Dear customer,

Welcome to the July edition of ICON+’s University Access Newsletter. You are receiving this e-newsletter because you inquired about our test prep and/or admissions consulting services.

With August rolling around quickly, and the US university application process is about to launch! Are you ready for the endless hours of essays, interviews, resume-tweaking, and recommendation letters? Read below the story of one student, Natalie, who has been through it all the previous year.

When I first started the college application process, all I knew was that I wanted to attend university in a city on the Eastern Seaboard. Many half-started essays, late nights, standardized tests, and campus visits later, I finally have a peek at my future. Beginning September 1st, 2010, I will start to earn a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service (SFS).

For me, it all started the summer after tenth grade. I went on a whirlwind five-day, ten-school-bus tour starting at Harvard University in Massachusetts and ending at American University in Washington D.C. Besides having a good time, I would never have experienced as many different cities, campuses, dorm rooms, and college students without it. The next year, I spent time with my parents and counselor deciding which universities I wanted to apply to. Although I did make some exceptions, most of my final list fit these criteria: urban campus, International Relations major available, presence of family nearby, and Asian restaurant in the vicinity. One of the hardest parts about leaving Singapore will be that I will miss the food! Even though it may seem petty to include my cuisine preferences as a gauge for judgment, being comfortable and acclimated to my new home was important in my decision.

Read the rest of Natalie's college application journey.

It’s that time of year, when applications for US universities begin to open. Looming ahead of you are hours upon hours of studying for that all important college admissions exam, the SAT Reasoning Test. Required by the vast majority of well-regarded universities in this US for admissions purposes, your SAT score supposedly predicts how well you will do in college academics.

Considering that your SAT results constitute a significant chunk of the success or failure of your applications, perhaps you have launched yourself into your SAT prep course and books without asking yourself, “Does my SAT score REALLY predict my academic success in college?”

John Allen Paulos of ABC News wrote an article on this same topic, and the answer is not as straightforward as you might think.

Actually, the correlation between SAT scores and first year college grades isn’t impressive at all; only about 10-20 percent of differences in college grades are explained through SAT scores.

Click here to read more.

School Type:
Public, Research University, Urban

Location:
Madison, Wisconsin

Size and Student Body:
• 30,343 Undergraduate
• 11,756 Graduate
• 36% Out of State
• 5% International

Admissions:
• Regular Application Deadline Feb 1
• Rolling Notifications Beginning Oct 1
• Applicants Admitted: 57%
• SAT I Range for Middle 50% of First Year Students:
SAT Critical Reading 550-670
SAT Math 620-720
SAT Writing 570-670

Cost:
• Out-of-State Tuition & Fees US$23,059
• Room, board, and other expenses US$11,970
• Total US$35,029

Highlights:
One of the largest universities in the USA, the University of Florida is an academically diverse insitution with a strong commitment to internationalization, research, and service. About 50% of students receive merit-based aid - great news for international students!

For the University of Wisconsin-Madison's website: http://www.wisc.edu/

Source: www.collegeboard.com

Here are some suggestions for ways to build skills for the three reading purposes included in TOEFL iBT.

•Scan the passages to find and highlight key facts (dates, numbers, terms) and information.
•Practice this frequently to increase reading rate and fluency.
•Increase vocabulary knowledge, perhaps by using flashcards.
•Rather than carefully reading each word and each sentence, practice skimming a passage quickly to get a general impression of the main idea.
•Build up the ability to skim quickly and to identify the major points.

Read more tips.