February 2019

 

Dear Students and Parents,

 

It is hard to believe January is already behind us! That said, we in College Counseling have been busy on a number of fronts, most noteworthy, in wrapping up final submissions for many of our seniors and transitioning to focusing on the juniors. Moving forward, the seniors are now mostly waiting until March for college results, and we are moving right along with our work with the juniors moving into our 6th class meeting now that College Week is behind us.

 

During our presentation to the junior parents during our first week back, we had prepared a series of slides on various fallacies in the college process, but due to time restrictions, we were unable to share them. However, we have added them to our FAQ section of our blog, and we welcome you to view them – along with answers to a host of other questions we commonly encounter. Furthermore, if you have any questions that you would like us to address, please email me directly (neillj@tas.tw) with them, and we will be sure to incorporate them into the blog or in future newsletters!

Also, please be aware that all past newsletters can be found on our Social Media Mash-Up page, an aggregation of all of our various outlets: our blog, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. If you are on any of these platforms, please follow and engage with us! In particular, be aware of our daily Facebook posts, helpful for students and parents alike!

 

 Here are some important items for everyone:

• If you have not read this yet, please do so now: on Depositing and Double Depositing. (And be sure to tell your college counselor when you have deposited!)
  
• Have you received a conditional offer of admission?
• Were you deferred to regular decision? (Read this on writing updates.)
• Ending the school year strong is an expectation! Avoid the nefarious senior slump!
• Are you planning to send updates to your colleges? (And read this!)
• Have you read our transition talking points yet? Start these conversations early!
  
• Parents: If applying for financial aid, don't forget to complete your FAFSA!
• Reminder: Check college application portals regularly!
• Reminder: Update your college counselor on any and all results!

 

• Check out this recap of College Week.
• The Common Application released its essay prompts for next year!
• Consider the TAS Summer Academy Internship program.
• Do you have plans for the summer yet??? This is especially important for juniors!
• Conquering the SAT Subject Tests.
• Are you planning for any college visits over CNY or spring break? 
• Be sure to check out who is visiting TAS! 
  
• Have you been following our Testing Plan recommendations?  
  
• Juniors are working on identifying criteria for their college search. Here are some resources:
  • 7 Steps to Find Your Ideal University
  • Considering Colleges in Small Towns and Rural Areas
  • 14 Questions to Ask When Assessing Global Outlook
• Parents: Did you miss the Junior Parent College Night at the beginning of January? Here's a link to the video for your review. 
  

• Have you made summer plans yet? Now is a great time!

• Have you read our updated standardized testing recommendations?

• Sophomores should consider their academic futures in regards to AP and IB courses.
• More on curricular decisions...

• Thinking about summer yet? You should be!
• Details on whether you should take an SAT Subject Test.
• Read books. 
• Find interests.

Thank you for your time and attention here. We advise that all upper school parents and students at least read the grade-appropriate information above. Let us know if there is anything else we might do to be helpful!

Have a great start month!

 

 

Mr. Jeffrey Neill

Director of College Counseling

 

 

 

 

No. 800, Sec. 6, Chung-Shan N. Rd., Taipei, Taiwan
Phone: +886 (2) 2873-9900
Fax: +886 (2) 2873-1641
School website: https://www.tas.edu.tw