Last Year of High School in the USA What you need to know

[elz]

If you are considering going to the USA for your final year of high school and even remotely considering trying to attend college/university in the United States, there are a few things that you need to know.

First of all, students in the United States begin to prepare for university admission during their junior year of high school. This is because most universities in the United States require students to submit their applications, complete with their SAT scores by December or January. If you are a truly great student, you can apply even earlier and thus increase your chances of admission and financial aid. Becuase the SAT exam is scored about six weeks after you take it, this means that international student in the United States need to arrive in the United States ready to take their SAT exams by September, October, or November at the latest.

In addition, students should also have an idea of the universities that they intend to apply to and which of these schools offer financial aid for international students.

Not a year goes by that we do not begin to get e-mails from students in the United States wanting assistance in finding schools and financial aid, but these e-mails usually arrive in December...by then the students chances of finding a financial aid package are not so good.

We recommend that students who are planning to go to high school for their final year of studies and look for universities, sign up for an undergraduate advising session at our center at least six months prior to departure. We can help students research for schools, prepare for SAT exams, and advise students of the financial aid opportunities before they go to the United States.

Planning and strategy are key to successfully preparing for the university admissions process in America and it can be very hard for students to face this amount of paperwork and understand all the requirements, especially when students are far away from families and their support network.

Students that are in the United States during their senior year of high school have great advantages - they can visit schools, receive university catalogues, work with high school counselors - but if they are poorly prepared, these opportunities are lost.

In addition, our offices are often swamped working with students here in Serbia that do not have all of these advantages, but they took the time to prepare themselves.

Also it is much easier for us to work with students that we have had an opportunity to meet with prior to their departure to the USA.

We are aware of their abilities, their goals, and ambitions, so dear students, please think ahead before you go on that high school program. It makes it so much easier for us to help you.

[Milica S]

Dear Elisabeth,

I am new here so I will introduce myself

I'am Milica Stojkovic,an A-Smyle Exchange Student.Branko Backovic has warmly recomended me to contact you because I would like to start preparations for USA.

I'am living in Tacoma,WA and attend a senior year in Mount Tahoma High School.Unfortunately I can neither graduate nor receive a high school diploma.I would be a junior in Serbian school this year,so I will graduate in Serbia next year,when I came back.

Branko adviced me in what High School courses to take.He helped me a lot

I am interested in what can I do while in America in order to prepare myself better.

Can you please help me with that?

Thanks

Sincerely Milica

[elz]

Dear Milica,

First, Congratulations on the A-SMYLE program. Isn't it great? So how do you like Tacoma and your high school.

Now I want to clarify where you are in your high school education program. Are you doing your junior year in the USA and then you will return to Serbia for your senior year of high school? Is that correct?

Now in terms of preparation - do you mean to prepare for the SAT? That is my impression. So here is what I recommend - lengthy but very important:

I am guessing that you are taking English there and that you have a reading book full of short stories, poems, plays, and other literary items. I would further guess that if you go to the back of that text, you will have a glossary and that if you look at the words in the glossary, you will see that these are what we refer to as "SAT words". The good news is that you do not have to memorize the glossary! However, as you read your English assignments, change your style of reading. The challenge with the SAT is that it requires you to have a vocabulary that befits a well education high school student. However, people tend to read for content. This means that as long as a student understands the meaning of the entire sentence, the student does not realize that there is word in that sentence that is unknown. Then, a very well read student goes to the SAT exam and suddenly needs to know the meaning of a word in order to insert it into the sentence in a sensible way. It is not accident that the words in the glossary appear on SAT exams. It is also not an accident that the words are in the glossary. The College Board people know exactly what they are doing in terms of the SAT exam - a person going into college should have developed their vocabulary and have control of these words.

Next for the reading comprehension. Pay very close attention to the exercises after the stories that you read in your literature book. Also try to read every single story in the book. The exercises are teaching you how to get the most out of a literary work. The SAT exam tests for the same kind of skill.

Let the exercises and practice in your book help you develop those kind of reading skills.

As for the writing section. I am not sure how much grammar you have there. If you do not have a great deal of grammar, speak to your English teacher and ask him/her if there is a book that would help you understand English grammar the way that we are taught. I know that when I was in school - and had to walk 5 miles to school - uphill both ways we had a literature book and a grammar book. We really did not use the grammar book by that time, but when our writing got real sloppy, the teacher would get mad and we would have to drag out the grammar book, so I guess there must be one somewhere around the school!

Also try to speak with your high school English teacher about your writing and ways to improve your writing. Generally, most teachers are very helpful and will be pleased with your hard work. They are usually willing to help. That is a good start for you.

Now how are you doing in Math? If you seem to be doing quite well, then go over to the school library and get acquainted with the school librarian. Make friends and ask about SAT materials in the library. You can look through the books and see what is available - if you like, you can go ahead and buy a couple of SAT books, but first see what the library has because you want to be sure that you get good books. Next, you can begin to combine your math homework with SAT practice math to get a feel for it. HOWEVER, WORK ONLY ON THE MATH! You are not yet skilled enough for the writing and reading sections. You can begin that in January or February during the second semester. For now I want you to work on the math and improve your reading and writing skills by concentrating in the classroom.

Okay, now while you are in the USA, you might as well visit a college or two. One very good school near you is the Evergreen State College in Olympia.

First you should go to the library again, and ask for assistance in finding books about college selection. After you read a few books and start to develop a picture of the US education system so that you know what you are doing, start to research this particular college. Once you thoroughly backgrounded yourself in information, contact the Evergreen State College in Olympia and find out about a college tour. I selected this college because it is considered a very good school. It is a very special school and when you arrange your appointment be sure and tell them that you are an international student. Tell them that you have been researching American colleges, but you also hope that there will be someone you can meet with during the tour that can also help you gain more understanding of the American educational experience.

Also have you met with the school guidance counselor? Generally this person has a great many books and materials, but sometimes is not familiar with some of the challenges faced by an international student. My advice would be to meet with your guidance counselor - find out if you need to make an appointment or what you need to do. Tell him/her that you are working with an EducationUSA center in your home country and you can provide the web address - www.educationUSA.state.gov, and what we have suggested and see if there is anything to add. It might be kind of good, if you made that appointment after the first semester when you have good grades to show and have built up your reputation as a talented and hard-working student.

Poor thing, that you had to read all of this, but it is really important that you make the most of your time while you are there. Please continue to visit the forum and post questions. If nothing comes up anytime soon, be sure to post again at the beginning of the next semester because I have more assignments for you.

Warm regards,

Elz

[Milica S]

Dear Elisabeth,

Thank you for all this information.

It will help me a lot

Hope you had a great Thanksgiving Day

Best regards

Milica Stojkovic

[Milica S]

Dear Milica,

First, Congratulations on the A-SMYLE program. Isn't it great? So how do you like Tacoma and your high school.

Now I want to clarify where you are in your high school education program. Are you doing your junior year in the USA and then you will return to Serbia for your senior year of high school? Is that correct?

Now in terms of preparation - do you mean to prepare for the SAT? That is my impression. So here is what I recommend - lengthy but very important:

I am guessing that you are taking English there and that you have a reading book full of short stories, poems, plays, and other literary items. I would further guess that if you go to the back of that text, you will have a glossary and that if you look at the words in the glossary, you will see that these are what we refer to as "SAT words". The good news is that you do not have to memorize the glossary! However, as you read your English assignments, change your style of reading. The challenge with the SAT is that it requires you to have a vocabulary that befits a well education high school student. However, people tend to read for content. This means that as long as a student understands the meaning of the entire sentence, the student does not realize that there is word in that sentence that is unknown. Then, a very well read student goes to the SAT exam and suddenly needs to know the meaning of a word in order to insert it into the sentence in a sensible way. It is not accident that the words in the glossary appear on SAT exams. It is also not an accident that the words are in the glossary. The College Board people know exactly what they are doing in terms of the SAT exam - a person going into college should have developed their vocabulary and have control of these words.

Next for the reading comprehension. Pay very close attention to the exercises after the stories that you read in your literature book. Also try to read every single story in the book. The exercises are teaching you how to get the most out of a literary work. The SAT exam tests for the same kind of skill.

Let the exercises and practice in your book help you develop those kind of reading skills.

As for the writing section. I am not sure how much grammar you have there. If you do not have a great deal of grammar, speak to your English teacher and ask him/her if there is a book that would help you understand English grammar the way that we are taught. I know that when I was in school - and had to walk 5 miles to school - uphill both ways we had a literature book and a grammar book. We really did not use the grammar book by that time, but when our writing got real sloppy, the teacher would get mad and we would have to drag out the grammar book, so I guess there must be one somewhere around the school!

Also try to speak with your high school English teacher about your writing and ways to improve your writing. Generally, most teachers are very helpful and will be pleased with your hard work. They are usually willing to help. That is a good start for you.

Now how are you doing in Math? If you seem to be doing quite well, then go over to the school library and get acquainted with the school librarian. Make friends and ask about SAT materials in the library. You can look through the books and see what is available - if you like, you can go ahead and buy a couple of SAT books, but first see what the library has because you want to be sure that you get good books. Next, you can begin to combine your math homework with SAT practice math to get a feel for it. HOWEVER, WORK ONLY ON THE MATH! You are not yet skilled enough for the writing and reading sections. You can begin that in January or February during the second semester. For now I want you to work on the math and improve your reading and writing skills by concentrating in the classroom.

Okay, now while you are in the USA, you might as well visit a college or two. One very good school near you is the Evergreen State College in Olympia.

First you should go to the library again, and ask for assistance in finding books about college selection. After you read a few books and start to develop a picture of the US education system so that you know what you are doing, start to research this particular college. Once you thoroughly backgrounded yourself in information, contact the Evergreen State College in Olympia and find out about a college tour. I selected this college because it is considered a very good school. It is a very special school and when you arrange your appointment be sure and tell them that you are an international student. Tell them that you have been researching American colleges, but you also hope that there will be someone you can meet with during the tour that can also help you gain more understanding of the American educational experience.

Also have you met with the school guidance counselor? Generally this person has a great many books and materials, but sometimes is not familiar with some of the challenges faced by an international student. My advice would be to meet with your guidance counselor - find out if you need to make an appointment or what you need to do. Tell him/her that you are working with an EducationUSA center in your home country and you can provide the web address - www.educationUSA.state.gov, and what we have suggested and see if there is anything to add. It might be kind of good, if you made that appointment after the first semester when you have good grades to show and have built up your reputation as a talented and hard-working student.

Poor thing, that you had to read all of this, but it is really important that you make the most of your time while you are there. Please continue to visit the forum and post questions. If nothing comes up anytime soon, be sure to post again at the beginning of the next semester because I have more assignments for you.

Warm regards,

Elz

Hi Ms. Elisabeth,

I am interested in assignments which I need to complete in order to do better on the SAT which I will take in May or June.

I am mostly reading and learning the SAT words..

Best regards

[Milica S]

Hi Ms. Elisabeth,

I am interested in assignments which I need to complete in order to do better on the SAT,which I will take in May or June.

I am mostly reading and learning the SAT words..

School grades are fine for now,basically there is nothing to complain about

Best regards