Undergraduate Study in the US Tips: Reference Letters, SAT Registration & More!
Monday, 9 November, 2009 19:00
To:
"Education"
Greetings from the US-UK Fulbright Commission!
Below you will find our monthly undergraduate updates for November 2009 which includes Advising Tips: Reference Letters & SAT Registration, Scholarship Opportunities and more! We hope you will find this information useful as you consider studying in the US .
Best wishes,
The Fulbright Advising Team
In this edition:
- Advising Tips: Reference Letters
- Advising Tips: Missed the SAT Registration Deadline?
- Scholarships
- News You Can Use
1. Advising Tips: Reference Letters
A required component of your US university applications will likely be two to three letters of reference
. Whilst your chosen universities may give guidelines for selecting referees (visit your prospective universities’ admissions websites or directions provided with the universities’ applications for more details), it will ultimately be your responsibility to choose your referees and to liaise with them about submitting their letters.
Once you have selected your referees, you should liaise with each of them about the details of the process well in advance of the application deadline.
You should inform them of:
§ The deadlines for submission
§ Any additional paperwork to complete alongside the letter
§ Whether the letter should be given to you or sent directly to the universities/programmes to which you are applying
§ Whether there are any specific instructions for the number of copies to submit or way in which to submit them (i.e. in a sealed envelope, signed across the seal with the additional paperwork enclosed)
As a general rule, letters of reference should highlight your ability to positively contribute to the university and to succeed academically within your chosen field of study, and match the selection/admissions criteria. To ensure that each of the letters you request makes a positive contribution to the rest of your application materials, you should ask only teachers or administrators who know you well, both in and out of the classroom.
To help your referees prepare to write your letter, you may also consider providing them:
§ Copy of your application
§ Copy of your transcript
§ List of school/community activities
§ Your reasons for studying in the US or your chosen field, selection criteria for the university and your relevant academic/work experience
§ The Fulbright Advising Team’s ‘Guidelines for Writing Reference Letters for US Undergraduate Study
’ handout
For more information about reference letters, you may wish to consult Fulbright's handouts on choosing a referee
, notes to help guide referees
and notes for students about the reference process
. EducationUSA also provides a downloadable handout 10 Tips for Recommendation Letters
.
2. Advising Tips: Missed the SAT Registration Deadline?
If you missed the SAT registration deadline, do not worry as you still have several options.
- Many US universities may also accept the ACT
, which is a curriculum-based exam. The test is two hours, 55 minutes with an optional 30 minute writing section.
Upcoming test dates are December 12, 2009*, February 6, 2010, April 10, 2010* and June 12, 2010.
*The ACT Plus Writing is offered only on the October, December, and April international test dates in 2009–2010.
The exams are offered at the following locations in the UK : Middlesex, Kingston upon Thames, Thorpe, Surrey and Aberdeen .
You may register and pay the registration fees on the ACT website
. For more information on testing sites, dates and registration, please visit the ACT website or contact the ACT.
- Some universities do not require an admissions exam.
- Ask the universities you are applying to if they would be willing to accept your application on the condition you will report your exam scores on a later date. If they will allow you to submit your scores past their application deadline, register for a later SAT test date.
- If you missed the SAT registration deadline, but you would still like to take the tests on a certain date, an alternative option would be to do standby testing.
- To attempt to take the SAT on standby, follow these steps:
1. Well in advance of the test day, pick up a Registration Form at your school office and fill it out or email the Fulbright Advisory Service (education@fulbright.co.uk) and request an SAT registration form.
- Bring the completed form with payment of all fees, including the standby fee
, to the test center on test day. - If you are a Sunday tester, or approved for 50 percent extended time, include a copy of your clergy letter or Eligibility Approval Letter.
- Check the test day guidelines
to make sure you have everything you need. - Arrive at the test centre no later than 7:45 am. In fact, it is probably best to arrive early!
Please note, standby testing is never guaranteed—the test center may be full or lack the extra test materials to test you. Standby testing cannot be reserved. It is offered on a first-come, first-served basis. If you are in the London area, you may want to travel to a test centre outside of London , as they are likely to be less crowded. (Please do not call test centers about standby testing. Contact Customer Service
with any questions.) See the College Board website
for more details about standby testing
3. News You Can Use
4. Scholarships
INSTITUTE OF HUMANE STUDIES JOURNALISM INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
www.TheIHS.org
http://www.theihs.org/ContentDetails.aspx?id=538&utm_source=Prospects%20Jintern&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=Prospects%20Jintern%2010-15-09&utm_campaign=Jintern%2010%20Spring
Overview: Their program offers paid internships at media networks, think tanks, and newspapers. You could set up interviews for an experienced broadcast producer. Investigate a government program for a policy organization, or cover the political beat for a local paper.
The program provides a generous stipend and a travel allowance. Plus you will attend their summer journalism workshop. After your internship, our program director will help you strategize your job hunt.
Interns from last summer were recently hired by Fox Business News, the Los Angeles Times, the Jacksonville North Carolina Daily News and The National Post in Toronto .
Spring deadline: Nov 15
Summer deadline: Jan 31
Contact: Keri Anderson
Student Coordinator
Institute for Humane Studies
journalism@theihs.org
UNIVERSITY FILM AND VIDEO ASSOCIATION CAROLE FIELDING STUDENT GRANTS
http://www.ufva.org/content.php?type_id=7&article_id=28
Overview: Award for film, video, or multimedia production or research in film or video.
Field of Study: Arts/Art History, Communications
Award Amount: $1,000 - 5,000
Deadline: 1 January 2010
MARS HILL COLLEGE ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIPS
http://www.mhc.edu/administration/finaid/scholarships.asp
Overview: To assist in meeting tuition needs for international students studying at Mars Hill College .
Award Amount: $1,000-$8,400
Deadline: Varies
NORTH CENTRAL COLLEGE INTERNATIONAL STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP
http://northcentralcollege.edu/x10818.xml
Overview: Undergraduate international student applicants are considered for academic scholarships, ranging from $1,000 to $8,000 (renewable for three years).
Deadline: Rolling
* * * * *
Fulbright Advisory Service - Education USA
US-UK Fulbright Commission
62 Doughty Street
London WC1N 2JZ
Fax: 020 7404 6874
Email: education@fulbright.co.uk
Website: http://www.fulbright.co.uk/
