EVENTS this September ...

There are a lot of higher education events coming up in Hong Kong over the next few months.  We will post details and links to further information on these as they come to hand - so check back regularly for updates!

 - September - 


CAMBRIDGE ADMISSIONS PRESENTATION
Information on applying to Cambridge for students and parents
Dr Andrew Murray will be giving a presentation for year 12 and 13 students and their parents on applying to Cambridge and the admissions process.
When & Where
Monday, 19 September 2011
7 - 8:30 PM
Leo Lee Arts Center, Canadian International School
36 Nam Long Shan Road
Aberdeen

Please let the HE office know if you are intending to attend.  In order to maximise space for students it is requested that only one parent attend per student.

PLANNING A GAP YEAR? - TUNE IN TO A WEBINAR ON TRAVEL AND VOLUNTEERING ADVICE

AVENTURE a gap and volunteer experience company is offering a series of 30-minute 'Webinars' on Wednesday 21 and Thursday 22 September. These online presentations will cover a variety of topics around volunteering in the developing world and travel safety. They are designed to provide you with useful information for anyone thinking of taking a gap period/year out.



To take part in a webinar,register via the links below. All you will need to watch the presentation is access to the internet and a computer with sound output.

Planning your year out Travel safety tips Volunteering abroad and Volunteering with AV: 
Webinar Schedule  - Sept 2011 (All times are BST)

Wednesday 21 September
09:00 Planning your year out  Register here
12:00 Travel safety tips for your year out Register here
15:00 Volunteering abroad and improving your career prospects: help others to help yourself Register here 
16:00 Volunteering with AV: a typical project from start to finish Register here

Thursday 22 September 2011
09:00 Volunteering with AV: a typical project from start to finish Register here
12:00 Planning your year out Register here
15:00 Travel safety tips for your year out Register here
16:00 Volunteering abroad and improving your career prospects: help other to help yourself Register here

UNIVERSITY OF EXETER
Applying to UK universities: How to stand out from the crowd! 
Applying to the UK for study next year or thinking ahead for 2013? Exeter is running this session for you.  It will have a particular focus on:

• the personal statement
• what Admissions Tutors look for when considering an application via UCAS 

When & Where
Saturday, 24 September 2011
6 - 9 PM
Empire Room 1, The Empire Hotel  
33 Hennessy Road
Wanchai

RSVP as soon as possible to the HE Office - attendance is by rsvp only. 




IIE US - Higher Education Fair
Meet admissions officers from over 60 accredited US colleges and universities
Also on offer are presentations on:

• the value and lifelong rewards of US higher education
• how to choose and apply to suitable US institutions
• how to apply for a student visa
• TOEFL and GRE seminar

When & Where
Sunday, 25 September 2011
12-4 PM
Conrad Hotel Grand Ballroom
Admiralty

Admission is Free.  To pre-register and view the college list visit iiehongkong. 
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UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Meet the admissions officer from UPenn and learn more about this university 
When & Where
Monday, 26 September 2011
7- 9 PM
HKFC, Sports Road
Happy Valley

Pre-registration is essential. You can pre-register by email.

UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME - DISCOVER NOTRE DAME TOUR
Find out more - 26 September 2011

When & Where
American Club 
Monday 26 September 2011
7 - 9 PM



Register before attending if possible.

LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS AND POLITICAL SCIENCE
Learn more about LSE, programmes offered and Admissions 
Rosemary McAlonan, Student Recruitment Officer at LSE, will be conducting an information session for prospective LSE students in Hong Kong.  This session will cover both undergraduate and graduate admissions and will provide an opportunity for you to learn more about LSE and to pose any questions you might have about the application process, studying at LSE or student life in London. This event is free of charge but requires registration in advance.

For more information see the flyer.

When & Where
Tuesday, 27 September 
7 - 9 PM
Room 309 3/F, British Council,
3 Supreme Court Road, Admiralty

For enquiries call 2913 5100 or e-mail.  To rsvp complete the online registration form 

SHAW PRIZE LECTURE 2011
'Spacetime Geometry and the Einstein Equations' and 'Hot Geometry'
The Shaw Prize honours individuals who have achieved significant breakthroughs in academic and scientific research or application and whose work has resulted in a positive and profound impact on mankind.  The Shaw College is part of the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Professor Demetrios Christodoulou and Professor Richard S Hamilton were awarded the Shaw Prize for their highly innovative works.  Come and hear them speak on 29 September 2011
When & Where
Thursday, 29 September 2011
5 PM
Shaw College Lecture Theatre
Chinese University Hong Kong 

Admission is Free.  RSVP by 9 September is essential.  RSVP by email or by ph 3943 8538
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Doing your research into universities and colleges?

The following links and site references are ones that you may find useful in your search for information.  It is not an exhaustive list!

It goes without saying that a good starting point is always the actual university or college website.  

Happy researching...

UK calling?

• The place to start looking for information on UK universities. The Universities Colleges and Admissions Service website (known by everybody as UCAS) is more than just an applications service – it is also a useful source of knowledge on UK universities and courses they offer.

• For international students, there is a lot of helpful information here at the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) site.

• The Guardian also has a good site for information on higher education in the UK.

• Virtual tours and research opportunities are often available via Education UK . The UK government also has an official university comparison site and this site, which goes through the basics of considering courses. In addition to university options it looks at other courses of study – great if you are looking at an alternative to university or a gap year.

• Want to know if a university is having an open day?   Have a look here - the site will you lots of information on what you can expect from an open day and handiest of all, a calendar listing all open days on any given day. So if you are going to be in the UK – check out the calendar and see if there is an open day near you.

• Financial assistance information may also be useful. A first point of contact will always be the university directly. Other information can be found in respective UK country sites:

• England: www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance

• Wales: www.studentfinancewales.co.uk

• Scotland: www.saas.gov.uk

• Northern Ireland: www.studentfinanceni.co.uk

• Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man: www.gov.gg www.gov.je or www.gov.im.

• Prepare for Success is an interactive web learning tool for international students who are getting ready to come to the UK for study in further or higher education. It contains learning resources which are activity-based to help you find out about different aspects of academic life in the UK and the skills needed for effective study.

Bound for the USA?

• A good starting point for all things higher education wise in the US is the EducationUSA site.  It is worth keeping a check on this site as they have useful webinars that they run from to time Another government site that is useful is college navigator which has a useful search tool. For financial aid, especially if you are a US citizen, you should start your research at FAFSA .

• For a website that offers insight into freshman to sophomore retention rates as well as graduation rates of colleges and universities see collegeresults.

• Also useful is unigo  which features comments from students and faculty of colleges and allows you to look beyond brochures to gain another insight into universities and colleges. 

• Another useful site where you can get comments on what people really think about a college or follow other people’s queries about a university you are interested in is collegeconfidential.

Canada beckoning?

• Notes for citizens on planning post-secondary education and option can be found at canlearn  and notes for non-citizens can be found at cic.

• For more information see studying in Canada.

Australia & New Zealand inspiring you?

• Australian universities and colleges have an excellent reputation for quality international education.  Studylink, australian-universities and idp sites give you not just information about the universities and courses offered but also information on Australia itself.  

• New Zealand has seven universities - find out more at New Zealand educated, study in New Zealand and universitiesnz. 

World wide References…

• YouTube has many college clips giving you a flavour of colleges around the world.  This one from Yale should make you smile.

• One of the best sites, with comprehensive and useful “sister” sites is  i-student advisor  which has information on the US, UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.  It also allows you to make comparisons, research courses around the world, provides an excellent e-magazine and more.

(We have also made every effort to make sure the links we've included here are live and useful - but we do not make any guarantees.)

'A Pre-College Summer To-Do List' and 'Now That You’ve Gotten In'

A couple of interesting blog entries/articles from the New York Times education section here on preparing for college and making the most of your summer.  Also, advice on what you need to focus on now that you've got your college placement sorted...

Alumni Panel Evening - 9 June 2011

The Alumni Panel evening was a great success ... 

On June 9 we held another successful Alumni panel evening with two panels, one from the US and the inaugural alumni panel from the UK.  The US panel had graduates from Yale, Dartmouth, Fordham, USC, George Washington, Smith College and Northeastern and the UK panelists were graduates from UCL, Kings College London, Edinburgh, Manchester, York and Warwick.

We received some great feedback from a parent of a Year 12 student:

“…they all felt that this kind of information was what they could really relate to..." and "[For the panelists] To take time off like they did from their busy lives to talk to a bunch of students with such
disarming candour and honesty was why, in my opinion, this panel was such a such a success.”

Our sincerest thanks go out to all our panelists for their thought-provoking comments and anecdotes. We look forward to welcoming US and UK alumni to Island School again next year.

Some of the photos from the event are below:

Don't miss the Alumni Panel Event next year...