i-SECT magazine is the definitive resource for all students considering international study in Science, Engineering, Computing or Technology. This is a great opportunity to be featured alongside experts in the field and will make an impressive addition to your portfolio! To get involved please email Vivienne Egan, i-studentadvisor Editor, at vivienne.e@i-studentgroup.com by Friday 20 January.

View the 2011 edition of i-SECT here.

As more and more students are having to change their names on Facebook in fear of colleges and universities using the sites to ‘spy’ on the potential applicants, it begs the questions: “How much information is too much information?” and “Should you really be posting information about yourself, you wouldn’t want your mother to see?”

24% of admissions officers admitted in a recent survey by Kaplan Test Prep that they had viewed publicly available pages to find out more about a student, and 20% said that they have used Google for the same reasons.

The report showed that a staggering 12% said that what they found had had a negative effect on the chance of admission, with discoveries of underage drinking, vulgarity in blogs and in some cases, plagiarism.

It is clear that a student’s online reputation can influence an admissions representatives decision – so what can schools do to advise their students against posting such information online?

Schools in the USA are introducing seminars in to their assemblies expressing the risks involved with posting information that may hinder your chances of getting into a university or college. Students as young as 8 and 9 in the 5^th grade are being advised on the potential ramifications of their actions online.

Other methods include asking students to Google themselves to see what they can find. The results intended to shock the students into changing their behaviour and practices when using Facebook, Twitter and personal blogs.

Students are also using their initiative (perhaps even cunning) to deter college admissions representatives away from their online lifestyle, with changing their names and introducing pseudonyms  so they’re unsearchable to anyone outside of their social circle.

The problem with using such methods to ‘suss-out’ students behaviour outside of the classroom, is that there are technically no official guidelines being used by institutions governing how it should factor into the admissions equation. This is likely to remain uncertain until there are clear legal guidelines put in place. And as these online searches and check-ups become more popular with the use of TargetX, a technology programme integrating Facebook and Twitter designed for admissions offices only, more and more universities are turning to them to judge whether students are actually who they say they are.

David Hawkins, the director of public policy and Research for the National Association for College and Admission Counseling, backed the institutions use of social network sites saying “Colleges can’t just ignore something that has been brought to their attention”. However he also recommended that there be a “policy in place on the use of information that bubbles up through these very public sites”.

Are you a student looking to apply to university/college? Are you worried how your online persona could affect your admission opportunities?

Do you censor information you publish online about yourself to prevent this from happening? What methods do you use?

The guide contains a range of interesting and informative articles exploring the study of specific subjects overseas, written by experts and professionals from within the six main areas of higher education and industry. The guide also contains select articles from counsellors and students about their own experience and their advice about overseas education.

The guide is divided into sections according to subject, with correspond with our interactive online subject guides, where you can find even more useful articles and information.

We’d like to thank all of our contributors who have shared their knowledge and expertise to make this guide as extensive and informative as possible. We are confident that the articles and information within this guide will help students to embark upon the wonderful experience of international study.

If you would like to request a free copy of The Subject Guide 2012, please click here and provide us with your name, school name and address. You can also preview some of the pages from The Subject Guide 2012 in the gallery below.

Interested in contributing to the next issue of The Subject Guide? We are always looking for new associations, organisations and counsellors to contribute to our guides. Please contact us at editorial@i-studentgroup.com

If you are from an institution and are interested in featuring in any of the i-studentadvisor resources – online or in print – please contact us at editorial@i-studentgroup.com

View a gallery of sample pages from The Subject Guide 2012…

This issue contains articles about study and careers within some of the different areas of medicine and health sciences, including dentistry, medicine, veterinary science, optometry, physiotherapy and sport science, plus many more. Also featured is an interview with three different psychologists in very different careers, plus we speak to a PhD student about her studies in cancer research.

We’d like to thank all of our contributors who have provided articles and information for this issue of i-MHS and for making this one of the best and most comprehensive i-MHS issues yet.

Once you have read through this guide and have an idea of what, and where, you would like to study, head over to the Country pages to find out all about fees, visas and more in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK and the USA.

We always love to hear feedback from our readers, so please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any comments or suggestions – email editorial@i-studentgroup.com

The immigration subcommittee of the US Senate is trying to pass into law an expansion of the H-1B visa category. The reform would see green card work permits available to science, maths, or technology graduates from American colleges.

Senators John Cornyn and Chuck Schumer are targeting immigration reform that would mean a greater number of highly-skilled workers could emigrate to the US. The Senators argue that it is not in America’s interests to force foreign students to return to their country of origin having graduated from US academic institutions.

The move is motivated by a desire to give America’s flagging economy a shot in the arm.

Advocates of the change outlined in the Senate say that America faces the threat of falling behind the world’s strongest and emerging economies if it does not do more to retain the ‘world’s best and brightest minds’.

Other countries, including America’s neighbour Canada, do far more to welcome skilled immigration. This seems strange for a country that became an economic powerhouse on the back of an open doors immigration policy from the last century; however America has been far less welcoming in recent years.

At a recent Senate hearing representatives from a number of the world’s leading firms spoke in favour of immigration reform. Brad Smith, General Counsel at Microsoft and Robert Greifeld, CEO of Nasdaq, both advocated reform as they say technology companies are struggling to fill vacancies for qualified workers.

At present reform of the H-1B visa system is only in the pipeline, but if this legislation is passed there will be a genuine opportunity for students to learn their way into emigrating to America.

For more information about studying in the US, please visit our country pages here.

The original post was written by Matthew French and republished with permission from JP Events and Exhibitions, a division of Johnston Press PLC.

This issue is packed with great articles and features about studying these popular and diverse subject areas, and the careers they can lead to. Along with the traditional disciplines such as chemistry and mathematics, this issue also has plenty of information about lesser-known subjects such as naval engineering and the environmental sciences, which are becoming increasingly popular. This issue also sees us speaking to a genetic scientist and a marine biology graduate about their respective study and career paths.

We’d like to thank all of our contributors who have helped make this issue our best i-SECT yet. We really appreciate the time taken by all the organisations, professionals, students and experts who have contributed their expertise and experiences to make this i-SECT guide as extensive and useful as possible.

We hope you enjoy reading this magazine and find it useful when choosing your study options and, as always, we would love to hear what you think. You can get in touch with us at: editorial@i-studentadvisor.com

Nearly half of young men of colour age 15 to 24 who graduate from high school will end up unemployed, incarcerated or dead. This jarring statistic is just one of many highlighted in two new reports that were released this week by the College Board Advocacy & Policy Center at an event held in collaboration with the Harvard University’s W. E. B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The reports, The Educational Experience of Young Men of Colour: A Review of Research, Pathways and Progress and Capturing the Student Voice, are especially relevant given the need for these young men to attain postsecondary degrees if the nation’s economy is to thrive and compete globally.

The reports provide the most comprehensive data, research findings and recommendations to date to improve the educational experiences and pathways of young men of colour. The qualitative research study, conducted in collaboration with the Business Innovation Factory (BIF), provides findings from 92 in-depth personal student interviews that are captured through video storytelling.

The reports seek to give a balanced view of the educational issues that exist for young men of colour across four minority groups — African Americans, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, Hispanics/Latinos and Native Americans — throughout the K-20 pipeline. According to the findings, just 26 percent of African Americans, 18 percent of Hispanic Americans, and 24 percent of Native Americans and Pacific Islanders have at least an associate degree. The reports also provide an analysis of the postsecondary pathways for young men of colour and identify the barriers and catalysts to college.

“At a time when our nation is committed to reclaiming its place as the world leader in higher education, we can no longer afford to ignore the plight of our young men of colour,” said Gaston Caperton, College Board President.

“As long as educational opportunities are limited for some, we all suffer. We rise as one nation and we fall as one nation. But if we keep working hard — if we keep listening to each other and to our students — we can soften our landings and reach historic new heights.”

“These reports cast into stark view what all Americans, unfortunately, have known for a long time: that access to education in this country is a right that not all of our children enjoy in equal measure,” said Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and Director of the W. E. B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research. “But the devastating numbers and the sobering statistics are a call to action through the recommendations outlined in this innovative report. Only with genuine and profound educational reform can we create equal opportunities for young men of colour and indeed for all Americans.”

Key recommendations outlined in the studies include encouraging policymakers to make improving outcomes for young men of colour a national priority, increasing community, business and school partnerships to provide mentoring and support for these young men, and improving teacher education programmes and providing professional development training that includes cultural and gender-responsive training.

To view the full College Board press release, please click here.

We visited a range of international and local schools and met with college counsellors, career advisors and some of their students to demonstrate the i-studentgroup websites and resources. The response we received was fantastic, with many counsellors saying what great research tools our sites were.

“Thank you for visiting my school and meeting the students to introduce your resources. It was very valuable indeed”

“It was wonderful to meet you and I look forward to exploring these websites”

“Judging from the student feedback, I think it’s been a worthwhile experience and I would certainly encourage them to use the websites and will introduce it to our students each year”

“Thank you very much for your visit! Please email me anything that you feel is of relevance to our students and I shall let you know if there is anything that you could use to improve the already excellent service that the i-studentgroup provides”

Special thanks goes to:

• Simone Salier at the Island School, Hong Kong
• Martin Campion at the South Island School, Hong Kong
• Robert Mansueto at the Chinese International School, Hong Kong
• Bob Bate at the Canadian International School of Hong Kong
• Tim Gartz at the American International School
• Caroline Faris at the International School Singapore
• Sam Fleischmann at the International Community School Singapore
• Kevin Sim and Jasmine Seah at Raffles Institution (Junior College), Singapore
• Sheta Saha at the Chatsworth International School, Singapore
• Rita Kaur at ACS International, Singapore
• Alex Furstenberg at Mont’Kiara International School, Malaysia
• Sharleen Tam and Aananthi Seventhy at Taylor’s College, Malaysia
• Nick Marriot at the International School of Brunei
• Russell Mann at Jerudong International School, Brunei
• Sean McAuley and Michael Clancy at Bali International School
• John Milliss at the Australian International School – Bali campus
• Brenton Hall at the Australian International School – Jakarta campus
• Binky Iskander at the Binus International School, Simprug, Indonesia
• Robyn Combes at Sekolah Pelita Harapan, Indonesia
• Shruti Tewari at Sinarmas World Academy, Indonesia
• Novita Sasongko at the Global Jaya International School, Indonesia
• Laura Berggren at the Bandung Alliance International School, Indonesia
• Jan Russell at Bandung International School, Indonesia

If you are a college counsellor or careers advisor and would like any further information about the i-studentgroup websites, please email us at:
info@i-studentavdisor.com

The announcement was made in New Delhi earlier in the week, at a workshop that involved eleven Irish third-level institutions and 25 Indian education agents.

The international education sector in Ireland is currently estimated to be worth €900million, with every 100 international students coming to Ireland believed to create fifteen local jobs. The Government has identified this sector as a crucial element in their jobs and growth strategy for the next few years. The Minister commented on this saying that “as well as the direct contribution they make to the economy through tuition fees, accommodation and other expenditure, Indian students also enrich our campuses and our cities in many ways and are a crucial means of deepening the links between Ireland and India.”

Out of the 100,000 Indian students who travel overseas to study, only 1,000 currently opt for Ireland. The Government are hoping to significantly increase this number as well as aiming to double their intake of international students from the rest of the world by 2016.

Are you an Indian student looking to study overseas? Have you considered Ireland?

For more information on studying in Ireland, please visit i-studentadvisor.com

We’re proud to present the latest edition of our i-MAD magazine, covering media, arts and design courses around the world.

This issue is the first of a new volume of i-studentadvisor, featuring brand new designs and features, as well as expanded content and interactive features requested by you, the readers.

We have had a huge amount of feedback from our readers over the past year and we hope that this new volume of magazines reflects the changes and improvements you have suggested.

As always, the magazine is packed with articles from professionals and associations containing the very best information and everything you need to know about applying for media, arts and design courses. We would like to thank all those that have contributed and worked with us on this magazine.

Inside this issue you will find articles about photography, textile design and everything in between, including interviews with an up-and-coming star of UK radio as well as the successful journalist Kathryn Flett.

We hope you enjoy reading this magazine and find it useful when choosing your study options and, as always, we would love to hear what you think. You can get in touch with us at editorial@i-studentadvisor.com