The Foreign Service Journal, December 2018

SCHOOLS AT A GLANCE Go to our webpage at www.afsa.org/education. Enrollment Gender Distribution M/F Percent Boarding Percent Int’l. Levels Offered AP/IB u TABS common application Accept ADD/LD Miles to Int’l. Airport International Students Orientation Holiday Break Coverage uu Annual Tuition, Room& Board (US $) Page Number School 110 DECEMBER 2018 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL u Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate uu Dec. 25-Jan 1. NA, Not applicable NP, Information not provided a Sibling discount b Financial aid available c Dollar value subject to exchange rate d Aid for federal employees e Gap year f Need-blind admission; will meet full financial need g Host families student events or even blogs by current students. (Another fun activity: Search online for “Name of College” + “famous alumni” or “famous graduates.”) 6. Finally, go to “review” websites, where students and others give hon- est opinions of their colleges. Sites to try: unigo.com, collegeconfidential.com, niche.com . Please keep inmind that one disgruntled student’s opinion should not be a factor in your decision; but many dis- gruntled students might be a red flag. Homework status: By Day 7, you should have a list of 10-20 colleges that you’d be happy to attend. What Your List Means Having this list will allow you tomove forward in the application process. But remember that this is just a starting point. Youmay be intrigued by a college repre- sentative’s visit, or suddenly hear about a college you’ve never heard of before—or even consider attending school in a dif- ferent country. Youmay end up hating a college if you finally visit the campus. (Visits, while helpful, are not convenient or affordable for everyone.) So, your list may change, and that’s a good thing for the next few months. Now that you’re a pro at researching colleges, you can easily find 15 minutes here or there to make the research ongoing. That said, by the end of 11th grade try to stick with the list you’ve got so you can move forward with writing essays over the summer. Your final college list should include a mix of institutions in cities, suburbs and rural areas; schools that are large, small or in-between; schools that are in different regions of the country or even in more than one country; and schools that offer several potential majors or programs of interest. Make sure you love all of the col- leges on that list, even the safety schools. Finally, do not be wedded to the idea that there is only one college that can make you happy. There are thou- sands of institutions where you can get a great education and where you will make lifelong friends. When the college admissions process gets daunting—and it will—look at your list and know that you’ve done your homework and chosen a well-researched list of schools that offer many possibilities. You could even say that this list repre- sents something bigger than just a college list. It’s not a bad way to approach life: with solid preparation, open expectations and hope for a great adventure. n Continued from page 106 n DISTANCE LEARNING Stanford Online 103 Enrollment is 704, with a boy/girl distribution of 50/50. State Department covers tuition. High School WASC Accredited, diploma-granting independent school (7-12). Global and academically motivated student body, American college-preparatory education. Advanced Academic program (AP and university-level courses). Student services and vibrant student life. State Department covers tuition. ohs.stanford.edu Texas Tech 105 Texas Tech UniversityIndependent School District offers Kindergarten-12th grade and accredited HS diploma; University K12.ttu.edu/fsj TTU K-12 Texas Tech 97 Texas Tech University Worldwide eLearning offers online bachelor’s through graduate programs. University elearning.ttu.edu/fsj Worldwide eLearning n OTHER AAFSW Publisher of Raising Kids in the Foreign Service . A volunteer organization that supports Associates of Foreign Service employees, spouses, partners and members of household. the American www.aafsw.org See FSHub.org. F.S. Worldwide FLO 106 Family Liaison Office: Information and resources for Foreign Service families. Contact FLOAskEducation@state.gov, or go to www.state.gov/m/dghr/flo/c1958.htm. FSYF 115 Foreign Service Youth Foundation: A support network for U.S. Foreign Service youth worldwide. Go to www.fsyf.org.