The Foreign Service Journal, June 2005

J U N E 2 0 0 5 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 83 S CHOOLS S UPPLEMENT recognize that they are the con- sumers here.” Senior Year This is it: application deadlines are looming. If you’ve already done a lot of the legwork before the fall, the process will be labor-intensive but not overwhelming. Guidance counselors, admissions officers, and students who’ve been there have three words of advice: Do not procrastinate! During the Fall Semester: • If you haven’t already, finalize your list of colleges, mark their admissions deadlines on your cal- endar (usually around Jan. 1), and complete the applications. Remem- ber that your deadlines for organizing all your materials must be much earli- er in order to make their deadlines. Once your high school is closed for Continued from page 77 Continued on page 84 How Do I Know What College Is Best For Me? “D o a self-assessment,” advises Mary Karen Vellines, senior associate dean of admissions at Hamilton College. “Figure out how you learn best. Do you want to be anonymous in class or do you learn best in small, seminar classes? Do you want to be a big fish in a small pond or a small fish in a big pond? Do you want to be able to participate in theater and music without majoring in these areas? Do you want to be a part of a community or a big city?” Just because a college has a prestigious name doesn’t mean it’s necessarily the right place for you. “I tell students that it’s like shoes: if everyone wants to wear Nike, but Adidas fits you better, get the Adidas,” says Kathy McKenna of St. John’s International School. Many counselors believe that American kids who are used to an international school need to find a college environment where a premium is placed on diversity. “I tell the students that they may be more comfortable in universities that have a strong interna- tional, racial and ethnic mix if they’ve been abroad for any appreciable amount of time,” advises Tom Smith, college counselor at the International School of Brussels. Ultimately, students will probably choose a place where they feel they “fit.” Yet in their quest for the perfect school, Vellines reminds students to “keep in mind that there is no one right college for anyone. College is only as good as your willingness to get involved and invest yourself.” — Francesca Huemer Kelly