The Foreign Service Journal, June 2005

72 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / J U N E 2 0 0 5 S CHOOLS S UPPLEMENT make sure you have a comprehen- sive college resource book, such as The Best 357 Colleges (Princeton Review), so that you can see at a glance what high school courses U.S. colleges require for admission. • Attend college fairs, usually hosted by international schools. Also, the Office of Overseas Schools sponsors the Overseas School Project in conjunction with the College Board, providing information and workshops at overseas posts and schools through visiting admissions deans. • Put together a filing system or notebook for your college choices. When you register on college Web sites, you will start getting materials in the mail. You will need ways to orga- nize brochures and applications: a special bookshelf, notebook, comput- er database, portable filing cabinet or a combination of these. • Keep your grades up, and get tutoring in weak subjects if necessary. During the Spring Semester: • Narrow your field of col- leges. In today’s competitive cli- mate, most students apply to six to nine colleges, spread relatively even- ly among reach, match and safety schools. “I sit down with a student and we compare his grades and test Continued from page 71 Continued on page 76 In today’s competitive climate, most students apply to six to nine colleges, spread relatively evenly among reach, match and safety schools.