KYS INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

P.O. Box 495, Ayer Keroh, 75670 Melaka, Malaysia Tel : +606-2263157 Fax: +606-2263399 http://www.kysm.edu.my , Email: admin@kysm.edu.my

23rd October 2013

Dear Parents, If you son or daughter is thinking of applying for an American University after A level it is important that they enrol for the SAT (student aptitude tests). These are organised by the following body. http://www.collegeboard.org/ The school cannot enter the student for these tests; registration must be completed by the student and the parents themselves. This can be done on line. SATs come in two stages SAT1 and SAT2. I suggest that the student enrols for the SAT 1 tests this Nov/Dec and sits the exams. This gives them an idea of what the exams are and what standard they are presently at. The SATs can be repeated as they are run by America 3 or 4 times a year. If the student obtains a low mark in the SAT , they can repeat it the next time the tests are run. Most students take SAT 2 in Maths and one other subject. SAT 2 are subject specific and contain more content. Most of the content for the SATs are covered in the full A level course in each subject. There may be some subject variations because of the difference between UK courses and USA courses. Some of the contents will not be covered until the end of second year of the A levels. The student may have to cover some topics by themselves. In my experience, students have sat their SAT2 in Nov/Dec of the second year of the A level program. This allows them to have covered more of the content of the subjects for the SAT2. They then will have their results in time for early application in their final year. Applications normally have to be sent to the Universities early in January of the year that they will enter the University in America (usually August/September) It is important for students to buy the practice tests and prepare themselves for the SATs. Practice makes perfect. There is no penalty for sitting the tests more than once. KYSIS cannot take responsibility for obtaining deadlines and procedures for applications and conditions of entry for universities and colleges. There are so many universities in the USA. Many have their own rules and regulations over admission. Some follow the common application procedure. It is, therefore, important for your son or daughter to search all the Universities, find the courses they wish to apply for and what SAT scores are required. We will of course help in any way we can at KYSIS, but the responsibility for meeting all deadlines, and completing all application forms, must be with the student and the parents. This process can be very long and take months to complete and prepare. It is for this reason that we are discussing university entrance requirements in the UK and USA during the tutor periods. It can take us 4 weeks to prepare references to the right standard for an application. It is important for students to focus their minds on minimum entry requirements and other criteria. It is also important to be aware of the fees attached to studying their preferred course and if a scholarship or funding is available. It is essential for those thinking of Medicine to obtain some work experience in a clinic or hospital, perhaps over the December holiday. This is highly regarded by admission tutors at universities. If your son or daughter is thinking of architecture or law it is important to obtain work experience as well. This is also true in many other fields of study. I would encourage you to discuss the next step with your son or daughter as early as possible. There is an American university fair in KL and Penang on the 9th and 11th of February. Details can be obtained on http://www.macee.org.my/ Yours sincerely John Kenny