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Map out your pathway to college or university
Jon Hartmann CMIS College
Counselor
In the first week of school this year, a senior student
(let’s call her Jen) presented all her College applications to me together
with addressed envelopes and a small resume to help me write her references.
Last week, eight weeks later, another student (let’s call him Sam) decided
to pay me a visit to talk about what he was thinking he might do next year.
Both were 17 turning 18 but Jen and Sam are poles apart in preparing for
College. Here are some important guidelines that Sam did not follow but Jen
did.
 Jon
Hartmann CMIS College Counselor
1. Be Early: Preparing, applying and getting accepted to
college can seem overwhelming but it doesn’t have to be if you do it step
by step and start early. Jen first saw me in grade 10, she attended College
Fairs and spent time in the States visiting campus’s in the summer between
her junior and senior year. She did an aptitude test with me twice to
identify her pathway.
2. Choose a pathway: Without specifically choosing a
profession or job, students can all choose a pathway for their future career
even by eliminating those things they do not want to do. A broad pathway is
just fine in high school. Counselors usually have good aptitude tests to
tell you about yourself but parents and friends are a good source of advice
too. For example you can know that you are a maths/science type person or an
English /humanities guy or a creative artistic girl or someone who has a
future in business. You then choose colleges that are good and reputable in
the pathway you have decided on. Sometime in the next four years at that
college a job or a career will come to you as you walk that pathway and you
will be happy in that pathway because you have interest, ability and success
there.
3. Research Thoroughly
Web sites, college handbooks, visiting representatives,
College Fairs, and a host of material from collegeboard. com and
Petersons.com can help you decide. There are also many college search sites.
Talking to alumni is also a great source of knowledge. However the two
all-important facts that ultimately determine your choice are. What does it
cost and do I meet entrance requirements?
If you are a US citizen then there is FAFSA and CIS
profile as well as residency benefits in most states and of course
scholarships and student loans to help finance college. If you are an
International Student look carefully at scholarships and bargain with the
university to lower fees or give you some incentive to go there rather than
some other place. You are the product they want! Use that advantage in
negotiations. Just being international and bi-lingual will usually get you a
$1,000 fee reduction before you even get started. If, after all your
research you cannot afford the college see what part-time work is available.
4. Now meet the Criteria
Colleges have criteria for entry. Discover what you need
to gain entry to your school. There are documents which you can access from
your counselor that tells you the average SAT score to enter that college.
Even if you can afford it, you won’t get in without the academic criteria.
If the average SAT score of freshmen going to Harvard is 1450 out of 1600
(new SAT scores are not known yet), you better be close to that mark! What
GPA do you need? If you do AP courses how many do you need? In what areas?
What concessions will an IB get you? Is a High School diploma enough? It is
too late to be chasing these criteria half way through grade 12. You must
know before grade 12 what criteria to aim for. Therefore always aim for the
toughest courses you are capable of doing! Test often! A SAT at the end of
grade 11 and in December grade 12 should optimize your chances.
5. Now choose three
From your research choose a minimum of three colleges and
rate them 1, 2, 3 with 1 being your most desirable but most difficult
option. Use 2 and 3 as “fall back” positions with number 3 being a
“safe” college you know you can get in to. This gives you security. You
know you are going to college next year!
6. Have a college package which works for you.
At the end of your research you should have a workable
package to attend three colleges. It might mean sharing a student apartment,
working three nights a week, borrowing from grandma and getting a B grade
average to keep a scholarship. Putting it all together, it should be
something that realistically works for you and will finance you for four
years. Don’t worry about your friends as their circumstances differ from
yours. Once at college you main worry must be your studies!
7. You can’t have everything
College /university is one of the great times of your life. There are
many great institutions out there but ultimately, like a marriage, you need
to choose the one that suits you.
Ancient breakfast ceremony for monks dates back to dawn of Buddhism
Preeyanoot Jittawong
Chiang Mai University held a Tewo Rohana breakfast
ceremony for monks at Wat Fai Hin to mark the end of Buddhist Lent on
October 19.
 Prof.
Dr. Pongsak Angkasit, CMU’s president joins the breakfast presentation.
Joining the students and academics were government
officials, business people, soldiers, police officers and residents, all
preparing food to present to the monks along both waysides.
The ceremony began at 6 a.m. and was headed by CMU
president Prof. Dr. Pongsak Angkasit. He began by lighting candles and
joss-sticks for the Triple Gems and all those attending presented their
respects before starting to prepare breakfast for the 500 monks from various
temples in Chiang Mai.
Many
residents attended the activity.
The entire gathering of monks descended the Wat Fai Hin
stairs, in homage to the Lord Buddha who, after he had stayed in heaven for
three months, walked back to earth on a crystal stairway while angels
accompanied him on a golden staircase to his right and the Brahman walked on
his left on silver stairs. On that day both humans and angels could see each
other and it was a time when peace descended on the world. The Buddha’s
followers who were waiting prepared a breakfast for him and this has been a
tradition amongst Buddhists ever since, with breakfast known as Tak Bat Tewo
or Tewo Rohana presented to monks in their temples.
CMU has organized this activity for 20 years, as a continuation of
ancient beliefs.
When the
Lord Buddha completed his three-month stay in heaven he walked back to earth
with his monks and his followers presented them with breakfast.
GIS, NIS and APIS take top honors in volleyball tournament
Kristen Davey
(Athletic Director, CMIS)
Going
for the spike!
On October 10 and 11 the Chiang Mai Athletic Conference
(CMAC) held the final volleyball tournaments for U20 boys and girls and U16
boys and girls. The tournament took place at Grace International School. The
schools included Chiang Mai International School (CMIS), Grace International
School (GIS), Lanna International School (LIS), Nakorn Payap International
School (NIS), Prem International School (Prem), American Pacific
International School (APIS) and CDSC (German International School).
The final standings were:
CMAC U20 Boys and Girls Volleyball Tournament
Boys first: GIS; second: NIS; third: Prem
Girls first: GIS; second: PREM; third: APIS
CMAC U16 Boys and Girls Volleyball Tournament
Boys first: NIS; second: PREM; third: GIS
Girls first: APIS; second: CMIS, third: Prem
International school builds team spirit amongst parents
Jaruwan Panyoyai (Student
Trainee CMU)
Over 100 people took part in the Baht Builder project at
Chiang Mai International School during the afternoon of October 15.
Warm up
(Photo by Preeyanoot Jittawong)
Patrick Roberts, vice president of the Parent-Teacher
Group, said the idea was to gather parents from different cultures and help
them get to know each other by forming groups and playing games.
By doing this, all those taking part realized they could
feel they were part of a group without having a knowledge of the other
languages or cultures.
Walking
together (Photo by Preeyanoot Jittawong)
This was the first time the project has been staged. The
organizers had expected have around 50 participants but more than 100 people
came along.
Parents also raised 138,000 baht in donations, which will
go towards computers and music programs for the school.
How to
go to that side? (Photo by Preeyanoot Jittawong)
Participants were divided into 12 groups according to the grade of their
children, with each group having eight persons. Points were awarded in baht,
although this was only play money. At the end, the team with the most baht
was the winner. First prize was a dinner for all the team members at the
Just Khao Soy Restaurant, and the second prize was a dinner voucher for
1,000 baht at The Riverside Restaurant.
Three chances to improve your acting at the actor’s workshop
Renee Weygandt
Have you ever watched a movie, TV show, or went to see a
play and wondered what it would be like to be an actor? Or perhaps you’ve
watched a famous actor in a movie and thought, “I could do that.” Well,
now your chance is coming. Find out how the pros do it. Professional actor,
writer, director, and producer, J. Kevin Monahan will be in Chiang Mai to
lead an acting workshop. This workshop will include instruction in theater
skills, exercises, scene study, and audition and monologue preparation. This
class is a fun, high-energy participatory experience.
 Professional
actor, writer, director, and producer, J. Kevin Monahan will be in Chiang
Mai to lead an acting workshop.
J. Kevin Monahan has been an actor for 40 years, working
on stage, television and making industrial training films in Denver, Los
Angeles, San Francisco, and New Orleans. He has operated his own theater
group and is currently a teacher in Denver, Colorado, USA. His resume
includes producing and directing plays at Gabriel’s Dinner Theatre in
Denver, Colorado. His productions of “The Odd Couple”, “Shot in the
Dark”, “A Thousand Clowns”, “The Fantastiks” and others have
received excellent reviews. His production of “Man with the Plastic
Sandwich” was the second time that play was produced and the author
credits Kevin’s review with an increased interest in the play. His film
and commercial credits include spots for AT&T, Ace Hardware, US West,
The Department of the Interior, and many others throughout the US.
Kevin has continued to direct and act for other production companies in
Denver. He has also developed and presents his own “Dare to Dream”
program to schools and business groups. You will have the opportunity to
meet J. Kevin Monahan, evaluate his expertise, at no cost to you, on Friday,
November 4 at 6 p.m. or on Saturday, November 5 at 10 a.m. at Kingdom Caf้
located on the second floor of Kingdom Book and Music on Chiang Mai Land. If
you decide to participate in the workshop you will be able to sign up at
that time, as well. There are two scheduling options for the workshop. The
first one is November 5, 12-5 p.m. with the second being held November 7 and
8, 6-8:30 p.m. For more information on workshop location, cost, and to
pre-register, email ren ee@DreammakersProduc tions.com. Class size is
limited. To find out more about J. Kevin Monahan visit
www.dynamicdirections.org
Kindergarten student Pateera wins national painting award
Pateera
Kalmaphijit, or Ernny, a third-year student of Lanna Kindergarten School in
Chiang Mai, won a national painting award in the Bang Fun Pan Sook (share
dream and happiness) competition, part of the Color My Heart peace project
provided for children aged 4-6 years. The project was organized by the
Women’s Federation for World Peace (Thailand) and the awards presentations
will be held on November 18 at the United Nations Convention Hall, Bangkok.
Time to go international at Payap
Chiangmai Mail Reporters
Well, it’s that time of year again! Put on your glad
rags and boots (ok, a sarong and flip-flops will do) and come down and
boogey at Payap University’s swanky homegrown International Day from 5
p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, November 4.
Now in its third year, Payap’s International Day has
grown into a fun-filled evening of lively entertainment, delectable foods
from around the globe, hands-on cultural demonstrations and a lucky draw
with a grand prize worth 10,000 baht!
This year’s event will feature student and faculty
performances, including an American blues guitar rendition, an a cappella
quartet, Burmese and Indian dances, a “body combat” aerobics
demonstration, and more. There will also be a special appearance by Brook
Kitavadhana, arguably the best baritone in Thailand and a proud Payap
alumnus. Everyone who has heard Brook sing knows just how versatile and
captivating his voice can be.
International Day 2005 event coordinators Adam Dedman and
Dacia Gauer (both recent additions to Payap’s Office of International
Affairs and newcomers to Chiang Mai), have been hard at work over the past
couple of months organizing this event of culture and diversity. Adam noted,
“Ever since arriving in Chiang Mai back in July, I have been impressed at
how diverse this relatively small city is. Payap is a microcosm of this,
with nearly 400 international students from 25 countries. We welcome the
entire Chiang Mai community to come experience a taste of Payap’s exciting
diversity at International Day 2005.”
So why not break out of your ordinary Friday evening
routine and head over to Payap’s Mae Khao campus for what promises to be a
diverting soiree. And who knows, if your luck is right, you may even walk
away with a dandy dividend!
Tickets are 60 baht per person and include admission, a
free drink and a number in the lucky draw. For more information, call 0
53851 478, ext 7235, 7231 or email intexch@ payap.ac.th. You can also log on
to www.payap.ac.th
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