EduPlan on Eli Bravo’s Radio Show

Our regular weekly segment, this week discussing the hot topic of virtual career fairs…

Sorry, En Espanol solamente!

Claudine Vainrub, Principal de EduPlan y Eli Bravo en Actualidad 1020 hablan de Ferias de Trabajo Virtuales

U.S. News MBA Rankings

I confess I am not the biggest fan of the rankings. There is so much more to say about a business school program than the numbers it shows. Can you really express the way going through a top MBA program changes your life around by the “yield”? If a school goes up in the rankings, will this directly affect our MBA experience? How great will the impact of this rise in the rankings be in our career?

So why are we so hooked on the rankings? Why can’t we wait until they come out? Maybe it has to do with some good ‘ol USA competitive spirit. I guess we enjoy seeing our program cruising right on top of all the rest. And if it does not, we strive to make changes to make it happen the next time. However, is the evaluation fair? Can someone at U.S. News honestly say bias is not present?

Either way, for all of us out there who cannot be disconnected with this aspect of the MBA programs, here are the top 25 as per U.S. News’ latest report April 2009 – and the link to the U.S. News Article - http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-business-schools/rankings

Rank 1	Harvard University
	Boston, MA
Rank 2	Stanford University
	Stanford, CA
Rank 3	Northwestern University (Kellogg)
	Evanston, IL
Rank 3	University of Pennsylvania (Wharton)
	Philadelphia, PA
Rank 5	Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Sloan)
	Cambridge, MA
Rank 5	University of Chicago (Booth)
	Chicago, IL
Rank 7	University of California–Berkeley (Haas)
	Berkeley, CA
Rank 8	Dartmouth College (Tuck)
	Hanover, NH
Rank 9	Columbia University
	New York, NY
Rank 10	Yale University
	New Haven, CT
Rank 11	New York University (Stern)
	New York, NY
Rank 12	Duke University (Fuqua)
	Durham, NC
Rank 13	University of Michigan–Ann Arbor (Ross)
	Ann Arbor, MI
Rank 14	University of California–Los Angeles (Anderson)
	Los Angeles, CA
Rank 15	Carnegie Mellon University (Tepper)
	Pittsburgh, PA
Rank 15	University of Virginia (Darden)
	Charlottesville, VA
Rank 17	Cornell University (Johnson)
	Ithaca, NY
Rank 18	University of Texas–Austin (McCombs)
	Austin, TX
Rank 19	Georgetown University (McDonough)
	Washington, DC
Rank 20	University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill (Kenan-Flagler)
	Chapel Hill, NC
Rank 20	University of Southern California (Marshall)
	Los Angeles, CA
Rank 22	Emory University (Goizueta)
	Atlanta, GA
Rank 22	Georgia Institute of Technology
	Atlanta, GA
Rank 22	Indiana University–Bloomington (Kelley)
	Bloomington, IN
Rank 22	Washington University in St. Louis (Olin)
	St. Louis, MO

Writing a Winning MBA Essay

Strategies and thoughts to write a great essay for MBA Admissions

By Claudine Vainrub, MBA and Principal of EduPlan

There are six essential parts in the MBA Admissions process – grades, GMAT scores, interview, recommendation letters, resume (work experience), and… the ESSAYS! This last one is the place where you can shine, your experience comes out and you can truly demonstrate who you are. Admissions committees want to know about you, what added value you bring to the  class, how you will work in teams and on your own. All this and more can be expressed through the MBA admissions essay.

Writing an MBA Essay requires you to bring forth all your astuteness, as you have to convince the admission officer as to why you so deserve selection and that you are not just any other student with a stand score. The very same thought is communicated in the article entitled ‘A Few Tips For Writing Strong MBA Essays’ in gmatcat.com, wherein the article state “Writing the essays really seems to be an exercise in marketing in the sense that the image that you communicate through your essays has to make you stand out from other candidates”

In short, your essay must reflect your personally and bring out how dynamic you are so that you really impress the person who reads it. So how do you really write out that outstanding essay? Let’s take a look.

- The first thing you need to do is look at your topic. What kind of topic is it? Is it a straightforward one or something complex? Once you done thing, you’ll know how much of research you have to put into it, what you need to bring out into the essay and how much time it would generally take. Deconstruct the question into smaller questions to ensure addressing every aspect the committee wants to learn more about.

- As you begin to collect your thoughts to put down the essay into paper, remember that you have to be original, but not bland. No one will feel like reading an essay that sounds like a boring lecture. You have to be creative and it’s how well you bring out a different approach that showcases your talents and your personality. According to the article ‘Top 10 Business School Essay Writing Tips’ in essayedge.com “You should certainly describe various aspects of your professional life–your leadership skills, your career trajectory, your triumph in the face of obstacles, and so on–but do so in language that is as accessible to your reader as it is to you”.

- Most often what students think best is to use complex words as it will make them seem knowledgeable and sophisticated. The reality is that only when you use such words in an appropriate context will they seem this way and not the other way round. Simple information written in a complex pattern isn’t intelligence, but showing off. Curb on this. “Admissions officers have to read hundreds of essays, and they must often skim”, ‘Top 10 Business School Essay Writing Tips’, essayedge.com.

- Actually this may sound a bit amazing, but admission officers will be looking mainly into the way your introduction intrigues them to push forward into the essay. You might have written an introduction when you started out, but think about changing this into something that’s interesting for the reader. Don’t give a boring summary of what’s ahead in the essay, instead write out in such a way that it motivates the reader to want to read what your essay as to say.

- As you write out your essay, maintain a logical flow of thought. This is important because it makes your essay understandable and also engaging. In the article ‘Essay Writing2′ on foreignmba.com, an admission officer states “If the first paragraph doesn’t fix my attention, like anyone I’m prone to skimming.”. So you have to keep this in mind while writing. Writing out a particular thought, experience or concept and then suddenly switching over to something else abruptly, and than taking a u-turn back to the first thought, may be different, but certainly not easy for the officer reading your essay. Essays with a proper flow of thought are easy-to-understand and bring out your personality in an impressive way, so follow on this point, while you write your paragraphs.

- Steer clear of conflicting opinions and also of bringing out yourself in a way more than you really ought to. In the article ‘Essay Writing2′ on foreignmba.com, an admission officer states “It is dangerous for a non-professional (especially a high school student) to attempt writing as though the essay will be presented at a professional conference.

- Finally the conclusion. The thing that students tend to do, when writing the conclusion is that they write out a summary of the essay, which is not what the reader wants as this is the part where you try to convince or impress them. Make your conclusion impressive by bring out the broader implications of the subject, use a quote that correctly points out to your argument’s strength, and link your conclusion to your it production to establish a balance in the thought process.

Remember to share your inner-self, be true to your values and passions and express yourself for who you are. Follow along these points and you can be sure of having a winning MBA Essay. Focus on bringing out your personality as one of the leader within yourself. According to Evan foster in essaysolutions.com “Top b-schools look for leaders and visionaries-people who are going to make a difference in the world.”  What difference will you make in the MBA program you enter and in the world?

Virtual Career Fairs & Job Search

Virtual Career Fairs – A valuable alternative when Job Searching?

With the Internet every day becoming more powerful to search for jobs, it is no wonder that companies seek to use it as the favorite media to connect with potential employees. There are many ways to make an acquaintance with a candidate through the internet, a new favorite one being virtual job fairs.

A couple of years back, I got an invitation to attend a B2B (business-to-business) virtual conference offered by MarketingProfs.com. I was astounded at the technology, a system powered by Webex that offered conferences all day long and an area where you could browse the sponsor stands, communicate with their representatives, except at the comfort of your own home. We had presentations to attend, where experts from the B2B world talked about marketing and other topics of interest for B2B corporations. It was a very interesting experience, one that emulated a live conference, but without paying air fair, dealing with exhausted exhibitors and long lines of attendees.

The MarketingProfs virtual conference allowed me to establish contact with firms that offered services I needed. I was able to network, get valuable information and follow up with contacts provided by this conference. Just for these reasons, it was worth it to me to attend. If you are a job seeker, a virtual job fair might help you achieve some interesting opportunities.

As more and more companies engage in virtual job fairs, acknowledging the reach the internet has, participating in these fairs can help you in finding a job. Companies like CareerBuilder, ChicagoJobs.com, Monster.com and others host virtual career fairs, managing the participation of sometimes 30 companies, and other times hundreds. Recruiters recognize the opportunity to use this media to cut recruiting costs, provide an effective way to meet candidates, cater to the younger segment of the population, and also maintain an image of being a cutting-edge company, among other things.

Using the internet is natural for the younger generations. It is to the advantage of the older generations then to become early adopters and be on top of job search market trends such as these virtual career fairs, to be taken under consideration when seeking opportunities.

Another great asset of virtual career fairs for both seekers and companies is the low cost it involves. However, since most of the communications will be written, job seekers need to be very mindful of the following:

1-      Make sure to have a superb resume developed before you join the virtual career fair. Unlike a live career fair, you will not have that one-on-one contact with the recruiter, where body language talks. Make sure that your presentation documents (resume, cover letter, all the information you are writing when communicating with the companies) make the first impression you need to create to open doors, not close them.

2-      Be on-time to the virtual presentations and events. When job seekers register late for events, this is recorded and could be perceived as unprofessional. No need to risk causing the wrong impression.

3-      Follow writing etiquette. Remember – it is a job interview, not some friendly chat. You are meeting employers who could be senior officers in the company you are targeting. You cannot “see” who you are talking to, so be especially respectful, and formal (which should be a norm in life, without any exception).

4-      Remember that this is one way to network, but it cannot be the only one. A virtual job fair can open doors, however, it will most probably not open “all” doors. We cannot expect to sit at home and join every single virtual career fair and find a job just like that. After the virtual career fair is over, follow up, find ways to connect in person with the employers you met and get a live interview.

If you are serious about your job search, this is an alternative job search tool you do not want to miss out on. Find your favorite search engine and look for virtual career or job fairs, you should find everyday more available to participate in. Sign up and start networking. Isn’t that what job search is all about?

A list of a few virtual career fairs available:

CareerBuilder Stimulus Hiring Virtual Career Fair – http://www.careerbuilder.com/stimuluscareerfair

NACE International Student Virtual Career Fair – http://asp.symplicity.com/nacelinkvcf/

Monster’s Virtual Career Fair for People with Disabilities – http://disabilitiescareerfair.monster.com/

JobNoggin’s Virtual Healthcare Career Fair – http://www.jobnoggin.com/careerfair/healthcare/

EduPlan in The Wall Street Journal

Alexandra Levit from The Wall Street Journal publishes opinions by Claudine Vainrub, Principal of EduPlan, regarding career assessments and how they can help you make a career transition successfully.

Check out the links to access free online assessments that will help you identify your skills, and provide ideas on how a career can change by exploring ramifications of your original course of study / work.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124010016486632137.html

Differentiating Yourself as a Job Seeker

How to maximize your opportunity to find employment in a tough job market
By Claudine Vainrub, MBA and Principal of EduPlan, LLC

We read the unemployment statistics and cringe at the thought of not finding opportunities. However, there are tools that can help us to stand out from our competition and gain notice in the minds of decision-makers. Here is a list of simple but effective things to do to get noticed in a positive and productive way:

1- Develop a professional resume
By researching the latest trends and knowing what market expectations are, not only we appear professional in front of recruiters, we also become cutting-edge careerists who are informed and have the ability to quickly learn and implement processes. A professional resume should be between 1 and 2 pages long, have a section regarding core competencies and a top section listing career highlights. It should not have very lengthy paragraphs anywhere – these are not of the liking of most corporate leaders, who will devote only a few seconds to glance at a resume before making a decision on whether to put it at the top or the bottom of the pile. Seek advice through resume guides developed by certified professional resume writers. Some include “Happy About My Resume” by Barbara Safani and “Resumes for the Rest of Us” by Arnold Boldt. Find and engage help from certified professional resume writers, associations and career centers who understand and can train you on how to write a compelling marketing document. Your resume should inform, but most importantly, it needs to “sell”. You provide a service that is valuable to corporations and this should be clear to a recruiter when gazing at the resume. Spend as long as you need developing a successful resume that becomes a door-opener.

2- Research the company
Conduct extensive research on the companies you apply to so that you understand who they really are and what they stand for. This will be useful throughout the application process, when developing a cover letter and interviewing. As you know the company in-depth, you will be able to ask relevant questions during the interview process and demonstrate your real interest in the corporation, by discussing their news, trends and insights with corporate decision-makers. Although we are in an unfavorable job market for job seekers, and desperation can arise when looking for jobs, the job search process does go both ways. As a job seeker, you need to review if the company you are applying to stands on high ethical and moral values, understands and appreciates diversity, seeks growth, treats its employees fairly, provides a product that truly satisfies a need and does not mock the customer, among other considerations. Knowing this will help you ensure that signing in with the company will be a decision you will not regret one day.

3- Develop a customized cover letter for each job posting
This does take hard work but is 100% necessary, if you want to get noticed. A canned cover letter could diminish your chances of achieving the interview, and worse than that, it might end up hurting you. To stand out from the crowd, an original but always professional cover letter can do the trick and get you an interview invite. It can demonstrate that you have gone further than just reading the ad, and learned what the company values, what the goals of the department you are applying to are, and how you can make a difference within that department. Each letter can take you an hour to complete, between research and the writing. But you will find that this is well-spent time that can bring great value to you as an applicant when seen from the eyes of a corporate manager who supports its organization. If you are able to effectively convey what you envision for the company and how you can make a difference, they could feel compelled to call you at least to ask you regarding ideas you have for the company and ways to implement them. If the company does not give you the job, they could consider you for a subcontracted project, and that represents an open door in itself.

4- Take time to customize your resume to the position you are applying for
When finding positions you have a lot in common with, do not limit yourself to customizing a cover letter. Go further and customize your resume to show that you have done several of the listed requirements for the position. This will help you get noticed for that job specifically, becoming a great candidate when showing that you have experience in several of the job characteristics.

5- Brand yourself
Through personal skills assessments available online at http://online.onetcenter.org and 360 assessments such as the EduPlan 361, we are able to determine our strengths and how we can bring added value to any environment. It is the set or combination of attributes that each one of us has that allows us to make a difference within a specific company in a way no other professional will. Knowing what our unique combination of traits is proves extremely beneficial to create a compelling presentation of who we are and why we should be hired. When utilizing personal branding, we empower ourselves to effectively broadcast our differentiators and how they support corporate growth process for any cutting-edge company. We find self-assurance and learn how to project it, developing a favorable image that speaks for itself. Knowing ourselves well and expressing our unique combination of strengths will support us in standing out from the crowd.

6- Maintain a “winner” attitude
The job search process can be daunting. Finding the courage to face rejection and continue pushing through the process is of the essence, when seeking job search success. We must know that this is a process that will end in a job – sooner or later, we will find the right opportunity and a company will recognize us as the right person to be hired. However, usually, we will need to knock a lot of doors before one fully opens up for us. With a great attitude, high spirits and self-assurance, we will convince others of our skill, our leading and team collaboration capacity and interest in career growth.

Taking the job process as a full-time job + is a must these days. Forget the statistics, we must focus on our capacities and trust our perseveration, impetus and hard-work philosophy. The hiring decision cannot be controlled by the job seeker. However, being creative about the process and utilizing all available resources and time to proactively seek opportunities, while keeping a positive mind, are things we surely can grasp and that can make a big difference in the job search process. It is within us to take the steps to become successful job seekers and soon-to-be employees and corporate leaders.

Radio interview on Early College Planning

Our weekly radio magazine with Eli Bravo in Actualidad 1020 AM and Claudine Vainrub, Principal of EduPlan.

Interview on Early College Planning, how early should we start, what are the advantages of starting during the middle school years.

Entrevista acerca de planificacion universitaria temprana, cuanto es lo antes que debemos empezar a planificar para ir a la universidad, cuales son los beneficios de planificar temprano.

Entrevista con Eli Bravo acerca de Planificacion Temprana para ir a la Universidad

CNN Interviews EduPlan – 3/24/09

Here is our most recent CNN interview on job search tools and how to best present yourself when meeting employers. The interview was conducted with Gabriela Frias – sorry, only available in Spanish.

Nuestra mas reciente entrevista con CNN en Espanol, tratando los temas de elaboracion de resumes u hojas de vida, cartas de presentacion, y como presentarse efectivamente frente a companias empleadoras.

Early College Planning

How early can we start planning for college?

By Claudine Vainrub, MBA and Principal of EduPlan

Many of us consider that starting to think about a college education is something to be looked at when students are in their senior years of high school. However, this is a myth, and it is most certainly not correct. It’s actually better to start plans and preparations for college much earlier. Actually the right time to being thinking about college is around the sixth or the seventh grade. Why?

This is the time when a student’s skills and abilities start getting shaped up. They are given opportunities to enhance their talents and skills, as this is the time for joining extracurricular activities. This is also the time when students start to discover likes and dislikes for disciplines and areas of study. It is an important time in the life of a student regarding self-discovery and assessment.

When starting to plan about how to get best prepared for college,we become more focused, sharp and develop life skills sooner. Some of us are even able to establish short, mid-term and long-term goals that will help us keep our center and not fall into bad habits. With a goal in our mind, we are more likely to keep on track and not divert to the many dangers high school peer pressure brings. All this helps when the time comes for us not only to begin vigorous preparations for college but also to succeed throughout the process.

Planning early for college needs considerable thought. Here is a look at how you need to prepare yourself throughout your high school years, so that you come out with the best grades and enroll into a college of your choice.

Preparations in the Sixth Grade

Freshman year in middle school is the time to get organized about studies and prepare yourself mentally for what’s ahead for you. Your study time must be well organized, as such habits set in clearly now and become high useful in later years. You also need to:

* Enroll in extracurricular activities that will be helpful for later, and especially when you apply for college. The sixth and the seventh grade is the time to think and get started in this.

* Enroll in school programs that help to enhance academic skills. Some subjects are easy, while some take time to understand. A strong foundation is very important to get good grades throughout high school. So, check out academic programs that enhance your skills and abilities equally in all subjects of study.

* Take a career assessment to learn more about your skills, likes and dislikes. There are many free online assessments, simple enough for students in the sixth and seventh grade, that will also support this goal. One of these can be found in the skills area of O*Net – http://online.onetcenter.org

* Start reviewing career choices with the student, understanding what is available, what careers are in demand and how the interests of the students can apply to the many professional fields and choices. For example, a student that enjoys writing can end up being a fiction novel writer, a journalist or also a screenwriter, or a myriad of professions that fit that interest. We need to research what the options are so as to broaden the perspective of that student.

Preparations in Eighth Grade

In the eighth grade it’s time to think about taking challenging academic courses. At this point it is important to consult with the school counselors so that you can take the right decision. A 4-year plan will make all the difference in the world between achieving admission in a top school or not. If you are aiming to demanding universities and colleges, planning ahead the curriculum of the four years of high school is not only important, it is imperative. Often times, we see students not satisfying minimum curriculum requirements to enter colleges, thus not being able to even apply. Eight grade is the moment to start reviewing all requirements for the type of schools we are aiming for. When having this information, we can team up with our guidance counselor in our high school and ensure that we are doing everything possible to satisfy requirements and meet the needs of the college curriculum through our high school curriculum completion. For example, some students need to by mindful of taking Algebra I as early as in eight grade, to open as many opportunities as possible. When not doing so, they are unknowingly closing some doors.

Eight grade is also the time to start to consider taking AP courses and figuring out when in high school we will want to do so, to enhance college admissions results. AP courses also save us money that we pay at a lower fee for college credit, something to think about when tuition costs are rising.

Preparations in Junior High School

Junior high is the time to study and prepare for PSAT and sometimes even the SAT and ACT admissions exams. We will need to start thinking about extracurricular work, community work, specialization areas and leadership opportunities. It is of the essence to prepare ourselves to achieve top grades, and focus on working hard at school. Challenging ourselves with tough courses and getting the best possible GPA. Taking easy courses and getting all A’s might not favor us – what helps in entering top schools is to take tough courses and get A’s. But as we know, this is easier said than done. However, it is the moment to engage help if needed and take your education to the next level, gaining solid study skills and habits. Here what you also need to look into:

* If you are a member in a club, consider taking on leadership roles here. This will help to bring out your personality and help you to understand how to plan and be well-organized. Junior high school is the time to take on such roles and responsibilities.

* Junior high is the time to concentrate more in academics and personality development. Doing voluntary work is a good thing at this time, as this gets you across to different social situations and people.
When beginning the college admissions process early, we take care of one essential part of the whole process – the stress factor. We feel stress for the unknown, as we drive through the unchartered territory of what it is like to apply for college. When starting early, we give time to ourselves to research and learn about all details of the process, and the stress factor should shrink. We also start preparing ourselves financially for going to college, thinking ahead of ways to save ourselves from ending up with too many loans and too little scholarship money. In our sophomore and junior years, we can already begin applying for merit scholarships. Starting early is not only important for our mind, it is also beneficial for our pocket!

Why should we start early learning about the college admissions process? The real question is can we afford not to…

Radio Interview on Job Search Methods with Eli Bravo

Our weekly radio show with Eli Bravo, to discuss the different job search methodologies and how to tackle them. What works, what does not, and how to maximize return on investment when seeking the right career opportunity.

Nuestra entrevista semanal con Eli Bravo para conversar acerca de las diferentes metodologias de busqueda de trabajo, que funciona mejor, y como maximizar el retorno a la inversion de tiempo cuando buscamos la oportunidad de carrera optima.

Interview with Eli Bravo on Job Search Methodologies

Radio Interview on Scholarships and Financial Aid with Eli Bravo

Our weekly radio magazine with Eli Bravo in Actualidad 1020 AM and Claudine Vainrub, Principal of EduPlan.

Interview on Financial Aid options, scholarships and ways to achieve college and graduate school funding.

Entrevista acerca de opciones de ayuda financiera, becas y formas de obtener fondos para la educacion universitaria y de postgrados.

Interview on Financial Aid and Scholarship Options

EduPlan posts: MBA’s that accept the GRE for admissions

Did you know that some MBA Programs accept the GRE instead of the GMAT as part of the admissions process? Yes! For some of us that have trouble achieving a good GMAT score, now the GRE is also an option. Here is a list of the Universities across the U.S. and all over the world that accept the GRE also for admissions, as cited by ETS:

United States
* Adams State College
* Adelphi University
* Alaska Pacific University
* Alvernia University
* American Jewish University
* Antioch University New England
* Arcadia University
* Augsburg College
* Azusa Pacific University
* Baker College Center for Graduate Studies
* Baldwin Wallace College
* Bay Path College
* Bellhaven College
* Bob Jones University
* Brenau University
* California Baptist University
* California State University – Chico
* California State University – Stanislaus
* Campbellsville University
* Capitol College
* Capital University
* Christian Brothers University
* City University of Seattle
* Clark University
* Clarkson University
* Clemson University
* Cleveland State University
* College of St. Scholastica
* Colorado State University – Ft Collins
* Concordia University – Portland
* Cumberland University
* Davenport University – Grand Rapids
* DeVry University, Oakbrook Terrace
* Dominican University of California
* Drury University
* Everglades University
* Fairmont State University
* Ferris State University
* Fitchburg State College
* Florida Atlantic University
* Florida Institute of Technology
* Florida International University
* Florida Southern College
* Frostburg State University
* Geneva College
* Georgia Southern University
* Georgia Southwestern State University
* Goldey Beacom College
* Harvard Business School 2+2 Program
* Hofstra University
* Humboldt State University
* Indiana University of Pennsylvania
* International Technological University
* Jacksonville University
* John Brown University
* Johns Hopkins University
* Johnson & Wales University
* Kansas Wesleyan University
* Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
* Malone College
* Massachusetts Institute of Technology
* Mercyhurst College
* Mesa State College
* Morehead State University
* Murray State University
* National University – California
* Naval Postgraduate School
* Northern Kentucky University
* North Park University
* Northwest Christian College
* Northwood University
* Nova Southeastern University
* Oklahoma Christian University
* Oklahoma City University
* Oral Roberts University
* Oregon State University – Corvallis
* Our Lady of the Lake University – San Antonio
* Pacific Lutheran University
* Pacific States University
* Park University
* Pfeiffer University
* Piedmont College – Demorest
* Point Park University
* Regent University – DC
* Rice University (EMBA Program)
* Rochester Institute of Technology
* Rollins College
* Rowan University – Glassboro
* Rutgers University (EMBA Program)- New Brunswick
* Saint Peters College
* Salve Regina University
* Shenandoah University
* Southern Utah University
* Southern Wesleyan University
* Southwestern Adventist University
* St Ambrose University
* St Edwards University
* St Thomas University
* Stanford University
* Stevens Institute of Technology
* Strayer Education, Inc.
* Sul Ross State University
* Sullivan University
* SUNY at Stony Brook
* Tarleton State University – Stephenville
* Texas A&M International University
* Texas A&M University – Commerce
* Troy University – Troy
* Troy University – Atlantic Region
* Troy University – Dothan
* Troy University – Montgomery
* Troy University – Phenix City
* University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa
* University of Alabama at Birmingham
* University of Arkansas – Fayetteville
* University of California, Los Angeles (EMBA Program)
* University of Central Florida
* University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
* University of Dallas
* University of Florida
* University of Houston – Victoria
* University of Memphis
* University of New Hampshire
* University of New Haven (EMBA Program)
* University of New Mexico
* University of North Alabama
* University of Northern Virginia
* University of North Texas
* University of Oregon (EMBA Program)
* University of Redlands – Burbank
* University of Redlands – Orange County
* University of Redlands – Rancho Cucamonga
* University of Redlands – Redlands
* University of Redlands – Riverside
* University of Redlands – San Diego
* University of Redlands – Temecula
* University of Redlands – Torrance
* University of Rhode Island
* University of South Carolina – Columbia
* University of Texas at Brownsville
* University of Utah
* University of the Incarnate Word
* University of Vermont
* University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire
* University of Wisconsin – La Crosse
* University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh
* Upper Iowa University
* Utah State University
* Wayland Baptist University
* Webster University
* Wesleyan College – Georgia
* Westwood College – Los Angeles
* West Texas A&M University
* Widener University
* Willamette University
* Wingate University
* York College of Penn
Belgium
* United International Business Schools – Antwerp International Business School
* United International Business Schools – Brussels Business School
Canada
* Queen’s School of Business
* Univ of New Brunswick, Saint John
China
* China Europe International Business School
Costa Rica
* INCAE Business School
Germany
* Troy State University European Region
India
* Aegis School of Business
* Lovely Professional University & MBA
Italy
* Alma Graduate School
* European School of Economics
* University of Trento
Japan
* Sophia University
Norway
* Norwegian School of Economic and Business Administration
Pakistan
* National University of Computer & Engineering Science
Puerto Rico
* Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico
Spain
* Barcelona School of Economics
* Instituto De Empresa
* Madrid Business School – International University of Southern Europe
* United International Business Schools – Barcelona Business School
* United International Business Schools – Valencia International Business School

Thailand
* Asian Institute of Technology
* Yonok College
Turkey
* Izmir University of Economics
* Sabanci University

For more information on taking the GRE instead of the GMAT, contact EduPlan at info@eduplan.us

Metodos para la busqueda de trabajo efectiva en tiempos de recesion

Métodos para la búsqueda de trabajo efectiva en tiempos de recesión
Por Claudine Vainrub, MBA

Si estamos entonados con la economía actual, entendemos que es el momento de buscar trabajo de diferentes formas, para lograr resultados. Atacar el mercado por varios ángulos dará mayores resultados actualmente, frente a la gran competencia por empleo y la falta del mismo. A continuación delineamos algunas opciones de herramientas para buscar empleo:

La prensa sigue siendo un medio por el cual logramos obtener información acerca de trabajos en oferta. Aun cuando los cuerpos dedicados a los avisos clasificados son hoy por hoy más delgados, las compañías siguen publicando avisos por via de los principales periódicos citadinos y de distribución nacional. Semanarios comunitarios, como por ejemplo “El Venezolaño” o “Colombia al día” u otros diarios de las variadas comunidades latinoamericanas en USA también publican avisos clasificados en los cuales se ofrecen posiciones variadas de empleo. Aun cuando este es un medio que se ha vuelto menos popular en los últimos años, sigue siendo efectivo.

Los portales de trabajo en la internet ofrecen numerosas posiciones por cubrir e información acerca de compañías que buscan empleados. Tenemos una gama de servicios a los que nos podemos suscribir para recibir información diaria de empleos, incluyendo Monster.com, Craig’s List, CareerBuilder, Jobing, LatPro, y un sinnúmero de otros sitios en la web donde los empleadores publicitan posiciones abiertas. Asimismo, existen este tipo de portales dedicados a nichos industriales y vocacionales como farmaceutas, asistentes farmaceutas, ingenieros – engineers.net, profesores de colegio greatteacher.net, entre muchos dedicados. Es recomendable que busquemos trabajo por la internet en ambos portales, tanto los dedicados como los no dedicados, escogiendo al menos dos tipos de carreras.

Las ferias de trabajo permiten ponerse cara-a-cara con empleadores, entregar un resume en persona y abrir oportunidades. Aun cuando los trabajos ofrecidos no sean exactamente lo que estamos preparados para hacer, podemos establecer contactos con profesionales involucrados en la toma de decisiones para empresas que nos pueden abrir puertas hacia el futuro. Para ser efectivo en una feria de trabajo, debemos investigar quienes son las empresas participantes de la misma, cuáles son sus características y crear una estrategia de movimiento en la feria para que el tiempo rinda efectivamente y se logre tocar la mayor cantidad de puertas posible. Debemos solicitar una tarjeta de presentación del expositor y entregar un resume profesional en papel de resume de 30 o 32 lb. (ambos funcionan). Es importante visualizar nuestras cualificaciones personales para lograr transferirlas a otros trabajos que puedan resultar buenas oportunidades, pero en los que no hemos tenido experiencia previa. De esta forma, demostraremos al representante de la compañía que si podemos estar preparados para asumir las responsabilidades de la posición ofrecida, aun cuando no tenemos experiencia previa directa en la misma.

Buscar reclutadores profesionales y agencias de empleo ubicados en su ciudad o a nivel nacional puede ser efectivo, especialmente si dichas agencias se especializan en el ramo industrial de nuestra dedicación. Si estamos involucrados con Tecnologías Informativas, los reclutadores de esta área pueden ser sumamente útiles para conseguir oportunidades de entrevista. Ellos pueden poseer un listado de oportunidades específicamente dirigidas a nuestro target. Puede ser un peligro solicitar servicios de agencias de reclutamiento que operan al revés, solicitando los gastos de contratación sean pagados por el candidato. Antes de entrar en una relación con una agencia de reclutamiento, es de suma importancia chequear su reputación y conducta ética, además de su membrecía en asociaciones lideres que agrupan a reclutadores, tales como NAPS – National Association of Personnel Services y el SHRM – Society of Human Resources Management.

Establecer relaciones con allegados y hacer a todos alrededor de uno saber que buscamos trabajo, puede ser de las formas más efectivas de conseguir una posición. Esta metodología debe acompañarnos a través de nuestras carreras, permitiendo desarrollo profesional. Hoy en día, las relaciones interpersonales no solo se establecen frente a frente, sino también por internet a través de portales sociales de negocios. Estos portales proveen una oportunidad de establecer relaciones profesionales con individuos que tienen cosas en común con nosotros. LinkedIn, iHispano, Twitter, brindan el chance de conectarse con profesionales que toman decisiones y pueden estar pasivamente buscando empleados, quizás no para un futuro inmediato, pero cercano.

Otra forma efectiva de establecer relaciones de negocios es a través de pertenecer a asociaciones que se dedican a actividades en el gremio al que pertenecemos. Al hacernos miembros y activar en estas asociaciones, trabajamos junto con individuos que tienen carreras en común con nosotros y que pueden estar empleados en ese momento. De estas relaciones, podemos no solo desarrollar nuevos contactos, sino también aprender formas alternas de llevar nuestra labor efectivamente dentro de nuestra empresa empleadora.

Pero cómo enfrentar efectivamente nuestra candidatura a compañías?

Para esto, debemos ir mas allá en todo el proceso de búsqueda de trabajo, logrando captar positivamente la atención de las empresas. Para lograr este objetivo, el primer paso es la creación de un resume profesional. Este resume debe tener las características de un documento de mercadeo, más que informativo. Debe destacar nuestros logros, y los aspectos de nuestro profesionalismo e historial profesional que nos distinguen de otros candidatos que se han ubicado en las mismas posiciones que hemos ocupado nosotros en el pasado. Es de suma importancia no mentir ni exagerar en el resume. CEO’s de grandes compañías han sido despedidos de sus puestos por conseguir años después mentiras en sus resumes u hojas de vida. Siempre con la verdad por delante, debemos publicitar los logros que hemos tenido con nuestros empleadores, ilustrándolos con números y verbos activos que permitan rápidamente entender por que somos excelentes candidatos.

Si nos es difícil elaborar un resume profesional con los requisitos actuales del mercado, existen numerosas agencias sin fines de lucro que nos pueden ayudar. Por otro lado, existen escritores profesionales de resumes certificados que son expertos en realizar esta labor exitosamente. Estos profesionales se agrupan en las asociaciones de escritores de resumes, como la National Resume Writers’ Association – NRWA y la Professional Association of Resume Writers – PARW. Los resume writers certificados poseen la información más actualizada acerca de cómo escribir resumes profesionales, cuales formatos son efectivos y como mejorar visibilidad profesional.

Presentarnos como generalistas puede ser de ventaja en este momento. Al expresar nuestra posibilidad a empresas de hacer distintas cosas a la vez y gerenciar varias asignaturas al momento, nos volvemos más atractivos para compañías que buscan un empleador que cubre varias funciones juntas. Asimismo, demostramos nuestra capacidad de crecer con la posición y con la compañía.

En el momento de establecer relaciones y presentar la candidatura, la empresa será abierta a escuchar que valor agregado traemos a la mesa. En vez de tener una actitud que expresa “que puede la empresa ofrecerme?” la actitud debe ser “esto es lo que puedo ofrecer yo al ser empleado”. Demostrar cuales pueden ser los resultados que brindaremos a la compañía hace nuestra candidatura más atractiva para las corporaciones.

Estos detalles deben compartirse en el formato de una carta de presentación y durante el proceso de entrevista. Es de suma importancia saber detalles y el historial de la compañía antes de enviar una carta de presentación, la cual será mucho más solida en caso de brindar esta información. Algunos candidatos van más allá y buscan formas de traer alguna propuesta de ataque para un área específica, demostrando su capacidad analítica. Se puede incluir algunos puntos de la propuesta en la carta de presentación también. Sin embargo, esta propuesta completa no debe ser enviada junto con la carta de presentación, sino entregada en persona en el momento de la entrevista. Tampoco debe ser exageradamente extensa, con 3-4 páginas máximo de análisis, será suficiente para demostrar el verdadero interés del candidato.

En el caso de no conseguir el puesto al presentar un proyecto especial como el mencionado, al menos tendremos la posibilidad de optar por una posición de consultor externo dirigiendo la propuesta entregada, si es del interés de la compañía. Buscar trabajo como subcontratado o a tiempo parcial puede ayudarnos a subsidiar nuestros gastos mensuales mientras conseguimos una oportunidad a tiempo completo.

Prepararnos para el proceso de entrevistas es crucial. Para ello, es efectivo solicitar ayuda a una segunda persona con el objeto de practicar preguntas de entrevista y recibir feedback acerca de cómo hemos contestado. Se consigue ayuda profesional en esta área, de ser necesaria, a través de numerosos asesores vocacionales también dedicados al proceso de entrevistas. Estos se ubican igualmente en las asociaciones de escritores de resumes profesionales. Debemos estar informados acerca de las necesidades de la posición para la cual nos estamos entrevistando y las características de la empresa. Asimismo, debemos traer preguntas dirigidas al entrevistador, demostrando nuestro interés en la compañía y la posición.

Para presentar una candidatura efectivamente, es favorable demostrar como continuamos con nuestro proceso de crecimiento académico y de habilidades. Nuestra educación debe seguir y es momento de establecer cuáles son nuestras aéreas críticas que requieren de trabajo y mejoramiento. Si nuestro nivel de ingles es pobre, es momento de buscar ayuda y superar este punto. Si nuestros conocimientos de computación no están a la altura, también debemos buscar apoyo en ponernos al día con las nuevas tecnologías. Si tenemos faltas de recursos para continuar nuestro proceso educativo, es importante utilizar los recursos ofrecidos en la internet y a través de organizaciones sin fines de lucro para recibir la instrucción necesaria. Si no hemos completado un grado universitario, la administración actual en USA nos permite programas de ayuda financiera con los cuales podemos apoyarnos para costear los gastos universitarios. Algunos programas que ofrecen estos servicios y/o nos podrían informar respecto a financiar nuestra educación superior son TRIO, Gear Up y Upward Bound.

Considerar una nueva profesión técnica e iniciar sus estudios puede abrir oportunidades de carrera a mediano plazo. Muchas de estas profesiones son ofrecidas como programas de estudio en las noches, lo cual permite mantener un horario de trabajo de día en una carrera alternativa hasta recibir el grado.

Las empresas buscan empleados con actitud positiva, energía y capacidad de emprendimiento. Aun cuando este proceso puede resultar desmoralizante, la constante debe ser nuestro dinamismo y optimismo. Para ello, cualquier trabajo momentáneo nos permite mantener el ánimo y las ganas de seguir luchando, con la meta al frente. Con expectativas realistas y actitud de perseverancia, podremos lograr nuestros fines en reclutamiento. Esto demostrara confianza en nuestras habilidades a los empleadores, volviéndonos más atractivos profesionalmente en el proceso. Y pronto, cuando esta meta sea superada, podremos ver hacia atrás y sentir orgullo de haber llevado este proceso de forma optima, venciendo un fuerte reto con la mente en alto, e impulsando nuestra carrera hacia nuevos horizontes.

CNN en Espanol Interviews EduPlan

Here is a recent CNN interview we would like to share with you regarding what to do to enhance your Job Search results!

March 6, 2009

More Testimonials

Please read some more success stories directly from the pen of EduPlan customers…

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Applying to a Master´s Degree can be very confusing and overwhelming. With Eduplan´s support throughout this process I felt completely oriented and empowered.

Claudine was always there to answer my multiple questions, boost my application requirements, coach me for interviews and give me the best advice for my academic, professional and even personal life!

I received a merit-based scholarship at NYU´s Wagner School of Public Service, without requesting it. Getting this announcement was one of the most exciting moments in my life, and I really thank Claudine for being a great part of this major achievement.

Claudine is a person whom I really admire and appreciate. My relationship with her didn’t end with my application process, we are constantly in touch and I love counting with her mentorship and friendship along the way.

I have recommended Claudine to my close friends that are starting an application process, and I certainly recommend anyone to take advantage of the extraordinary service she provides. D.A., Graduate Student Class of 2010

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Claudine is a great counselor and a better person. She genuinely cares about the people she works with and makes the extra effort to make sure thing are done right.

With her help, I got into 4 top ten MBA programs (out of 5). She helped in every step of the process, from the assessment process to the applications and training for interviews. She has great knowledge of the programs and knows how to evaluate the best fit for each candidate and where to apply to have the best chances to get in. Most importantly, after the process was done with success, I can say that I consider Claudine a friend. A.K., Graduate Student Class of 2011

Radio Interview on Job Search

Radio Interview to discuss Job Search, Personal Branding, how to differentiate yourself from the competition when looking for jobs!

Sorry – only in Spanish!

Entrevista radial con Eli Bravo y Claudine Vainrub, Principal de EduPlan, para conversar acerca de la busqueda de trabajo, como diferenciarse de la competencia, Branding Personal y como ser efectivo en conseguir empleo.

Interview with Eli Bravo on Job Search and Personal Branding- 3/11/09

Financial Aid Options and News

Financial Aid Options for College and Graduate School – What is available? Does it apply to me?

For most students applying for college and graduate school admissions, the battle is not yet over when their admission to their choice university is accepted. Achieving post-baccalaureate studies is expensive, so finding the resources becomes essential to achieve this goal. There are several options when considering financial aid and scholarships. Some are in the form of loans, some are grants and some merit scholarships, among others. Grants are financial aid awarded on the basis of need. Loans are another option, sometimes given by the U.S. government and its institutions, other times, by private lenders. However, they are known for placing a burden on the student, who incurs a debt upon completion of studies.

Students who have achieved excellence in academics, sports or some other fields can also apply for merit scholarships. Merit scholarships are awarded on the basis of several criteria. Some organizations look into factors like academic performance, achievement in athletics / sports or artistic abilities. Some others are awarded on the basis of special interests. The core idea is to reward talent.

There are scholarship programs for diverse students that aim to promote diversity within the university campus. Thus, if you are a diverse student and your credentials are on an even platform with mainstream students, you have a better chance of receiving a merit scholarship than students lacking international experiences, backgrounds and ethnicity.

Universities treat merit scholarship opportunities in different ways. Many times, we find that universities with large endowments will be able to provide more aid to students than others. As an example, Rice University states that it considers every admitted freshman for merit scholarships. Among several programs it offers, the University has two categories called Trustee Diversity Scholarships, and the Barbara and Jordan Scholarships, which have the purpose of encouraging diversity. Another two categories serve international students. Several other universities have similar programs, so the university you are joining could also be open to partially or fully funding your education.

When should you start your scholarship search? The answer is much before starting your graduate school admissions process. Scholarships can be granted many times a year in advance to the beginning of your studies. This is why starting early will provide a great advantage – you will not have to worry as much about finances as you would if you had already completed the admissions process without having earned any “free money”.

Institutions and companies are other sources to look for merit scholarships. The Gates Millennium Scholars (GMS), established in 1999 with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is a well known example. GMS supports meritorious African American, Hispanic American and other diverse student categories. College and Graduate scholarships of GMS are available in the fields of mathematics, science, engineering, education and library science.

How do I find which scholarships are available to me? There are several scholarship search websites that are completely free to the student and will help you identify scholarships to which you can apply. Two of these sites are www.fastweb.com and www.schoolsoup.com

To learn more about how to apply to financial aid, fill out a FASFA and a CSS Profiler, the first one required by the government to provide assistance to students, you can go to www.finaid.org

Now, what is yet to come from the new Obama administration?

With the initiatives put on the table by Barack Obama, we have a lot to look forward to regarding higher education affordability and financing. Obama has stated that his government will support tax credits for college education. He plans to institute soon a universal and fully refundable credit of $4,000 for a college education. Obama has also expressed he will cover two-thirds of the cost of tuition at public colleges. Finally, he has promised to make community college tuition free for most students. This will make college affordable to many more of us, looking to receive higher education.

The financial aid application process, as Obama states, will become much easier. At this point, many students and families struggle in filling out correctly the FASFA forms. This shall no longer be, as this form is planned to be substituted by a simple check box on the tax forms, to allow students not to fill out double applications.

President Obama is committed to make education a priority, and has asked the U.S. population to commit to receiving at least one year of college education. This is a hard task to achieve, as dropout rates for high schools in 17 out of the 50th largest cities in the U.S. were over 50% in 2008. Obama plans to address this dropout crisis by passing his legislation to provide funding to school districts to invest in intervention strategies in middle school. These strategies will involve personal academic plans, teaching teams, parent involvement, mentoring, intensive reading and math instruction, and extended learning time. Programs will allow for better instruction in middle school and high school throughout the country. Incentives and more education opportunities for teachers, an increase in the amount of students taking AP courses through local community colleges, support of transitional bilingual education, will support students and the system itself to produce a better outcome than presently from the high school education years.

However, the opportunity is in our hands to believe that college education is important for us, and worth the time expense, financial burden and overall sacrifice. With all the planned incentives, these burdens will become smaller than ever before possible.

Although achieving one year of college education for the entire student population in the U.S. could be a far-fetched dream at this point, vocational schooling, skill training or career education is another alternative that could be considered. Statistics show that professionals that earn an associates degree or a bachelor’s degree do earn more over their lifetime than those who do not. An education is an investment that should sooner than later pay off financially and also, in terms of our society’s productivity.

The support will be there for those interested in pursuing their studies. Initiatives and programs to help students achieve a college education are already available and will be receiving more funding from the government. Some of these programs are the TRIO, Upward Bound and Gear Up. These initiatives work with students to provide help regarding academic advice, personal counseling, and career workshops; information on postsecondary education opportunities and student financial assistance; help in completing applications for college admissions, testing, and financial aid; coordination with nearby postsecondary institutions; media activities designed to involve and acquaint the community with higher education opportunities; tutoring; and mentoring.

As financing your college education is as important as achieving it, a new program will be launched also by the government to teach students financial planning. With a large part of the student populations currently buried in debt, this is one area that Obama’s administration plans to address, in order to start bringing a solution, and helping students effectively manage their loans. Bankruptcy amongst recent college grads has escalated, but will be addressed, providing financial education to new college students.

Some institutions already offering this help can be found at the U.S. Department of Education website at www.ed.gov . The resources are here, available to us. There is no excuse now not to pursue an education. Whether you are a high school student, a college graduate or an adult, incentives, scholarships and aid apply to each one of us. The question is, what are we waiting for to take action today?

CNN interviews EduPlan

Just last week, our Principal, Claudine Vainrub, was invited live to CNN en Español to talk about job search. Here is the interview – sorry, only in Spanish!

College Admissions One-on-One

When seeking college admissions help from a professional independent college admissions counselor, here are some things that you might want to ask they help you with. A top independent college consultant will provide all these services, and more.

• Assist students during the college planning, college application and final decision phases of the College and Graduate School Admissions Process
• Offer unbiased college and graduate program counseling advice
• Help student navigate and evaluate admissions information from institutions in the U.S. and worldwide
• Personalize the process to accommodate individual student needs
• Develop a list of schools that match the student’s ambitions, goals and capacities
• Provide career planning support, helping the student find their differentiators as a candidate
• Assist college applicant with course selection during high school
• Assist graduate applicant with information on additional education requirements to succeed in admissions process
• Offer flexible appointment times, including evenings and weekends
• Determine opportunities for non-need based scholarships and financial aid for U.S. and International applicants
• Provide expert knowledge of college admission procedures – test scores, admissions criteria, application evaluation
• Ease student and family stress related to application and admissions process
• Assess student strengths and potential career paths through the newest career development methodology – Personal Branding
• Provide exhaustive list of possible criteria for selecting potential college and graduate school programs
• Develop student core competency assessment, resume and other application support documents
• Research college and graduate school education options and establish a list of appropriate programs
• Plan strategy for college visits
• Conduct Interview Coaching
• Advise student about test preparation, choices and schedules
• Consult with student regarding recommendation letter strategies
• Plan extracurricular leadership experiences that will enhance the student’s life, and contribute to the admissions process, simultaneously
• Confer on application essay topics
• Provide evaluative feedback related to drafts of application essays
• Schedule application completion time line
• Provide project management system to administer admissions process successfully

Study in USA

How to achieve college and graduate admissions as an International Student

Applying for a college or university in the United States is a big opportunity for many students from abroad. It’s actually quite exciting because you would be studying in a place so different from your own, which can be a very enriching experience. If you are an aspiring foreign student, you will need to look into many facets of your student application so that you get through the application process successfully.

As a foreign student, you will find the college application process of colleges and universities in the United States to be somewhat different and at times more intricate than what you were used to in your country. So, to get things right, you need to closely follow all given instructions and ensure to submit your records, the way it is mentioned in your college application. If you are not clear on this point, your application will not be considered and this a great opportunity missed. In case English is not spoken in your country or your education has not been done in the English language, you must be aware of the special requirements in your case.

With so many requirements to understand, let’s break down the whole thing into steps, each of which will address a particular aspect of the foreign student college application process.

Understand the kind of demands from the College or University to which you are applying

In the United States, universities are classified into ‘High Selective’, ‘Selective’, ‘Moderately Selective’, and ‘Open Admission’.

As you can see from this classification, the admission process is a bit tough for those universities that are classified as High Selective’ and ‘Selective’, but fine for universities classified as ‘Moderately Selective’ and ‘Open Admission’.

When you are applying for a college in the United States, your preparations must be based on this classification, so that you can successfully gain admission. If your academic progress suit more of the Moderately Selective’ and ‘Open Admission’ type of college, accordingly apply to gain admission. Applying in demanding colleges may prevent you from joining a course of your choice.

How your record will be judged

Your qualifications for admissions will be judged by the university to which you apply, unlike other countries, where usually the Ministry of education carries out such decisions. Mostly, the University or College Staff will evaluate your records. However, your student records can also be evaluated by an agency specializes in such evaluations. If this is the case, the university to which you apply, will inform you of the same and you would have to send your records to this agency.

Getting Things Ready

Now that we have gone over the general scenario on college and universities in the United States, let’s get down the specifics involved in the application process:

• Make a list of colleges and universities that offer the course you want. Get their application form and write out separately the requirements for admission. Each college has a different requirements, so do not assume what applies for one will do for the other.
  
• The institution where you studied must send a copy of your academic records for evaluation to the colleges or universities to which you are applying. Do not send the records yourself as this is not considered proper procedure.
  
• American universities require students from other countries to undertake standardized tests such as GRE, GMAT and SAT as part of the admission process. Ensure to take these tests and send in the results with your application.
  
• If English is not your native language and if it your education was not in English in your country or region, you will be required to take an English proficiency test like Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
  

Financial Part

Presenting your financial documents the right way is very important. In case you require A -1 or M-1 visa (student) or else if you require a J-1 visa (exchange visitor) visa , you need to show that you can financially support yourself, during your period of study in the United States.

Usually, when you apply to any college or university, you will be informed to provide necessary documentation on your financial status and also told what these documents should be with due verification.

Most foreign students will find the finance part of the education to be expensive. It definitely is. Students living in the United States have to pay an average $7,000 to over $40,000 a year towards their college education. So, be prepared for this. Aid is also not easy to come by. One alternative is considering enrolling into multi-ethnic student community college, wherein you have better chances of getting scholarships.

Referred Links:

http://www.sampleadmissionessay.com/foreign-students-guide-to-us-college-admissions/

http://www.america.gov/st/diversity-english/2008/April/20080530124432xjsnommis0.9839899.html

http://www.gradschools.com/Article/applying-foreign-student/112.html

http://www.unitedstatesvisas.gov/studying.html

http://www.migrationinformation.org/Feature/display.cfm?ID=571

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Applying to colleges and universities in USA as an International Student

By Claudine Vainrub

 

Applying for a college or university in the United States is a big opportunity for many students from abroad. It’s actually quite exciting because you would be studying in a place so different from your own, which can be a very enriching experience. If you are an aspiring foreign student, you will need to look into many facets of your student application so that you get through the application process successfully.

As a foreign student, you will find the college application process of colleges and universities in the United States to be somewhat different and at times more intricate than what you were used to in your country. So, to get things right, you need to closely follow all given instructions and ensure to submit your records, the way it is mentioned in your college application. If you are not clear on this point, your application will not be considered and this a great opportunity missed. In case English is not spoken in your country or your education has not been done in the English language, you must be aware of the special requirements in your case.

With so many requirements to understand, let’s break down the whole thing into steps, each of which will address a particular aspect of the foreign student college application process.

Understand the kind of demands from the College or University to which you are applying

In the United States, universities are classified into ‘High Selective’, ‘Selective’, ‘Moderately Selective’, and ‘Open Admission’.

As you can see from this classification, the admission process is a bit tough for those universities that are classified as High Selective’ and ‘Selective’, but fine for universities classified as ‘Moderately Selective’ and ‘Open Admission’.

When you are applying for a college in the United States, your preparations must be based on this classification, so that you can successfully gain admission. If your academic progress suit more of the Moderately Selective’ and ‘Open Admission’ type of college, accordingly apply to gain admission. Applying in demanding colleges may prevent you from joining a course of your choice.

How your record will be judged

Your qualifications for admissions will be judged by the university to which you apply, unlike other countries, where usually the Ministry of education carries out such decisions. Mostly, the University or College Staff will evaluate your records. However, your student records can also be evaluated by an agency specializes in such evaluations. If this is the case, the university to which you apply, will inform you of the same and you would have to send your records to this agency.

Getting Things Ready

Now that we have gone over the general scenario on college and universities in the United States, let’s get down the specifics involved in the application process:

• Make a list of colleges and universities that offer the course you want. Get their application form and write out separately the requirements for admission. Each college has a different requirements, so do not assume what applies for one will do for the other.
  
• The institution where you studied must send a copy of your academic records for evaluation to the colleges or universities to which you are applying. Do not send the records yourself as this is not considered proper procedure.
  
• American universities require students from other countries to undertake standardized tests such as GRE, GMAT and SAT as part of the admission process. Ensure to take these tests and send in the results with your application.
  
• If English is not your native language and if it your education was not in English in your country or region, you will be required to take an English proficiency test like Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
  

Financial Part

Presenting your financial documents the right way is very important. In case you require A -1 or M-1 visa (student) or else if you require a J-1 visa (exchange visitor) visa , you need to show that you can financially support yourself, during your period of study in the United States.

Usually, when you apply to any college or university, you will be informed to provide necessary documentation on your financial status and also told what these documents should be with due verification.

Most foreign students will find the finance part of the education to be expensive. It definitely is. Students living in the United States have to pay an average $7,000 to over $40,000 a year towards their college education. So, be prepared for this. Aid is also not easy to come by. One alternative is considering enrolling into multi-ethnic student community college, wherein you have better chances of getting scholarships.

 

Referred Links:

 

http://www.sampleadmissionessay.com/foreign-students-guide-to-us-college-admissions/

 

http://www.america.gov/st/diversity-english/2008/April/20080530124432xjsnommis0.9839899.html

 

http://www.gradschools.com/Article/applying-foreign-student/112.html

http://www.unitedstatesvisas.gov/studying.html

http://www.migrationinformation.org/Feature/display.cfm?ID=571

The graduate school choice

How to make up your mind on the best graduate schools and programs for you

Choosing a good graduate school program for your career wants and needs will help you take the next step up the corporate ladder, and enhance your professional development. When you select a school and program that’s right for you, not only do you excel academically, but also your personality shapes well and you spend graduate school days in a highly productive way.

With so many graduate schools out there, you may find selecting the right graduate offering to be a daunting task, particularly so when you want to specialize in a diverse field of work. Let’s look at some interesting points to consider when selecting a graduate school:

• Choosing an accredited school – Choose a school that offers accredited programs. Sometimes, you might not notice this aspect, when applying. If you take up a program without accreditation, you face difficulties in using your educational qualifications, when applying for a job. Your degree might not be considered as it is from a school which is not accredited. Furthermore, non-accredited schools do not openly say they are not accredited. So be cautious and check on this factor before applying.
  

• Cost of education – Look into the cost of education and compare the cost between various accredited graduate schools. You need to compare costs such as tuition fees housing costs, cost of books and supplies and other extra costs to find out the total figure. Once you have done this, next check out the financial assistance programs that are offered to you. Choose one which you think is right for your situation and if required negotiate with the school. This can help you get more financial assistance.
  

• Check the Degrees offered – This is one of the most important points. Why? Sometimes, you will be looking for a particular program, but some graduate schools will only offer one specific degree program, which the institution might want to promote to you as equally good as what you are seeking. At times, this can be a good option, while at other times, it would be better to stick with the program you are truly looking to complete and opt for a school which offers just that without making any compromise. If you are seeking a career enhancement based on completing a particular program, don’t use an alternative one instead, just because it is available.
  

• Admission Standards – Many graduate schools will specify their admission levels. They will mention if their admission process is more or less demanding, what is the profile of the previous entering classes. If you are going to be completing a professional degree in which you will be spending considerable money and time, and which you want to use to further your career, it is better to choose a graduate school in which the admission criteria matches your own needs and capabilities. In this way, you ensure thriving in the program and gaining an understanding of your professional area, while working at your pace.
  

• Check out State regulation for Graduate School applicants – If your chosen graduate degree is available in another state, it is best to check out admission requirements and the costs you would incur as a non in-state resident student. Some students even relocate to the new state and set up their home there before they apply to a graduate program in that State, so that they can save by owing in-state fees.
  

• Help in enhancing your career – Look into how the program will help you advance you career prospects. Check out the kind of career placements assistance program that they offer so that you know about the level of help that you would be getting when searching for a job. In case the course of study that you are undertaken is specifically oriented for a particular job, getting assistance is very important.
  

• Culture – Check out the school culture. Are the faculty and student body forming a community similar to what you expect to be immersed in? Is the environment competitive? If you belong to a particular ethnic group, can you find people on campus who are like you? Is the environment of the college multicultural? These are important questions to find answers for, as you are going to be spending a good amount of time in your school and would gain from being able to adjust to the environment, style and interests of the people involved with you in your program.
  

Now the above-mentioned points are the key factors. Beyond this there are other factors that are important and which you should also consider. Here is a look at what they are:

• Location – You may have to relocate when you want to pursue a program which is offered by a graduate school in another state. So this is a point to think about.
  

• Size – If you choose a big graduate school program, you could have more resources at your disposal. Small size schools could provide a more close-knit community, more attention and a close environment.
  

• Surrounding Community – Look into the surrounding community settings, as this could influence your student life on campus. It should be a place that you would find comfortable.
  

If you are selective about the graduate school you enroll into, ensuring it meets your professional and personal wants and needs, you could thrive more easily and grow the most from the experience. You could also have a memorable life experience, something that will reflect positively in you later years in life and also in your career. It is very important to consider all the above-mentioned factors so that you give yourself the best start in your education path. Choose the right graduate school program and see how much your life changes by making this decision carefully.

How to choose the right graduate school and program

By Claudine Vainrub

 

Choosing a good graduate school program for your career wants and needs will help you take the next step up the corporate ladder, and enhance your professional development. When you select a school and program that’s right for you, not only do you excel academically, but also your personality shapes well and you spend graduate school days in a highly productive way.

 

With so many graduate schools out there, you may find selecting the right graduate offering to be a daunting task, particularly so when you want to specialize in a diverse field of work. Let’s look at some interesting points to consider when selecting a graduate school:

 

• Choosing an accredited school – Choose a school that offers accredited programs. Sometimes, you might not notice this aspect, when applying. If you take up a program without accreditation, you face difficulties in using your educational qualifications, when applying for a job. Your degree might not be considered as it is from a school which is not accredited. Furthermore, non-accredited schools do not openly say they are not accredited. So be cautious and check on this factor before applying.
  

 

• Cost of education – Look into the cost of education and compare the cost between various accredited graduate schools. You need to compare costs such as tuition fees housing costs, cost of books and supplies and other extra costs to find out the total figure. Once you have done this, next check out the financial assistance programs that are offered to you. Choose one which you think is right for your situation and if required negotiate with the school. This can help you get more financial assistance.
  

 

• Check the Degrees offered – This is one of the most important points. Why? Sometimes, you will be looking for a particular program, but some graduate schools will only offer one specific degree program, which the institution might want to promote to you as equally good as what you are seeking. At times, this can be a good option, while at other times, it would be better to stick with the program you are truly looking to complete and opt for a school which offers just that without making any compromise. If you are seeking a career enhancement based on completing a particular program, don’t use an alternative one instead, just because it is available.
  

 

• Admission Standards – Many graduate schools will specify their admission levels. They will mention if their admission process is more or less demanding, what is the profile of the previous entering classes. If you are going to be completing a professional degree in which you will be spending considerable money and time, and which you want to use to further your career, it is better to choose a graduate school in which the admission criteria matches your own needs and capabilities. In this way, you ensure thriving in the program and gaining an understanding of your professional area, while working at your pace.
  

 

• Check out State regulation for Graduate School applicants – If your chosen graduate degree is available in another state, it is best to check out admission requirements and the costs you would incur as a non in-state resident student. Some students even relocate to the new state and set up their home there before they apply to a graduate program in that State, so that they can save by owing in-state fees.
  

 

• Help in enhancing your career – Look into how the program will help you advance you career prospects. Check out the kind of career placements assistance program that they offer so that you know about the level of help that you would be getting when searching for a job. In case the course of study that you are undertaken is specifically oriented for a particular job, getting assistance is very important.
  

 

• Culture – Check out the school culture. Are the faculty and student body forming a community similar to what you expect to be immersed in? Is the environment competitive? If you belong to a particular ethnic group, can you find people on campus who are like you? Is the environment of the college multicultural? These are important questions to find answers for, as you are going to be spending a good amount of time in your school and would gain from being able to adjust to the environment, style and interests of the people involved with you in your program.
  

 

Now the above-mentioned points are the key factors. Beyond this there are other factors that are important and which you should also consider. Here is a look at what they are:

 

• Location – You may have to relocate when you want to pursue a program which is offered by a graduate school in another state. So this is a point to think about.
  

 

• Size – If you choose a big graduate school program, you could have more resources at your disposal. Small size schools could provide a more close-knit community, more attention and a close environment.
  

 

• Surrounding Community – Look into the surrounding community settings, as this could influence your student life on campus. It should be a place that you would find comfortable.
  

 

If you are selective about the graduate school you enroll into, ensuring it meets your professional and personal wants and needs, you could thrive more easily and grow the most from the experience. You could also have a memorable life experience, something that will reflect positively in you later years in life and also in your career. It is very important to consider all the above-mentioned factors so that you give yourself the best start in your education path. Choose the right graduate school program and see how much your life changes by making this decision carefully.

GMAT Strategies for Success

GMAT is the short form of Graduate Management Admission Test and it is a test that every student who wishes to enter business school at a graduate level, has to undertake. This test includes tests in Verbal, Analytical and Math. The higher your scores are in each of these tests, the better your chances will be of gaining admission into the graduate business programs that you apply to.

 

What GMAT tests, basically tests you is in the abilities that you have developed over the years and also on your ability to think critically. Passing these tests requires continuous studying and sharpening of skills in each of these individual tests. You will be given 30 minutes for analytical, 75 for the verbal and 75 minutes for the quantitative.

 

The general score range for GMAT is 200 to 800. A score of 600 is considered to be good, but if you wish to get into top schools your score must be 700 and above. Here is a look at some tips (for preparation as well as the actually paper), that can help you through with this challenging aptitude test:

 

• Most people, who have to take the GMAT, actually have not taken a test in a long time. The first step to preparing for GMAT is finding where you stand in your existing skills in Verbal and Math. You can do this by taking a free practice test offered by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), on their website. This way you can find out your base score and then can build up from there to the score you need to reach.
  

 

• Make a list of the business programs that you wish to apply to. You need to score as much as is expected to get into a particular college. There are business schools which will expect you to get a higher score. So, if gaining admission to a demanding program is your choice, be prepared to work to get the necessary score.
  

 

• Find out about all effective sources of learning. This could be Guides, CD’s, Audio Tapes, Online Classes, and Regular Classes. Choose a combination of resources like for example, CD’s and regular classes and make a schedule to learn through them.
  

 

• If you are strong in a particular area of the test, but need to improve on another, allot time accordingly for learning. Learn everyday. This will make you more mentally prepared to take the test. If you learn one day and then leave off for two days and then start on the fourth day, you are not doing any effective learning.
  

 

• Use guides to bring yourself up to a good skill level and then enroll into a course. You will find yourself better adjusting to the course and you can follow the instructions as you have mentally gone through some of the things they cover through the guide. This gives you more self-confidence in handling the GMAT test.
  

 

• As the saying goes, timing is everything. Know how much of time is allotted for each section in the test, through your practice tests and complete the section inside the time frame allotted. Practice to do this, so that you don’t spend more time than necessary, on a particular section.
  

 

• Ensure to practice reading all lines in the question before you begin attempting. Most often the problem is that people don’t read all the lines, especially when they find a question similar to what they have already attempted in their practice sessions. They rush through a question, losing valuable marks because they want to get through the paper quick enough. Fast completion is not the aim here, the aim is maximizing your score. So, read question thoroughly before answering.
  

 

• The questions at the beginning of the paper are really important so, answer them correctly. Practice to get these questions right and you can be sure that your scores will enhance.
  

 

• Do not leave any questions unanswered in the actual paper. You won’t score a negative for wrong answer, but you will be penalized when you leave as question unanswered.
  

 

• Now comes the tough part – handling the questions, you don’t know answers for, in the test. The best way to tackle this is through a process of elimination. Eliminate those answers which do not fit the question and you are left with two or even one right choice.
  

 

Most often the problem with those taking the GMAT test is that they get nervous before the test or don’t sleep the night before. Avoid any stress before you take the test. Remember this is a test that is going to judge you on various skill levels, so you need to attend it with a clear and focused mind, so that you can clear through it easily.

 

And one last piece of advice – take as many practice tests as you can (the week before the exam, be prepared to take 3 or more). This strategy will provide you with the self-confidence and familiarity you will need to achieve your top score and overcome nervousness.

 

Good luck!

 

Aplicaciones Universitarias Exitosas

Cómo encarar el proceso de admisión universitaria en USA

Por Claudine Vainrub

Este es el momento del año para ocuparse… ¡Es el tiempo de presentar las aplicaciones a las universidades! A los estudiantes de los últimos cursos del colegio secundario les cuesta mucho decidir cuál institución será la más adecuada, cuál presenta la combinación perfecta entre nivel académico, vida social, ayuda financiera, y posibilidades de crecimiento en la carrera a futuro. Los asesores universitarios ofrecen talleres para la redacción de ensayos, seminarios acerca de la solicitud gratuita de ayuda federal para estudiantes, y orientación vocacional, entre otros. Sin embargo, el foco en la mente del estudiante es en qué forma sobrepasar las dificultades para realizar la más correcta selección de sus opciones educativas. Lo que más preocupa a los estudiantes es presentar una correcta aplicación universitaria.

Todos los años, miles de aplicaciones son enviadas a los diversos comités de admisión de las universidades en los Estados Unidos, buscando que las mismas sean juzgadas correctamente basándose en diferentes factores. ¿Cuáles son estos factores? ¿Cuáles son las características más importantes? ¿Cuáles no tienen tanta importancia?

Si bien muchas solicitudes son aprobadas, algunas de ellas son rechazadas, y aquellos estudiantes se quedan con la duda de por qué ocurrió eso. ¿Qué hizo que su solicitud fuera menos efectiva que el resto? La respuesta a esto es que actualmente, los encargados de admisiones no buscan solamente estilo e intereses personales en las solicitudes.

Una solicitud de ingreso a la Universidad debe reflejar inteligencia, personalidad y por sobre todo, pasión por aprender. Como estudiante, deberás dejar ver tu ser interior y no exagerar tus cualidades para causar una impresión y lograr la aceptación. Algunos trucos como inscribirse en clases extracurriculares o participar de programas especiales de aprendizaje son recursos que conocen bien. Por lo tanto, no resultará efectivo que te muestres como diplomático para obtener la admisión.

Las universidades orientan su búsqueda al “interés demostrado” o atracción verdadera hacia las universidades en las cuáles solicitan ingreso. Esto debe ser presentado de manera verídica y genuina. La verdadera razón por la que ocurre, es que las universidades ya no buscan estudiantes que sumen en cantidad, sino que esperan sean los estudiantes quienes busquen las instituciones con una idea de aprendizaje en mente y poder colmar sus expectativas enfocándose en sus necesidades. En resumidas cuentas, lo que ellos desean son estudiantes que puedan hacer valorar su institución y metodologías de aprendizaje.

En primer lugar, comienza demostrando cuán valioso puedes ser para la universidad, argumentando cuál puede ser tu devolución para la misma, y cómo crecerás en esa institución para convertirte en un miembro ejemplar de su grupo de ex alumnos. Podrás describirlo en tu ensayo dentro del paquete de admisión.

En este ensayo, deberás resaltar tus cualidades de forma casual, sin sonar como cliché. A los comités de admisión les gustan los estudiantes que se proyectan a sí mismos de manera abierta con un nivel de madurez intelectual. Asegúrate de presentarte como un estudiante serio con buenas calificaciones académicas, o logros en deportes, o menciona cualquier otra actividad de liderazgo en la que hayas sobresalido. A su vez, si en algún semestre en particular no te ha ido muy bien, menciónalo. Por duro que parezca, ser honesto en esta instancia cuenta, aún más que esperar a que el comité de admisión no lo note.

Durante la entrevista, intenta proyectarte como una persona tranquila, confidente y capaz de asumir sus responsabilidades con eficacia. Esto puede sonar difícil, pero es muy sencillo si te organizas de manera correcta.

Luego de conocer esta información, la mejor recomendación profesional que puedo hacer es que ¡seas tú mismo! Represéntate a ti mismo de la manera más cercana a la realidad posible, dejando que tu personalidad, tus preferencias y aspiraciones se reflejen en tu solicitud. Los encargados de admisiones podrán evaluarla luego y decidir si eres un buen candidato para esa institución o no. Si no lo eres, de todos modos no querrás ir allí, ya que generalmente te sentirás abatido – esto ocurre desafortunadamente. Pone tus mayores esfuerzos en ofrecer la mejor descripción de tú mismo, creado con excelencia y dedicación. La decisión será positiva si eres correcto para ese lugar – los responsables de admisión son expertos en evaluar candidatos, y ellos lo sabrán.

Elige la institución no solamente por su nombre reconocido, sino porque la misma sea capaz de proveerte el tipo de ambiente en cual puedas prosperar, y además, porque ésta agregará un inmenso valor a tu vida. ¡Esto es lo que significa lograr el éxito en el proceso de admisión universitaria en los Estados Unidos de América!

What is the TOEFL?

About the TOEFL and its added value

English communication skills are an important factor in achieving academic success in many higher education programs offered in the U.S. A college and graduate school student in the United States will require ability to understand, read, write and speak English. For this reason, colleges and universities in the U.S. measure English proficiency in non-native English speakers, to admit them to academic programs. The TOEFL is the instrument most institutions use for this purpose.

TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) is an extensively accepted English language test, which helps foreign students become eligible for admissions in U.S.A. As mentioned by the admission office of the Yale University “Yale focuses on the student’s competency in understanding quick, idiomatic English to communicate in a better way in both spoken and written English”. The TOEFL is suggested to those students whose first language is not English. It serves the purpose to evaluate students’ ability of spoken and written English. This test is also required for students with at least two years of secondary education in a non-English environment.

According to Monica N. Floyd, Preceptor in the Institute for English Language Programs, Harvard University, “The students from non-English speaking countries have to show their skills not only in reading, writing, speaking and listening but also their expertise in computers”. Students with a high TOEFL score have better opportunities for gaining acceptance to universities where English is the language of study.

Similarly, as stated by the admission office of the Northwestern University, non-U.S. citizens have to follow the same application process like U.S. students but they have to show a TOEFL score to demonstrate their English language proficiency.

Some schools require particular English proficiency tests, aside from the TOEFL. As stated in guidelines of the official website of Columbia University, “nonnative speakers of English have to pass a test of American Language Program (ALP) at Columbia to show their English skills.” It further states that if the students outside the U.S. are being admitted on the basis of TOEFL they need to validate their scores of TOEFL by taking the ALP test at the school.

Through TOEFL test preparation, you can develop English skills to communicate effectively in your social group, once you enter college. Preparing for the TOEFL will polish your listening skills for lectures and communicating effectively with classmates and/or teachers, reading skills to understand and grasp text books, and writing skills to complete academic assignments. Learning English skills will also help you perform computer-related tasks more efficiently, as you are able to conduct online searches much quicker, while understanding all content much better.

References:

http://www.sesp.northwestern.edu/images/TOEFL_Instructions_Apr_2008.pdf

http://www.yale.edu/admit/international/toefl/index.html

http://www.extension.harvard.edu/2008- 09/iel/courses/23129.jsp;jsessionid=JNCBEBPDOGMP?iel=january

https://emt.askadmissions.net/northwestern/aeresults.aspx?did=2&cid=1872&quser=what+is+TOEFL

http://www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/menuitem.c988ba0e5dd572bada20bc47c3921509/?vgnextoid=2c01c6c96e6a6110VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD&vgnextchannel=9701197a484f4010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD

http://www.ce.columbia.edu/prospective/prospective.cfm?Content=International&SubContent=EnglishReq

What is the TOEFL and what is its added value?

English communication skills are an important factor in achieving academic success in many higher education programs offered in the U.S. A college and graduate school student in the United States will require ability to understand, read, write and speak English. For this reason, colleges and universities in the U.S. measure English proficiency in non-native English speakers, to admit them to academic programs. The TOEFL is the instrument most institutions use for this purpose.

TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) is an extensively accepted English language test, which helps foreign students become eligible for admissions in U.S.A. As mentioned by the admission office of the Yale University “Yale focuses on the student’s competency in understanding quick, idiomatic English to communicate in a better way in both spoken and written English”. The TOEFL is suggested to those students whose first language is not English. It serves the purpose to evaluate students’ ability of spoken and written English. This test is also required for students with at least two years of secondary education in a non-English environment.

According to Monica N. Floyd, Preceptor in the Institute for English Language Programs, Harvard University, “The students from non-English speaking countries have to show their skills not only in reading, writing, speaking and listening but also their expertise in computers”. Students with a high TOEFL score have better opportunities for gaining acceptance to universities where English is the language of study.

Similarly, as stated by the admission office of the Northwestern University, non-U.S. citizens have to follow the same application process like U.S. students but they have to show a TOEFL score to demonstrate their English language proficiency.

Some schools require particular English proficiency tests, aside from the TOEFL. As stated in guidelines of the official website of Columbia University, “nonnative speakers of English have to pass a test of American Language Program (ALP) at Columbia to show their English skills.” It further states that if the students outside the U.S. are being admitted on the basis of TOEFL they need to validate their scores of TOEFL by taking the ALP test at the school.

Through TOEFL test preparation, you can develop English skills to communicate effectively in your social group, once you enter college. Preparing for the TOEFL will polish your listening skills for lectures and communicating effectively with classmates and/or teachers, reading skills to understand and grasp text books, and writing skills to complete academic assignments. Learning English skills will also help you perform computer-related tasks more efficiently, as you are able to conduct online searches much quicker, while understanding all content much better.

 

References:    

http://www.sesp.northwestern.edu/images/TOEFL_Instructions_Apr_2008.pdf

http://www.yale.edu/admit/international/toefl/index.html

http://www.extension.harvard.edu/2008- 09/iel/courses/23129.jsp;jsessionid=JNCBEBPDOGMP?iel=january

https://emt.askadmissions.net/northwestern/aeresults.aspx?did=2&cid=1872&quser=what+is+TOEFL

http://www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/menuitem.c988ba0e5dd572bada20bc47c3921509/?vgnextoid=2c01c6c96e6a6110VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD&vgnextchannel=9701197a484f4010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD

http://www.ce.columbia.edu/prospective/prospective.cfm?Content=International&SubContent=EnglishReq

 

SAT Test dates 2009

Here is the information so far for SAT test dates in 2009 as published in

College Board…

U.S. Registration Deadlines
2009 Test Dates	Test	Regular Registration Deadline (postmark/submit by)
March 14, 2009	SAT only	February 10, 2009
May 2, 2009	SAT & Subject Tests	March 31, 2009
June 6, 2009	SAT & Subject Tests	May 5, 2009

Important Information About U.S. Registration

• U.S. deadlines apply to students testing in the United States, U.S. territories, and Puerto Rico.
  
• U.S. registration materials that are mailed must be postmarked by the U.S. deadlines.
  
• On March 14, only the SAT is offered.
  

Registering Late

If you are testing in the United States, U.S. territories, or Puerto Rico, and you miss the registration deadline, you still have time to submit a registration, but you must pay a late fee. Note that late registrations made by mail have a different deadline from those made by phone or online.

U.S. Late Registration Periods (late fee applies)
2009 Test Dates	By Mail		By Phone/Online
	Late Registration Begins	Postmark Deadline	Late Registration Begins	Submission Deadline
March 14, 2009	February 11, 2009	February 24, 2009	February 11, 2009	February 24, 2009
May 2, 2009	April 1, 2009	April 9, 2009	April 1, 2009	April 14, 2009
June 6, 2009	May 6, 2009	May 15, 2009	May 6, 2009	May 19, 2009

International Students SAT Registration Deadlines
2009 Test Dates	Test	Early Registration (must be received by)	Regular Registration (must be received by)
May 2, 2009	SAT & Subject Tests	March 11, 2009	March 31, 2009
June 6, 2009	SAT & Subject Tests	April 15, 2009	May 5, 2009

Important Information About International Registration

• International deadlines apply to anyone testing outside of the United States, U.S. territories, and Puerto Rico.
  
• Completed international registration materials must be received by the international deadlines.
  
• There is no late registration for international testing. Online and telephone registrations must be completed by the international deadline dates listed above.
  
• Students registering through International Representatives must submit their paper registration with full payment by the early registration deadline.
  
• On March 14, the SAT is not offered outside of the United States, U.S. territories, and Puerto Rico.
  

As posted on College Board – dates for 2009 published up until February 11, 2009

Third round MBA applications – Should or shouldn’t I take a chance?

Conventional wisdom has it that it is rather a waste of time and resources to apply in the third round. Most of the seats are already filled up and competition for the remaining is going to be tough. As the number of vacant seats is low, we immediately and naturally think that programs will be more careful about who they choose for those seats. We could infer that some schools might just decide to drop all applications in the third round, and if they are unfriendly to second time applicants, you may be losing the chance of a lifetime.

While there is quite some truth in these arguments, the real scenario isn’t all that negative. Applying in the third round has some advantages too. Let us now take a look at both the sides and try to figure out a strategy.

As an applicant in the third round, you must be aware that most of the seats are already taken and the selection committee will look very closely into your reasons for applying so late. They will have questions about the level of your commitment to their school and whether it is just a back up application. If you don’t have a valid reason for being late and a strong case to put forward for applying to the particular school, it is wiser to hold back till next season. This is more so if it is one of your preferred schools and they don’t favor reapplications.

On the other hand, there are business schools that are friendlier to reapplicants. It is always more safe to apply at these places. Even if your application is rejected, you get valuable feedback most of the time on how you can prepare a better application. This and talking to other MBA students will enable you to present a stronger candidacy in the next season.

Another key factor that plays an important role in third round selections is diversity. Universities and colleges look to bring in more diversity to their campus through the third round. If you are member of an under-represented community/group, you generally have a better chance of selection, other factors being equal.

In a nutshell, there is no reason why you should altogether reject a chance to try in the third round of MBA admissions. However, you must employ some sharp thinking and assess where you stand. If you have just started considering a school/course, you might not be able to present a convincing case. If on the other hand your GMAT scores are good and you are clear why you wish to join a particular school, you stand a better chance than otherwise, when considering third round applications. However put off applications to your preferred schools to start of next season, if their policies don’t favor reapplications. That is, if you’d rather wait than join a less preferred school now.

What is the GMAT? Where can I take it?

The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), is required for students who want to take up courses in business and management. Business schools specifically ask for this test to be undertaken to determine their qualifications for their enrollment into advanced studies in such courses.

The GMAT exam is a standardized assessment, delivered in English, that helps business schools assess the qualifications of applicants for advanced study in business and management.

To take up a Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), follow the instructions:

1. Select a Test Center – Select a test center that is convenient and easily accessible. The test takers can view the list of test centers online by accessing www.gmac.com or from the GMAT ® Information Bulletin for Testing.

2. Register for the test – You can register for the GMAT exam through one of the following modes:

a. Online – To schedule the GMAT test online, sign up as a registered user of the mba.com website. Enter your name and date of birth as mentioned in your identification slip. You can make the payments using credit card or debit card.

b. Phone – You can also register for the GMAT through Telephone. Please check the http://www.eduers.com/gmat/GMAT_Exam_Schedule.htm for telephone registration across various countries.

c. Mail or Fax – To register for the GMAT by mail or fax, complete the GMAT Appointment Scheduling Form. You must be aware of the country code list to complete and fax the form.

If you wish to mail your form, please send your completed form to:

Pearson VUE
Attention: GMAT Program
PO Box 581907
Minneapolis, MN 55458-1907
USA

It may take up to eight (8) weeks for the scheduling forms to reach the U.S. from certain countries.

TOEFL dates 2009

Here are some international TOEFL dates, as published by ETS.

Country/Location State/Province City Testing Format Test Dates

Argentina Buenos Aires Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Argentina Cordoba Internet-based Test No Dates Currently Available
Argentina Mar Del Plata Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Argentina Mendoza Internet-based Test No Dates Currently Available
Argentina Posadas Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Argentina Rosario Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009

Aruba Oranjestad (Code: S407) Paper-based Test Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Sat., May 09, 2009

Australia Brisbane Internet-based Test Sun., Jan 18, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
Australia Hawthorn Internet-based Test Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
Australia Lismore Internet-based Test Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Australia Melbourne Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Australia Perth Internet-based Test Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 24, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 28, 2009
Australia Sydney Internet-based Test Sun., Nov 30, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sun., Jan 18, 2009
Sat., Jan 24, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
Sat., Feb 28, 2009
Australia Ultimo Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sun., Jan 18, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
Sat., Feb 28, 2009

Austria Graz Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Austria Innsbruck Internet-based Test Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Austria Salzburg Internet-based Test Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Austria Vienna Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Austria Villach-St. Magdalen Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 17, 2009

Bolivia Cochabamba Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Bolivia LA Paz Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Wed., Dec 10, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Bolivia Santa Cruz Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Bolivia Sucre (Code: Q341) Paper-based Test Sat., May 09, 2009

Brazil Aldeota Internet-based Test No Dates Currently Available
Brazil Americana Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Brazil Araras Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Brazil Balneario Camboriu Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Brazil Barra Mansa Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Dec 20, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Brazil Bauru Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Brazil Belem Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Brazil Belo Horizonte Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Brazil Belo Horizonte (Code: Q418) Paper-based Test Fri., Mar 06, 2009
Sat., May 09, 2009
Brazil Botucatu Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Brazil Brasilia Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Brazil Campinas Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Brazil Campo Grande Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Brazil Cuiaba Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Brazil Curitiba Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Brazil Divinopolis Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Brazil Duque DE Caxias Internet-based Test Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Brazil Fortaleza Internet-based Test Sun., Nov 30, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Brazil Foz Do Iguacu Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Brazil Goiania Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Brazil Itajuba Internet-based Test Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Brazil Juiz DE Fora Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Brazil Londrina Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Brazil Macae Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Brazil Manaus Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Brazil Marilia Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Brazil Mogi Das Cruzes Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Brazil Natal Internet-based Test No Dates Currently Available
Brazil Porto Alegre Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Brazil Presidente Prudente Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Brazil Recife Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Dec 20, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Brazil Ribeirao Preto Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Brazil Rio DE Janeiro Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Brazil Salvador Internet-based Test Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Brazil Santos Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Brazil Sao Carlos Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Brazil Sao Jose Do Rio Preto Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Brazil Sao Jose Dos Campos Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Brazil Sao Luis Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Brazil Sao Paulo Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Brazil Sao Paulo (Code: Q497) Paper-based Test Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Mar 06, 2009
Sat., May 09, 2009
Brazil Sao Paulo, Cep Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Brazil Sorocaba Internet-based Test No Dates Currently Available
Brazil S?o Paulo Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Brazil Tres Coracoes Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Brazil Uberlandia Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Brazil Vila Velha Internet-based Test No Dates Currently Available

Canada ALBERTA Calgary Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Canada ALBERTA Edmonton Internet-based Test Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Canada ALBERTA Fort Mcmurray Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Canada BRITISH COLUMBIA Abbotsford Internet-based Test Sun., Dec 07, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Canada BRITISH COLUMBIA Burnaby Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Canada BRITISH COLUMBIA Coquitlam Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Canada BRITISH COLUMBIA Kamloops Internet-based Test Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Canada BRITISH COLUMBIA Kelowna Internet-based Test Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Canada BRITISH COLUMBIA Kimberley Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Canada BRITISH COLUMBIA Langley Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Canada BRITISH COLUMBIA Maple Ridge Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Canada BRITISH COLUMBIA North Vancouver Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Canada BRITISH COLUMBIA Port Moody Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Canada BRITISH COLUMBIA Surrey Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Canada BRITISH COLUMBIA Vancouver Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Canada BRITISH COLUMBIA Victoria Internet-based Test Sun., Nov 30, 2008
Sun., Dec 07, 2008
Wed., Dec 10, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Canada MANITOBA Winnipeg Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Canada NEW BRUNSWICK Sackville Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Canada NEW BRUNSWICK Saint John Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Canada NEWFOUNDLAND St. Johns Internet-based Test No Dates Currently Available
Canada NOVA SCOTIA Halifax Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Sun., Dec 07, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Dec 20, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Canada ONTARIO Etobicoke Internet-based Test Sun., Nov 30, 2008
Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Sun., Dec 07, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Dec 20, 2008
Canada ONTARIO Guelph Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Canada ONTARIO Hamilton Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Canada ONTARIO Kingston Internet-based Test No Dates Currently Available
Canada ONTARIO London Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Sun., Dec 07, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Canada ONTARIO Mississauga Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Canada ONTARIO Oakville Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Canada ONTARIO Ottawa Internet-based Test No Dates Currently Available
Canada ONTARIO Scarborough Internet-based Test Sat., Dec 20, 2008
Canada ONTARIO Stratford Internet-based Test Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Canada ONTARIO Thornhill Internet-based Test Sun., Dec 07, 2008
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Canada ONTARIO Thunder Bay Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Canada ONTARIO Toronto Internet-based Test Sun., Nov 30, 2008
Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Sun., Dec 07, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Dec 20, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Canada ONTARIO Welland Internet-based Test Sat., Dec 20, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Canada ONTARIO Windsor Internet-based Test Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Canada PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND Charlottetown Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Canada QUEBEC Montreal Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Canada QUEBEC Saint-Laurent Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Canada QUEBEC Ste-Anne-De-Bellevue Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Dec 20, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Canada SASKATCHEWAN Regina Internet-based Test Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Canada SASKATCHEWAN Saskatoon Internet-based Test No Dates Currently Available
Canada SASKATCHEWAN Yorkton Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Wed., Dec 10, 2008

Chile Antofagasta Internet-based Test No Dates Currently Available
Chile Concepcion Internet-based Test Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Chile LA Serena Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Chile Santiago Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Fri., Dec 19, 2008
Sat., Dec 20, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Chile Vina Del Mar Internet-based Test Sun., Dec 07, 2008
Wed., Dec 10, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009

Colombia Barranquilla Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Colombia Bogota Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Colombia Bogota (Code: Q815) Paper-based Test Sat., May 09, 2009
Colombia Bucaramanga Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Colombia Cali Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Colombia Cartagena Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Colombia Chia Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Colombia Cucuta Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Colombia Ibague Tolima Internet-based Test No Dates Currently Available
Colombia Manizales, Caldas Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Colombia Medellin Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Sun., Dec 07, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Dec 20, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Colombia Monteria Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Colombia Pereira Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Colombia Popayan Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Colombia Villavicencio Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009

Costa Rica Cartago Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Costa Rica San Jose Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009

Dominican Republic Santiago Internet-based Test Sat., Dec 20, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Dominican Republic Santiago (Code: R219) Paper-based Test Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Dominican Republic Santo Domingo Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Dominican Republic Santo Domingo (Code: R200) Paper-based Test Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Sat., May 09, 2009

Ecuador Guayaquil Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Dec 20, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Ecuador Loja Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Ecuador Quito Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Ecuador Salinas Internet-based Test Fri., Jan 23, 2009

Egypt Alexandria Internet-based Test Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Egypt Cairo Internet-based Test Sun., Nov 30, 2008
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Egypt El-Warraq Internet-based Test Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Egypt Elmansourah Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Egypt Sohag Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Egypt Tanta Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009

El Salvador LA Libertad Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
El Salvador San Salvador Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009

France Angers Internet-based Test Fri., Feb 27, 2009
France Bayonne Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
France Bourges Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
France Caen Internet-based Test Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
France Cannes Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
France Courbevoie Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
France Grenoble Cedex 9 Internet-based Test No Dates Currently Available
France LA Garde Cedex Internet-based Test No Dates Currently Available
France Le Bourget Du Lac Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
France Le Mans Cedex 9 Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
France Lyon Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
France Marseille Internet-based Test Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
France Metz Internet-based Test Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
France Montpellier Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
France Nanterre Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
France Nice Internet-based Test No Dates Currently Available
France Paris Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Sun., Dec 07, 2008
Wed., Dec 10, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
France Paris (Code: N087) Paper-based Test Sat., May 09, 2009
France Pau Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
France Reims Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
France Rennes Internet-based Test Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
France Strasbourg Internet-based Test No Dates Currently Available
France Toulouse Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sat., Dec 20, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009

Germany Augsburg Internet-based Test Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Germany Berlin Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sun., Dec 07, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sat., Dec 20, 2008
Sun., Dec 21, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Germany Bonn Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Germany Buende Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Germany Darmstadt Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Germany Dusseldorf Internet-based Test Sun., Nov 30, 2008
Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sun., Dec 07, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sat., Dec 20, 2008
Sun., Dec 21, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Germany Erfurt Internet-based Test No Dates Currently Available
Germany Frankfurt (eschborn) Internet-based Test Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Germany Frankfurt Am Main Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Germany Frankfurt Internet-based Test No Dates Currently Available
Germany Fulda Internet-based Test Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Germany Goettingen Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Germany Gottingen Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Germany Gueby Internet-based Test No Dates Currently Available
Germany Hamburg Internet-based Test Sun., Nov 30, 2008
Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sun., Dec 07, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sat., Dec 20, 2008
Sun., Dec 21, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Germany Hannover Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Germany Heidelberg Internet-based Test Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sun., Dec 07, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Germany Koblenz Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Germany Koln Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Germany Mainz Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Germany Mannheim Internet-based Test Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Germany Munchen Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Germany Munich Internet-based Test Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Germany Oestrich-Winkel Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Germany Osnabruck Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Germany Paderborn Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Germany Sankt Augustin Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Germany Stuttgart Internet-based Test Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Germany Tuebingen Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009

Guadeloupe Baie-Mahault Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Guadeloupe Pointe-A-Pitre (Code: Q641) Paper-based Test Fri., Mar 06, 2009

Guatemala Guatemala City Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Guatemala Guatemala Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009

Haiti Cap-Haitien Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Haiti Port-Au-Prince Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008

Honduras LA Ceiba Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Honduras San Pedro Sula Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Honduras Tegucigalpa Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009

Hong Kong Hong Kong Internet-based Test Sun., Feb 22, 2009
Sat., Feb 28, 2009
Hong Kong Kowloon Internet-based Test Wed., Dec 10, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
Sat., Feb 28, 2009
Hong Kong Kwai Chung Internet-based Test Sun., Nov 30, 2008
Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sun., Dec 21, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sun., Jan 18, 2009
Sat., Jan 24, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
Sat., Feb 28, 2009
Hong Kong Sai Kung Internet-based Test Sun., Jan 18, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
Hong Kong San Po Kong Internet-based Test No Dates Currently Available
Hong Kong Tsuen Wan Internet-based Test Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008

Hungary Budapest Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Hungary Miskolc Internet-based Test No Dates Currently Available

India Ahmadabad Internet-based Test Sun., Nov 30, 2008
Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sun., Dec 07, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sun., Dec 21, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sun., Jan 18, 2009
Sat., Jan 24, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
Sat., Feb 28, 2009
India Ahmedabad Internet-based Test Sun., Nov 30, 2008
Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sun., Dec 07, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sun., Dec 21, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sun., Jan 18, 2009
Sat., Jan 24, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
Sat., Feb 28, 2009
India Allahabad Internet-based Test Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sun., Jan 18, 2009
Sat., Jan 24, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
Sat., Feb 28, 2009
India Anand Internet-based Test Sun., Nov 30, 2008
Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sun., Dec 07, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sun., Dec 21, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sun., Jan 18, 2009
Sat., Jan 24, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
Sat., Feb 28, 2009
India Bangalore Internet-based Test Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sun., Dec 07, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sun., Dec 21, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sun., Jan 18, 2009
Sat., Jan 24, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
Sat., Feb 28, 2009
India Belgaum Internet-based Test Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sun., Jan 18, 2009
Sat., Jan 24, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
Sat., Feb 28, 2009
India Bhimavaram Internet-based Test Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
India Bhopal Internet-based Test Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008
India Calcutta Internet-based Test Sun., Nov 30, 2008
Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sun., Dec 21, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sun., Jan 18, 2009
Sat., Jan 24, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
Sat., Feb 28, 2009
India Calicut Internet-based Test Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
India Chandigarh Internet-based Test Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sun., Jan 18, 2009
Sat., Jan 24, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
Sat., Feb 28, 2009
India Chennai Internet-based Test Sun., Nov 30, 2008
Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sun., Dec 07, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sun., Dec 21, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sun., Jan 18, 2009
Sat., Jan 24, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
Sat., Feb 28, 2009
India Cochin Internet-based Test Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sun., Jan 18, 2009
Sat., Jan 24, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
Sat., Feb 28, 2009
India Coimbatore Internet-based Test Sun., Nov 30, 2008
Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sun., Dec 07, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sun., Dec 21, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sun., Jan 18, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
India Dehradun Internet-based Test Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sun., Jan 18, 2009
Sat., Jan 24, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
India Ernakulam Internet-based Test Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
India Gandhinagar Internet-based Test Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008
India Greater Noida Internet-based Test Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008
India Guntur Internet-based Test Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sun., Jan 18, 2009
Sat., Jan 24, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
Sat., Feb 28, 2009
India Gurgaon Internet-based Test Sun., Nov 30, 2008
Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sun., Dec 07, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sun., Dec 21, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sun., Jan 18, 2009
Sat., Jan 24, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
Sat., Feb 28, 2009
India Hyderabad Internet-based Test Sun., Nov 30, 2008
Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sun., Dec 07, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sun., Dec 21, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sun., Jan 18, 2009
Sat., Jan 24, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
Sat., Feb 28, 2009
India Indore Internet-based Test Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sun., Dec 07, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sun., Dec 21, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sun., Jan 18, 2009
Sat., Jan 24, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
Sat., Feb 28, 2009
India Jaipur Internet-based Test Sun., Nov 30, 2008
Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sun., Dec 07, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sun., Dec 21, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sun., Jan 18, 2009
Sat., Jan 24, 2009
India Kolkata Internet-based Test Sun., Nov 30, 2008
Sun., Dec 07, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sun., Dec 21, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sun., Jan 18, 2009
Sat., Jan 24, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
Sat., Feb 28, 2009
India Kolkatta Internet-based Test Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sun., Dec 07, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sun., Dec 21, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sun., Jan 18, 2009
Sat., Jan 24, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
Sat., Feb 28, 2009
India Kottayam Internet-based Test Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
India Kurnool Internet-based Test Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
India Kurukshetra Internet-based Test Sat., Dec 06, 2008
India Lucknow Internet-based Test Sun., Nov 30, 2008
Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sun., Dec 07, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sun., Dec 21, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sun., Jan 18, 2009
Sat., Jan 24, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
Sat., Feb 28, 2009
India Ludhiana Internet-based Test Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 24, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 28, 2009
India Madurai Internet-based Test Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sun., Dec 21, 2008
Sun., Jan 18, 2009
Sat., Jan 24, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
Sat., Feb 28, 2009
India Mangalore Internet-based Test Sun., Nov 30, 2008
Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sun., Dec 07, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sun., Jan 18, 2009
Sat., Jan 24, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
Sat., Feb 28, 2009
India Mani Nagar, Ahmedabad Internet-based Test Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sun., Jan 18, 2009
Sat., Jan 24, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
Sat., Feb 28, 2009
India Medak Internet-based Test Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sun., Dec 07, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sun., Dec 21, 2008
India Mumbai Internet-based Test Sun., Nov 30, 2008
Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sun., Dec 07, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sun., Dec 21, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sun., Jan 18, 2009
Sat., Jan 24, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
Sat., Feb 28, 2009
India Nagpur Internet-based Test Sun., Nov 30, 2008
Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sun., Dec 07, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sun., Dec 21, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sun., Jan 18, 2009
Sat., Jan 24, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
Sat., Feb 28, 2009
India Nashik Internet-based Test Sun., Nov 30, 2008
Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sun., Dec 21, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sun., Jan 18, 2009
Sat., Jan 24, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
Sat., Feb 28, 2009
India New Delhi Internet-based Test Sun., Nov 30, 2008
Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sun., Dec 07, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sun., Dec 21, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sun., Jan 18, 2009
Sat., Jan 24, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
Sat., Feb 28, 2009
India Noida Internet-based Test Sun., Nov 30, 2008
Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sun., Dec 07, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sun., Dec 21, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sun., Jan 18, 2009
Sat., Jan 24, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
Sat., Feb 28, 2009
India Panjim Internet-based Test Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sun., Jan 18, 2009
Sat., Jan 24, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
Sat., Feb 28, 2009
India Patna Internet-based Test Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
India Pondicherry Internet-based Test Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
India Pune Internet-based Test Sun., Nov 30, 2008
Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sun., Dec 21, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sun., Jan 18, 2009
Sat., Jan 24, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
Sat., Feb 28, 2009
India Ranchi Internet-based Test Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
India Secunderabad Internet-based Test Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sun., Dec 07, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sun., Jan 18, 2009
Sat., Jan 24, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
Sat., Feb 28, 2009
India Srinagar Internet-based Test Sat., Dec 06, 2008
India Surat Internet-based Test Sun., Nov 30, 2008
Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sun., Dec 07, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sun., Dec 21, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sun., Jan 18, 2009
Sat., Jan 24, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
Sat., Feb 28, 2009
India Thane Internet-based Test Sun., Nov 30, 2008
Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sun., Dec 07, 2008
Sun., Dec 21, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sun., Jan 18, 2009
Sat., Jan 24, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
Sat., Feb 28, 2009
India Thrissur Internet-based Test Sun., Dec 21, 2008
Sun., Jan 18, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
India Tirunelveli Internet-based Test Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
India Tirupathi Internet-based Test Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sun., Jan 18, 2009
Sat., Jan 24, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
Sat., Feb 28, 2009
India Trichy Internet-based Test Sun., Nov 30, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sun., Jan 18, 2009
Sat., Jan 24, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
Sat., Feb 28, 2009
India Trivandrum Internet-based Test Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sun., Jan 18, 2009
Sat., Jan 24, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
Sat., Feb 28, 2009
India Udaipur Internet-based Test Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
India Vadodara Internet-based Test Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sun., Jan 18, 2009
Sat., Jan 24, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
Sat., Feb 28, 2009
India Vijayawada Internet-based Test Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sun., Dec 07, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sun., Dec 21, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sun., Jan 18, 2009
Sat., Jan 24, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
Sat., Feb 28, 2009
India Visakhapatnam Internet-based Test Sun., Nov 30, 2008
Sun., Jan 18, 2009
Sat., Jan 24, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
Sat., Feb 28, 2009
India Warangal Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sun., Jan 18, 2009
Sat., Jan 24, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
Sat., Feb 28, 2009

Israel Haifa Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Israel Jerusalem (Code: E904) Paper-based Test Sun., Jan 18, 2009
Sun., May 10, 2009
Israel Petach Tikva Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Israel Ramallah District Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Israel Ramallah Internet-based Test No Dates Currently Available
Israel Ramat Gan Internet-based Test Sun., Nov 30, 2008
Wed., Dec 10, 2008
Israel Tel Aviv Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009

Italy Ancona Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Italy Avellino Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Italy Bari Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Italy Biella Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Italy Bologna Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Italy Brescia Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Italy Cagliari Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Italy Castellanza Internet-based Test Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Italy Catania Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Italy Chieti Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Italy Civitavecchia Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Italy Como Internet-based Test Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Italy Curno (bergamo) Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Italy Florence Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Italy Lamezia Terme Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Italy Lecce Internet-based Test Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Italy Livorno Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Italy Lodi Internet-based Test Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Italy Mantova Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Italy Mesagne Brindisi Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Italy Mestre Venice Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Italy Milan Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Italy Milano Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Italy Napoli Internet-based Test No Dates Currently Available
Italy Padova Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Italy Palermo Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Italy Parma Internet-based Test Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Italy Pavia Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Italy Perugia Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Italy Pescara Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Italy Pordenone Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Italy Reggio Calabria Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Dec 20, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Italy Rimini Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Italy Roma Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Italy Rome Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Italy Sesto San Giovanni Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Italy Sorrento Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Italy Trento Internet-based Test Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Italy Turin Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Italy Villafranca Verona Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009

Jamaica Kingston Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008

Japan Aichi Internet-based Test Sun., Nov 30, 2008
Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sun., Dec 07, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sun., Jan 18, 2009
Sat., Jan 24, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
Sat., Feb 28, 2009
Japan Akita Internet-based Test Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sat., Jan 24, 2009
Japan Chiba Internet-based Test Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Japan Fukuoka Internet-based Test Sun., Nov 30, 2008
Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sun., Dec 07, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sat., Feb 28, 2009
Japan Fukushima Internet-based Test Sun., Dec 21, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Japan Hokkaido Internet-based Test Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sun., Dec 21, 2008
Japan Hyogo Internet-based Test Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sun., Dec 07, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sun., Jan 18, 2009
Sat., Jan 24, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
Sat., Feb 28, 2009
Japan Iwate Internet-based Test Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Japan Kagoshima Internet-based Test Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Japan Kanagawa Internet-based Test Sun., Nov 30, 2008
Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sun., Dec 07, 2008
Wed., Dec 10, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sun., Dec 21, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sun., Jan 18, 2009
Sat., Jan 24, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
Sat., Feb 28, 2009
Japan Kochi Internet-based Test Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Japan Kyoto Internet-based Test Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sun., Dec 07, 2008
Sun., Dec 21, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 24, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
Sat., Feb 28, 2009
Japan Miyagi Internet-based Test Sun., Nov 30, 2008
Japan Nagasaki Internet-based Test Sun., Feb 22, 2009
Japan Okayama Internet-based Test No Dates Currently Available
Japan Okinawa Internet-based Test Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Japan Osaka Internet-based Test Sun., Nov 30, 2008
Sat., Dec 06, 2008
Sun., Dec 07, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sun., Dec 21, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sun., Jan 18, 2009
Sat., Jan 24, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
Sat., Feb 28, 2009
Japan Shiga Internet-based Test No Dates Currently Available
Japan Shizuoka Internet-based Test No Dates Currently Available
Japan Tokyo Internet-based Test Sun., Nov 30, 2008
Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sun., Jan 18, 2009
Sat., Jan 24, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
Sat., Feb 28, 2009
Japan Yamaguchi Internet-based Test No Dates Currently Available

Mexico Aguascalientes Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Mexico Celaya Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Mexico Ciudad Obregon Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Mexico Coacalco DE Berriozabal Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Mexico Colima Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Mexico Cuidad Victoria Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Mexico Culiacan Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Mexico Delicias Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Mexico Durango Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Mexico Ensenada Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Mexico Guadalajara Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Mexico Guanajuato Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Mexico H. Matamoros Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Mexico Hermosillo Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Mexico Mazatlan Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Mexico Merida (Code: S292) Paper-based Test Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Sat., May 09, 2009
Mexico Mexicali Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Mexico Mexico City Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Mexico Mexico City (Code: S221) Paper-based Test Sat., May 09, 2009
Mexico Mexico Internet-based Test No Dates Currently Available
Mexico Mexico (Code: S225) Paper-based Test Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Mar 06, 2009
Sat., May 09, 2009
Mexico Monterrey Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Mexico Morelia, Michoacan Internet-based Test Wed., Dec 10, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Mexico Oaxaca Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Mexico Pachuca Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Mexico Puebla Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Dec 20, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Mexico Queretaro Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Mexico San Luis Potosi Internet-based Test Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Mexico San Nicolas DE Los Garza Internet-based Test No Dates Currently Available
Mexico Tampico Internet-based Test Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Mexico Torreon Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Mexico Tuxtla Gutierrez Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Mexico Tzompantepec Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Mexico Veracruz Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Mexico Xochitepec Morelos Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Mexico Zapopan Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009

Panama David Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Panama Panama Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009

Paraguay Asuncion Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Dec 20, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009

Peru Arequipa Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Peru Arequipa (Code: S803) Paper-based Test Sat., May 09, 2009
Peru Cusco Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Peru Lima Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Dec 20, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Peru Lince Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Dec 20, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Peru Trujillo Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009

Puerto Rico Carolina Internet-based Test Sat., Dec 20, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Puerto Rico Guaynabo Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Puerto Rico Mayaguez Internet-based Test No Dates Currently Available

Russian Federation Irkutsk Internet-based Test Sat., Dec 13, 2008
Russian Federation Kazan Internet-based Test No Dates Currently Available
Russian Federation Khabarovsk Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 24, 2009
Russian Federation Moscow Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sun., Feb 22, 2009
Sat., Feb 28, 2009
Russian Federation Naberezhnyye Chelny Internet-based Test Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 28, 2009
Russian Federation Novosibirsk Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sun., Jan 18, 2009
Sat., Jan 24, 2009
Russian Federation Omsk Internet-based Test No Dates Currently Available
Russian Federation Saint-Petersburg Internet-based Test No Dates Currently Available
Russian Federation Samara Internet-based Test No Dates Currently Available
Russian Federation Saratov Internet-based Test No Dates Currently Available
Russian Federation Smolensk Internet-based Test No Dates Currently Available
Russian Federation St. Petersburg Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Russian Federation Syktyvkar (Code: P565) Paper-based Test Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Mar 06, 2009
Sat., May 09, 2009
Russian Federation Ufa Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 24, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 28, 2009
Russian Federation Vladivostok (Code: P567) Paper-based Test Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Sat., May 09, 2009
Russian Federation Voronezh Internet-based Test No Dates Currently Available

Spain Asturias Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Spain Barcelona Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Spain Burjassot Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Spain Cordoba Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Spain Gijon Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Spain Granada Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Spain Las Palmas (Code: P656) Paper-based Test Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Sat., May 09, 2009
Spain Madrid Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Spain Oviedo Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Spain Pamplona Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Spain Pozuelo DE Alarcon Internet-based Test Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Spain Salamanca Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Spain Santiago DE Compostela Internet-based Test No Dates Currently Available
Spain Sevilla Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Spain Valencia Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Spain Villaviciosa DE Od?n (madrid) Internet-based Test Wed., Dec 10, 2008
Spain Zaragosa Internet-based Test Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009

Venezuela Caracas Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Sat., Dec 20, 2008
Sat., Jan 10, 2009
Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Sat., Feb 14, 2009
Sat., Feb 21, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Venezuela Caracas (Code: T305) Paper-based Test Sat., Jan 17, 2009
Fri., Mar 06, 2009
Sat., May 09, 2009
Venezuela Maracaibo Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008
Fri., Dec 12, 2008
Fri., Jan 23, 2009
Fri., Feb 27, 2009
Venezuela Merida Internet-based Test Fri., Dec 05, 2008

What is the GMAT, where and how to take it?

The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), is required for students who want to be eligible to many available graduate business management programs. Many, although not all business schools specifically ask for this test to be undertaken, to determine their qualifications for their enrollment into advanced business administration and management studies.

The GMAT exam is a standardized assessment, delivered in English. For many business schools, it is an important part of the admissions process, allowing committees to assess the qualifications of applicants and their preparedness towards the high demands of graduate business programs – MBA’s, M.S. in Finance and others.

To take the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), follow these instructions:

1. Select a Test Center – Select a test center that is convenient and easily accessible. Test takers can view the list of test centers online by accessing www.gmac.com or from the GMAT ® Information Bulletin for Testing.
2. Register for the test – You can register for the GMAT exam through one of the following modes:

a. Online – To schedule the GMAT test online, sign up as a registered user of the mba.com website. Enter your name and date of birth as mentioned in your identification slip. You can make the payments using credit card or debit card.
b. Phone – You can also register for the GMAT through Telephone. Please check the http://www.eduers.com/gmat/GMAT_Exam_Schedule.htm for telephone registration across various countries.
c. Mail or Fax – To register for the GMAT by mail or fax, complete the GMAT Appointment Scheduling Form. You must be aware of the country code list to complete and fax the form.
If you wish to mail your form, please send your completed form to:
Pearson VUE
Attention: GMAT Program
PO Box 581907
Minneapolis, MN 55458-1907
USA

It may take up to eight (8) weeks for the scheduling forms to reach the U.S. from certain countries.

Many dates are available every week throughout the world, to take the GMAT. Depending on your location, they will vary. Check out the information on dates availability by choosing the center first and then reviewing the dates.

This is one assessment you do not want to take without prepping first for at least a couple of weeks. Understanding the ins and outs of this test can help you maximize your chances of achieving a top grade.

Waitlisted in MBA admissions

What to do to enhance your chances of getting into an MBA program when you are waitlisted

You are ready for the MBA deadline, anxiously awaiting the response. The day arrives and it’s a… Maybe?!?

Do not get too flustered, if you are waitlisted for an MBA program, this actually means that you are qualified for admission. The admissions committee could be saying that your application has been assessed and your background and experience have been found suitable for the program. But a decision has not been made on your application. However you like it, this IS an opportunity; a door is still open.

The admission office of the Ross School of Business states: “If you have some information regarding updated grades or test scores, leadership, any teamwork or community involvement, you can send it to the admission office of the school. Additionally, you must submit the copy of your most recent grades to the Office of Admissions”.

Another way of presenting relevant information for admissions is through an updated and revamped résumé. Put your best face out there, once again. Provide information on achievements you have had in the last few months, after submitting your application. Make a creative cover letter that conveys your interest in the program.

This is a time to take a moment and do introspection – assess your strengths and weaknesses as a candidate and think of creative ways to communicate to the admissions department how you plan to overcome those weaknesses. Focus also on how your strengths can enhance the class experience for all and how you can become an asset to the school.

A way to highlight your strengths would be through a letter or a special project that denotes your innovation skills. Schools are eager to hear about your true interest – after all, questioning your intention to attend the institution might be one of the decision-stoppers for the MBA program. Make sure to let them know that their program is your top choice (if it is). You can send a brief note to your interviewer, an admissions counselor or the director of admissions to let them know that you truly plan to attend. You can also try contacting them once over the phone. However, do not become a pest! Make sure you do not make too many calls, as this can play to your disadvantage.

Don’t quit! You need only to be patient and persevere. If you can, visit the school and conduct a campus tour. You can also announce your visit to the admissions officers and ask if there could be an opportunity to meet any of them personally. Be ready to make a great impression.

If you have friends attending the MBA program specifically, ask them to send an email on your behalf, communicating to the admissions committee your true interest in attending. Seek a letter of recommendation from a member of the alumni of the program, ask them to send it to the director of admissions. Find as many voices that speak well of you and have some liaison with the school.

Keeping open communication channels with the school can work on your behalf. A bold move is to ask the school directly what you need to do to improve your chances of gaining admission. Be prepared to fully follow their advice. If your test scores need to be improved, for example, be prepared to take the GMAT once again, and earn a higher grade. Demonstrate with facts and not fiction that you are willing to go the extra mile to earn your spot.

Always remember: follow the rules and instructions of the school, as you did during the application process. Make sure you read what they allow or not regarding waitlisted students before you take any step to support your candidacy. Read thoroughly any material the school sends you when you are contacted with the waitlist decision, as some schools welcome extra correspondence but others simply have other expectations regarding waitlisted students.

And finally, support your candidacy by briefly contacting the admissions office every few weeks, to ensure they know of your continued interest in their program.

So, what are you waiting for? The opportunity is yours to act upon – seize the moment! And good luck!

Waitlisted for an MBA? What to do to enhance your chances of getting in

You are ready for the MBA deadline, anxiously awaiting the response. The day arrives and it’s a… Maybe?!?

Do not get too flustered, if you are waitlisted for an MBA program, this actually means that you are qualified for admission. The admissions committee could be saying that your application has been assessed and your background and experience have been found suitable for the program. But a decision has not been made on your application. However you like it, this IS an opportunity; a door is still open.

The admission office of the Ross School of Business states: “If you have some information regarding updated grades or test scores, leadership, any teamwork or community involvement, you can send it to the admission office of the school. Additionally, you must submit the copy of your most recent grades to the Office of Admissions”.

Another way of presenting relevant information for admissions is through an updated and revamped résumé. Put your best face out there, once again. Provide information on achievements you have had in the last few months, after submitting your application. Make a creative cover letter that conveys your interest in the program.

This is a time to take a moment and do introspection – assess your strengths and weaknesses as a candidate and think of creative ways to communicate to the admissions department how you plan to overcome those weaknesses. Focus also on how your strengths can enhance the class experience for all and how you can become an asset to the school.

A way to highlight your strengths would be through a letter or a special project that denotes your innovation skills. Schools are eager to hear about your true interest – after all, questioning your intention to attend the institution might be one of the decision-stoppers for the MBA program. Make sure to let them know that their program is your top choice (if it is). You can send a brief note to your interviewer, an admissions counselor or the director of admissions to let them know that you truly plan to attend. You can also try contacting them once over the phone. However, do not become a pest! Make sure you do not make too many calls, as this can play to your disadvantage.

Don’t quit! You need only to be patient and persevere. If you can, visit the school and conduct a campus tour. You can also announce your visit to the admissions officers and ask if there could be an opportunity to meet any of them personally. Be ready to make a great impression.

If you have friends attending the MBA program specifically, ask them to send an email on your behalf, communicating to the admissions committee your true interest in attending. Seek a letter of recommendation from a member of the alumni of the program, ask them to send it to the director of admissions. Find as many voices that speak well of you and have some liaison with the school.

Keeping open communication channels with the school can work on your behalf. A bold move is to ask the school directly what you need to do to improve your chances of gaining admission. Be prepared to fully follow their advice. If your test scores need to be improved, for example, be prepared to take the GMAT once again, and earn a higher grade. Demonstrate with facts and not fiction that you are willing to go the extra mile to earn your spot.

Always remember: follow the rules and instructions of the school, as you did during the application process. Make sure you read what they allow or not regarding waitlisted students before you take any step to support your candidacy. Read thoroughly any material the school sends you when you are contacted with the waitlist decision, as some schools welcome extra correspondence but others simply have other expectations regarding waitlisted students.

And finally, support your candidacy by briefly contacting the admissions office every few weeks, to ensure they know of your continued interest in their program.

So, what are you waiting for? The opportunity is yours to act upon – seize the moment! And good luck!

Educational Consulting

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¿Primera o segunda ronda? Cuándo enviar la aplicación a un MBA

Por Claudine Vainrub, MBA

Buscar admisión para un programa de Master en Administración de Empresas (MBA) requiere de mucho análisis. Deberás congeniar varios elementos a la hora de seguir el proceso de solicitud. Una de las decisiones más difíciles es decidir cuándo presentarse. Muchos de los programas de MBA ofrecen tres fechas para aplicar, mientras que otros pueden tener dos o cinco. Sin embargo, la mayoría de los candidatos deciden presentarse en el primer o en el segundo llamado.

A continuación, esbozamos acerca de entregar la aplicación en la primera ronda.

En la primera convocatoria, es muy común que se presenten las solicitudes de los mejores estudiantes. Muchos de los que deciden aplicar en esta fecha son candidatos con altas calificaciones, excelente experiencia laboral y un buen nivel de organización en sus actividades.

Si te consideras un candidato fuerte, esta es la mejor oportunidad para presentarte. En el artículo “Timing Your Applications” (“Coordinando tus solicitudes”) del sitio web Accepted.com, Linda Abraham aconseja: “Presenta tu solicitud en la fecha más próxima, siempre y cuando esto no comprometa la calidad de la misma.”

Obviamente, esto no implica que si no eres un candidato estelar, te presentes en el primer llamado. Si tus resultados en el examen de aptitud académica para entrar a un MBA (más conocido como GMAT, Graduate Management Admission Test ) superan los 700 puntos, el primer round también puede ser favorable para ti. En la primera fecha, el número de postulantes es considerablemente menor. A muchas personas les ofrecen puestos, y rechazan los mismos en busca de mejores oportunidades. Dichas bancas pueden ser aprovechadas por ti. A pesar de que las universidades tienen un número de asientos disponibles, la realidad es que pueden haber más que los que ofrecen y puedes llegar a conseguir asiento en la primera ronda, aún cuando tus competidores sean estudiantes de alto calibre. Para ello requerirás una presentación prolija que incluya un compendio del detalle de tus competencias, calificaciones y ensayos bien redactados.

Algunas instituciones ofrecen observaciones a los estudiantes que no ingresan en la primera ronda. Éstas pueden ser utilizadas para aplicar nuevamente de manera efectiva. En el artículo “First Round Frenzy” (“El frenesí del primer llamado”) del sitio Business Week, Abraham explica: “Un postulante que se presenta por segunda vez y presta atención a las observaciones de su primera postulación, seguramente será admitido en la primera instancia el año siguiente”. Esta puede ser otra de tus opciones disponibles.

En referencia a la segunda ronda…

Es común ver que muchos postulantes se presentan en el Segundo llamado, y por lo tanto, son más los candidatos con los que se debe competir. Algunos programas de MBA reciben más de dos mil solicitudes durante esta etapa. Los estudiantes con mejores condiciones por lo general se presentan en la primera fase, por lo cual, los que se presentan luego son generalmente a quienes les va bien, pero presentan mayores debilidades –aunque esto varía año a año en las diferentes instituciones. En mayor o menor medida, estos serán los competidores que enfrentarás en esta ronda.

Si tu puntaje en el GMAT es menor a 600 y sientes que podrás hacerlo mejor si tomas el examen nuevamente, optar por el segundo llamado puede ser una alternativa conveniente para ti.

En resumidas cuentas, elegir en qué instancia te presentarás como candidato se relaciona directamente con cuál es la ronda en la cual tu solicitud se verá más favorecida, teniendo en cuenta que el único factor que no debe alterarse es la calidad de tu aplicación. Además, si hacerlo en la primera ronda significa que la presentación ofrecerá menos que lo mejor de ti, será mejor que pospongas tu presentación ya que tus chances de ser aceptados serán menores.

Cualquiera sea la instancia que elijas, pon tu mayor esfuerzo en describirte profesionalmente y personalmente y cómo aportarás un valor agregado al programa de tu elección. Sin importar cuál sea la ronda, toma este momento para hacerte cargo y acechar tus aspiraciones más ambiciosas en la admisión a programas de MBA.

Links de Referencia:

http://www.mbaprograms.org/mbaadmission/7criteria3.asp

http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/content/dec2005/bs2005127_7505_bs001.htm

http://www.accepted.com/newsletter/2004/1004news.aspx#essay

http://accepted.mbablogs.businessweek.com/archive/2005/12/08/1byqs44pwf3vy

Aplicaciones exitosas a Universidades en USA:

Cómo encarar el proceso de admisión universitaria en USA

Por Claudine Vainrub

Este es el momento del año para ocuparse… ¡Es el tiempo de presentar las aplicaciones a las universidades! A los estudiantes de los últimos cursos del colegio secundario les cuesta mucho decidir cuál institución será la más adecuada, cuál presenta la combinación perfecta entre nivel académico, vida social, ayuda financiera, y posibilidades de crecimiento en la carrera a futuro. Los asesores universitarios ofrecen talleres para la redacción de ensayos, seminarios acerca de la solicitud gratuita de ayuda federal para estudiantes, y orientación vocacional, entre otros. Sin embargo, el foco en la mente del estudiante es en qué forma sobrepasar las dificultades para realizar la más correcta selección de sus opciones educativas. Lo que más preocupa a los estudiantes es presentar una correcta aplicación universitaria.

Todos los años, miles de aplicaciones son enviadas a los diversos comités de admisión de las universidades en los Estados Unidos, buscando que las mismas sean juzgadas correctamente basándose en diferentes factores. ¿Cuáles son estos factores? ¿Cuáles son las características más importantes? ¿Cuáles no tienen tanta importancia?

Si bien muchas solicitudes son aprobadas, algunas de ellas son rechazadas, y aquellos estudiantes se quedan con la duda de por qué ocurrió eso. ¿Qué hizo que su solicitud fuera menos efectiva que el resto? La respuesta a esto es que actualmente, los encargados de admisiones no buscan solamente estilo e intereses personales en las solicitudes.

Una solicitud de ingreso a la Universidad debe reflejar inteligencia, personalidad y por sobre todo, pasión por aprender. Como estudiante, deberás dejar ver tu ser interior y no exagerar tus cualidades para causar una impresión y lograr la aceptación. Algunos trucos como inscribirse en clases extracurriculares o participar de programas especiales de aprendizaje son recursos que conocen bien. Por lo tanto, no resultará efectivo que te muestres como diplomático para obtener la admisión.

Las universidades orientan su búsqueda al “interés demostrado” o atracción verdadera hacia las universidades en las cuáles solicitan ingreso. Esto debe ser presentado de manera verídica y genuina. La verdadera razón por la que ocurre, es que las universidades ya no buscan estudiantes que sumen en cantidad, sino que esperan sean los estudiantes quienes busquen las instituciones con una idea de aprendizaje en mente y poder colmar sus expectativas enfocándose en sus necesidades. En resumidas cuentas, lo que ellos desean son estudiantes que puedan hacer valorar su institución y metodologías de aprendizaje.

En primer lugar, comienza demostrando cuán valioso puedes ser para la universidad, argumentando cuál puede ser tu devolución para la misma, y cómo crecerás en esa institución para convertirte en un miembro ejemplar de su grupo de ex alumnos. Podrás describirlo en tu ensayo dentro del paquete de admisión.

En este ensayo, deberás resaltar tus cualidades de forma casual, sin sonar como cliché. A los comités de admisión les gustan los estudiantes que se proyectan a sí mismos de manera abierta con un nivel de madurez intelectual. Asegúrate de presentarte como un estudiante serio con buenas calificaciones académicas, o logros en deportes, o menciona cualquier otra actividad de liderazgo en la que hayas sobresalido. A su vez, si en algún semestre en particular no te ha ido muy bien, menciónalo. Por duro que parezca, ser honesto en esta instancia cuenta, aún más que esperar a que el comité de admisión no lo note.

Durante la entrevista, intenta proyectarte como una persona tranquila, confidente y capaz de asumir sus responsabilidades con eficacia. Esto puede sonar difícil, pero es muy sencillo si te organizas de manera correcta.

Luego de conocer esta información, la mejor recomendación profesional que puedo hacer es que ¡seas tú mismo! Represéntate a ti mismo de la manera más cercana a la realidad posible, dejando que tu personalidad, tus preferencias y aspiraciones se reflejen en tu solicitud. Los encargados de admisiones podrán evaluarla luego y decidir si eres un buen candidato para esa institución o no. Si no lo eres, de todos modos no querrás ir allí, ya que generalmente te sentirás abatido – esto ocurre desafortunadamente. Pone tus mayores esfuerzos en ofrecer la mejor descripción de tú mismo, creado con excelencia y dedicación. La decisión será positiva si eres correcto para ese lugar – los responsables de admisión son expertos en evaluar candidatos, y ellos lo sabrán.

Elige la institución no solamente por su nombre reconocido, sino porque la misma sea capaz de proveerte el tipo de ambiente en cual puedas prosperar, y además, porque ésta agregará un inmenso valor a tu vida. ¡Esto es lo que significa lograr el éxito en el proceso de admisión universitaria en los Estados Unidos de América!

Job Search Options

Which Job Search Methodology is Right for me?

A look at the many means of finding a job today

Today’s job market offers a wide array of job search opportunities. Long gone are the days when jobs were sourced mostly by newspaper ads or recruiters. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of July 2008, there were 3.4 million job openings available across the United States. With so many opportunities available, you need to use the right methods to find one that suits your career aspirations.

When the time comes for you to conduct job search, think about the many possible ways of securing a position. It is not enough to choose just one means of job search, your chances of finding a suitable opportunity will increase when utilizing various job search methodologies.

Here is an overview of some of the most useful job search methods available:

Online Job Boards - This is by far the most popular means of finding a job today. Recently, Beyond.com carried out a poll involving more than 6,000 business professionals across thousands of sites. Their findings revealed that 47% of these professionals posted their resume to three or more job boards. This statistic reveals the popularity, and in a way, the effectiveness of finding a job through this method.

If you want to post your resume on a job board, you will need to create an account and post a text or ASCII version of your resume. Sorting out industries, experience level, salary requirements, job location and many other categories is possible. Post your resume in sites such as Monster, Dice, CareerBuilder, Jobing, Nettemps, Computerjobs, Telecomcareers and you will find jobs suiting your qualifications coming right into your mailbox. It’s a quick way to find numerous job opportunities that you will be able to sort out later on.

Employment agencies / Recruiting Firms / Headhunters – Finding employment or recruiting agencies in your locality, and even ones that service the entire U.S. is easy through the internet and also through textbooks available at your local bookstore. These agencies will do all the peripheral work for you. They will provide advice on how to enhance your candidacy. They will give you tips on handling salary negotiations, and completing the formal contract once an offer is extended. However, you need to check out the reputation of any agency before taking up services with them. This way you will be sure of getting professional services. Beware also of reverse recruiting firms that offer to find jobs for candidates – usually their fees are steep and candidates are responsible for them (as opposed to employers) – these firms could be making promises that are hard to deliver – borderline impossible (and you might be getting into a large financial commitment.)

Job Fairs – This is a very interesting means of job searching because you will come face-to-face with your prospective employers. You might also find surprising the kind of job opportunities available through fairs.

Before you attend a job fair, make a list of employers recruiting at the fair. From this list identify those you wish to apply to. When going to the fair, look your most professional and be prepared for a short discussion / interview. Provide a professional resume printed out in 32lb. resume stock and ask for the employer’s business card. After you complete a round with all the employers in your list, talk with those not in your list. This might open unexpected job opportunities you might have not envisioned to find, and it could help you with your networking.

Newspaper Ads – The local newspaper classifieds is still a place where candidates search for jobs. You can find a good number of local opportunities here. When companies are in desperate need to source a position, they usually invest in a newspaper ad to get more visibility. However, the internet is becoming a more popular arena for finding the right job opportunities, thus, newspapers’ careers sections are getting thinner very fast. Do not be too quick in discarding this job methodology, though. About 10% of all jobs are still sourced through newspaper ads.

Networking - This is the one method that no matter what, you need to make a must in your career. As a student just out of high school or out of college, you may find it easier to get a job through people you know, like your friends, your college professor or your school teacher. Just give each such person you know, your resume so that they are aware of your specialization and your skills. Follow leads given by any one promptly. When the time comes for contacting an employer, from any of your known sources, be sure to specify your source as this will work out for you in your favor.

As a seasoned professional, this can be a great weapon for career growth, new business ventures, and achieving favorable negotiations in almost any aspect of your work. Networking can help you not only when looking to develop professionally, but also when looking to excel in your job. This is the one constant you will need and use when well developed throughout your career.

With social networks online becoming increasingly visited by professionals, start registering and making new contacts to expand job search opportunities. Find associations with causes that you believe in, and become a proactive member. Take on leadership roles within non-profit organizations related to your industry or trade.

With all these different methodologies to conduct job search and career development, you will have your hands full of “to-do´s.” Not a moment to spare! Your next career opportunity awaits!

Referred Links:

http://www.rollins.edu/careerservices/jobsearchtechniques/jobsearchmethodsandresources.htm

http://www.employmentmetrix.com/blog/recruitment_trends_/

http://www.bls.gov/jlt/

Which Job Search Methodology is Right for Me?

A look at the many means of finding a job today

Today’s job market offers a wide array of job search opportunities. Long gone are the days when jobs were sourced mostly by newspaper ads or recruiters. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of July 2008, there were 3.4 million job openings available across the United States. With so many opportunities available, you need to use the right methods to find one that suits your career aspirations.

When the time comes for you to conduct job search, think about the many possible ways of securing a position. It is not enough to choose just one means of job search, your chances of finding a suitable opportunity will increase when utilizing various job search methodologies.

Here is an overview of some of the most useful job search methods available:

Online Job Boards - This is by far the most popular means of finding a job today. Recently, Beyond.com carried out a poll involving more than 6,000 business professionals across thousands of sites. Their findings revealed that 47% of these professionals posted their resume to three or more job boards. This statistic reveals the popularity, and in a way, the effectiveness of finding a job through this method.

If you want to post your resume on a job board, you will need to create an account and post a text or ASCII version of your resume. Sorting out industries, experience level, salary requirements, job location and many other categories is possible. Post your resume in sites such as Monster, Dice, CareerBuilder, Jobing, Nettemps, Computerjobs, Telecomcareers and you will find jobs suiting your qualifications coming right into your mailbox. It’s a quick way to find numerous job opportunities that you will be able to sort out later on.

Employment agencies / Recruiting Firms / Headhunters – Finding employment or recruiting agencies in your locality, and even ones that service the entire U.S. is easy through the internet and also through textbooks available at your local bookstore. These agencies will do all the peripheral work for you. They will provide advice on how to enhance your candidacy. They will give you tips on handling salary negotiations, and completing the formal contract once an offer is extended. However, you need to check out the reputation of any agency before taking up services with them. This way you will be sure of getting professional services. Beware also of reverse recruiting firms that offer to find jobs for candidates – usually their fees are steep and candidates are responsible for them (as opposed to employers) – these firms could be making promises that are hard to deliver – borderline impossible (and you might be getting into a large financial commitment.)

Job Fairs – This is a very interesting means of job searching because you will come face-to-face with your prospective employers. You might also find surprising the kind of job opportunities available through fairs.

Before you attend a job fair, make a list of employers recruiting at the fair. From this list identify those you wish to apply to. When going to the fair, look your most professional and be prepared for a short discussion / interview. Provide a professional resume printed out in 32lb. resume stock and ask for the employer’s business card. After you complete a round with all the employers in your list, talk with those not in your list. This might open unexpected job opportunities you might have not envisioned to find, and it could help you with your networking.

Newspaper Ads – The local newspaper classifieds is still a place where candidates search for jobs. You can find a good number of local opportunities here. When companies are in desperate need to source a position, they usually invest in a newspaper ad to get more visibility. However, the internet is becoming a more popular arena for finding the right job opportunities, thus, newspapers’ careers sections are getting thinner very fast. Do not be too quick in discarding this job methodology, though. About 10% of all jobs are still sourced through newspaper ads.

Networking - This is the one method that no matter what, you need to make a must in your career. As a student just out of high school or out of college, you may find it easier to get a job through people you know, like your friends, your college professor or your school teacher. Just give each such person you know, your resume so that they are aware of your specialization and your skills. Follow leads given by any one promptly. When the time comes for contacting an employer, from any of your known sources, be sure to specify your source as this will work out for you in your favor.

As a seasoned professional, this can be a great weapon for career growth, new business ventures, and achieving favorable negotiations in almost any aspect of your work. Networking can help you not only when looking to develop professionally, but also when looking to excel in your job. This is the one constant you will need and use when well developed throughout your career.

With social networks online becoming increasingly visited by professionals, start registering and making new contacts to expand job search opportunities. Find associations with causes that you believe in, and become a proactive member. Take on leadership roles within non-profit organizations related to your industry or trade.

With all these different methodologies to conduct job search and career development, you will have your hands full of “to-do´s.” Not a moment to spare! Your next career opportunity awaits!

Referred Links:

http://www.rollins.edu/careerservices/jobsearchtechniques/jobsearchmethodsandresources.htm

http://www.employmentmetrix.com/blog/recruitment_trends_/

http://www.bls.gov/jlt/

Social Networks and Job Search – A Delicate Combination

A look at how social networking can help or hurt your job search

By Claudine Vainrub, MBA

Can social networks help you find job opportunities? The answer is a definite “Yes!” However, depending on your approach, social networks can also harm your job search process. There are many things to consider when meeting professionals online, garnering opportunities and presenting yourself as a candidate.

Getting access to optimum job opportunities when you are a job seeker largely depends on the places you search for them. It is vital then, to choose the right sources for finding jobs, or else it becomes increasingly difficult to come across career opportunities that suit your specific skill sets. One of the foremost tools used today for finding jobs is social networking. According to experts, about 80% of jobs are found today is through social networking sites.

Social networking sites can help you to find that dream job by bringing you closer to employers, recruiters and other job sources. This can mean encountering some of the best opportunities to meet the right people at the right place and the right time. Many times, when you search for a job posting in a job board, you can also have a hard time differentiating yourself from other candidates. You might also find it hard to identify postings that suit your specific skill sets. This is because most job requirements in job boards are not too specific, general in natural. This issue is solved through social networking sites.

Social networking sites are the places to find hidden job offers that don’t surface in your regular job boards. This is why social networking sites are more popular as they help employers to get across to candidates they would normally not have come across through other means of recruitment.

The main benefit in using social networks for job search is that you can post information about yourself and do it in an interactive way, to bring out the best that you know to the people looking out for your services. It is an informal presentation of your skills and experience to a prospective employer. Both beginners in the job market and experienced professionals could find social networking sites to work out for them.

Using social networks for job search, is not as cumbersome a process for job searching as sending in your resume, facing an interview, doing a test and in short going through the whole recruitment circle. When networking online, you might find you gained a head start by letting the recruiter learn about you and get interested in your profile. This is a big part of the battle – winning that “personal brand recognition.” You have one foot in the door.

If you are a professional with a specialized skill set, using social networks is the best way to find a job that requires your talents. There are social networks specifically available for certain kinds of professionals in specific industries. For example if you are a professional photographer, you would want to join flickr.com. When using social network sites for job search, take care to put in references as this gets you noticed quickly.

The drawback to using social network sites can be that your personal and professional information is accessed by random individuals. However, there are privacy settings in each site that you can use to protect yourself. Once you register, the networking process takes a while even if you are actively putting yourself out there. This can be a problem for the job seeker in a hurry, you may find this process too slow and passive for your needs.

Since the meetings in social networking sites are informal in nature, make sure to stand out by being very professional and making the best impression from the get-go. Some job seekers fail to read on this point and when they become informal, they risk losing opportunities for productive networking. A professional and formal online identity and behavior is essential when participating in LinkedIn, and even Facebook. Be aware of this before joining a social network – if you are looking for a job, refrain from having an un-professional online brand.

For social networking to show you the best results, you should be informed on which sites to register with, which ones you will gain most benefit from. Some of the most popular social networks that can take you across to the right employers are Linked.com, MySpace.com, Facebook.com, Plaxo.com, Meetup.com and Orkut.com.

So, what are you waiting for? Put forward your most professional image, achieve the process with formality and energy, get empowered to communicate effectively. Complete the registration process, and start getting closer to your aspirations of achieving a successful career move.

Referred Links:

http://www.vicinityjobs.com/tips/using-social-networking-websites-such-as-facebook-and-myspace-as-a-job-search-strategy/

http://ezinearticles.com/?Benefits-of-Using-LinkedIn-for-Your-Job-Search-and-Career-Networking&id=1052139

http://ezinearticles.com/?Job-Search-Strategies—Using-Social-Networking-Sites&id=1411167

http://bhopu.com/2008/07/03/Hiring-Through–Social-Networking-Sites

http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/networking/Will_Social_Networking_Get_You_a_Job__20060911-082016.html?subtopic=Networking+Tips

http://www.rileyguide.com/network.html

First Round or Second Round? Tips on timing your MBA applications

Applying to a top MBA program requires a lot of thinking. You have to put together many components in this arduous application process. One of the tough decisions to make is when to apply. Many MBA programs have three application periods. Some have five, some have only two. However, mostly the choice is between applying for the first round or the second round.

Let’s see what the scenario is like in the first round.

The first round sees some of the best student applications. Those who apply on the first round are candidates with good grades, great work experience and a high level of organization in their activities.

If you are a strong candidate, applying in this round is the best choice. In the article “Timing Your Applications” on Accepted.com’s site, Linda Abraham says “Submit in the earliest round possible provided you don’t compromise the quality of your application.”

This does not imply that you should not try if you are not the stellar candidate. If your GMAT scores are above 600, the first deadline applies also to you. In the first round, the numbers of applicants are fairly smaller. Some people, who are offered seats, reject them for better seats. Such seats can come your way. Though colleges put out a certain number of available seats, reality is that they have many more available. You can get into the extra seats in the first round itself, even if your competition consists of extremely high-caliber students. You will require a neat presentation of your core competencies, decent scores and well-written essays.

Some schools provide feedback to students who don’t get in on the first round. This feedback can be used for effective reapplication. In the article “First Round Frenzy” on Businessweek’s site, Abraham says, “a re-applicant who heeds a school’s feedback becomes an obvious round-one admit the following year”. This is yet another option available for you.

Now, going into the scenario in the second round.

What you see in the second round is a lot of applicants. There are more candidates to compete with. For some MBA programs, they are receiving over 2,000 applications together during this round. Students of the best caliber usually submit during the first round. The kind of applications seen here are of students who generally do well, but could present more weaknesses – although this does vary from school to school and from year to year. More often than not, these are the kind of students against whom you would be competing during this round.

If you have a GMAT score that’s lesser than 600 and you feel strongly that you will do well in taking this test again, opting for the second round in MBA application might work the best for you.

In short, it is choosing which round is best for you as a candidate that works out to favor your application. The one thing that cannot be compromised is the quality of the application. Thus, if applying earlier means sending out an application package that offers less than the best of you, you might as well postpone your submission since your chances to be accepted will be slimmer.

Whatever round you choose, put in your outmost effort in expressing who you are professionally, personally and how you will bring an added value to the programs of your choice. No matter what round you choose, it is your time to take charge and pursue your most ambitious MBA admissions aspirations.

By Claudine Vainrub with references from:

http://www.mbaprograms.org/mbaadmission/7criteria3.asp

http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/content/dec2005/bs2005127_7505_bs001.htm

http://www.accepted.com/newsletter/2004/1004news.aspx#essay

http://accepted.mbablogs.businessweek.com/archive/2005/12/08/1byqs44pwf3vy

What is a successful college application?

How to approach the college admission process

Tis’ the time of the year to get busy… It’s college application time! High school seniors struggle in deciding which schools are right for them, presenting the perfect mix of academics, social life, location, financial aid and future career growth opportunities. College Advisors provide essay writing workshops, FAFSA seminars, career guidance, and all they can think of to ease the pathway towards higher education choices. But what concerns students the most is submitting a successful application package.

Every year, thousands of applications are sent to colleges all over the U.S. Admissions committees looking into them judge each application based on several factors. What are they? Which are more important? Which less?

While many applications are approved, some do get rejected and the rejected students are left wondering why this happened. What made their application less effective that the others? The answer to this is that now-a-days admissions officers are looking for a lot more than just personal style and interests in college application.

A successful college application is one that showcases intelligence, personality and above all a passion for learning. As a student you should bring out your inner personality and not try take up things just to make an impression and get into college. Gimmicks such as enrolling into some special extracurricular classes or taking up some special learning programs are something that professors see through very well. So, it isn’t effective to be tactful just to get admission.

Instead, what colleges seek is ‘Demonstrated Interest’ or real appeal as to why students like the college to which they are applying. This should be presented in a genuine and true way. The reason for such expectations is that colleges are no longer seeking students to join them in numbers. Instead, they want students to seek them out with specific learning purposes in mind and they want them to bring out such expectations in a focused and thoughtful way. In short, they want quality students that value their institutions and learning methodologies.

Start by showing how valuable you can be to the college, what you can give back, and how you will grow from within their institution to become an exemplary member of their alumni. You can portray this through the college application essay.

In your college essay, you need to bring out yourself in a casual way and not sounding clichéd. Professors instantly take to students who project themselves openly, and with a level of mature thinking. Be sure to project yourself as a serious student with good marks in academics, or achievements in sports, or other leadership-related activities where you have excelled. Extra-curricular activities are not as important. Furthermore, if you have not done well in a particular semester or you did mess up things, mention it. Hard as it may be, being honest here does count, rather than hoping the professor will let it pass by.

During the interview project yourself as calm, confident and able to handle your responsibilities well. This may sound like a big line, but it is actually very simple to do, if you organize yourself well.

So, after knowing this information, here is probably the most important professional advice I can give: Be true to yourself! Represent yourself as close to reality as possible, let your personality, likes, aspirations, and vision come through your application. Admissions officers will then be able to evaluate your candidacy and really assess whether you are the right fit for their school or not. If you are not, you will not want to be there anyway, since you will most probably be miserable – this does happen, and it is unfortunate. Put your out most effort in providing the best portrayal of yourself, created with excellence and dedication. The decision will be positive if it is the right fit – college admissions are experts at evaluating candidates, and they will know.

Seek a school not because of its “brand name” but because it provides the type of environment where you will thrive, and because it will add tremendous value to your life. This is what achieving success in the application process really means!

What you should expect from a Professional MBA Admissions Counselor

We received today this statement from one of our MBA candidates this year (we keep the name confidential, as per NACAC’s Statement of Principles of Good Practice - SPGP regarding client confidentiality). If you are seeking a college counselor or graduate school admissions consultant, this can help you evaluate if a consultant will provide the support you need…

“It is my pleasure to recommend a marvelous professional, Claudine Vainrub, and to write this letter on her behalf. We worked together for almost 6 months in the preparation of my applications to an MBA. She helped me through every phase of my applications, from understanding the MBA program as a whole and the particulars of each school, to applying, interviewing, getting accepted and even getting a full scholarship.

At first she executed a series of test to pinpoint my unique value as a professional and as a human being in a process called “Personal Branding”. This process lasted close to a month, during which I completed various assessments while members of my family, friends and co-workers answered questionnaires about me, my personality and my ethics in general. I was amazed by the results of this Personal Branding process, it basically captured in one single line the uniqueness that describes me.

Parallel to this, we were scouting various MBA programs and we narrowed the selection down to 3 programs and a backup MBA program, just in case. The chosen MBAs where: MBA 1 (omitted for confidentiality), MBA 2 (same), MBA 3 (same) and MBA 4 (same) (My backup school, were I could attend while living in city with my family).

The application process was for me a real pleasure, while I saw many of my friends battling to get through it, I really enjoyed it. With the guidance of Claudine, her motivation and energy, I was able to write all the essays before the first round of my three main schools, while a previous employer and my thesis tutor wrote the recommendation letters. Together we delved into the intricacies of every essay topic and choose the best life experience to match what the school was expecting from a prospective MBA student.

A couple of weeks after I confidently submitted my applications I received calls from the three schools to schedule interviews. Immediately Claudine gave me the coaching I needed to not only get through an interview successfully, but also to thrill the interviewer and leave him with a feeling of “I wish I could go back to the MBA with you”. With her direction I felt absolutely comfortable in all the interviews, and that made a big difference.

Within a month after this I received the responses from the schools. Take into account that I’m a 23 year old Venezuelan and I only had at the time a little over a year of work experience, which is well below the regular requirements for an MBA.

MBA 3 put me in their Waiting List, I talked to Claudine about this and she already had a plan to start getting MBA 3’s attention and get an official acceptance. The plan included diverse actions, first to write a letter, then to go visit the campus and then to follow up with a second letter trying to attack any weaknesses that they may have perceived of me as a candidate.

MBA 2 accepted me. This was a joyous moment for me and Claudine. All the work had, thank G-d, paid off, and now I was accepted to one of the top ten business schools in the country. But I couldn’t decide yet, I had to wait for all the answers.

MBA 1 accepted me also. Not only they accepted me, but they offered to sponsor half of my tuition. We didn’t even ask for a scholarship, which means that the application really impressed them. Now I had a tough decision to make, should I do everything in my power to get into MBA 3? Should I negotiate a scholarship with MBA 2? Should I forget about the other schools and just go to MBA 1?

At this point in time you would think that Claudine’s work was over; she got me into two top business schools and even got me a scholarship in one of them. But, she counseled me and analyzed with me the pros and cons of all my options, not to make a decision for me, but to allow me to realize what my decision should be.

The first decision was not to even apply to the MBA 4, which was no match for the other programs I got in. After this, I talked to the schools without making a decision and to our surprise I immediately got a FedEx package from MBA 1. They decided to offer me the Dean’s Scholarship, a full scholarship to an MBA. This was very exciting news!

Any regular person would tell you to run to MBA 1 and accept the offer. But, Claudine gave me a better recommendation, she told me to avoid making a decision only based on the money I could save, I should further analyze the kind of life I could have in each of the cities, the life my wife would have and the better return on my two year investment.

This was great advice. I took a plane with my wife to city we checked out the city, the Jewish community, the student life and many over things. At the end of the trip, we were both sure that MBA 1 was the right option, not only because of the scholarship, but more importantly for the kind of life we could live while I studied at MBA 1.

I can never express my full gratitude to Claudine for all the help and support she gave me in this whole process. During the whole time she was fully involved and always injecting me with energy and enthusiasm to do the best I could. One of the biggest surprise while working with her is that instead of me calling her and asking for her help, she was always one step ahead of me, she would call me before I did and she was fully accessible anytime.

Bottom line, I was 1000% (yes, One Thousand percent) satisfied with her work and I’ve recommended her to all my friends, and that is why I took the liberty to write this letter of recommendation on her behalf, because I believe everybody is entitled to know that if you are seeking for this kind of high-level assistance, in an ethical way, to apply to any program, you can find that in Claudine Vainrub.

Sincerely,

MBA Student

Class of 2010″

School were not disclosed in publication to protect student identity – Schools included Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Management, Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, The University of Miami School of Business, and The University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business.

2008 – 2009 SAT Dates

Here is the 2008-2009 Calendar to take the Standardized Tests – SAT´s:

2008-09 Test Dates	Test
		Regular Registration Deadline	Late (a fee applies)
October 4, 2008	SAT & Subject Tests	September 9, 2008	September 14, 2008
November 1, 2008	SAT & Subject Tests	September 26, 2008	October 11, 2008
December 6, 2008	SAT & Subject Tests	November 5, 2008	November 8, 2008
January 24, 2009	SAT & Subject Tests	December 26, 2008	January 4, 2009
March 14, 2009	SAT only	February 10, 2009	February 7, 2009
May 2, 2009	SAT & Subject Tests	March 31, 2009	April 10, 2009
June 6, 2009	SAT & Subject Tests	May 5, 2009	May 15, 2009

Scholarship for College Applicants and Students

As just published by the National Association of College Admissions Counselors, NACAC, a new college scholarship opportunity has opened.

Provided by The Journal of College Admission and NACAC, the organization will grant US$1,000 to the seven students selected for submitting student-written articles about the college-transition and admission process (the college search, application process, transitioning from high school to college, etc).

This contest is open to high school juniors and seniors, as well as college freshman and sophomore. The work of all finalists will be published in the Winter 2009 Special Edition of Journal of College Admission, entitled The Student Perspective: My Transition Experience.

For more information on how to be eligible for this special opportunity, please contact EduPlan at 1.888.661.8234.

New Job Postings – Contact EduPlan for more information on any of these jobs!

1404	Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant	Albuquerque, NM
1403	Therapists	Albuquerque, NM
	Manager Compensation and Benefits	Anchorage, AK
1456	corporate and corporate finance associates	Austin, TX
1470	Manager, Business Development Services	Baltimore, MD
1469	Sr. Program Manager	Boca Raton, FL
1455	Accounting Supervisor	Boston, MA
1431	associates, paralegals, legal secretaries	Boston, MA
1407	dave siegel’s boston legal positions (cont)	Boston, MA
1414	Principal Engineer	Camp Hill, PA
1447	Chicago associates	Chicago, IL
1448	Chicago: Project Assistant	Chicago, IL
1325	Managing Tax Partner	Dallas, TX
1326	Senior Tax Accountant	Dallas, TX
1467	Senior Tax Accountant	Dallas, TX
1405	Tax Accountant	Dallas, TX
1441	temp to perm Events Coordinator	Dallas, TX
1446	Corporate/Equipment Finance associate (2vp)	Washington, DC
1402	Quality Assurance Manager	Elmsford, NY
1362	Regulatory Compliance Manager	Englewood Cliffs, NJ
1472	Senior Engineer	Englewood Cliffs, NJ
1409	Dave Siegel Connecticut attorney openings	Hartford, New Haven, and Stamford, CT
1393	electrical engineer	Holbrook, NY
1391	manufacturing engineer	Holbrook, NY
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1468	Audit Manager	Houston, TX
1457	Corporate/Lending, Global Projects/Energy, Corporate M&A, Tax associates	Houston, TX
1427	Financial Reporting Analyst – Internal Management Reporting	Houston, TX
1350	International Tax Manager	Houston, TX
1252	Materials Balance Manager	Houston, TX
1249	Project Engineer	Houston, TX
1439	Sales & Marketing Rep Fuels & Raffinates	Houston, TX
1428	Senior Financial Reporting Analyst-Internal Management Reporting	Houston, TX
1351	Senior Tax Analyst	Houston, TX
1429	Senior Tax Analyst	Houston, TX
1352	Tax Analyst	Houston, TX
1424	Environmental Scientist II	Locust Valley, NY
1406	Litigation attorneys w/ trial experience	Long Beach, CA
1461	Labor & Employment, Mergers and Acquisitions associates	Los Angeles, CA
1432	paralegal, litigation associates, real estate associates	madison, NJ
1398	Equipment Development Engineer	Manchester, NH
1397	Manager, Manufacturing Product Engineering	Manchester, NH
1401	Business Development Coordinator – Website and Collaterals	Manhattan, NY
1395	facilities manager	Manhattan, NY
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1444	corporate associates (hHrLlP)	Miami, FL
1400	Sr. Engineer SCCM – MSP	Minneapolis, MN
1373	Dave siegel attorney postings for NJ	Morristown, Bridgewater, Roseland, Florham Park, Newark, NJ
1419	Senior Electrical Engineer/Project Manager	Mt Laurel, NJ
1418	Senior Mechanical Engineer/Project Manager	Mt Laurel, NJ
1434	litigation and insolvency associate, executive asst.	New York and Wilmington, NY
1445	bankruptcy associates (1vp)	New York, NY
1462	commercial, corporate, financial restructuring, m&a, and tax associates	New York, NY
1452	Conference Center Staff, Legal Secretary,	New York, NY
1443	corporate associates (hHrLlP)	New York, NY
1371	dave siegel NY attorney openings	New York, NY
1422	Engineer IV- Transportation/Transit	New York, NY
1368	Judy Morgan MAR. 2008- NEW YORK ATTORNEY OPENINGS	New York, NY
1450	PC/LAN Technician / NOC Engineer	New York, NY
1453	tax, real estate, employment, and a variety of coporate associates	New York, NY
1436	Tax/T&E Private wealth candidate	New York, NY
1451	Trusts and Estates Paralegal	New York, NY
1421	Sr. Application Developer	Newport News, VA
1449	Application Programmer/Analyst	New York, NY
1408	dave siegel NY legal positions (cont)	New York, NY
1473	Controller	North Dallas, TX
1390	Design Engineer	Northern Mississippi, MS
1387	Sr. Dishwasher Design Engineer	Northern Mississippi, MS
1388	Sr. Ventilation Product Design Engineer	Northern Mississippi, MS
1389	Supplier Quality Engineer	Northern Mississippi, MS
1442	Legal Secretary/Assistant	Oak Lawn area, TX
1440	Claims Examiner (Workers Compensation)	Peoria, IL
1412	Engineer III Structural	Phoenix, AZ
1413	Sr. Bridge Engineer	Phoenix, AZ
1423	Technical Designer III	Phoenix, AZ
1250	I & E Maintenance Engineer	Port Neches, TX
1251	Reliability Engineer	Port Neches, TX
1433	associates, assistant, finance analyst, accountant, tax mngr, IT support, Sr messaging ENG	Providence, RI
1438	Senior Level Reciprocating Compressor Engineer	Quincy, IL
1471	Business Development Manager	Ramsey, NJ
1463	Corporate/M&A associate	San Antonio, TX
1416	Civil Engineer V	San Francisco, CA
1420	Engineer II Transportation/Transit	San Francisco, CA
1464	Labor and Employment associate	San Francisco, CA
1411	Technical Designer II	San Fransisco, CA
1465	Intellectual Property Litigation associates	Silicon Valley, CA
1430	Paralegals:	Stamford, CT
1377	Item Processing Manager	Tallahassee, FL
1435	Network Administrator	Tallahassee, FL
1460	Corporate/ M&A/Securities associaes	United Kingdom
1425	Engineer I Transportation/Transit	Valley Forge, PA
1417	ITS Project Manager	Valley Forge, PA
1415	Sr. Bridge Engineer	Valley Forge, PA
1466	Corporate, Financial Restructuring, multiple diverse intellectual prop, and M&A associates	Washington, D.C., DC
1459	Accountant	Western Suffolk County, LI, NY
1458	Manager – Financial Reporting	Western Suffolk County, LI, NY
1410	Manager of SOX Compliance	Worcester, MA
1353	Oracle Applications Functional/Technical Lead	Worcester, MA
1396	Senior Production Planner	Worcester, MA
1399	Photolithography / Stepper Engineer	Worchester, NH

You make us Proud!

Congratulations to our College and Graduate School Admissions Customers this year! 

Not only have you achieved acceptance in top U.S. programs, but you have also earned Merit-based Scholarships at

Carnegie Mellon University, New York University, Columbia University and Hartford University by proving to be outstanding International Applicants.

 

Only a very small percentage of International Candidates receive these type of Scholarships each year.

We commend you on these awards and hope to continue

helping you achieve great career success!

 

Seek Employers that understand Diversity as an Asset

Coming from Venezuela, a country where only a very small percentage of workers are non-immigrants, and little diversity discrimination is felt, we perceive drastic differences between the views of diversity and minorities in the U.S. and other countries in the world.

Reality is that the business world is every day more global. Minorities are rapidly growing, especially Hispanics, and so is our buying power. Quoting the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business, “The buying power of Hispanics — now the nation’s largest minority group — will exceed $860 billion in 2007 and is whizzing its way to more than $1.2 trillion five years from now.”

With this said, can a Fortune 500 corporation afford not to acknowledge the importance of including minorities as part of their staff? Would you want to work for a company, even if it is a Fortune 500, that does not embrace diversity?

Looking for a job can be a daunting task. It is easy to get depressed when knocking employers doors and getting “dings” (rejection letters). This is why, as I career coach, my advice is, don’t let it happen very often! Do as much as you can to ensure that when you find an opportunity, it will be a lasting one.

If you are a minority recruit, here are some criteria to evaluate if a company would be a good fit for you, from an article by The Star Tribune of Minneapolis entitled Look for clues to company’s attitudes about minorities. Ask your interviewers:

• ”Does the company have a director or vice president of diversity?

• Is there a minority internship program?

• How diverse is the board of directors? The majority of Fortune 500 companies have directors who are mostly white and male. There are some companies, however, that have women and minority directors who can and do shape the company’s business direction and culture.

• Is there a diversity statement on the company website? If the company has a diversity statement endorsed by the CEO, then chances are good that there is a strong commitment to diversity.”

Also consider what initiatives is the company taking towards marketing for diversity customers, do they conduct diversity advertising, do they contribute to diversity non-profit organizations.

Employment interviews always allow a chance for the recruit to ask questions. Take that chance and ask what initiatives the company is leading to get a piece of the $1.8 trillion minority buying power. And then evaluate, is this a winning corporation, one where I can have a long-term success career?

Immigration law reform á-lá-Bill-Gates

Are tough immigration laws impeding leading corporations from hiring the talent they require to maintain their leading positions? Highly-skilled immigrants have it as hard as ever these days, to legally adjust their status to work in the U.S. Could this have a negative effect in the U.S. economy? Undoubtedly YES! There is a registered shortage of skilled workers, and the aging/retiring boomer generation is only going to increase the lack thereof.

Fortune 500 CEOs are complaining, but also, they are not sitting down and waiting for someone to make a decision. They are taking charge of the situation by moving their research and development facilities to Canada and other countries where highly skilled workers can obtain work visas without the hardship immigrants go through in the U.S. Is this in the U.S.’s best interest?

The Society for Human Resources Management addresses this issue:

The failure of Congress to pass immigration reform has exacerbated an already grave situation related to the “gathering threat to U.S. pre-eminence in science and technology innovation,” Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft Corp., told the House Committee on Science and Technology on March 12, 2008. Gates proposed a four-point plan to help the country maintain its position as the world’s innovation leader:
* Revamp immigration rules for highly skilled workers so U.S. companies can attract and retain the world’s best scientific talent
* Strengthen education so U.S. students and workers have the skills needed to succeed in the technology- and information-driven economy
* Increase funding for basic scientific research
* Provide incentives for private-sector research and development

The U.S. economy depends on the ability of innovative companies to attract and retain the best talent regardless of nationality or citizenship, but the immigration system makes attracting and retaining high-skilled immigrants exceptionally challenging for U.S. firms, Gates said. For example, the current cap of 65,000 H-1B visas awarded annually is… so low that it virtually assures that highly skilled foreign graduates will work elsewhere after graduation,” Gates said.

While Congress considers increasing the H-1B visa cap, there are actions lawmakers can take that would help foreign-born engineering, math, and, science graduates of U.S. universities remain in the United States, Gates said. Those actions include:
* Revamping the H-1B visa system, because under the current system an H-1B petition generally can be filed only on behalf of an individual who has a degree, but most graduates receive their degrees in May or June, well after the H-1B application filing period has closed in their graduation year.
* Expansion of the “optional practical training” (OPT) program from 12 months to 29 months. The OPT program allows F-1 visa holders to obtain temporary employment as a means to gain practical work experience.
* Creation of a “streamlined path to permanent resident status for highly skilled workers,” so that foreign students can remain in the United States if they want to.

During 2007, the “counterproductive immigration policies” of the U.S. prevented Microsoft from obtaining H-1B visas for about 33 percent of the “highly qualified, foreign-born job candidates” the company wanted to hire,” said Gates. The U.S. H-1B policy is forcing companies to locate such high-skilled staff in third countries so they can do work that would normally be done in the United States. “No policy related to H-1B will impact the percentage of foreign labor that works in computer science; all it will affect is the portion of that is done in the United States,” said Gates.

Source: Career Management Alliance and SHRM, Global HR Focus Area, March 2008

Employment statistics in decline

Here are the latests statistics on the Job Market:

• An index intended to show the economy’s future direction fell 0.3% in February, the fifth consecutive monthly drop, according to preliminary estimates by the Conference Board.
• The number of U.S. workers filing new claims for unemployment insurance increased sharply last week, matching a two-and-a-half-year high.
• The Conference Board said Thursday that its composite index of leading indicators fell to 135.0 in February after a revised 0.4% drop in January, with declines of 0.1% decline in December, 0.5% November, and 0.5% in October.
• The four-week average of new jobless claims rose by 6,000 to 365,250, the highest level since October 2005.
• Employment markets have weakened sharply in recent months. Non-farm payrolls fell by 22,000 in January, the first time in over four years, and then fell at a faster pace (63,000) last month. Those declines convinced many Wall Street economists that the economy is now in recession.
• In response, the Federal Reserve has lowered interest rates aggressively, including a 0.75-percentage-point reduction in the fed funds rate target on Tuesday to 2.25%. Officials have lowered the fed funds rate by three percentage points since September 2007.
• The unemployment rate for workers with unemployment insurance rose 0.1 percentage point to 2.2% in the week of March 8.

Source: Career Management Alliance Newsletter and The Wall Street Journal, March 20, 2008

Law School Rankings… Official?

What would you think if you saw this?

(From Daniel Solove´s Concurring Opinions Blog)

I almost fell for it, but then again, is it too far from reality? Do you know how the ranking process really works? If you do not, you are one of many.

Here is the official info on the criteria used for the US News college rankings (applicable also to US News graduate school rankings):

“The U.S. News college rankings, published on usnews.com Aug. 18, 2007, are based on several key measures of quality, described below. U.S. News uses these measures to capture the various dimensions of academic quality at each college. These measures fall into seven broad categories: peer assessment; graduation and retention rate; faculty resources (for example, class size); student selectivity (for example, average admission test scores of incoming students); financial resources; alumni giving; and, only for national universities and liberal arts colleges, graduation rate performance. The indicators include both input measures, which reflect the quality of students, faculty, and other resources used in education, and outcome measures, which capture the results of the education an individual receives.”

Read more HERE!

College Tuition Rates Up, yet again!

New College and Graduate School Statistics on Admissions, Tuition and more…

Published by the United States Government Accountability Office, a report on Tuition Patterns gives us new data on college and graduate school admission.

Their summary of findings indicates that  more students are enrolling in college than ever before (approximately 19% more in public institutions, and 15% more in private since 1996-1997).  62% students are full time, as opposed to 58% in 1996-1997. Colleges are seeing a special increase in minority student applications.

Although tuition has increased all accross institutions, the lowest increases are seen in colleges and universities with the largest student populations.

83% of all students are enrolled in public institutions, 17% in private institutions.

“In the 2006-2007 school year, 58% of Hispanic student were enrolled in 2-year schools” reports GAO, in comparison to 43% White/Non-hispanics.

Tuition fees increased on average +/- by 20% from $2,091 to $2,510. The highest increase was experienced in 4-year private research/doctoral institutions, with a 38% increase from $19,185 to 26,515.

Please visit the National Association for College Admissions Counseling – NACAC and the Government Accountability Report for more detailed information.

If you´d like a copy of this report, contact EduPlan.

EduPlan Job Board – New Job Postings!

Contact EduPlan at 1-888-661-8234 to apply to any of these positions:

1. Applications Developer (educes – LDAP), Houston, TX                    
2. Associates, assistant, finance analyst, accountant, tax Manager, IT support, Sr messaging ENG, Providence, RI                   
3. Associates, paralegals, legal secretaries, and accounting/finance, Boston, MA                      
4. Attorney postings for NJ, Morristown, Bridgewater, Roseland, Florham Park, Newark, NJ, Hartford, New Haven, and Stamford, CT                     
5. Audit & Accounting Manager; Audit & Accounting Senior, NY                     
6. Audit professionals, Southport and will consider Hartford, CT                     
7. AUSTIN, TEXAS ATTORNEY OPENINGS, Austin, TX                            
8. Business Development Coordinator – Website and Collaterals, Manhattan, NY                     
9. Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant, Albuquerque, NM                      
10. Civil Engineer V, San Francisco, CA                           
11. COLLIN COUNTY (Far North Dallas) attorneys,  Dallas, TX                               
12. CORPORATE ASSOCIATE, Boston, MA                    
13. DALLAS, TEXAS ATTORNEY OPENINGS, Dallas, TX                              
14. Design Engineer, Northern Mississippi, MS                          
15. Electrical engineer, Holbrook, NY                             
16. Embedded software engineer, Lancaster, PA                    
17. Engineer I Transportation/Transit, Valley Forge, PA                         
18. Engineer II Transportation/Transit, San Francisco, CA                     
19. Engineer III Structural, Phoenix, AZ                         
20. Engineer IV- Transportation/Transit, New York, NY                         
21. Environmental Scientist II, Locust Valley, NY                       
22. Equipment Development Engineer, Manchester, NH                     
23. Facilities manager, Manhattan, NY                          
24. Financial Reporting Analyst – Internal Management Reporting, Houston, TX                          
25. Flexo Process Engineer, Stockton OR, CA                             
26. HOUSTON, TEXAS ATTORNEY OPENINGS, Houston, TX                    
27. I & E Maintenance Engineer, Port Neches, TX                    
28. Inside Sales Broker Position, Dallas, Fayetteville, ARK; Vancouver, WA, TX                             
29. Internal Auditor I, Houston, TX                 
30. International Tax – Alternative Investments, New York, NY                          
31. International Tax – Levels needed (Sr Associate, Manager & Director), New York, NY                      
32. International Tax Manager, Houston, TX                              
33. Item Processing Manager, Tallahassee, FL                           
34. Item Processing Manager, Tallahassee, FL                           
35. ITS Project Manager, Valley Forge, PA                   
36. Junior to Mid-Level Public and Structured Finance Associates, New York, NY                         
37. Junior, Mid-Level and Senior Associates, Denver area, CO                           
38. Junior, Mid-Level and Senior Intellectual Property Litigation Associates and Patent Associates, SAN FRANCISCO, PALO ALTO AND SAN DIEGO, CA                      
39. Labor and Employment Attorneys, NASHVILLE, TN                          
40. Legal Contracts Administrator, Ft Lauderdale, FL                               
41. Litigation and insolvency associate, executive asst., New York and Wilmington, NY                           
42. Litigation attorneys w/ trial experience, Long Beach, CA                               
43. Manager of SOX Compliance, Worcester, MA                    
44. Manager, Manufacturing Product Engineering, Manchester, NH                                 
45. Manufacturing engineer, Holbrook, NY                  
46. Market Intelligence Analyst Job Code: * MR-MIA-DL, Dallas, TX                
47. Materials Balance Manager, Houston, TX                             
48. Network Administrator, Tallahassee, FL                
49. NEW YORK ATTORNEY OPENINGS, New York, NY                             
50. Oracle Applications Functional/Technical Lead, Worcester, MA                  
51. Paralegal, litigation associates, real estate associates, Madison, NJ                          
52. Paralegals, Stamford, CT                              
53. Photolithography / Stepper Engineer, Worchester, NH                 
54. Principal Engineer, Camp Hill, PA                              
55. Project Engineer, Houston, TX                  
56. Quality Assurance Manager, Elmsford, NY                           
57. Regulatory Compliance Manager, Englewood Cliffs, NJ                  
58. Reliability Engineer, Port Neches & Houston, TX                               
59. Sales & Use Tax – Senior Associates, New York, NY                          
60. SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS ATTORNEY OPENINGS, San Antonio, TX                  
61. Senior auditor; tax preparer; CPA, Manhattan, NY                           
62. Senior Electrical Engineer/Project Manager, Mt Laurel, NJ