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Dule

IAC Alumni
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Posts posted by Dule

  1. Well, I applied for Master of music program at University of Illinois (and for Graduate assistantship-of course), and after that they sent me an email with additional requests (because their web site is not working) such as:

    "The International Student Verification form"

    "The Declaration and Certification of Finances form"

    and these are usual requests for the I-20 not for audition/interview. Of course they can ask anything they want, but they are also wrote me "NOTE: Your application will NOT be reviewed until all components are received. Please be sure to submit all materials by DECEMBER 10."

    So, do you think there is a way to avoid this cause there is no way anyone can find these 50 000 till December 10?

    (They were sweet so they extended the deadline because of the problems with their web site).

    Thank you.

    Call up the admissions office and ask them! That's the safest bet! Since you're running out of time, find the PHONE NUMBER and contact them; e-mails might take too long!

    As far as I remember, I had to fill out forms of finances even BEFORE I got accepted to my college, not to mention for the I-20 Form. The finances forms are a MUST for the I-20, but they were also a part of the registration procedure for my college.

    Furthermore, the Institution needs to know how much money you're willing to spend on them initially, so that they can determine the finanicial aid package for you, because the deal is that you can get accepted, but they might NOT cover your entire tuition, room and board, books. etc.! And, because you might not end up having full scholarship, they need to maximize their overall financial aid, and give you their financial offer! The Institution can still hope that you might accept their offer, and end up paying, for example $10,000 per year! I hope this makes sense to you.

    Dule

  2. Idemo prvo redom:

    1) Kako se tebi do sada svidela skola?

    U akademskom smislu, OBOZAVAM ovu shkolu! Profesori su sjajni, i uvek izlaze u susret; naravno, pod uslovom da ne pravish gluposti. Ako si zainteresovan da radish neki samostalni projekat, mozesh da organizujesh sa profom u okviru njegovog chasa (zavisi od oblasti, i od profesora) da pravish projekat, i da za to dobijesh ocenu. Recimo, ja sam ovog semestra pisao esej od 7,000 rechi za chas koji se zove "Intro to Mass Communication" umesto da pishem dva eseja od 1,200 rechi! Za nedelju dana imam prezentaciju pred celom shkolom o tome shta sam radio i o rezultatima istrazivanja!

    Chasovi su opushteni, i kreativni. Dodushe, neki bash i nisu, ali Boze moj, takvih ima svuda. Od 14 kurseva koliko sam dosad imao, mozda 4 mi se nisu dopala, ali nije bilo toliko strashno da se besim od muke... :rolleyes::) Na chasovima imash pravo da izrazish svoje mishljenje, i tretiraju te kao pojedinca, a ne kao broj, jer vas na chasovima nema vishe od 25!

    U socijalnom smislu, imaj u vidu da je grad VRLO MALI!!! I, kad to kazem, to najozbiljnije i mislim!!! Postoji samo jedna velika ulica, koja ima oko 300 metara, i to je to! Za najblizu diskoteku ti treba pola sata voznje kolima, a chak ni tu ne preporuchujem, jer tuche su chest pojam tamo! Za neki pristojni nocni klub ti treba oko sat i po voznje! Najveci deo aktivnosti se odvija na samom kampusu. Trenutno ima oko 820 studenata, i vrlo brzo pohvatash lica, jer iste ljude vidjash svaki dan! Meni je bilo vrlo teshko da se naviknem na sredinu i na ljude, jer ja mrzim da gledam ista lica svaki dan, i da se svima javljam po 5 puta dnevno! Ali, sada posle godinu dana, vec mi je javljanje postala rutina.

    Sve u svemu - akademski je fenomenalno, a socijalno moze bolje! Mada, sve zavisi od tebe, kakva si osoba, i kakvo ti okruzenje najbolje prija.

    2) Kakav je kriterijum za primanje stranih studenata? (sledeca dva pitanja, koliko je vazan tvoj akademski uspeh iz srednje skole, i sta se najvise ceni kad se dodeljuju stipendije za strane studente, s obzirom da SAT testovi nisu obavezni?, cu ukljuchiti u ovaj deo)

    Recicu ti da je moja shkola trenutno VRLO zainteresovana da poboljsha "diversity" na fakultetu, i da je vishe nego zeljna da ima shto vishe stranih studenata! Nazalost, ne znam koliko novca su odvojili za taj projekat ili koliko su spremni da odvoje!

    Odmah cu ti reci da se SVE gleda, ali da budem apsolutno iskren sa tobom, ne znam shta najvishe cene. Imao sam priliku da bacim pogled proshle godine na listu studenata koji su trebali da prime jednu od stipendija, i profa koji je bio u komitetu je imao i prosek studenata, i vannastavne aktivnosti, i rezultate testova, i kvalitet prijemnih eseja, ama bash sve, sazeto na malom parchetu papira!!! Tako da te SAMO prosek iz shkole, ili SAMO odlichne vannastavne aktivnosti nece staviti u poziciju da budesh najbolji kandidat, ali ce dobar rezultat iz tih oblasti svakako ostaviti odlichan utisak!

    E, a kad sam pomenuo SAT, ja bih ti savetovao da ga polazesh! Istina, SAT nije obavezan za GMC, ali je jako POZELJAN! SAT rezultat je jedna od mernih jedinica kvaliteta ovde, i, ako ti je rezultat u vrhu za americhke studente, svakako cesh ostaviti dobar utisak na komitet za dodeljivanje stipendija!

    Verujem da bi ovi odgovori trebalo da zadovolje tvoja pitanja. Ako zelish da pitash josh neshto, slobodno postavi pitanje, i potrudicu se da odgovorim najbolje shto mogu.

    Pozdrav,

    Dule

  3. Lazar did not go through IAC...we did not exist then, but all he needs to do is bring us a photo and he will get a card - consider it the equivalent of an honorary PhD...he he. Our admin is getting ready to promote him with some tag line...as well as Giga and Alexa.

    Elz

    Oh, geez, speaking of cards, I also gotta take a picture for the IAC card. Hehe... For all this time, I didn't get it... :)

  4. Znaci jedino da cekam sedmicu na loto-u:DD

    A sportske stipendije?Ili neka jeftinija varijanta?

    Veruj mi da vrlo malo znam shto se tiche srednjih shkola. Sportske stipendije se dele za fakultete, ali ne znam za srednje shkole. Ja bih ti savetovao da, ako si zainteresovana da studirash u SAD-u, da krenesh polako da se raspitujesh o fakultetima i svim chudesima kroz koje treba da prodjesh (aplikacija, testovi itd.). Druga godina srednje je IDEALNA da se krene. A mozesh da upadnesh na njihove fakultete i sa nashom srednjoshkolskom diplomom bez problema... :)

    Odlazak za srednju i planiranje studija tamo moze biti rizichan potez, jer mozesh da zavrshish sa ponudom koju ne mozesh da isfiniansirash, pa onda bi morala da se vratish nazad u Srbiju. A, ne znam kako nashe obrazovanje tretira 4. godinu srednje shkole tamo... I, plus, ako si ishla tamo sa planom da stvarno NASTAVISH studiranje, a to se ne ostvari. ispashce da si bacila $5000... Valjda sam dobro objasnio...

  5. Hvale puno na pomoci. Ja sam u medjuvremenu razgovarala sa savetnikom na koledzu u vezi cele procedure. I dalje me brine finansiranje, a za sve ostalo ce biti lako. 23-eg marta polazem TOEFL, koji mi nije problem, a 5-pg maja SAT za koji cu morati da se spremam.

    Imate li nekog iskustva sa placanjem koledza? Da li se placa cela godina unapred ili svaki semestar posebno? Tu informaciju nisam mogla da nadjem na njihovom sajtu.

    Hvala jos jednom na pomoci.

    Marijana

    Ako nisi mogla da nadjesh na njihovom sajtu, ja bih ti preporuchio da kontaktirash Business Office koledza. Napishi im e-mail ili ih pozovi telefonom i pitaj shta te tachno interesuje u vezi placanja, poshto su oni zaduzeni za te "beznachajne" detalje :lol:;) Pozdrav!

    Dule

  6. I'll answer this question:

    All you need to know is found on the following web-page

    http://gwired.gwu.edu/adm/apply/internatio...html#assistance

    As far as I could see, the University EXPECTS you to contribute significantly towards your education! Also, it seems to me that, unfortunately, the admissions officers were wrong the first time (and, were right the last time they contacted you).

    Take my advice (I've noticed that you've been shooting for the "big league" primarily), and advice of many people that I know (amongst others, PROFESSORS that I know here) - apply to a school that is not a super-hard one to get in, and from whom you can get a lot of money, and then, after you get your Bachelor's Degree, apply for Master studies on tough Universities!! There are several reasons why this is a better move:

    - you'll get to know the system in those 4 years

    - you'll improve your English significantly

    - you'll get a helluva lot better recommendations (if you try in your classes)

    - it'll be easier for you to be amongst the best (and get better grades easier), while at tougher Universities, if you get professors grade on a curve, you'll bust your ass studying, and you might score 90s (out of 100) on your tests, but, if most people got 95s, you're gonna end up with a C, even though 90 is pretty darn high!

    - if you're really smart and ambitious, at smaller colleges, everyone will be there to help you, and to guide you (and, they'll do it with greatest pleasure and satisfaction), while at bigger ones, you're just "one among the many" (it's a completely different treatment, believe me)

    - and, most importantly - graduate degrees, and graduate schools are what count nowadays!!! Last semester, one of my professors said that she found a data that said that 32% of Americans hold College Degrees!!!

    If you already got into some of the big universities (and got substantial funding), then my congratulations! If not, I would still consider "not-so-known" ones... Cheers, man!!

    Dule

  7. Here's first-hand information about interviews (I had an interview, so this is my experience with how it goes):

    If for the scholarship you've applied says that interview is required, then be absolutely sure that you'll have to do it! Know this - same rules apply to everybody, especially when big money (~$150,000 to $200,000 for 4 years) is in play! If you're not in the United States, and are not able to come to college campus for the interview, then the committee is going to call you!

    The committee usually consists of college's "honchos" - directors, and assistant directors (maybe alumnis and/or students). For example, I know in my (phone) interview, there was 8 people; I know for sure that Director of Admissions, Director of Financial Aid, assistant to the college's Provost, and a student that had that scholarship were on the committee.

    Now - the most important - what are they gonna ask you?! I would be prepared to ask the following questions (I can 100% guarantee you that you will be asked one of these questions):

    - What made you choose our college?

    - What are you planning on studying at our college (be sure to answer "why")?

    - Where do you see yourself in 5 years (alluding to after you graduate)?

    - Why do you think you would be a good candidate for us?

    - Why do you feel you should be awarded the scholarship?

    - Personal questions on leadership skills, academic and/or sports achievements, habits/hobbies!

    Here's a couple of tips for doing the phone interview:

    - FIRST AND FOREMOST - Because they can NOT see you, you can take advantage of that, and have some notes prepared! If you want, you can write THE ENITRE answers, but just do NOT let them figure out that you're reading the answers!!! That would be kinda bad for you :)

    - Be confident in what you are saying, and try to relax. Even if you are feeling nervous, the committee will understand, cuz 1) you're an international student, and 2) you're under big pressure... The comittee will always try to guide you along the way, so, just take it easy and take a couple of deep breaths before you begin.

    - You can rehearse OUT LOUD some of the answers! It'll boost your self-confidence significantly! If you can have actual people to listen to you (family/friends), that would be great!

    - Be honest in your answers! If there's any inconsistency in your application documents, and what you're telling them over the phone, they WILL know! They are very meticulous in their work, especially for big money!!!!

    - Don't be afraid to make a joke on something! Actually, humor is desirable and preferred!!! That doesn't mean that you should say "Hey, let me tell you a joke", but just make a witty and humorous remark where you find appropriate. Americans HIGHLY APPRECIATE good sense of humor!!!

    - Do NOT be modest about yourself, and what you accomplished in your life so far, but don't make them believe that you are bragging! I always like to say: "Be modest with your achievements, but don't be modest with the traits that made those achievements possible!" It is a WAR out there, and you are fighting for your shiny medal!!! Don't let others claim that medal!

    - BE YOURSELF!!!

    Also, when you're talking over the phone, they'll probably say "How're you doing", "What's up", and "How's it going"! Those are salutations, and you do NOT need to ACTUALLY answer them - just say "I'm doing alright", "It's going OK" etc. If they ask you "What's up", you can say "Nothing much... Just talking to you guys" (there's the humor thing)!

    Alright, I think I've said enough... Admin or Elizabeth, if you have anything else to add, be my guest! See y'all later!

  8. @ erol

    Shto se tiche tih 20 dolara, ako ne mozesh da nadjesh opciju placanja kreditnom karticom, mozesh da im napishesh devizni chek (na 20 USD).

    - Prvo, da bi mogao da napishesh chek, morash da imash otvoren devizni rachun u nekoj od banaka u Srbiji (kad sam ja slao chek, imao sam rachun u Komercijalnoj banci).

    - Zatim, kad otvorish rachun, trazi im da ti izdaju (zapravo, trebaju da naprave) "nostro" chek. Proces pravljenja cheka traje 3 poslovna dana. Naravno, banka MORA da zna kome ide chek, tachnu sumu na cheku i koja je svrha (u tvom sluchaju je "application fee for international students").

    - Poshto si odradio chek, morash da ga poshaljesh koledzu. Ne bih ti savetovao da shaljesh obichnom poshtom, jer ce trebati barem nedelju dana da stigne u SAD, a i mogu da ti zagube, pa posle da se obesish, a i ne mozesh da pratish chek. Ja sam slao preko FedEx-a; iako FedEx ne shalje novac, ako je korisnik cheka naveden (dakle, koledz je JEDINI koji moze da unovchi chek), ne bi trebalo da ti prave problem. Meni nisu...

    Shto se tiche pechata:

    Meni su objashnjavali da treba "apostilski" pechat, a kad sam ishao po sudovima i opshtinama, ljudi su me bledo gledali i pitali: "Je li, mali, shta ti je to?" Koliko se ja secam, apostilski pechat se jedino moze dobiti u Prvom opshtinskom sudu... Valjda... Ali, potpuno nebitno, jer meni fakultet NIJE trazio taj pechat. Zapravo, mom fakultetu u SAD-u NISAM slao uopshte originalna dokumenta na srpskom - samo sam im poslao PREVOD, koji MORA biti preveden i overen od strane sudskog tumacha (znachi, ne mozesh sam da prevedesh svedochanstva). I sve je bilo u redu, niko mi nije trazio nikakva dodatna dokumenta, niti pechate u vezi mojih svedochanstava.

    Nadam se da ce ti moji odgovori pomoci. Ako ti neshto nije jasno, slobodno me pitaj. Pozdrav!

    Dule

  9. Community colleges do not offer Master programs. They do not even offer Bachelor programs. Commnity colleges are 2-year schools that offer Associate Degree. Usually, a person can continue his/her education by enrolling a standard 4-year college to get a Bachelors Degree. After that, you can enroll Master studies...

    *maybe admin, as usual, would like to add something to my reply* :D

  10. If the coach says so, then you better believe him... It is not just the NCAA clearing house that you gotta pass, but also the admissions process for the college you are applying to. Keep that in mind...

    All I can tell you is to be VERY, VERY careful about the last available SAT test dates in EUROPE!!!! I know for sure last year, the last date to take the SAT in ?Europe was February 20-something, and then the next one was in either beginning of May or June. The best way to check the dates is to go to www.collegeboard.com and see when the tests are available.

    Take care, man, and best of luck!

    Dule

  11. Ako nema na CollegeBoard-u, onda veruj da NE moze da se polaze u Beogradu. U januaru proshle godine isto nije bilo moguce da se polaze u januaru, bash me chudi je i ove godine isto...

  12. Hey guys, how are you all?

    My name is Dusan Vuksanovic and I am a freshman student at Green Mountain College in Poultney, Vermont. My major is psychology at the moment, but I'm probably going to double it with communications later on. People at the International Academic Center helped me a lot through the processes of admission application, SAT preparation and they were a great moral support in addition!!! I definitely wouldn't be here if there weren't for you guys!!!

    I got to tell you, the USA is a pretty good and fun place to be if you want to:

    1) study and get appreciated for things you do in classroom;

    2) compare and contrast Serbian culture to American (and, there's a LOT to compare, believe me);

    3) improve your English (cuz the schools are gonna make you read and read, and then write and write)...

    If you need any help concerning the admission's process or SAT or general college lifestyle (though I have to mention that my college is a bit atypical, cuz it's a bit small), feel free to ask me.

    Moje ime je Dusan Vuksanovic i brucosh sam na Green Mountain koledzu u Poultney-u, Vermont. Trenutno studiram psihologiju, ali cu verovatno paraleno studirati i komunikacije kasnije. Ljudi u Akademskom centru su mi puno pomogli oko aplikacije i SAT priprema, a bili su mi takodje i moralna podrshka. Verovatno ne bih bio ovde da nije bilo njih!!!

    Amerka je prilichno dobro mesto ako zelite da:

    1) uchite i budete cenjeni za svoj rad i znanje u uchionici;

    2) poredite srpsku i americhku kulturu (ima puuuuno toga da se poredi, verujte mi);

    3) usavrshite engleski (jer profani ce da vas muche sa chitanjem, a posle cete i da pishete eseje na osnovu prochitanog).

    Ako vam treba neka pomoc ili imate neka pitanja u vezi aplikacije za fakultete, SAT ili uopshteno studentski zivot u SAD-u (mada moram da napomenem da je moj koledz specifichan, jer ima malo studenata (oko 700)), slobodno me kontaktirajte.

  13. Hmmm, I am at a College that is religiously affiliated with the United Methodist church. But, nobody makes me go to church, pray to God and things like that. Some 30 years ago, it was a common practice for all students to attend religious ceremonies, but now they dropped that. But, check with the school about that.

    I'm think an institution can't force you to do anything unless you SIGN it that you agree! I know quite a lot of people that have different religious beliefs and it would be ridiculous to make them do something they don't want to.

    But, as far as that knitting thing goes... BELIEVE IT!!!!! I had a girl today come to class with her knitting thingies and she knit a cap while we were discussing. And, I saw people coming to classes barefoot!

  14. 1. Da li bi pre prijavljivanja datuma za polaganje SAT-a trebalo negde da nagovestim da planiram da upisem AUBG, tj. da polazem Institucionalni SAT?

    2. Prijava ispita kosta oko $61.50 i to vazi samo za 1 polaganje?

    PS. Sta je SOROS stipendija i kome je namenjena?

    1) Stavicesh online da zelish da ti rezultati idu na fakultet koji zelish (dakle, mozesh da stavish i AUBG). Samo, uradi to PRE nego shto izadjesh na ispit, jer onda ne morash da placash dostavu. Zapravo, besplatna dostava vazi samo za prva 4 navedena fakulteta!!! Inache, svako slanje rezultata se placa 9 USD! Ne morash da navedesh na CollegeBoardu da cesh polagati Institucionalni SAT.

    2) Da, vazi samo za jedno polaganje!

  15. Mala napomena shto se tiche nachina placanja:

    Naime, u broshuri koju dobijete za ambasadu SAD-a stoji da je SEVIS taksu moguce platiti preko Western Uniona! Medjutim, to je NEMOGUCE!!!

    Zakon Srbije ne dozvoljava vrshenje finansijskih transakcija ka inostranstvu tim putem, samo od inostranstva ka nama. Tako da vam ostaju 2 opcije - placanje ONLINE preko devizne kreditne kartice ili putem poshte.

    Placanje ONLINE je mnogo jednostavnije i sve je gotovo kroz 5 sekundi! Uplatnicu cete odshampati na vashem printeru i poneti je sa sobom u ambasadu na intervju!

    Placanje poshtom moze biti problem ako nemate vremena. Ako se odluchite na ovaj korak, evo koliko ce vam minimalno trebati vremena da zavrshite sve:

    - izdavanje NOSTRO cheka od strane vashe banke ---> 3 dana

    - slanje pisma kurirskom sluzbom i evidentiranje u SEVIS bazu----> 4-5 dana

    - dobijanje uplatnice posle evidentiranja ----> 3 (ako ste doplatili 30 $ da vam poshalju preko kurirske sluzbe) ili 7-14 dana (obichnom poshtom)

    Sveukupno, rachunajte da ce vam od pochetka do kraja (dakle, kad vam uplatnica dodje na kucnu adresu) trebati minimum 10-11 dana.

  16. Hahahaha, pa, doshao je red malo na mene da se 'ladim. Karta je rezervisana za 17. avgust, a nije mi josh stigao I-20, ne znam da li da ih zovem da vidim shta je sa tim, poshto su mi rekli pre 3 nedelje da ce "prionuti na posao", a nishta nije doshlo do sada.

    Doci cu sutra malo do vas, pre nego shto odem u Americhki kutak, taman da ti pokazem one zezalice shto sam ti prichao (za Simpsonove, oni shto im daju glasove).

    Pozdrav, pa se vidjamo.

  17. Planiram da polazem TOEFL ove godine, a konkurisem za upis tek sledece godine, pa me zanima da li moram da na testu navedem univerzitete na koje hocu da rezultati budu poslani ili to mogu kasnije da trazim. Kakva je tu procedura?

    Mozesh kasnije da trazish, nije problem, samo shto cesh morati da im platish (i to ne male pare, negde oko 18 USD po fakultetu!!!). Ako navedesh fakultete pre polaganja ispita, ETS ce ih dostaviti besplatno.

    Sta i ako im navedem sada univerzitete, a apliciram tek sledece godine, da li se ti rezultati cuvaju?

    Ako mislish da li se chuvaju na fakultetu, ja MISLIM da bi trebalo, ali to vec treba da pitash ili fakultet ili ADMINA :D Inache, chisto da znash, TOEFL ti vazi 2 godine!!!!

    I jos nesto. Na sajtu TOEFL-a pise da kada se registrujem, dobijam besplatno knjigu iz koje treba da spremam ispit. Da li je to dovoljno?

    Meni je bilo dovoljno, mada, opet, ja sam polagao Paper-Based Test u novembru 2005. Ja sam, recimo, imao taj oficijelni CD i knjigu i josh neki CD sa strane i bilo mi je skroz OK. Ali, voleo bih da ti, iz iskustva, napomenem neshto - ta knjiga nekad i NE STIGNE!!! Recimo, bilo je par ljudi na ispitu kad sam ja polagao, koji nisu dobili nishta!! Nisu dobili chak ni takozvane "admission ticket"-e, koji su obavezni za polaganje. Tako da ti ja ne bih preporuchio da se oslanjash samo na ETS ;)

    Da li je to ista knjiga kao ova koja se moze kupiti u knjizarama? Sta mi vi preporucujete odakle da se spremam?

    Uf, ja nemam pojma da li uopshte ima da se kupi knjiga za pripremu TOEFL testa u bilo kojoj knjizari. Verovatno da se varam, tako da me nemoj drzati za ovo... Ja se nadam da IAC i dalje pruza uslugu besplatnog probnog testiranja TOEFL-a (ja sam to davno odradio, tako da ne znam da li se promenilo ishta u organizaciji). Toplo bih ti savetovao da, ako pruzaju (shto ce ADMIN verovatno reci), odesh i testirash se PRELIMINARNO, chisto da vidish kako stojish... ;) Ako zelish da vidish neke knjige ili CD-ove, pogledaj ili u IAC-u ili u Americhkom kutku u Svetozara Markovica, svi su super ljudovi :D :D ;)

    Josh bih ti preporuchio da pogledash FAQ na sajtu www.toefl.org. Idesh na "About the Test">"Izaberesh drzavu i grad">"Frequently asked Questions". Trebalo bi da ti odgovori na vecinu pitanja koje mozda imash josh sa strane ;)

    Eto, to je par saveta od mene...

    ADMINEEE, na tebe je red... :D;)

  18. Hmmm.... razlichiti fakulteti daju razlichite stipendije shto se tiche "transfer" studenata. Fazon je u tome shto, koliko ja znam, "transfer" studenti su u loshijem polozaju nego studenti koji tamo upisuju prvu godinu, tj. za transfer studente se daje manje para (shto ne znachi da neki ne nude i pune stipendije, samo ih je teze "uloviti").

    Ako te interesuje finansiranje, najbolje bi ti bilo da odesh na website fakulteta i u delu "financial aid" (nekad je pod "admissions office") pogledash stipendije koje nude za transfer studente.

    Druga stvar je da odesh na Google, ukucash "scholarship" ili "scholarship for transfer students", pa vidi shta ti je ponudjeno.

    Meni je ponestalo ideja...

    Admineeeeee, javiii seeeee!!!! :D

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