Education Session 3

Audience: High School
Inspirations: 1, 3, 4

Counseling is a relatively North American phenomenon. As counselors we try to find the "right fit" for our students based on months of knowing them, advising them and counseling them, trusting that the process will bring the student individual success for his or her college years. But are we going about it the wrong way? We might pay more attention to cultural differences and the parental definition of "the right fit."

In this session we'll examine how different cultures, particularly Chinese, Indian, and Korean, view what is best for their children. Does counseling enter into it? How can we adopt a more culturally-sensitive approach to working with our parents and students as we educate and advise them?

Let's get together, discuss, share, and empower each other.

Audience: Both
Inspirations: 7

Many universities across the world ask for predicted IB grades as part of a complete application; but exactly how much of the IB curriculum is covered when predictions are made in IB year 2? Realistically, how much weight should universities be placing on these grades, and are they more than a mere guess at future performance?

In this session, we will evaluate recent data gathered from IB teachers around the world on what exactly goes into an IB prediction, reflect on the social and emotional toll of predictions at our IB schools, and ask if the juice is worth the squeeze when it comes to IB predicted grades?

Audience: Both
Inspirations: 1, 6

Where are you in your journey towards intercultural competence and how should we, as admission and counselling professionals, influence the intercultural development of ourselves, our institutions, and our students? What ways can we embody the global diversity, inclusion, and internationalization goals contained in many of our institutional mission and vision statements?

No matter what your level of awareness is, we welcome you to contribute to this lively discussion informed by academic research and share your own perspectives as we collectively consider actions we can take to improve ourselves and our communities for this increasingly interconnected world.

We hope you will leave with some takeaways which can inspire you and/or the institutional teams you work in as you continue to progress from words to action in your global diversity goals.

Audience: High School
Inspirations: 3, 7

Cambridge International qualifications are valued as academically rigorous qualifications by universities all around the world. Together with colleagues from different global universities we will present an overview on how to best support students applying to key destinations with Cambridge International AS & A Levels, the Cambridge AICE diploma and Cambridge IGCSEs and O levels. There will be an opportunity to ask questions.

Audience: University
Inspirations: 6

Geographically-dispersed teams face unique challenges in management, communication and team-building. This presentation will focus on solutions to overcome common obstacles and provide best practices for those working with remote team members. Drawing from virtual team research and practical university experiences, we will share important points on meetings, communication, technology, team building and leadership styles.

We will provide case studies covering remote working across multiple regions including East Asia, Africa and North America. Attendees will come to consider the remote workers’ perspective, managers’ experiences on campus and leave with a better understanding of how to lead and communicate within virtual team working.

Audience: Both
Inspirations: 3, 4, 5

The US media’s focus has been on the doom-and-gloom news of decreasing number of international students coming to the US. But in these less-certain times for US universities, necessity is the mother of invention and we’re witnessing some bright spots for a more globally-mobile student population.

This session will provide a data-driven analysis of where students are going for university, and suggest some possible motivations behind these decisions. Furthermore, we will share anecdotes from admissions officers, counselors, and students that suggest resilience and hope for the future.

Audience: Both
Inspirations: 1, 2

Educators from this year’s International ACAC Scholar Cohort will share information about the success their students have achieved at home and overseas in spite of significant obstacles. The scholars will provide valuable insights about support systems they have built for students. They also welcome your questions!

Audience: University
Inspirations: 5

We all know it is important for counselors to see a university in order for them to really understand which students are a good fit. But how to go about getting counselors to campus if you do not have the budget to host a full-fledged fly-in? Ever thought about coordinating your counselor visits with other universities in your vicinity? How about a full-fledged tour?

Universities will share their experience with different forms of organizing counselor visits with a limited budgets. Counselors, Co-Director of the International ACAC Bus Tour will share the do’s and don’ts for short campus visits based on her own experiences during the Bus Tour.

Audience: University
Inspirations: 1, 5, 6, 7

Guiding new admission officers, or admission officers new to the international field, can be a challenge. How do you prepare them for the challenges of international travel and then once home, how to accurately review transcripts and to understand the cultural differences that shape those applications?

Join us to learn best practices, and the ones to avoid, when training new international admission counselors. We’ll also discuss how that training, or lack there

Audience: University
Inspirations: 1, 2, 5, 7

Universities looking for innovative, evidence-based approaches to international recruiting should attend this interactive project-based session. Higher education leaders in International recruitment will explore 3 topics:

1. Expanding diversity within new geographies through your international student outreach;
2. Reaching students from India’s diaspora in Doha, Dubai and other locations outside of the sub-continent;
3. Attracting U.S.-based students to international campuses. A table-based group activity, anchored around an authentic case-study and demonstration, will guide the discussion.

Participants will leave with new ideas and practical ways to advance international enrollment goals through lead generation, data-driven enrollment planning & segmentation, and predictive modeling.

Audience: University
Inspirations: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Clara Priester - REAC, EducationUSA East & South Africa

Vincent Flores - REAC, EducationUSA Northeast Asia & the Pacific

Ana Villavicencio - REAC, EducationUSA Andean Region

Want to maximize international student recruitment dollars, find talented students that are a good fit for your school, and crack challenging new student markets? Then this is the session for you! HEI professionals will engage in small round-table discussions with EducationUSA advisers and Regional Educational Advising Coordinators (REACs) from around the world.

The session will focus on regional recruitment trends (with information on foreign government scholarship countries), strategies for targeting students in dynamic markets, and accessing valuable resources through the State Department-supported network. Come meet advisers and REACs for insights and information that will help you take your student recruitment efforts to the next level.

Audience: High School
Inspirations: 3

The Coalition for Access, Affordability and Success launched a suite of application tools in 2016 and currently over 140 institutions accept the Coalition Application. Coalition members from a variety of higher education institutions and a high school guidance counselor will share their experiences with the application format, including benefits and challenges.

Hear from public and private institutions, a single-application institution, and schools that accept both the Coalition and the Common Applications. The presentation will highlight some of the features and tools of the platform as well as an update on improvements for the next admission cycle.

We will also answer questions about the application and demonstrate features as time allows.

Audience: Both
Inspirations: 3, 4, 5

Last September, ACT launched its computer-based ACT test—part of a global strategy to support students, parents, and educators in helping people achieve education and workplace success. As ACT continues its transformation to a learning, measurement, and navigation company, the organization is investing in resources to help students navigate the university admissions process and beyond, including ACT Academy, regional ACT Club websites, and integrated navigation tools.

This session will update school counselors and university representatives on the international CBT launch and the new resources offered by ACT at a global level, provide perspectives from educational partners on the ground, and explore the impact of the strategies ACT has implemented to help students and educators navigate the university admissions journey. There will be time for Q&A at the end of the session.

Audience: Both Inspirations: 1, 2, 5

Providing educational access to talented refugee students who literally have no other higher education options are some of the most meaningful and impactful work we can do as international educators. However, counseling and admitting refugee students bring up a whole nexus of issues at every step of the process, ranging from the wording of application questions and requirements to assisting students in a sensitive way to share their stories.

This session, which includes two counselors who have worked successfully with refugee students from multiple countries, and one admissions officer whose college offers a special refugee scholarship, will outline these issues and make concrete suggestions for tackling them. There will be sufficient time allotted for substantive discussion with audience questions and perspectives.

Audience: Both
Inspirations: 3, 5, 6

Feeling burnt out, bored, or lacking spice in your professional life? After five plus years, has the glitz and glamor of your international jet-setting worn off? Are you looking for ways to continue to develop? Meet four university and high school professionals on this interactive panel who will outline creative and different ways to keep work fulfilling and challenging.

From inventive ways to do counseling work and self-care, we’ll break through that feeling of being stymied in your role at work. Tired of standing behind a table at lunch? Let’s brainstorm new visit methods. Have you found yourself apathetic toward last minute application requests? Let’s talk about lessons for procrastination and failure. Bring ideas and let’s answer the question: Where do we go from here?