STUDY IN THE USA! Quarterly Newsletter for Smart High School Students
Bucharest, January 20, 2014 Year VI, Winter Issue
FEAC CORE
Contents
FEAC NEWS EDUCATIONUSA NEWS WISDOM OF THE SEASON
FEAC CORE •
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Close-Up on U.S. Study: American Universities and the Power of a Mentor, by Chris Kajtor, U.S. Fulbright Grantee to Romania in 2013-14 University Highlight: Middlebury College, VT, by Matei Epure Student Highlight: Matei Epure, sophomore at Middlebury College, VT
FEAC NEWS Developments •
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Giving Back: FEAC Friends from Three U.S. Universities Represent Their Schools at FEAC FEAC, the Hub for International Education Week Events in Romania in November International Study Day Traveled to Suceava, Cluj, and Galati in Oct-Nov Educational Fair Time: World Education Fair, University Fair at Bucharest High School, RIUF in Bucharest, Constanta, and Timisoara U.S. Universities on Visit in Bucharest, Sept-Oct U.S. Study Highlights in Transylvania: Presentations and Workshops in Targu-Mures and Sighisoara, with local American Corner, in Sept U.S. Study Prominent in Bacau: FEAC’s U.S. Admissions Summer School in Sept U.S. Study at American Corner
Resources • Excellent Resource: New Fulbright Site, New FEAC Content • New Fulbright Site: Feedback from Bacau • From the Students to the Students: FEAC Internships for High Schoolers • Virtual Advising: What’s Your Stand? Upcoming Events • Reaching for the Stars: Application Updates from FEAC Friends and Advisees • Ace Your Undergrad Application: Admissions Training in Jan-Feb • Special FEAC Sessions Coming Up at American Corner Bucharest: Feb Calendar • U.S. Study Prominent at RIUF in March: Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, and Iasi • Inside U.S. Admissions: The TOEFL Test—Dedicated Session in April • FEAC Invites Suggestions: Which High Schools to Visit This Spring? • International Study Day. New Season in Spring Website Section of the Season: For Logged-In Users
EDUCATIONUSA NEWS • •
FEAC’s Online Outreach Continues EducationUSA Participates in UPenn MOOC: “Applying Universities”
Campaign Upcoming to U.S.
WISDOM OF THE SEASON This Newsletter is produced by the Fulbright Educational Advising Center in Bucharest, Romania. If you wish to subscribe or cancel your subscription to this newsletter, please contact FEAC@fulbright.ro.
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Bucharest, January 20, 2014 Year VI, Winter Issue
FEAC CORE Close-Up on U.S. Study American Universities and the Power of a Mentor By Chris Kajtor, U.S. Fulbright Grantee to Romania in 2013-14 American universities offer far more than grades, credits and degrees. The opportunity to get to know your professors and establish close relationships with them is part of what makes attending an American university so special. For a few short years, students get the opportunity to work closely with a plethora of great men and women who want to see them succeed and reach their goals. They have a chance to ask them questions that could impact the rest of their lives. Questions such as: What are the most important lessons you have learned in life? What is one thing you know now that you wish you had known earlier? What kind of wisdom can make our lives better? Take advantage of this opportunity to ask really bright people the things you have always wanted answered. Many young people today attend university just because they see it as a ticket to a well-paying job, or perhaps because of pressure from parents, and they rush toward graduation. But, as my mentor says, “Higher education isn’t just about learning how to make more money…it’s about enriching your life.” One way for Romanian students who attend universities in America to enrich their lives is by finding mentors on campus. The British writer Isaac D’ Israeli once said, “The wisdom of the wise, and the experience of ages may only be preserved by sharing.” Our lives and human knowledge have greatly improved because people have generously taken the time to share their wisdom with others. Throughout history, people have obtained wisdom from teachers, friends, and parents. Nowadays, universities are an ideal setting for mentorship. At universities students can find dedicated, caring people from a number of fields in one place. I invite all current and future students to take advantage of the remarkable professors at their campuses. Take the time to sit and talk with them outside of the classroom. Invite them to lunch or coffee. It may be nerve-racking at first, but I can assure you that these experiences are what many professors love most about their work. Those familiar with the famous story of the Odyssey will remember that Odysseus left his son, Telemachus, in the hands of his friend, Mentor. Odysseus chose Mentor for his maturity, compassion, and wisdom. From my experience, it is people with these traits that most often pursue careers in education. Dictionaries define mentors as “wise and trusted counselors or teachers of guidance and advice”. This is true, but their power can extend far beyond that. Someone who really knows you, loves you, and cares for you has the ability to impact your life forever. In my own experience, my mentors have helped me to see how my old, outdated modes of seeing the world and myself hurt my future, and they helped me adapt to new ways of being. Through my mentors, I have learned the power of Chris alongside other U.S. Fulbrighters teaching and doing research in Romania in 2013-14 listening to my heart, of serving others, and of doing something greater than myself. Through them, I learned what resonates with me, and I learned what I love to do. They helped me to find my gifts and my passions, and they taught me how to use these attributes to benefit not only myself, but the greater good. If it were not for my mentors, I would not have obtained my masters degree in non-profit management, joined the Peace Corps, or become a Fulbright Lecturer right here in Romania. Your university experience is a time dedicated to yourself and the world around you, and mentors can be an integral part of that. But I have one favor to ask of you. It is one that requires great responsibility. Upon your return, share what you have learned from your mentors with other people. Thanking your mentors is nice, but to help spread what they gave you is to truly honor them. Continued on page 3 www.fulbright.ro/ educational-advising-center.html 2
Bucharest, January 20, 2014 Year VI, Winter Issue
FEAC CORE You will now possess the wisdom and power to improve people's lives. It is your responsibility to pass on that wisdom. One way you can do that is by becoming a mentor for someone else. Your journey does not end when you complete your education in the USA. It can and should continue as you partake in an ongoing cycle to transfer your newfound wisdom to others. We rarely get chances in life to thank those who have helped us along our way. So I would like to take this chance to thank all my mentors who helped me to become the man I am today. I can honestly say that I owe the best things in my life to them and to all that they have taught me. University Highlight Middlebury College, Vermont By Matei Epure, sophomore at Middlebury and former FEAC intern Whether regarding its history, academics, facilities, arts, events calendar, language schools, campus, or sports, Middlebury can simply be described as remarkable. Founded in the year 1800, Middlebury College is one of the 30 oldest universities in the United States, one of the first universities to become coeducational (in 1883), and the first American school to have awarded a degree to an African-American student (in 1823). Throughout its many years of existence, Middlebury has earned a reputation for its academics and rigor, constantly sending students to the best graduate schools out there, including Harvard, Cambridge, Oxford, or CMU, and having programs together with schools like Oxford, Columbia University (a dual-degree engineering program in which any Middlebury student with a GPA above 3.0 is directly accepted), and Dartmouth College. Every year, Middlebury students win Fulbright, Marshall or Rhodes scholarships, they intern and work at companies like Twitter, Apple, Google, HBO, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, found companies like New Balance, bands like Dispatch, invent the GPS, or write the Dexter series. The most fantastic thing about it, however, is that Middlebury does all this without the intention of teaching you a profession. Attending Middlebury is not about being taught how to do a job later in life; it is about becoming an intellectual. Here, you will meet professors and schoolmates that will thoroughly challenge the way you think, and force you to figure out what your passion is and drive you to pursue it for the rest of your life. And in that environment, with passion, excellence comes naturally.
Guess what the cap says :)
Attending Middlebury definitely increases the tempo of your life – you will have to work hard, most probably harder than you ever worked before in your life. However, there is a characteristic of the school’s workload that makes it extraordinary, and missed whenever you don’t have it: your workload is made up of whatever you want to learn; here you will pick your classes, you will pick your projects, and you will work with people who will amaze you every single time. All this makes your work something to look forward to. Besides that, there will always be visiting professors, or experts in the field you study that will come and discuss the subject with you, both in class and personally. For example, in my first year I personally met and discussed with a highly appreciated game music composer, an electronic music producer, a Columbia University professor of Music Related Artificial Intelligence, and a theologian from, probably, the most respected theological institute in the United States. Continued on page 4
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Bucharest, January 20, 2014 Year VI, Winter Issue
FEAC CORE Outside of the classroom, Middlebury is as active as inside of it. From the names that appeared in last year’s schedule come to mind the Dalai Lama, fun. (which was just nominated for 6 Grammys, the highest number of nominations that year), and the Takacs and Emerson String Quartets (two of the most highly regarded string quartets in the world). Outside of the concert halls, Middlebury can also give you the chance to play sports, from learning beginning Tennis or Fencing, to playing Quidditch in the 7 times world champion team, to playing intramural or NCAA level sports. Having one of the most wonderful campuses in the world, more than 200 years of history in education, having an extremely diverse group of students and professors that follow in the footsteps of the old professors like Robert Frost, Middlebury College is definitely a place that would change your life. Student Highlight Matei Epure, sophomore at Middlebury and former FEAC intern By Matei Epure Studying in the United States has been a dream of mine since I started high school. Since my physics teacher’s son was attending Princeton, I started hearing a lot about it and about how the college experience in the US is different from that in Europe. People choosing what they want to study, interacting personally with professors and even majoring in multiple subjects at once? I most definitely was intrigued. I first started browsing the Internet to make sure that what I was hearing about was true, and the more I read, the more I started falling with love with the American school system. I decided to take action, and sometime before my 10th grade I heard of the Fulbright EducationUSA center and decided to pay them a visit. I became a Fulbright regular that year, and I started to figure out what the application process is, to choose colleges, to attend meetings and trainings organized by the people there (one of which introduced me to the concept of Liberal Arts education, and the Liberal Arts Colleges), and a bit more than a year later, I became an intern there. I then spent more and more time preparing for the SATs and the Common Application, and picking schools. In the process, I ended up changing 7 “that’s definitely the one” colleges. One of these 7 schools (specifically, my latest addition to the “most wanted” list) accepted me with a great scholarship. I was not all that confident about my chances to get into one of these schools, and this news was fantastic and incredibly exciting. Seven days before the deadline for accepting an offer, came time for me to make up my mind, and… I turned it down! Earlier that year, I had applied to Middlebury College, which I had heard of from Fulbright’s Group Advising Meetings; it did not get on that 7 wonder schools list, but I still applied. At the interview with that school, however, Middlebury became from that one cool liberal arts school, the school that graduated Gruia, my interviewer. This guy talked to me in that one hour about art, sociology, science, theology and whatever else came into discussion and he was shockingly knowledgeable about every single one of those subjects, while still being a really nice and approachable guy.
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Bucharest, January 20, 2014 Year VI, Winter Issue
FEAC CORE My decision came down to these two schools – Middlebury and the wonder school. I did not know what to decide, and so I sent an email to the Chairs of the Computer Science Departments at both schools. The professor from the Wonder School answered me, congratulating me and answering my questions in about two days. With his email, I was introduced to two other professors who sent me almost identical emails. All was good with these answers, but half an hour from sending the email to the professor at Middlebury, I received a 2-page email from him telling At the U.S. Ambassador’s Residence me about how excited he would be if I decided to enroll there, about my for Flag Day with Alex, opportunities at Middlebury, about how there was a professor in the freshman at NYU Abu Dhabi department that had been to Romania and knows a little bit of Romanian, about how he, like me, is a musician, and about how cool the research I could do there would be. Less than two hours later I also received an email from the chair of the Math Department (a one page email about every little detail the first professor might have missed). This episode made up my mind and I decided to attend the fantastic Middlebury College, and Middlebury has changed my life and my view of the future in the most fantastic way. From the typical European guy who wanted in his second semester to have four classes in his already declared majors (Computer Science and Music), I became the guy who at the end of his second year, in one semester has a math class, a computer science class, a music class, a film class, and a literature class, and is madly excited about his literature class.
Sporting a Twitter T-shirt at a Giants game
I have focused my schooling here on becoming as broad minded as possible, and strengthening my culture, and along the way, I have done an internship at Twitter, that changed my perspective on Computer Science, sang in a gospel choir, composed a suite of modern music compositions (still hate it, but turns out I now can do it), wrote a program that figures out what musical genre an MP3 file has, impressed my literature professor with a pretty acid criticism of one of the most respected atheist apologists alive, seen fun. play live, heard the Dalai Lama talk, became really invested in American politics, led Middlebury’s competitive programming team, met fantastic people, building new relationships, led a Christian music organization, and meanwhile kept alive and well my relationships with my friends and family at home. I have no doubt that I chose the right school to attend, and none of it would have been possible without the Fulbright Team introducing me to the concept of Liberal Arts, helping me with my application, and all throughout being there every step of the way.
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Bucharest, January 20, 2014 Year VI, Winter Issue
FEAC NEWS Developments Giving Back: FEAC Friends from Three U.S. Universities Represent Their Schools at FEAC U.S. study and liberal arts education made many new friends in Romania during a series of sessions that FEAC offered over December-January: three presentations at the Advising Center and a webinar during which former advisees, now students at U.S. schools, connected with future applicants and shared U.S. campus experiences and admissions advice. We were thrilled to have with us Alex, freshman at New York University, Abu Dhabi campus; Catalina and Alexandra, juniors at University of Richmond, VA; and Iulia and Corina, junior and senior, respectively, at Grinnell College, IA. All of them are enjoying full need- and merit-based financial aid from their universities. After enjoying FEAC support during their applications to U.S. universities, these thriving FEAC friends provided inspiration and helpful tips to local students. Participants were won over by the beauty and benefits of U.S. college life, so much so that after the last session one student rushed home to apply to that school before the deadline, which was the next day. Video interviews and more news from our friends on U.S. campuses are coming up on the FEAC site. FEAC, the Hub of International Education Week Events in Romania in November According to FEAC tradition, in November 2013 we organized a collection of exciting online and face-to-face events celebrating Int’l Education Week and sharing the joy of international exchanges and U.S. study with students, parents, and educators across Romania. Pics at http://on.fb.me/ FEACPics. Int’l Education Week/IEW is a yearly joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Department of Education. Undergrad events included a globally-transmitted FEAC webinar - part of the EducationUSA series - on pre-departure planning, as well as a joint digital video conference/DVC with the American Corners in Bucharest and Bacau. During the web seminar FEAC engaged audiences in four Romanian cities and outside the country. FEAC was one of four Advising Centers in Europe that offered a global webinar during Int’l Education Week. We were excited to recognize, among the participants, alumni of our two most recent summer schools in Bacau and Alba Iulia. The DVC allowed us to bridge two groups of U.S. study fans and made for a fun, bubbly conversation among high schoolers in Bucharest and Bacau. The participants shared their reasons for wanting to study in the USA as well as their questions about the application process. Stay tuned for more webinars and DVCs in the future! International Study Day Traveled to Suceava, Cluj, and Galati in Oct-Nov The Fulbright Educational Advising Center’s outreach program outside Bucharest included Int’l Study Day events in Suceava, Cluj, and Galati. In all three cities, the events were hosted by the local public university and attracted high school and college students and graduates, as well as teachers and university staff interested in bringing their students closer to study abroad opportunities. Continued on page 7
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Bucharest, January 20, 2014 Year VI, Winter Issue
FEAC NEWS During Int’l Study Day FEAC attracted a wide range of visitors to the educational opportunities in the USA. We shared information at our booth and answered the audience’s detailed questions during the two dedicated presentations we offered. In Cluj, the U.S. study message was further reinforced by the representative of the local American Corner who joined the event in order to inform the participants on the relevant resources and services available at the American Corner. Educational Fair Time: World Education Fair, University Fair at Bucharest High School, RIUF in Bucharest, Constanta, and Timisoara In October, FEAC offered a well-attended presentation on U.S. study during the World Education Fair in Bucharest, met over 250 students from 15 Bucharest high schools at our booth during a full-day int’l university fair hosted by “Iulia Hasdeu” Natl College, and took part in the most prominent educational fair in SE Europe, the Romanian Int’l University Fair/RIUF, in Bucharest, Constanta, and Timisoara. According to the organizers, RIUF attracted around 5,000 students in Bucharest, an audience of over 1,100 in Constanta, and more than 1,500 visitors in Timisoara. Visitors learned about US study opportunities and FEAC services at our booth and during the presentation on U.S. undergrad studies we offered at every location. In Bucharest we enjoyed the support of two U.S. Fulbright grantees at our booth, in Constanta we also had a U.S. Fulbrighter with us, and in Timisoara the American Corner joined us at the booth. As for media coverage, after Int’l Study Day the FEAC rep gave a 30-min. radio interview on U.S. study and FEAC U.S. admissions services and during RIUF Bucharest and Constanta we were interviewed by local TV stations. More pics: http://on.fb.me/FEACPics.
U.S. Universities on Visit in Bucharest, Sept-Oct Fall was marked by an intense face-to-face and online outreach campaign organized by FEAC with our guests from prestigious U.S. universities. We got visits from Wellesley College, University of Pennsylvania, New York University, Abu Dhabi campus, the George Washington University, Babson College, and John Cabot University, a U.S.-like school in Italy.
In Bucharest, FEAC organized seven high school presentations to highlight our guests and their institutions, dedicated sessions at the Fulbright Commission, and also traveled to Ploiesti and Pitesti to meet around 500 students at four high schools in the two cities, alongside the NYU rep. More pics: http://on.fb.me/FEACPics.
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FEAC NEWS U.S. Study Highlights in Transylvania: U.S. Study Presentations and Workshops in Targu-Mures and Sighisoara, with Local American Corner, in Sept FEAC conducted an intense outreach program in central Transylvania in late September. The presentations offered to the top three high schools in Targu Mures and two in Sighisoara involved Romanian and Hungarian students and teachers. The high school-hosted sessions were followed by two workshops on the admissions essay and recommendation letters housed by the American Corner in Targu Mures until late at night. Each school visited got copies of our undergraduate booklet – produced this spring with U.S. Embassy funding – for their libraries, together with our Newsletter for undergraduate applicants. More pics at http:// on.fb.me/FEACfb. U.S. Study Prominent in Bacau: FEAC’s U.S. Admissions School in September In early September FEAC was in Bacau to conduct the fourth U.S. admissions summer school supported by the U.S. Embassy to Romania. 49 high school students from Bacau county entering grades 9-12 at eight high schools in five cities as far as 100 km away from Bacau took part in the intensive three-day program hosted by the “Gh. Vranceanu” Natl College, the foremost high school in Bacau. The program engaged the participants – divided into two groups, Princeton and Harvard – in a series of interactive activities around the U.S. school selection process, identifying universities that offer generous financial aid, and putting together a competitive application package with powerful essays and recommendations. Every evening EducationUSA Romania took the participants closer to the U.S. culture through culture clubs built around movies representative of the U.S. educational system and its values: “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” and “Dead Poets’ Society”. This fourth U.S. Admissions Summer School was graced by the Public Affairs Officer at the U.S. Embassy, who shared his own U.S. academic and career experience with the students. The team at the local American Corner also joined the event. Our support group also included two FEAC high school interns from Bucharest who shared stories of their U.S. admissions preparations and provided administrative help. The event was extensively covered in the local press. More pictures on Facebook at www.on.fb.me/FEACfb.
U.S. Study at American Corner Bucharest Starting September, FEAC launched a new outreach campaign designed to bring interested students and graduates closer to U.S. study. Our new sessions held at American Corner Bucharest provide comprehensive information on U.S. study, share insights into U.S. education, and attract students to learn about all the exciting opportunities available to them on a U.S. campus. The sessions proved eye-opening to the participants who followed up by visiting FEAC for in-depth discussions and access to our vast resource library.
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Bucharest, January 20, 2014 Year VI, Winter Issue
FEAC NEWS Resources Excellent Resource: New Fulbright Site, New FEAC Content In November, we were thrilled to launch the new website of the Fulbright Commission, which includes a completely revamped, updated, and much enhanced FEAC site too. We love it. Do you love it, too? Send your suggestions for new or enhanced content to FEAC@fulbright.ro. New Fulbright Site: Feedback from Bacau What do you think of our new site? See what Elena, our friend in Bacau, fondly known as Natasha Fulbright, has to say about it. Elena took part in our U.S. Admissions Summer School in Bacau, where she discovered her alter-ego, fictitious Natasha Fulbright, a witty university admissions officer who loves Romanian applicants. “Why I love your website. Well, firstly, I love it because it has a friendly aspect. The combination of blue and white inspires serenity and it makes me stay online for a looooong time. Secondly, it is so easy to do my research on the FEAC website. Everything is so organized and it is very easy to find what I’m looking for. It is a pleasure to read stories from Romanian students about their U.S. experience. It makes me think that America is the place where I must go study. Furthermore, I found out about the FEAC Summer School on the website and it has been one of the greatest experiences I have ever had. Probably if I had done a research about studying in the U.S., it would’ve taken me a lot of time to find out all that amazing stuff that I found out from you in only 3 days. Finally, you convinced me that America is the place that suits me better and your website is very useful to keep me in touch with the U.S. study. Watch out, America! Next year I’m coming!” Looking forward to your feedback, too! From the Students to the Students: FEAC Internships for High Schoolers Starting in fall, we have been working with a new team of interns from Vianu, ICHB, Viteazul, and Lazar high schools in Bucharest. Our interns bring to FEAC their very own variety of skills and a common passion for U.S. study. They’ve been involved in research projects on U.S. universities, in EducationUSA promotional activities, educational video editing and production, and more. Meet our interns at RIUF, during FEAC events, and in our study room, and stay tuned for a new internship program that will start in April! Virtual Advising: What’s Your Stand? Thanks to recent developments in online event organizing, the world – and U.S. admissions – are now literally at our fingertips. EducationUSA and FEAC have been active in offering online training and advising opportunities, in the form of webinars and digital video conferences that allow the advising expertise available at the Fulbright center to reach multi-tier audiences throughout the country, and other IT-based outreach methods that match your learning preferences. The Fulbright Educational Advising Center has offered a number of webinars so far to domestic audiences as well as to international ones – for instance as part of International Education Week 2013 and College Week Live in 2012. Did you take part in webinar offered by a FEAC or EducationUSA? Did you enjoy the experience? What kinds of online training would you like us to offer and on what topics? Looking forward to your answers! www.fulbright.ro/ educational-advising-center.html 9
Bucharest, January 20, 2014 Year VI, Winter Issue
FEAC NEWS Upcoming Events Reaching for the Stars: Application Updates from FEAC Friends and Advisees Congratulations to our advisees around Romania who’ve sent in their applications this fall! For Early Decision candidates, we’ve had students admitted to Cornell (two!), Harvard, and Princeton. Many of our other applicants are now in the interview stage with the universities offering such an option as part of the admissions package. Good luck on your face-to-face and online interviews and a special shout-out to Cristina, our former intern who is now in New York City auditioning at Julliard in New York City! Ace Your Undergrad Application! Admissions Training in Jan-Feb A new Undergraduate Admissions Training program will start on Jan 21. The eye-opening sessions scheduled on Jan 21-28 and Feb 11-25, Tuesdays 3:00-5:00 PM, will highlight U.S. application tips and strategies leading to success: admissions with funding. Join us and learn how to select U.S. study programs and connect with American universities. How to master the art of negotiating strong recommendation letters. How to develop a competitive edge. At the end of the program your well-rounded application will show that you are a great fit for the U.S. campus of your choice. Details at http://bit.ly/FEAC_Events and on Facebook. Special FEAC Sessions Coming Up at American Corner Bucharest: Feb Calendar Are you preparing your U.S. application and in need of urgent advice on filling in your financial aid application form – the CSS form – or on your admissions essay? Or maybe you have more time on your hands to figure your application strategy out, but what are the first smart steps you need to take, you wonder. Or maybe you’re curious about U.S. study and would like to hear from other students on the benefits of traveling to the States for your university education… For the above dilemmas and not only FEAC is offering a series of newly-minted sessions at the American Corner. Meet us Mondays 4-6 PM and Fridays 10:30 AM – 12:00 noon for interactrive sessions, workshops, and individual advising! Full details at http://bit.ly/FEAC_Events. U.S. Study Prominent at RIUF in March: Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, and Iasi Come meet us at the Fulbright Commission booths at the Romanian International University Fair/RIUF on March 15-16 (Bucharest), March 18 (Cluj), and March 20 (Iasi)! We will be there with fresh information on U.S. study opportunities and scholarships, Romanian success stories, SAT and TOEFL tips, and so much more: booth, dedicated presentations, FEAC interns, native speakers, and all of the multiple resources that EducationUSA and FEAC offer free of charge to those dreaming of pursuing their studies in the United States or at accredited U.S. universities anywhere in the world. Will you meet us there?
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FEAC NEWS Inside U.S. Admissions: The TOEFL Test – Dedicated Session in April The TOEFL test is accepted by over 9,000 universities, agencies, and other institutions in over 130 countries, and required for admissions purposes by nearly every top university in the USA. But what is the strategic value of the TOEFL test? How should you tackle this exam so that it adds value to your application? Join us on April 8, 5:00-6:30 PM for an in-depth discussion that you’ll surely love. Featuring a U.S. Fulbright grantee! FEAC Invites Suggestions: Which High Schools to Visit This Spring? According to the latest statistics released by the Institute of International Education, over 820,000 international students, including Romanians, are currently studying in the United States. Want to join their ranks and thrive on a U.S. campus? In January-March, FEAC will continue its intense outreach program and will interact with students from a wide range of high schools from Bucharest and beyond. If you are interested in U.S. education and would like to learn more about the American university system and the scholarships available for international applicants, assume leadership (so relevant on a college application!), tell your teachers about FEAC, and contact us at FEAC@fulbright.ro or on Facebook http:// on.fb.me/FEACfb to discuss a FEAC presentation in your high school. We look forward to visiting you! International Study Day. New Season This Spring This year, more cities will be added to the International Study Day map. The joint outreach programs will introduce high school and university students and graduates to the benefits and study opportunities abroad and will offer information on the IELTS exam. Prospective destinations: Ploiesti, Targu Jiu, and Targu Mures. Confirmations and full details are coming up on our site: http://bit.ly/FEAC_Events.
Website Section of the Season: For Logged-In Users One of the enhancements that our new website offers is a U.S. admissions treasure chest – the “For Logged-In Users” section. Getting an account on our site is free and fast. After that, you will have access to a buzzing section that already offers insider tips on filling out the Common App, asking for recommendations and samples of successful recommendation letters, and an overview of the entire admissions process with countless stories from Romanian applicants who’ve already completed the process successfully. In late January, the section will be enriched with translation samples for financial aid application docs and transcripts, a list of colleges that offer generous scholarships to international applicants, sample fee waiver requests and high school profiles, and more. Check in every week for new resources!
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EDUCATIONUSA NEWS FEAC’s Online Outreach Campaign Continues 2014 promises to offer tons of online sessions and seminars to those of you who can’t make it to our advising Center on a regular basis. On top of EducationUSA’s “5 Steps to U.S. Study” – with Step 3: Financing Your Studies to be highlighted in Jan-Feb, you will also be able to take part in TOEFL Talks offered by ETS Global and on FEAC-specific web seminars. Are you in? Full info at http://bit.ly/FEAC_Events.
EducationUSA Participates in Upcoming UPenn MOOC on "Applying to U.S. Universities" EducationUSA is proud to be part of the free "Applying to U.S. Universities" MOOC – massive open online course - designed by the University of Pennsylvania's English Language Program and offered free of charge to international students on the Coursera platform. This course will help you understand how the U.S. university application and admission process works for international students and non-native English speakers applying to undergraduate (i.e., bachelor's degree) programs. Classes start in March. Register now http://bit.ly/1aBmWsf!
WISDOM OF THE SEASON
“When you know better you do better.” Maya Angelou, American poet, memoirist, actress and an important figure in the American Civil Rights Movement
Naresh Ramchandani, Creative Partner at Pentagram (design studio with offices in the States and worldwide) www.fulbright.ro/ 12 educational-advising-center.html
Bucharest, January 20, 2014 Year VI, Winter Issue
Need more info? Contact us!
Public hours at the Fulbright Educational Advising Center/FEAC: Tue: 1:00 - 7:00 pm
Wed-Thu: 1:00 - 5:00 pm
Phone no: 021-231 9015 Website: http://www.fulbright.ro/educational-advising-center.html Facebook fanpage: http://on.fb.me/FEACfb Address: No. 2, Ing. Costinescu St., Sector 1, Bucharest 011878, Romania
Advising at American Corner Bucharest: Visit the American Corner to get U.S. admissions advice from an EducationUSA adviser: Mon: 4:00 - 6:00 pm
Fri: 10:30 am - 12:00 noon
Phone no: 021-311 03 23 Website: http://romania.usembassy.gov/resources/ac_bucharest.html Facebook fanpage: http://facebook.com/ACBucharest Address: American Corner Bucharest, National Library of Romania, 22 Unirii Blvd
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All articles are contributed by FEAC staff Mihaela Arsene and Sinziana Medvetchi, unless otherwise stated.
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