This document provides information about the college application process for students at the International School of Manila. It discusses application regulations, requirements, deadlines, components, and next steps. Key points include: the 10 application limit per cycle; importance of meeting deadlines and requirements; differences between the US and Canadian application systems; components of applications like essays, recommendations, and testing; application timelines and options like early decision; and assistance available from counselors.

1. Thursday September 10, 2015
Little Theater
5:30pm – 7:30pm
Class of 2016

4.  ISM Application Regulations:
Ten apps worldwide (UC/UCAS are 1 each)
The ten application rule applies to the entire
application cycle
 Students MUST know DEADLINES and
REQUIREMENTS
 Procrastination is the enemy (and doesn’t make a good
impression)
 Students need to stay strong to the finish because all
offers are conditional

7. USA CANADA
 319 million people
 About 3,000 four year
colleges/universities
 Our kids focus on about 50
 Holistic Review (generally
speaking)
 More complex
 More time consuming
 Generally earlier deadlines
 34 million people
 98 four year
colleges/universities
 Our kids focus on about 3-5
 Academic review (HS
Transcript and IB Predicted
Grades)
 Less Complex
 Less Time Consuming
 Generally later deadlines

8. Friday December 4th
ICARE (Dec. 7th – Dec. 10th
Early Student Release (Dec. 11th)
Winter Holidays (Dec. 12th – Jan. 4th)

10.  Senior Profile
 Check Transcript
 Meet with counselor
 Finalize plans with
family
 Two Teacher
Recommendations
 Why College X Essay
 Draft College Essays
 Register for Testing
 Peer Comments
 Create Application
Accounts

11. There’s a LOT they should be working on!

12. How and When to Apply

13.  Early Applications
Early Decision & Early Decision II (EDI & EDII)
Single-Choice (Restricted) Early Action
Early Action
Priority
 Regular Applications
 Rolling Applications
Early Decision is NOT for everyone.
Need to discuss with your counselor.

14.  Your child is 100% sure that this is the college for him/her
in terms of fit…regardless of other college application
submitted around the world (Applying to US and UK
example).
 Academically (SAT/ACT & HS Grades) you child is at or
near what the particular college is looking for.
 Your child does not believe he/she will get significantly
higher in terms of academics by waiting to apply later
(Regular Decision).
 The school actually offers Early Decision.
Early Decision is BINDING

15.  Regular Applications
 Rolling Applications
 Nothing “early” but it is possible there could be a
“priority” deadline for say a particular scholarship

16. Components and Process

17.  Applications
 Essays
 Teacher Recommendations
 Counselor Evaluation
 Standardized Testing (SAT/ACT)
 Transcripts / IB Predicted Grades
 TOEFL/IELTS (Possible)

18.  Applications
 Transcripts / IB Predicted Grades
 TOEFL/IELTS (Possible)
********************************************
 Essays (Possible but usually very few or not at all)
 No Standardized (SAT/ACT) Testing (only if IB
Certificates)
 Generally no Teacher Recommendations
 Generally no Counselor Evaluations

20. THE COMMON APPLICATION THE UC APPLICATION
 Over 500 member colleges
 Open now
 Submit prior to school
deadlines
 One Common Application
Essay
 Possibly some
supplementary essays/short
answer questions
 9 UC Universities
 Open now
 Submit: November 1 to
November 30
 Two Essays / Two Writing
Prompts
 Self Report Grades

23.  The Ontario University Application Center
(OUAC)
 Available Mid September
 May apply to two or three faculties per
university
 State a preference
 May apply to more than initial three
universities/programs
 Different application depending on whether
you are a Canadian living abroad or a non-
Canadian living abroad

25. If not a “common” application…?
There will be an online application at the
institution’s website.
You make an account, fill out the
application, save & eventually submit.

27. For ALL Application Accounts you create:
BE CAREFUL
Your NAME (Passport Name)
Your EMAIL (Appropriate)

29.  The only major
component of the
application process in
which the student has
a voice.
 Makes the applicant
“stand out”
 Must be genuine,
personal, thoughtful
and interesting
 Should not reiterate
what can already be
seen elsewhere in the
application
 Minimal for Canada

31.  Teachers focus on
their experiences of
the student in the
classroom.
 Counselors focus on
the whole individual in
the context of the
school and the
community
 Teacher Survey
 Senior Profile (should
be completed)

33. USA CANADA
 SAT 1 or ACT with Writing is
generally needed
 SAT Subject Tests are
needed for certain schools
(generally the more
competitive, the greater the
chance you need them)
 SAT/ACT Optional Schools
(www.fairtest.org)
 If IB Diploma = You DON”T
NEED a SAT/ACT score
 However, some schools like
McGill University will look at
it if you sent it (only send if it
is a strong score)
 If IB Certificates = You
NEED an SAT/ACT score

34. SAT Test Date
Registration
Deadline
October 3 September 13
November 7 October 9
December 5 November 5
January 23 December 28
May 7 * April 8
June 4 * May 5
ACT Test Date
Registration
Deadline
September 12 August 7
October 24 September 18
December 12 November 6
April 9 March 4
June 11 May 6

35.  Plan a testing schedule to meet
all requirements and deadlines
 Discuss with your HS
counselor!
 ED/EA Applications
• Most colleges will accept the
Nov. 2015 SAT/ACT but send
them DIRECT
• Send something no later than the
end of October
 Regular Applications
• Most college should accept the
December 2015 SAT/ACT
(includes UC schools)
• Some may consider January
scores but send them DIRECT
 Plan to finish testing by
December 2015

37.  Predicted IB scores are
automatically sent by
ISM for all IB Diploma
candidates
 Predicted Grades
• October predictions are
sent with ALL early
applications (Oct. 9)
• November/December
predictions are sent with
the Mid-Year Report
• Offers of Admission are
conditional upon similar
actual IB results
 Actual Grades
• Sent directly from IB to
the attending college in
July

38.  Predicted IB scores are
automatically sent by ISM
for all IB Diploma
candidates
 Predicted Grades
• December predictions are
sent in January
• Admission decision are
based largely on the basis
of the predicted IB score
• Offers of Admissions are
conditional upon a student
achieving similar actual IB
scores
 Actual Grades
• Sent directly from IB to the
attending college in July

40. You MUST request HS transcripts to be
sent to ALL your colleges
By requesting HS transcripts, you are
indicating 100% that you are applying to
the particular colleges/universities
selected.
If you DO NOT request the HS transcript to
be sent to a particular school, we WILL
NOT send any school documents there
(your application will be INCOMPLETE)

43. Know your deadlines!
Please check each individual
university/college website to confirm.

44.  Early Applications
Early Decision (Nov. 1/15) & Early Decision II (Jan. 1)
Single-Choice (Restricted) Early Action (Nov. 1)
Early Action (Nov. 1/15)
Priority (earlier than normal …Nov. 1)
 University of California (Nov 30)
 Regular Applications (typically January or later - Jan. 1/15)
 Rolling Applications (applications are open and decisions are
made up to a specific date…usually March or later)

45.  Regular Applications (January or later)
 McGill University (January 15)
 University of Toronto (basically January 14 or 30)
 UBC (January 31)
 University of Waterloo (end of March)
 Rolling Applications (varies)
 Apply first semester (around October-November)

47. USA CANADA
 US Citizens
• Eligible for:
 Federal Aid
 Institutional Aid
 Private Aid
 International
• Eligible for:
 Limited Institutional Aid
 Limited Private Aid
 Canadian Citizens
• Eligible for:
 Provincial Aid (OSAP)
 Some Institutional Aid
 Some Private Aid
 International
• Eligible for:
 Very Limited Institutional Aid
 Very limited Private Aid

48.  Check each university/college website for
details on what is available, how to apply and
the deadlines
 There are forms/applications to be filled out if
you require Need Based Aid
 There could be forms/applications to fill out
for Merit Based Aid as well
 Speak to your child’s high school counselor

49. What we send and how

50.  Initial Transcripts
 Teacher
Recommendations
 Counselor Evaluation
 IB Predicted Scores
 Mid-Year Report
• Updated Transcript
• Updated Predicted
Scores
 Final Transcript
As long as the student requests a HS transcript (and supporting
documents) to be sent to a particular school)

51. What happens next

53.  Early Applications
• Typically decisions are released in mid-December
• A few release decisions in January
 Regular Applications
• Early March to early April
 Rolling Applications
• From the time the application is complete …
• A few days to a few months

54.  Early Application
• Admitted
• Deferred
• Denied
 Regular and Rolling Applications
• Admitted
• Waitlisted
• Denied

55.  May 1 Reply Date
• Deposit to one institution
• If admitted later from a school to which you are
waitlisted, you forfeit your original deposit
 Applying to Countries with Later Decisions
• Discuss options with your counselor

56.  Reply Date (Varies by school)
• Deposit to one institution
• If admitted later from a school to which you are
waitlisted, you forfeit your original deposit
 Applying to Countries with Later Decisions
• Discuss options with your counselor

57. How to Help

58.  Help with the process but don’t complete the application
 Support and assist with organization
 Balance conversations with more than just college
 Continue to have open, honest discussions
 Be aware of possible changes in family dynamics
throughout the year
 Don’t worry if the university says it doesn’t have your
documents

60.  Students MUST have
a complete Common
Application essay
draft
 Student sign up in the
HS Counseling Office
September 15 and 17
3:00pm to 4:30pm
Lofthouse

62. Name Email Telephone
David Birchenall birchenalld@ismanila.org (02) 840 8654
Janelle Grier grierj@ismanila.org (02) 840 8658
Doug McQueen mcqueend@ismanila.org (02) 840 8656
Kim Cheah cheahk@ismanila.org (02) 840 8661