CIS university placement record

ANChan59

原帖由 Shootastar 於 14-03-02 發表
US  college admission is as mysterious as any decision made by any cabinet of any government.

If yo ...

Many parents overlooked the citizenship issue, which really make the difference more than the SAT or interviews etc.

foolish.mom

ACE2126,
Wow!  You know Deep Springs College.  I have never heard of this college until 2 top CIS students decided to go there for 2 consecutive years.

The student admitted in 2012 had turned down Oxford, Princeton... to go there!

foolish.mom

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He is talented in many ways, academically, extra-curricular activities, leadership, philosopy.  He is a legend wherever he goes.

foolish.mom

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If you are interested to learn more about the boy and the college, search "Kowloon Cowboy" in google.  There is a SCMP post on the topic.

caa

foolish.mom 發表於 14-3-3 20:48
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If you are interested to learn more about the boy and the college, search " ...

Did he study in CIS since primary?

foolish.mom

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He studied in Yew Chung International and Chinese International School according to the SCMP article.

caa

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Amazed that HK does have young one with this quality of thinking

ultravox

ANChan59 發表於 14-3-3 19:31
Many parents overlooked the citizenship issue, which really make the difference more than the SAT or ...

Dear ANChan59
So what happens to those kids with US Citizenship and studying in an International School in Hong Kong, are they still counted as foreign students or US students?  

My kid is in year 9 and sitting for IGCSE this year and next.  Then he will take IB Dip in year 10 and 11.  We plan to have him take a trial test in SAT or ACT this summer to see which one suits him best.  I heard some say mid-West prefer ACT and East/West coast prefer SAT.  Any insights?  thanks.

ANChan59

原帖由 ultravox 於 14-03-04 發表
Dear ANChan59
So what happens to those kids with US Citizenship and studying in an International Sch ...

US student, not the same quota as HK students. Better chance.

I don't have experience about ACT, I am not in a position to comment.

Shootastar

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My kids took both ACT and SAT
My son's SAT's score was better than his ACT. So he used his SAT score to make application. He had 2 offers from top 25 colleges.

My daughter also took ACT and SAT. Her ACT score was better than his SAT score. So she used her ACT score to make applications to US colleges. She received 7 offers from US colleges.

There is a concordance chart in respect of the score of SAT and ACT score. By checking the concordance chart (easily obtained through web search), you will know which score is better. You then make use the better score to make the applications. As far as I know, ACT or SAT is only one of the factors taken into consideration and there is no preference of either scores (so long as the college in question accepts either score).

Shootastar

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So what happens to those kids with US Citizenship and studying in an International School in Hong Kong, are they still counted as foreign students or US students?  
So long as you are a holder of US passport or Green Card, your application will be considered as a domestic application and the competition is for the quota available for US citizens. Top US colleges usually admit 7% to 10% foreign students each year. In recent years, Stanford, MIT, Harvard, Yale or Princeton admitted around 7% to 8% percent foreign students each year. In other words, each of them admitted around or less than 150 foreign students. It follows that the chance of a foreign student being admitted is not quite low. You need to be one of the top students in your own country / district.

My kid is in year 9 and sitting for IGCSE this year and next.  Then he will take IB Dip in year 10 and 11.  We plan to have him take a trial test in SAT or ACT this summer to see which one suits him best.  I heard some say mid-West prefer ACT and East/West coast prefer SAT.  Any insights?  thanks.



Unless you want to apply for scholarship program, it is inadvisable to put the kids to try the SAT or ACT by the end of Grade 10 or Year 10. All the scores previously attempted will be reported to the colleges. The good strategy is to take the SAT or ACT in May or June of Grade 11 or Year 11 (or Year 12, if you need to study Year 13). If needed, you will make a further attempt in September or October. Counselors would not suggest a student to take SAT or ACT for more than 3 attempts. For SAT subject tests, the students will take once they complete the subject in that year.  The reason for not taking the SAT or ACT by the end of Grade 10 is obvious. You are testing against Grade 11 or Grade 12 students. Their knowledge, verbal skills, math knowledge and (most important) the writing skills are better than Grade 10 students.

ultravox

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Thanks so much for the advice.  I thought SAT scores before he turns 16 will not be counted in his official transcript, not sure if this is still the case.
Also if he takes IB Dip in year 10 and 11 (e.g. Chem HL and Physics HL), does he still need to take AP exams?  Not sure if IBM and AP are comparable.  Thanks again.

Shootastar

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I thought SAT scores before he turns 16 will not be counted in his official transcript, not sure if this is still the case.
There is a "no report" option available to the student. You can ask Collegeboard not to send the score of a particular test to the colleges. However, the most prestigious colleges would ask you to supply the scores of all SAT or ACT you take. I have not heard that before 16 his score would not be counted in his official transcript.  If you take the PSAT (preliminary SAT) for testing, it is not reported to any college, It is reported to the students only. PSAT is usually taken by Grade 10 students.

Also if he takes IB Dip in year 10 and 11 (e.g. Chem HL and Physics HL), does he still need to take AP exams?  Not sure if IBM and AP are comparable.  Thanks again.



I am not familiar with IB syllabus but would think that there should be difference in the syllabuses of IB and AP.
IB scores are well recognised by most (if not all) colleges including Ivies, MIT, Stanford, Duke, Chicago, CIT, Northwestern, Wash U at St, Louis, etc, there is no need to take the AP examinations. However, if you are confident to take the AP exam and obtain good score, there is no harm for you to do so. For AP, you are free to report to college or not. They are not (as opposed to SAT and SAT subjects) compulsory for admission purpose. AP scores are used along with other indicators of your readiness for colleges.

foolish.mom

ultravox,
Top US universities require at least 2 SAT subject tests or AP.  SAT reasoning test and IB cannot substitute for the SAT subject tests or AP.

caa

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Do you think there are any advantages taking IB for US universities? Do the students need to take extra SAT tutoring besides IB learning at school?

foolish.mom

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Personally, I don't think an IB school has advantage over traditional US curriculum school in applying to US top universities.  For example, SAT reasoning test emphasizes a great deal of vocabulary, and IB emphasizes analysis and critical thinking, while US based schools are strong at building SAT vocabulary.
Usually IB students need certain amount of drilling to prepare for SAT reasoning: self study, practice with mock exam kit, or prep at tutoring centres.  Whether IB students need to do additional preparation on SAT subject tests depends on the academic level of individual students, i.e. subject tests do find out something about the student quality in certain subjects.

foolish.mom

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You may also be aware that US universities give unconditional offer on the basis of internal transcript grades and expected IB grades given by the school.  The US universities don't care the actual IB grades taken at the real IB exam, as the offer has been given way before the exam.  So I think the universities care more about whether the student is at the top x% of the school, and the SAT reasoning and subject test marks.  Whether the expected % is top 1% or top 5% depends on the reputation of the school.  It's just my personal opinion.

caa

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Thanks a lot for your valuable advice. Since predicted grades and school results are considered, do you think US universities take into account reputation and history of the secondary schools?