The Foreign Service Journal, December 2015

68 DECEMBER 2015 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL EDUCATION SUPPLEMENT may be contacted by using the following email configuration: CLOpostname@ state.gov (e.g., CLOLima@state.gov ). Homeschooling and virtual school programs have multiplied and flour- ished over the last two decades. Dif- ferent program protocols exist. Many offer International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement credits. Some have rolling start dates; others have more traditional beginning and completion dates. This can be an important option for Foreign Service families that find schools located closer to the family’s post can make home visits easier for the children. Families considering boarding school may want to look at those accredited by U.S.-based educational associations, a factor that may be important when transferring to a new school or applying to college. Also, many offer I.B. and A.P. credits. Others have specialty programs in sports, arts, sciences, robotics and ecology, to name a few. There is even a boarding school in Vermont with a working farm, where the students are responsible for growing their own food and caring for the animals. What about children with special needs? Unlike public school systems in the United States, independent schools International schools are independent institutions and have their own admissions policies. their transfer dates are “off-cycle” from more traditional semester timelines. Some Foreign Service students attend boarding schools. These institutions offer wonderful opportunities, especially continuity during the high school years when kids may be more reluctant to relocate. There are many boarding schools in the United States, as well as overseas. Some U.S. boarding schools may be located close to relatives, which may be attractive to some Foreign Service families; but overseas boarding From the FSJ Education Supplement December 2011 College Applications Checklist for 11th-Graders BY FRANCESCA KE L LY W hen it comes to college admissions, junior year of high school is crunch time. This is when you’re expected to take the most challenging courses, get the best grades and start racking up those SAT or ACT scores. Junior year is the last full academic year that factors into acceptance decisions from colleges. It also provides an opportunity to bring up a mediocre grade point average and polish your resumé. In addition, you can finish—yes, finish—a whole swath of the applications process in 11th grade so that you do not get hit with a ton of pressure the next fall. This no-nonsense, month-by-month guide from December through August of your junior year will help you get a head start on the college application process and sail through your senior year. Francesca Kelly, a Foreign Service spouse, is a col- lege applications essay tutor and writes frequently on educational issues. The college applications checklist for 11th-graders in the December 2011 issue of the FSJ is available online at www.afsa.org/educationarticles.