during an economic downturn, experts advise people to get more education. This will definitely change the face of the competition for admission. On the other hand, from what I have read in terms of economic news and analysis about the current economic situation, I believe that MBA programs are going to undergo some pretty far-reaching changes. The dynamics of recruiting may very well change a great deal. In terms of work experience, it is all about the program match. If the program is taking a direction where students have 5 years of work experience, those who enroll in the program will expect to be working in a team with highly experienced managers. On the other hand, my guess is that there were also lots of agreements in place with companies that actually paid for their promising prot?g?s to acquire an MBA - my guess is that many of these arrangements are going to be off the table and that schools will spread their nets in terms of recruiting. Last year US colleges and universities spent 47 million USD in research, which spells out a great many teaching and research assistantships. Thus far, it appears that if we see a decrease in research spending, it will be a decrease of less than 10%. My hope is that we will see a great deal of recruiting that is geared toward creativity and entrepreneurial talent. The SC should be the easiest for non-native speakers to master. It is also rather dull to learn and takes a great deal of patience and self discipline. Also GMAT students need to read academic material that is outside the field of business - daily. It is just training for basketball or some other sport, daily work and discipline.
  10. I see there is a good discussion going and the best part is that the information flying around here is pretty much correct. Getting realistic GMAT questions is indeed a struggle. The reason that some of the Kaplan questions seem to work is because they buy old and retired GMAT questions. However, obviously they do not buy enough of those or there are not enough for sale, because Kaplan simply does not make authentic questions, although it is impossible to get that through the heads of most GMAT students Another very important point that we try to work on very hard is the sentence correction. Once students get the key points down and know pretty much what to look for and how to recognize the testing points, the questions should be answered very quickly. This can free us some time to spend on the reading. After extensive experiments with teaching the points, I believe the absolute best way is to set up a large number of questions on the big screen with the various choices highlighted for students. Often looking at the answer choices to see exactly what you have to choose between can certainly speed you along. The math problem seems to be primarily one of fatigue. Generally if you are doing well, you are going to keep getting slammed with challenging problems and you are going to get tired. This discussion has given me an idea, which is to get our math talents that we work with together to sit down and create a very large pool of new GMAT problems that follow the same patterns as the most difficult ones. Currently we are putting as much of our test prep material as we can online for our students to practice. Facing as many questions on line and getting to use to working from the screen also gives a person the edge. As far as the PBT versus the Computer exam, I think there are a few factors involved. First, with the paper-based test, you can skip around and do the easy stuff first. Also the test was given in exact order. There was one section for sentence correction, another for reading, and so on. The way the questions are set up on the computer version requires a person to shift gears mentally to solve different types of problems. Soon we will actually have Princeton Review GMAT guides available for students. Based on many years of test preparation experience, I like the Princeton Review guides for one main reason - the strategy practice is quite good. On the downside, there is just not enough practice in the guides and as always, the OGs are absolutely the most realistic questions you can get. This discussion cheers me a great deal because so many test takers keep saying the test is not the same as the OGs. I have known for quite some time that this was not really correct, but you know how it goes...
  11. elz

    GRE SCORES QUESTION

    Dear Duka, Coming from a BA program, these scores are not promising. One thing that can help you get a feel for the situation is to look at the percentile rating. This compares you to the other test takers. I know that the exam is really challenging, but from your background you really need to be very high on the verbal and the quantitative needs to be higher as well. Once again, and particularly with your background, you could greatly benefit from a prep class, please do not let dismal GRE scores crush you. This is an obstacle, but you must overcome it. Elz
  12. You need to submit the number of letters that each school requests in the application instructions. In general, the requests are 2 to 3 letters of recommendation. At the same time you might want to check on the format that each of the school requests. Most schools use the common application. It sounds to me as if you need to go to each of the school's websites and see what the requirements are of each school. Reading those application instructions for each school is critical. It is the first step to taking charge of the admissions process. I also assume that you will be attending the event we are hosting on Tuesday, October 14. The US admission process can be confusing and it is important that you be an active applicant rather than a passive applicant. Good Luck
  13. elz

    college

    Stefan, You need to write in English. You are in the US, you have an advantageous position. I am too busy to have to dig through this in Serbian and try to answer Serbian posts. Posting in English makes it quick and easy for me to answer you. Otherwise, you will have to wait a bit. One of the first things that you need to do, no matter what, is to go to the library at your high school and find books like we have here in the reference library to get information - that is something that you can do on your own. Have you taken your exams? Do you need to register for your exams? You need to go the the common application and open an account there and start filling it out. You need to see what sort of papers you are going need your family to track down. You need to select some schools. Visit the high school guidance counselor over there and see what help that person can offer. Since you are in the US, it should be much easier for you to manage than for the students who are working from over here. Look around you and see who else is preparing for college admission at your school. If you will post in English, please try to list exactly what steps in the process you need help with and we can explain how to get through those. Enjoy Mississippi and remember, make a plan. Those who succeed are usually the ones with the plan. Elz
  14. Nik, Can you scan everything and send it to me? I would like to see exactly what this all says. I still do not think that you will have any trouble, but I would also like to look at your evaluations and your English and Serbian versions of your credentials. Elz
  15. Hey this is not going to impact your admission to an LLM. Elz
  16. Dear Nik, Sasha is quite right in his response. The problem is that US Law School is a graduate program. Your law degree from the University of Belgrade is not equivalent to a J.D. It is a first university diploma and therefore is considered a Bachelors Degree. You were not admitted to law school with a bachelors degree as is the requirement for law school admission in the US. The other part of the problem is that the LLB, does not exist in the United States. Therefore, it would be impossible for them to provide that title for your credentials. Remember the credentials evaluation is a "fit" of your educational experience within the framework of a US education - the JD would indicate that you held one bachelors degree and the professional degree JD. This is not the case. Also keep in mind that the JD is rather unique to the United States. In other words, you did not study law in the same way as a law student in the United States. In fact, I would guess that you studied very little case law, which is one of the primary foundations for the US legal system. You might contact the evaluators for further information. What exactly do you want to do with the evaluation? Has this evaluation proved a setback to your goals in some way? Elz
  17. Just hang in there...Yes, it is a good school, but it is not the only good school. When in need of financial aid, there are certain choices that you have to make, but remember, programs need diversity and different points of view - especially with art and creativity. What a student of talent needs to keep in mind is that it is important to find a program that is willing to support that talent and to help it bloom. You will be surprised at how many programs are out there looking for someone with your talent. As I said...Pratt was also a great opportunity for an architecture student, but they simply were not in a position to provide the funding, but Cornell stepped up to the plate...I am sure that you can have the same level of success. Elz
  18. Yes, of course you can. Elz
  19. Bojan, This information about the giving of "good scholarships" is simply not true. It is very important that you sign up for a free undergraduate advising session. This is the best way to get all of this information. As for GW, we are having a visit on Monday 7 July from a GW admission officer. Why not come to this presentation? Elz
  20. Dear Ivana, I am afraid that the news that we have is not exactly what you want to hear. First of all, the really good news is that more than 46% of all graduate students have their studies funded directly by the school or department where they study. However, the other types of funding such as you are looking for breaks down as follows: Home Governments world wide 2.6% US Government 0.8% US Private Sponsor 0.9% Foreign Private Sponsor 1.0% International Organization 0.4% Current Employment 1.3% Personal and Family 45.4% and the remainder is made up from "other sources" Open Doors 2007 In fact, we had another student who also faced this problem with Pratt, which is as you say an outstanding school, but the financial aid Pratt was able to offer was also not enough to meet her financial needs. However, she had also applied to several other schools and Cornell met both her financial and academic needs. She will begin her studies there this Fall. Our work with students is to assist them in obtaining the direct institutional aid. Although we are trying to establish a mailing list for students already in the US education system with grants and opportunities as a sort of mail list that students can subscribe to with an .edu address. However, time and staff constraints do not allow us to search for grants for individuals. Thus, here is what we generally suggest to students that has worked in the past. First, contact the school and ask them about external funding sources. You need to make the situation very clear to their office. If you are unable to solve this problem through external funding and they are unable to meet your financial need, it may be necessary to apply elsewhere, to schools that have more generous programs for outstanding international students that are seeking US graduate study. As difficult as this may be, even an international student with excellent credentials can do very little in working with an institution that is unable to adequately fund that international students. When we work with students, one of the first things that we teach them concerns funding. It is important to apply to several schools and it is important to research the history of funding international students. We have a very successful track record in this respect, among the top in Europe, because we know that 9 times out of 10, the issue is not student talent, it is institutional money. Just write to the school and see if they are willing to work with you on this issue. On the other hand, remember a dream deferred is not a dream denied - you may have to consider some other fine schools that have adequate funds. Elz
  21. Dear Ivana, We have free information sessions at our center and you can call to see when the next one is scheduled. I am out of the office at this time and do not have access to the schedule. I believe that the best thing that you can do at this point is to contact Barrett and ask them about financial aid or a sports scholarship for the next year. You are absolutely right in that you have a very good opportunity in front of you. You need to carefully consider this option. I believe that a well thought out and carefully planned letter to your contact in the admission office at Barrett could prove quite helpful. I suggest that you include the following information: Thank them for the admission to Barrett. Tell them that financing your education is going to be very challenging. Then ask them what financial aid possibilities including sport scholarships you might be able to apply for to cover your second year of school. At this stage of the process, this is the best advice that we can offer you. I wish that we had been able to work with you sooner. We have very good luck with students that we work with prior to their going to the US for high school, and of course students that work with us during their third year of high school are very well prepared and successful in the admission process. However, at this stage and with your pretty well locked in on Barrett, your options and opportunities are quite dependent upon what they are able to offer you. We are in the planning phase for a news letter for students that are already attending a US institution and this will include funding opportunities that are for international students currently enrolled; that may be helpful in your situation. The career center in the school is also a very good place to look for opportunities. I hope some of this information helps you. Elz
  22. Dear Ivana, First it sounds like you have accomplished a great deal and a warm congratulations for that. One of our greatest challenges is working with students that go to the US and realize that they want to attend college; we are trying to prepare them before they go, but it is still hard to catch many of them before they take off. Arizona State is a great school, however as you now realize, any international undergraduate student that is not eligible for a sports scholarship will need to self-finance. There are, however, other schools that offer substantial financial aid to international undergraduate students. It sounds as if you would be a good candidate for one of these schools. We have quite a few students that have been in your position and taken the British-style gap year in order to find a school that will provide financial aid. We suggest the gap year because it is also difficult for a transfer student to find financial aid as well. In the meantime, I will contact an alum who has had an experience much like yours and ask him to post about his experience. Elz
  23. elz

    Probni test

    It is required to take the placement before enrolling into a course to see if your level of English is high enough for the course or if you need some other level of English. elz
  24. elz

    Vladimir Ilic

    Dear Fila, Vlada is obviously very busy these days - last time I checked with him, he was spitting out a giant research paper So I will explain the nature of these loans. This is something that we see quite a bit with students that are on academic merit funding programs. The loan is provided by the school or at least the school is the cosigner/provider/guarantor for the loan. The loan is usually not a great deal of money, certainly not the entire cost of the education, and the terms are VERY FAVORABLE! I hope that this answers your question. Elz
  25. As always Sasa, thanks for the response, especially on this little hot potato. There is an article that was reprinted in "Business Week" on these topics: http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/cont...htm?chan=search I fear it does not paint a very flattering picture and I honestly feel that the education system here is quite good in many aspects, much like any education system it has its strengths and weaknesses. I think about these issues quite often as I am confronted with them each day. It seems to me that the Serbian and US education systems are highly complimentary. However, the Bologna issue as discussed in this article seems "spot on"- or at least the view from outside of the country. It is important for those inside the country to look at external perceptions of the Bologna process as it occurs within Serbia, especially since the entire point of the process is to create academic mobility. Elz
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