Guidance
Counselors meet with parents
The Secondary
School Counseling team, comprised of Dean of Students Mona Shbaklo and Foreign
College Counselor Randa Soubaih, met with the the parents' committee in the
presence of Secondary School director Paula Mufarrij and Senior Vice President
Mishka Mojabber Mourani. The team briefed the parents on the college placement
process and shared a number of documents [please see links attached] that were
developed this year to streamline the process of college application.
IC students have been accepted in several foreign universities, among them some
of the highest ranked in the world. Locally, 94.4% IC applicants to AUB have
been accepted, and IC graduates of the class of 2012 have been admitted to other
Lebanese universities of their choice, as well.
For more information, kindly contact Mrs. Shbaklo
mshbaklo@ic.edu.lb or Mrs. Soubaih
rsoubaih@ic.edu.lb
1- Foreign College Counseling for PARENTS
2- Foreign College Counseling for STUDENTS
3- Request Form for Letter of Recommendation
5- Important Information for Applications to the USA
6- Important Information for Applications to the UK
Welcome to the new Guidance Department website. We hope that you will find it useful and informative. The IC Guidance Department is comprised of:
Mrs. Mona Shbaklo – Dean of Students, mshbaklo@ic.edu.lb, x140, Rm 105a
Miss. Rosita Abla - Counselor, rabla@ic.edu.lb, x. 245, Rm 105 b
Mrs. Randa Soubaih - Foreign Universities Counselor, rsoubaih@ic.edu.lb, x. 210, Rm 105c
Important Procedural Information for Students Applying Abroad
American Universities in Europe
Overview of Standardized Tests
Sampling of Results from IC Applicants 2006
Career Guidance: The office acquaints students with the requirements and opportunities of various fields of higher education, and makes sure students register in time for college placement exams. It processes their applications, fills out any recommendations needed and follows up on and keeps records of acceptance to universities, both locally and abroad. This office also keeps records of students’ performance at school, college preparatory exams, official exams and undergraduate course work at university level. Students are helped to recognize their potential, skills and values and where those factors best fit in different career categories available on the job market.
Counseling: The counseling services offered help each student develop higher levels of personal planning and decision-making within the context of social opportunities and freedom on the one hand and social realities and responsibilities on the other hand. Students may need some form of counseling that neither the counselor nor the trained teacher is equipped to handle. In such a case, the expertise of specialists may be needed and referrals can be arranged.
The College Placement provides students with the resources needed to research their future opportunities and therefore make decisions regarding post-secondary education and career choices. College Placement services the students as they engage in procedures necessary for college admissions, scholarship and financial aid. The College Placement Officers are available to students and their parents throughout the students' high school years and schedules class meetings with all levels. During their secondary years the guidance officers schedules group or individual conferences to help students define their goals and interests, and blend them with a realistic assessment of college choices. The College Placement and Guidance officers guide students in a sequence of college planning and admissions procedures and serve as liaison between the student and the college admissions office. The College Placement and Guidance Office houses an extensive library of references and computer software containing information on colleges, college admissions, financial aid, scholarships, college athletics, and careers. Internet access, providing students with further opportunities for information, is also available in the College Placement Office.
A professionally trained, certified, and experienced school counselor oversees many services for students. Students or parents may take an appointment with her. She may be reached at 01-360753.
Counseling: Sometimes the usual, tolerably happy, flow of a student's life is hampered by strong or nagging negative experiences or feelings. He or she may experience seemingly unmanageable challenges in his or her attempts to succeed academically or socially. At such times, the counselor is ready to give individual, caring attention to the student's needs in a private, confidential appointment.
Appointments are usually available outside of class time or at the end of the school day. A student may drop by room #105D to meet the counselor and arrange some time to talk, be listened to, and think things through.
It is sometimes difficult to have a smooth passage between social opportunities and freedom, on one hand, and social realities and responsibilities, on the other. Particularly when the emotions are elevated, problems often appear bigger than they are. Steps toward adjustment should be taken as soon as possible.
If students feel anxious, depressed, and uncontrollably angry or confused, they may choose to turn to the counselor for help in responding to the feelings and/or situation. Or, when faculty or parents observe that the student might benefit from guided help, they may share that concern with the student and/or with the counselor and arrange for the student to meet with the counselor to talk over the student's circumstances and explore what might be done differently.
Occasionally the student finds him or herself in need of support beyond the training or time capacities of the counselor or advising teacher. In such a case a referral to a caring specialist can be facilitated.
No later than spring of the junior year (grade 11) of high school, is time for a student to begin the process of applying to universities. The Guidance Department hopes that this website will help parents and students approach this often complicated and stressful, yet also exciting process. Please check the calendar and expectations immediately. You will be held responsible for this information, and it will be impossible for the Guidance Department to serve you if you do not adhere to the deadlines and expectations.
Some of the following information is taken from www.abaoman.edu.om by permission of Rich Modica, Counselor, American British Academy, Oman, 2006.
SAT in May
TOEFL Registration (tests is computerized; test dates may vary)
SAT II in June (if you are doing very well in a subject or will not be taking it following year (e.g. Chemistry).
Think about where you want to go to the college and do research.
Begin college essays over summer
Visit colleges, if possible, over vacation
Make an appointment with Mrs. McCurdy to talk about your ideas in the spring or early fall (sign up on door) or email her.
Register for any SAT, TOEFL, or SAT IIs as soon as possible. Study for them (get a book and do practice tests).
Research your university and career choices.
Get started on the personal essay for US and personal statement for the UK.
Visiting a university is the best way to get to know it. If you are traveling in the summer, try to take some university tours.
Register for October or November SAT I*
Register with counselor to discuss your plans to study abroad.
Write and edit essays for applications.
Parents and students attend local and international education fairs at IC & in Beirut.
Make decisions as to which schools to apply to.
Register for December SAT II*
AUB Applications received
** November 1 – If applying abroad, submit final college list to Foreign Universities Counselor
Take SAT and SAT II test for which registered.
Request official School Report sent by College Board.
Give application recommendation form(s) to teacher(s).
Early decision applications (AUB & abroad) and apps to universities in California are due before the end of November.
** December 1 – If applying abroad, last chance to submit any changes to universities list to Foreign Universities Counselor
Take the SAT II for universities abroad, if required, or SAT I if you need to enhance your score
Complete all applications to US, UK and Canada
Let counselor know which schools. Double check to see if recommendations have been written.
Register for January SAT II* if you still want entrance scores for universities in Lebanon
Take SAT II if applying to universities in Lebanon
Visit universities in Lebanon
AUB regular application is January 15.
LAU Applications received
All financial aid applications should be completed and sent by mid-February
First UCAS reply date
Replies about your admission from all international colleges/universities should be received by the middle of this month
By May, inform foreign universities of your decision to attend or decline admission. It is very important to notify your decision on time.
LAU application due
NDU application due
** It is the student’s responsibility to register and pay fees for repeat SAT I and SAT II tests, in the senior year.
In order to apply to foreign universities, students must:
· Register with the Foreign Universities Counselor's office through a Student Profile
· Comply with the Checklist for Studying Abroad.
· Pay a non-refundable application-processing fee of $50 to the Business Office, which will cover the cost of sending all transcripts by courier.
· Submit all parts of the applications to the universities and meet all university deadlines.
· Be serious about each application, and keep the counselor updated about any changes in plans.
· Communicate regularly via IC Webmail.
The Foreign Universities Counselor will assist and advise students and send out requested transcripts, recommendations, school reports, and mid-year school reports by courier, on time.
Subscribe to MyRoad. IC has already registered you, so you won’t have to pay a thing! A subscription offers these great features:
Go to www.myroad.com to start today! Tip: you can use your myroad username and password for free resources from www.collegeboard.com, such as searching for universities and starting a list.
For the first year ever, IC is administering the PSAT (pre-SAT) to all sophomores. This is an excellent way to get an introduction to the SAT. You can use your PSAT results to predict your achievement on the SAT, and use their score breakdown to focus your areas of study. Furthermore, high scorers on the PSAT will be contacted by universities and may be eligible for National Merit Scholarships. The PSAT will take place at IC on Wednesday October 18, 2006. Registration and payment will begin in September.
This is a wonderful opportunity for students who are ready to go abroad, but would like to be closer to home. Richmond College, Parsons School of Design, Franklin College, American University of Paris, are some of the choices available. In addition, many fine U.S. universities have opened branches abroad, i.e.. The University of Maryland in Germany, Webster University in Geneva and Vienna, NYU in Florence.
This beautiful campus in Doha now has 5 highly regarded US universities offering bachelor’s degrees in a specialty. This is a good option for students who want to receive a degree from a top US university but don’t want to travel so far from home. You will be taught by actual professors from these universities, have access to excellent facilities, be in a small community with other top international students, and have access to more financial aid than you would in the US. Representatives from these universities have all visited Lebanon and are very interested in IC students. The universities at Education City are:
Carnegie Mellon for Business and Computer Science
Virgina Commonweath for Art and Architecture
Cornell Medical School
Texas A&M School of Engineering
Georgetown School of Foreign Service
For more information, see each individual website, or http://www.qf.edu.qa.