Thanks to my loyal blog contributor for sharing this.
SAT-Based Scholarships for Non-Resident Freshman
Freshmen students (graduates from secondary school who have not yet attended a post-secondary school or university) who are applying for Fall 2010 admission and take the SAT exam can compete for valuable scholarships. If you qualify, scholarships will be automatically awarded when you are offered admission to Montana State University. To be eligible, you must complete the following as soon as possible:
For SAT: http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/sat/scores/sending.html
Here is what you may qualify for:
| Your test score: | Amount you may be awarded: | |
| 33 or greater composite ACT and/or 2140 or higher total SAT* | $60,000 Achievement Award ($15,000 per year renewable for 4 years) | |
| 29 to 32 composite ACT and/or 1920 to 2130 total SAT* | $30,000 Achievement Award ($7,500 per year renewable for 4 years) | |
| 28 composite ACT and/or 1860 to 1910 total SAT* | $24,000 Achievement Award ($6,000 per year renewable for 4 years) | |
| 27 composite ACT and/or 1800 to 1850 total SAT* | $20,000 Achievement Award ($5,000 per year renewable for 4 years) | |
| 26 composite ACT and/or 1740 to 1790 total SAT* | $16,000 Achievement Award ($4,000 per year renewable for 4 years) | |
| 25 composite ACT and/or 1680 to 1730 total SAT* | $12,000 Achievement Award ($3,000 per year renewable for 4 years) | |
| 24 composite ACT and/or 1620 to 1670 total SAT* | $8,000 Achievement Award ($2,000 per year renewable for 4 years) | |
| 23 composite ACT and/or 1560 to 1610 total SAT* | $6,000 Achievement Award ($1,500 per year renewable for 4 years) | |
* For Fall 2010, MSU Achievement Awards will be based upon ACT composite scores and / or SAT scores (Math, Critical Reading and Writing)
For more information on other scholarship opportunities, please go to: http://www.montana.edu/wwwnss/scholarships.shtml#sch
International Programs Undergraduate Scholarships
All international undergraduate applicants will automatically be considered for new student scholarships valued at up to US$3,500*. These scholarships are available to qualified international students, freshmen or transfer, applying to begin their studies either fall or spring semester. Documents required in the international undergraduate application will determine eligibility, and no separate scholarship application is required.
Selection is based on previous academic achievement, test scores, potential for success at MSU, and overall fit with the institution and its academic programs. SAT exam score results are not required to compete for these scholarships. Scholarships will be available until all are awarded; therefore, students are encouraged to submit their MSU application early.
These scholarships are available to students during their first year of study at MSU and are renewable on a competitive basis, depending on availability of funds. To renew, the student must maintain a 3.0 (B) average, demonstrate involvement and contributions to the campus or the community, and apply by the stated deadline each semester.
*This amount may change if the student is awarded other scholarships from MSU that add up to more than $3,500.
| http://macee.org.my/05_13_content.html ------ OPPORTUNITY FUND AWARD
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 WHAT CAN THE AWARD PAY FOR? |
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| The Opportunity Fund (OF) can cover various costs related to the application process and the process of getting to the USA to study. It does not cover tuition costs or costs for your study and stay in the USA. The OF covers upfront costs before going to the USA to help students in the initial stages of application to American colleges and universities in the USA. |
| ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS |
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| HOW DO I APPLY FOR THE GRANT? |
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| To apply for the OF fill up the OF Application Form following the instructions given. Be sure to include all required documents listed on the Application Form along with the Application Form before sending it to MACEE. Application forms can also be downloaded from here. (Please read the Download Instructions below). If you need help accessing the application form, contact MACEE. Click the download link below. A dialog box will appear.
Please mail the application form to: MACEE For more informations, please email to mea@macee.org.my Students who wish to apply should simply contact an adviser at the nearest EducationUSA advising center abroad for details or log to www.educationusa.state.gov/centers/ for the full list of worldwide available advising centers. |
Thanks to my loyal blog contributor for sharing on this.
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In 1987, the World Bank, with funding from the Government of Japan, established the World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program (WBGSP) for graduate studies in subjects related to economic development. Each year, the Program awards scholarships to individuals from World Bank member countries to undertake graduate studies at renowned universities throughout member countries of the Bank.
Now in its 23d year, the Regular Program has awarded 3,153 scholarships, selected from 58,944 applicants. In addition, 1,226 scholarships have been awarded in the various JJ/WBGSP Partnership Programs for a total of 4,379 awards.
The objective of the Scholarship and Fellowship Programs is to help create an international community of highly-trained professionals working in the field of economic and social development. The community will actively participate in the capacity building efforts in the developing countries.
Eligibility
To apply for a JJ/WBGSP scholarship under the Regular Program, an applicant must:
* Be a national of a World Bank member country eligible to borrow.
* Be born after March 31, 1970.
* Have, by March 31, 2010, at least 2, preferably 4 to 5, years of recent full time professional experience acquired after a university degree, in the applicant's home country or in another developing country.
* Hold a bachelor's degree or its equivalent.
* Be in good health.
* Be of good character.
* Not be a permanent resident or a national of any industrialized country.
* Not be residing in an industrialized country for more than one year.
* Not be an Executive Director, his/her alternate, staff of the World Bank Group (the World Bank, International Finance Corporation, International Development Association, Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, and International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes), consultant, or relative of the aforementioned.
Application Guidelines
Preferred Universities in 2010-2011
How to Apply
Please note that applicants are encouraged to seek admissions in institutions listed in the website under Preferred Universities 2010-2011.
Paper copies of completed applications and all required supporting documents should be sent to:
The World Bank
Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program
1818 H Street, NW – MSN J2-204
Washington, DC 20433
USA
The Young Corporate Malaysians 21st CEO Series of Talk, by Wing K. Lee, CEO of YTL
Communications at Nikko Hotel.
Live blogging from the venue.
Wing borned and raised in Hong Kong. Grew up alone with mother. Mother was small print shop owner, and she went to see clients and Wing would go together. In 1980s, the clients would have a computer, and it is more of showing off.
Back then, his mother bought an Apple for Wing, and what Wing did was playing games. And after approached by his mother, Wing then started to use computer for actual learning. That was in Form 4 in Hong Kong.
In Form 6 in Hong Kong, his mother asked what he wanted to study, and Wing said photography, and just like any Chinese mum, his mother said that he had to pay on his own. So, eventually he went on 2nd choice of Computer Science.
Wing chose the colleges in US, which offer computer science curriculum. University of Texas, Austin was one of the top programs. He applied for University of California, Berkeley, Brown, University of Minnesota and University of Washington, besides Texas, Austin. He got acceptance to all 5 of the universities. Brown, Minnesota and Washington are not his choice due to weather. Then, he was left with 2 options.
Choosing between Texas and Berkeley, and he heard that big earthquake would happen in San Francisco, so he dropped Berkeley and chose Texas, Austin. That was such his frank sharing on how he actually chose his universities.
Back then, his first job was janitor. And today, Wing really respected the janitors. He learned hard and always reminded himself to be humble and learn the value of money. Later on, he was promoted to lab assistant job, and then took up teaching assistant job.
He worked very hard, and carried 18 to 20 credit hours per semester. Nevertheless, the tough time was also the memorable time.
He graduated in 1989. When one goes for US visa interview and the question of whether you would stay in US is being asked, the answer is always no, or else you won't get your visa. And Wing back then did truthfully answered no, when he was asked back in 1986.
In June 1989, when Wing was hiking in Canadian Rocky mountains, and on 4th June 1989, Tiananmen Square incident happened, and Wing's mother asked him to find ways to stay in US.
Wing's mother lost her father due to communist and Wing's mother had to be refugee in Hong Kong. So, she advised Wing to stay in US, so that he could have better life and eventually, Wing decided to stay in US.
Wing then picked up his 2nd degree in Business Management, and when he is done, it was recession in US. Fortunately, Wing managed to get 20+ interviews and he was given 4 offers. He chose 1, JC Penney, which is the largest retailer in US.
One of the offers is Tandem Computers, another is Mobil Oil and Halliburton. Halliburton asked Wing to build a Computer-based training. Mobil Oil asked to help on building system. Tandem Computers was mainly used in financial institution and Wing was asked to help in operating system.
In 1989, US has this new "strip malls", where it is row of shops along a mall, and it grabbed market share from bigger players. For retailers, having scale is one thing, but fast reaction is important. Thought that he can helped a company to restructure, so Wing joined JC Penney as management trainee.
Back then, he has to learn a new programming language - COBOL, and he realized that university education teaches him to be adaptive and able to learn something fast. He was able to help JC Penney to launch JCL within 20 months of joining. A lesson learned from here is that a company always needs to learn to reinvent itself.
If you deliver on business promise, people will reward you, but people may not continue to reward you all the time. So, you have to reinvent.
2 years later, Wing approached the HR of the company to apply for Green Card. But they can't, as they have to advertise in 1,500 outlets, and to show that no American is qualified. So, Wing had to look elsewhere, although his supervisors there were very supportive of Wing. Wing has delivered a lot of value to his computer, so they valued his contribution.
Wing spent 15 years at Sprint. He chose to get into Sprint, as it was looking to reinvent itself. Sprint was the first to launch the fiber optic network. Wing was tapped for his skill in distributed network and messaging system. This time, he got them to put in offer letter to help him to get green card.
Back then, when Sprint got problem, they would called Accenture (management consulting company). So, when Wing joined Sprint, 80 people in the office were from Andersen Consulting. So, Wing was asked to report to Accenture guy too, and back then, there was an Andersen Consulting partner in the board of directors too.
A good architect is someone who knows the whole landscape. Back then, there was a lot of hierarchy too in Sprint. Wing lives the notion of life of always ask "What can I do". Wing has a list of task list, and he gets it done quickly and at high quality, and then he offers help to others. People would reciprocate, and help him too. So, whenever Wing puts his name on anything, it has better be very good. So, he would always make sure that it is the best thing that he can deliver.
Started out as Software Engineer 2, and within 2 years, he became Manager of the team. Wing became Director of Sprint at age of 29, and was the youngest director there.
Wing has 9 patents, and they were filed in late 1990s and early 2000s, and he still had 20+ in the pipeline. The entire process of getting patents would take about 5 years in US. Patent system is also quite abused, where a lot of people file it, just to provide defensive or offensive mechanism. So, there is something wrong about it. Wing only filed a patent, when he managed to solve a real problem.
Wing used to spend a lot of money to call home, during his time at University of Texas, Austin. So, when he got the chance to move to Sprint's headquarter, he took the opportunity, as he was charged to work on wireless network.
In 2001, high speed internet means 80 kilo bit per second, so back then, to stream the picture, is still very slow. And it cost USD2 billion worth of investment, and the picture is still look pixelized. Wireless network can never compete with wired line, purely on speed, so have to fight on other competitive landscape. That was a turning point.
Back then, he made pilgrimage trip to Japan, as it was still the technology hub. In Japan, people started take photo and made it into wallpaper. So, Wing found an area to look into using wireless network to move picture.
Wing they all went to the guy who wrote Turbo C++ and Turbo Pascal, Philippe Kahn. Philippe has sold off Borland, and became millionaire. And he had a baby. Philippe has built a prototype of transferring photo, and Sprint wanted to commercialize it. So, the value that wireless can provide is that one can take a photo and then send across the network within seconds. Picture Mail product charged USD5 per month and need data plan which cost USD10 per month. It was the biggest phenomenal success of the company.
So, the breakthrough paradigm is to cross-link two different fields and bring value. Software brings life to things. The company was growing very fast then, and the fastest growth in wireless history.
Sprint was the first one to launch J2ME game in mobile device. Mobile video was launched too.
Through these exercises, Wing was asked to head the innovation team. So, he went from infrastructure, and then architecture and then innovation. This was the first 3 of the 5 jobs in Sprint.
Wing led the innovation team of Sprint for 5 years, and it was very satisfactory.
Sprint looked at various technologies post 3G. And that's how Sprint launched his career into Wimax. Next generation CDMA upgrade definitely makes sense, but Sprint made the bold decision of not upgrading to CDMA. The royalty of CDMA is quite high, and Sprint's goal is to democratize internet. What got them excited about Wimax is the ecosystem, and it is the IEEE technology. When a technology is an IEEE technology, it can scale easily. That's how people can do plug and play, and cost will go down and people will pick up.
Sprint then merged with Nextel, and a big mistake is that they didn't take good care of the customers of the acquired entity. Sprint lost their mindshare, and they started to churn, and then people started to cut cost.
So, Wimax operation has to be scaled back due to operations issue. Wing was leading the product development team of Wimax. Sprint has to spinoff Wimax business and merged with Clearwire, and then go into clearwire company.
Andy Rubin started Android, and he loved robotics, so he created Android, using his name and his love of robotics for the company name. He went into Google to ask them to invest in his company, and Eric Schmidt heard the pitch and offered to buy at a cost of about USD80 Million.
Andy Rubin had the blank check from Google, and he invested hundreds of millions to buy the best applications. Wing was doing the due diligence on Android and brings Sprint on board.
On why WiMAX was chosen as the platform to deliver Malaysia's mobile network, Wing highlighted that it is the only technology that can deliver it at the right cost. LTE is not yet a matured technology and yet the royalty is very high, and hence, it might be difficult to deliver in the right price.
Wing was instrumental in delivering the 1st 4G network on Android at Clearwire.
In Summer 2008, the government of China created Thousand Talents program, where it tried to attract top talents to ensure that China's state-owned enterprise, universities, research laboratories and space programs can be world class and compete globally.
Wing was then headhunted to lead the Innovation Team at China Mobile, which has 500 Million subscribers (even more than total US population), and Wing has this opportunity to change the experience of 500 Million people.
Then, he got a call from YTL Director, and he came to visit Malaysia. He found it very interesting, where the country has very poor connectivity, and yet YTL is a company with strong resources and determination.
Wing had a hard time deciding on whether to go to China or Malaysia, and the book "Clock Speed" influenced him. In that book, it talked about how fast things are changing, and Wing believed that being at YTLe would enable him to bring fast transformation to large group of people and improve people lives faster.
In Malaysia, only 25% of people are connected to internet, yet the average age is 26. The people here know the power of internet, but can't really enjoy the connection experience. So, Wing sees this opportunity to make impact at national scale immediately, and improving people's lives.
For Clearwire, it won't be able to launch nationwide in less than 2 years in US and to launch for whole of US would cost more than USD5 billion, but Wing can do that in Malaysia in shorter time and also at a cost of USD850 Million. Wing lamented on the very slow uploading speed of 60 kbps that many people experience here in Malaysia.
The WiMAX experience is not just to connect people with internet, but to enable people to have applications that satisfy their social needs.
For this WiMAX, YTLe is working with 3 world top player in it. For IP Backbone, it is working with Cisco. For wireless network, it is working with Samsung. For WiMAX chipset, it is with GCT, and YTLe just made a commitment order of 1 million devices and it is the largest acquisition in the world, and with this economy of scale, it would drive down the prices.
On expansion to other countries, Wing planned to do it very well at its homeground in Malaysia, before looking to expand it elsewhere. Talking about internet, it is really about getting developers to make it happen. With internet, it is equal opportunity for everyone, and to really make it possible, especially with mobile internet.
Wing also introduced mYprize, which offers USD1 Million as prizes for incentives of 4G applications, devices or ideas. It offers USD120,000 prize money for Malaysians anywhere in the world too. So, hopefully, this can tap on the talents of Malaysians globally, as well as other talents to get involved.
The soft launch of YTLe WiMAX would be in Q3 2010, and nationwide commercial launch would be in Q4 2010.
Wing promised that YTLe WiMAX would be a new experience and customers would reciprocate with the support. While Wing did not disclose the pricing or package of WiMAX, he promised that there would be surplus value for the users. He talked about the 20 Mbps network that he had in US, and hopefully soon, Malaysians can enjoy similar or even better network.
Wing shared on Clayton's book of "Innovators' Dilemma" and "Innovators' Solution", and he said that it is good that YTLe is brand new, so there won't be legacy issue behind. With legacy, there might be inertia to move. And to make it work, it needs disruptive innovation. He cited Intel Centrino as a way for Intel to reinvent itself. It created a lower cost low-end product, that undercut itself, but it allows Intel to grow market share.
One of the issues of 3G was that the network was used to cater for voice and data, but for 4G, it would be packet based and used to carry data.
While AT&T enjoyed a great exclusive partnership with iPhone, the huge amount of data that iPhone used took a toll on AT&T network, which affected the call quality.
Wing shared a few tips with the audience, where he talked about working very hard and always producing the best. He talked about having mentors and also reading a lot. One good resources would be iTunes applications, where a lot of top universities resources are available. He talked about ability to have platform to bring idea to the world, and among the largest developers' network are Microsoft, Java and Adobe Flash.
He ended with 4 key components to innovation, which is having original idea, building and applying idea, being financed by someone and have a platform to distribute.
It was a great 140 minutes of talk non-stop by Wing. Really engaging and it attracted the largest crowd of Young Corporate Malaysians CEO Series of Talk, with more than 150 people turned up, and it was reduced to standing room only.
After the talk, a large group of attendees surrounded Wing, and he attended the questions till well past 11pm, and at that time, he hasn't even had dinner. That speaks volume of his dedication and passion to share with the youth!
On behalf of Young Corporate Malaysians, great thanks to Wing for sharing with us, and to all those who attended, hope that you manage to learn from Wing.
For future Young Corporate Malaysians events, do check out Young Corporate Malaysians .
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We are looking for the next generation of innovators who have demonstrated remarkable accomplishment and outstanding potential to positively affect the world.
Who should apply
We are looking for an eclectic, heterogeneous group of young thinkers and doers from the fields of technology, entertainment, design, the sciences, engineering, humanities, the arts, economics, business, journalism, entrepreneurship and NGOs.
At TED, we can take risks on unconventional innovators. We value achievement over credentials -- making and doing over merely talking.
We are targeting applicants of ages 21-40 from five target regions: Africa, Asia/Pacific, the Caribbean, Latin America, the Middle East. However, anyone over the age 18 from around the world is welcome to apply.
How to apply
To apply to become a TED Fellow, please complete the application form in its entirety. (Before beginning the application, please review our applications tips and our terms and conditions.)
In addition to basic details and contact information, the application asks applicants to answer essay questions and provide three references. Applications must be received complete and on time to be considered.
Application cycles for TED and TEDGlobal are different. Applicants apply to once conference.
The selection process
TED Fellows are selected by the program staff.
Once a year, an international selection committee meets to select the TED Senior Fellows for the following year.
The selection committee is comprised of people who represent the breadth of interest and achievement that makes up the TED community. Committee members bring experiences from various fields and come from countries representing our target regions. Selections are made by the group as a whole, not by individuals.
Malaysia Forum (MF) Conference NYC 2010 would be held on 2nd to 4th April 2010 at Columbia University, New York City.
For those of you who are professionals in US, this is a professional body that you can check out http://www.ascendleadership.org
Young Corporate Malaysians CEO Series of Talks by Wing K. Lee, CEO of YTL Communications today (24th February 2010) 7:30pm to be held at Nikko Hotel instead. Jalan Ampang, next to Menara Citibank and next to Ampang Park LRT station. Sorry for the inconveniences.
Thanks to Shaun Tan for sharing on this event.
Young Corporate Malaysians 21st CEO Series of Talk featuring Wing K. Lee, CEO of YTL Communications
On Tuesday, Interim President Wagner sent out an all-campus e-mail announcing that the College will be moving to a need-aware admission policy for the Class of 2014's international applicants. Wagner cited the decreased size of the endowment and the need to curb growth in financial aid spending as the reasons for the policy change. "The cost of international aid in the last decade rose by more than 200 percent (more than $4 million)," Wagner's e-mail read. "In the College's changed financial situation, that rate of growth is unsustainable." Tuesday's notification comes on the heels of the Jan. 31 decision to re-instate loans for financial aid students.
The admission office first instituted the need-blind policy for international students for the Class of 2006. According to Wagner, the current switch to need-awareness was "an institutional decision, based on broad consultation on campus and with the Board of Trustees, but ultimately made by me and senior staff." The Advisory Group on Admissions and Financial Aid (AGAFA) played a consultative role, according to Sara LaLumia, AGAFA member and economics professor. AGAFA includes administrators in the Office of Financial Aid, the dean of the College, admission officers and four faculty members.
Admission policy
According to Wagner's message to the community, the College's new stance on taking financial aid into account for international applicants will not match the policy that the admission office used prior to the Class of 2006. Rather than separating international applicants into two pools, one for those who require financial aid and one for those who could pay full tuition, admission officers will look at the international applicant pool holistically to maintain a target amount of financial aid spending.
Dick Nesbitt, director of Admission, also emphasized that the Office of Admission will not be looking at the amount of financial aid each individual applicant applies for. Instead, according to Wagner's e-mail, the admission process will "aim to build an entering cohort … that in terms of aid approximates a rough dollar target that will begin where it is now and grow over the years at a rate slower than it has been."
Nesbitt further stressed that the group of international students in future classes will not look like that which the campus matriculated before need-blindness. "In the old days, we were only giving financial aid to five international students a year," Nesbitt said, referring to the time he began working for the admission office in the 1980s. "By no means are we going back to that."
Nesbitt also explained that need-awareness will only serve as a tipping point for students of equal merit: Only for applicants with equally strong applications will financial aid determine acceptance.
Nesbitt also said that the admission officers' travel schedules will not change due to the policy change; College employees will not tailor their trips to hand-select wealthier students. Nesbitt did say, however, that the College will likely target more students from United World Colleges, a group of international schools whose students receive $10,000 grants from the Davis Foundation to subsidize their college tuitions.
Financial savings
"The College needs to adjust its expenditures in response to the changes in our resources and the global economic downturn," Wagner said. "If we don't make this move, it's hard to imagine where else further savings would come from, since we have significantly reduced every other line item in the budget."
Nesbitt and Wagner both said that the policy is not intended to dramatically cut the financial aid allotted for international students, but rather to manage the dollar amount the College puts forth for international students as a whole. "I think that there's no way of saying how much we're going to save the College," Nesbitt said. "It's not an exact science." Roughly $1 million was spent on financial aid for the current group of first-year internationals, and Nesbitt said the admission office is looking to remain close to that amount for the incoming class.
Nesbitt anticipates admitting a similar percentage of international students for the Class of 2014 as are in the Class of 2013 – roughly 6 percent, or 30 to 35 students, which still falls below the 8 or 9 percent in previous classes.
Going forward, Nesbitt and Wagner both expressed that a need-aware policy will prevent the admission office from further reducing the number of international students in each forthcoming class. In his e-mail, Wagner framed this concept in terms of preventing international matriculation from decreasing further, but according to Nesbitt, "If we're need-aware, we actually may be able to admit more international students."
The College intends for need-sensitivity to create a savings over the course of four years. Nesbitt said that the policy would not make a significant enough financial change after just one year; Wagner's e-mail projected $1.2 million savings over a four-year period.
Impact on diversity
Wagner acknowledged that limiting financial aid represents a different kind of budget cut for the College. "Given the value we place on diversity, financial aid is about the only line of the budget that hasn't been reduced," he said. "On the contrary, it has gone up substantially this year as it will next year." He framed the new policy as a reduction in budget growth, rather than a cut.
Peter Just, professor of anthropology, articulated the unfortunate influence the new policy has on community standards. "The reason I think it's regrettable is that if we have two values that we have felt are most important over the last 20 years, they have been diversity and inclusiveness," Just said. "It's a terrible shame that we feel it's necessary to make these specific reductions because they most directly affect both."
Erdem Sahin '11, an international student from Turkey, echoed the policy's consequences for diversity. "I understand that measures need to be taken against this financial situation, but at the same time, I think Williams will lose, too, if international students on financial aid are denied access to this education," Sahin said. "I think the international student body itself is more diverse now when more socioeconomic backgrounds are being represented."
Nesbitt and Wagner each communicated that need-awareness will not significantly overhaul the type of international students on campus. "I want to emphasize … that going forward Williams will continue to have a very diverse student body, including among our international students," Wagner said.
"We'll still have a good mixture of students from around the world," Nesbitt added. "There are very few [students] in the international applicant pool who don't qualify for aid," he said, explaining that the number of wealthier international students that apply is limited to begin with.
Jim Kolesar, assistant to the president for public affairs, echoed Nesbitt's belief that need-awareness will not significantly change the diversity of international students. He cited the 1300 international applicants for the Class of 2013 as evidence of the wide pool the admission office has to work with. "If the College decides to take need into account in the admission of a few international applicants this year, we will still be able to matriculate a group that's extremely strong academically and socioeconomically diverse," Kolesar said.
However, several international students like Sahin have countered that international students are less likely to apply to Williams if the Office of Admission drops need-blindness. "If I'm an international student who needs some form of financial aid, Williams will probably not be my first choice, whereas I know that my application will not be evaluated in terms of the need I have somewhere else," Sahin said.
In a meeting last Friday, International Club members also talked through the diversity international students lend the campus. At the meeting, Bangkok native Thammika Songkaeo '11 said that if the College considers wealthier students more seriously, "the international community becomes a prep school environment."
In addition, Just emphasized how integral international students are to the measure of campus diversity. "It's a genuine kind of diversity they're bringing," Just said, explaining that internationals are not bringing diversity only as a group, but also within themselves, with a range of ethnic, national, socioeconomic, linguistic and other backgrounds.
Similarly, Sahin talked about the unique way international students bring global themes to life. "We study cultures here; we study religions here; we study languages here," he said. "International students are living representatives of the stuff that we study."
Student response
Since finding out that the administration was seriously considering need-aware admission for international students, the International Club has worked to coordinate an organized response. Before Wagner sent Tuesday's e-mail, the club was planning to meet with trustees to gain more official information and to send letters to senior staff and trustees conveying their objections to the policy, said James Mathenge '12, co-chair of the International Club.
However, since Wagner confirmed that the College is adopting need-sensitivity, the International Club has not yet had time to regroup. Mathenge noted that the club will no longer request an official meeting and is reconsidering sending letters. "We feel that the matter is already pretty much decided," Mathenge said. "We appreciate that the College officially communicated it today," he added, since much of the frustration communicated at Friday's International Club meeting stemmed from a lack of a clear institutional message about the policy's likelihood and reasoning.
Though the admission change will only directly affect those internationals who are applying to the College this year and in future years, many current students have expressed significant concern about the policy's intersection with the College's value system.
Viktor Nagy '12, from Hungary, lamented that need-awareness sacrifices evenhandedness. "The College defines us as a group of students subject to a different admission policy," Nagy said. "All we want is just to be treated equally."
Sahin elaborated on the repercussions the policy has for the international students already on campus. "I think that all international students on financial aid would agree that this is a huge privilege to be here," Sahin said. "But at the same time I get the sense that the administration is thinking it's not worth it for us to be here. Do we not contribute enough to the community? It's as if someone is saying we are first in line to be sacrificed."
Sayantan Mukhopadhyay '12, an international hailing from Kuwait, agreed that the policy inspires troubling lines of thought. "It's not just about future generations of Ephs – I think it also has a lot to do with the current mental health of international students," Mukhopadhyay said. "Everybody's kind of second-guessing themselves, and they're thinking 'What if this were me? What if I were applying next year? Would I still be a Williams student?' and it fills people with insecurity, which just is really counter-productive."
Mukhopadhyay also talked about the relationship between domestic students, international students and the new policy. "Domestic students, oftentimes in an effort to be accepting, forget that a lot of their peers are international students … and I think a lot of people just aren't conscious that it affects a lot of their close friends," he said.
Nagy, however, said that domestic students have been positively involved in campus discussions about the issue last week. "It was good to know that so many domestic students defended us," Nagy said.
Indeed, several domestic students have not only expressed empathy, but also personal investment in need-aware admission for internationals.
Nneka Dennie '13, a student from the U.S., voiced disagreement with the admission policy change. "As the daughter of immigrant parents I've seen first-hand how education has enabled people to come from less ideal conditions to a country where there are a multitude of opportunities," she said.
Susannah Emerson '12 also expressed disappointment in Tuesday's announcement. "When I was looking at schools one of the things that really attracted me to Williams was that it was need-blind, and I remember thinking that I would be proud to go to here," Emerson said.
Reputation of the College
As Emerson suggested, many in the community have wondered whether the need-aware policy will compromise the College's prestige and character both in the U.S. and abroad. Before yesterday, the College was one of six institutions that were need-blind for internationals, including Dartmouth, Harvard, MIT, Princeton, Yale and Amherst. Middlebury dropped its need-blind policy last year.
"When I was researching colleges before I came here, I looked at places that were need-blind for international students," Mukhopadhyay said. "It was an indicator that Williams was up there with the big shots."
Nesbitt, however, indicated that often the College is more directly in competition with institutions like Harvard and Yale for students who do not require financial aid, because they are able to make choices independently of their offered aid packages. According to Nesbitt, the admission office will probably accept around 80 international applicants to yield its target of 30-35.
In terms of public attention, Kolesar noted that negative publicity does not necessarily affect applications. "Relative to [the] Duke lacrosse [scandal in 2006] and to many other incidents, including at Williams, the media attention to something like our introducing some loans or having need affect the admission decisions of a few international applicants, is a drop in a distant bucket," Kolesar said.
Where Do I Apply?
"Nagivating Your Way through the University Selection Process"
The Malaysian-American Commission on Educational Exchange (MACEE) is offering a 90-minute program to help you prepare for selecting and applying for admission to universities and colleges in the United States.
The USA is noted for its excellent educational system and facilities, as well as for its diversity. With over 4000 choices of colleges and universities, how do I find ones that are best for me?
Learn more about:
· Factors you should consider when selecting universities
· Practical Tips for University Selection
· Practical Tips for Applying to US Colleges and Universities
Instructors: Doreen John, Coordinator - MACEE Educational Advising Centre (MEAC)
Jay Getz - Director AICP, BA English, Master of Urban Planning
Goal: After taking this workshop, students will better understand the process of university selection and applications for admission.
Venue: MACEE Office, 18th Floor, Menara Yayasan Tun Razak, 200, Jln. Tun Razak, KL
Cost: There is NO FEE for this workshop, but you must sign up to attend this workshop.
Date: Wednesday, February 24th
Time: 2:00pm-3:30pm
Interested? Sign up by phone (03-2166-8878) or submit online registration to MACEE: yati@macee.org.my by Tuesday, February 23rd.
Tunku 'Abidin Muhriz, Wan Saiful Wan Jan and Wan Mohd Firdaus have just launched Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS). It is rebranded from Malaysia Think Tank that they started previously.
Thanks to Wei Kiat for sharing on this. Want to spend time to teach in rural China?
Thanks to Kim Hoe for sharing on this.
2009-2010 GE Foundation Scholar-Leaders Program
Application Deadline: March 19th, 2010
The Malaysian-American Commission on Educational Exchange (MACEE), in cooperation with the GE Foundation (USA), invites applications for the 2009/10 GE Foundation Scholars-Leaders Program open to qualified undergraduates who gain admission into Malaysian institutions of higher learning in the field of Business, Economics, Engineering, Mathematics and Physics at local universities. The award is limited to students accepted to Universiti Malaya, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak & Universiti Malaysia Sabah. The GE Foundation established the scholarship fund as part of its philanthropic activity to encourage and support outstanding talents in countries where General Electric has offices and factories. Applications from ALL ethnic groups are highly encouraged.
| NATURE OF AWARD |
| APPLICATION CHECKLIST |
Submit completed application in 15 in. x 10 in. envelope. Do not send original documents. Only certified true copies accepted.
| APPLICATION INSTRUCTION & FORM |
You can DOWNLOAD the application form (MS Word format) by clicking the link below, but before that read the instructions.
Download Instructions:| NEED MORE INFORMATION? |
| Contact MACEE for more information on this scholarship: |
MACEE |
For those of you who are in US, do check out Malaysia Forum, to be held from 2nd April to 4th April 2010 in New York City.
Michael Teoh, a very passionate Malaysian Youth is now in London, together with Joel Neoh and Khailee (another 2 yet very capable Malaysians), are now in London. Mr. Roslan from MDeC is with them too.
Thanks to my loyal blog contributor for sharing of another scholarships listing site - http://www.questle.com , as well as its Facebook site http://www.facebook.com/myquestle
Thanks to my loyal blog contributor for sharing on this opportunity.
The American Malaysian Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) and the Malaysian-American Commission on Educational Exchange (MACEE) are pleased to announce the competition for the AMCHAM-MACEE 2010 Scholarship. AMCHAM created a scholarship endowment program in 1998 to benefit deserving Malaysian students planning to pursue their undergraduate studies in the United States. The AMCHAM-MACEE 2010 Scholarship awards a US$20,000 scholarship, covering four years of undergraduate study in the United States ($5000.00/year renewable for four years subject to meeting the specified conditions). The scholarship is open to qualified Malaysian students who are accepted to an accredited university in the United States for four years of study culminating in a Bachelors degree. The student must be accepted for Fall semester, 2010.
| ELGIBILITY |
| SCHOLARSHIP DEADLINES |
The application for admission and all supporting documents must be received by May 30, 2010, to be considered for the Fall 2010 award. All documents must be official. You may mail them or hand-deliver them to MACEE.
| APPLICATION FORM |
You can DOWNLOAD the application form (Microsoft Word format) by clicking the link below, but before that read the instructions.
Download Instructions:
1.) Click the download link below. A dialog box will appear asking whether you want to open or save the file. Chose the "Save it to file" option.
2.) The file will be saved in your chosen drive.
3.) Open the file in Microsoft Word. DO NOT CHANGE ANYTHING.
4.) Print and fill out the form.
Download the application form: Click here
| NEED MORE INFORMATION? |
| Contact MACEE for more information on this scholarship: | For more information on AMCHAM, please contact: |
MACEE | AMCHAM Malaysia 11.03-11.05, Level 11, AMODA 22 Jalan Imbi, 55100 Kuala Lumpur. Tel: (603) 2148 2407 Fax: (603) 2142 8540 e-mail: info@amcham.com.my Web: www.amcham.com.my |
To all of you, my blog readers who aspire to further studies in top US universities (be it Ivy League institutions, Liberal Arts Colleges or other institutions), my advice to you is to start preparing early, i.e. from NOW.
Thanks to Melissa Kong for highlighting this.
Just came across this article in The Edge today. It is an article by P. Kandiah, who is an intellectual property expert with 20 years of experience in the field at KASS International Sdn. Bhd.
This would be a great way for those of you who aspire to get a sample of how top US universities' education is and also strengthen your chances of getting in.
Dear Cornellian,
Do you know high school students who might benefit from college-level summer study at Cornell? If so, I hope you will tell them about Cornell University Summer College Programs for High School Students (www.summercollege.cornell.edu).
Cornell's Summer College, now in its forty-ninth year, is one of the
nation's longest running and most highly regarded pre-college academic
programs. It brings more than 800 academically talented high school
sophomores, juniors, and seniors from around the world to Cornell each
summer for three- and six-week programs.
Summer College students have the unparalleled opportunity to:
As a Cornell alum, you also might be interested to know that in
addition to the gains realized by students, Summer College contributes
significantly to Cornell's recruitment efforts by introducing a
geographically, ethnically, and socio-economically diverse group of
talented students to Cornell. Many former Summer Collegians apply to
Cornell, and each year a significant number of these students are
members of the entering class.
Again, we would be grateful to you for sharing this information with
individuals or organizations you think could benefit from our award-
winning Cornell program. This year's application deadline for most
programs is April 30. Students can connect with other Summer College
fans through the Facebook link on our home page and can reach us directly at summer_college@cornell.edu or 607.255.6203.
Best regards,
Abby H. Eller, Director, and the Summer College staff
Cornell University Summer College Programs for High School Students
B20 Day Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853
607.255.6203; Fax 607.255.6665
www.summercollege.cornell.edu
If anyone is interested and able to volunteer at World Vision
---
The 20th Young Corporate Malaysians CEO Series of Talks
Thanks to my loyal blog contributor for sharing on this awesome resources.
Thanks to Melissa Kong for sharing on this. This link shows some tuition-free colleges in the US.
I am writing to you to introduce Peace Boat, a Japan-based global education, advocacy and networking non-governmental organisation, and briefly outline a new scholarship programme, the Global Friendship Award, now being offered to Japanese language students around the world.
The Global Friendship Award provides recipients with an intensive, total immersion Japanese language study programme on board Peace Boat's 69th Global Voyage (16 April, 2010 – 25 July, 2010), as well as a bursary covering 40% of the entire voyage fare. The recipients of the Award will travel around the world with approximately 700 Japanese voyage partipants studying and communicating in Japanese everyday.
What is Peace Boat?
Peace Boat, an NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, works to promote peace, equal and sustainable development and respect for the environment through international grassroots exchange and educational programmes. Peace Boat carries out its main activities through a chartered passenger ship that travels the world on global voyages.
(http://www.peaceboat.org/english/index.html)
What is the Global Friendship Award?
- 40% Subsidy of Peace Boat Global Voyage fare visiting 22 ports in 20 countries.
- Free Intensive Japanese study programme on board Peace Boat.
- Open to students currently enrolled in a university (or equivalent).
The programme is designed to complement students' current courses of study and is suited to students seeking study opportunities during university summer holidays.
Peace Boat's 69th Global Voyage
Peace Boat's 69th voyage will be particularly special with ten Hibakusha (survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings) joining the voyage to share their experiences of the atomic bombs. The hibakusha will provide testimony and generate exchange both on board and in ports of call around the world. This will be the third Hibakusha Project building on the success of those on Peace Boat's 63rd and 67th global voyages.
(http://www.peaceboat.org/english/voyg/67/spe/091015/index.html)
As well as 'The Hibakusha Project' guest educators from around the world will also join Peace Boat's 69th Voyage to provide lectures, workshops and seminars based on the voyage themes of sustainability, conflict and the environment.
What are the programme options?
Option A - Yokohama to Yokohama (April 16, 2010 - July 25, 2010)
Option B - Copenhagen to Yokohama (June 1, 2010 - July 25, 2010)
Application Deadline
19 March (FRI), 2010
It is our sincere hope that you will encourage students to apply for the
Global Friendship Award.
Best regards,
Maho Takahashi
International Coordinator
PEACE BOAT
1-32-13-4F Takadanobaba, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 169-0075, Japan
Tel: +81-3-5287-3192
Website: http://www.peaceboat.org/english/index.html
--
Maho Takahashi
Peace Boat / GET UniversalTEL: +81-(0)3-5287-3192
FAX: +81-(0)3-5287-3193http://www.peaceboat.org/english/index.html
http://www.pbcruise.jp
http://www.getuniversal.co.jp
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