úterý 1. prosince 2015

Novinky z Fulbrighta - program na prosinec

Taktéž v kalendáři

pondělí 16. listopadu 2015

Nejselektivnější univerzity v USA? - Převzato z U.S. News

10 Universities Where the Fewest Applicants Get In

The average acceptance rate for fall 2014 was 64.7 percent among ranked colleges and universities reporting data to U.S. News.

Students from the Thinking Matters program gather on the Quad.
freshmen
Stanford University accepted just 5.1 percent of the applicants vying for admission into its fall 2014 class, according to U.S. News data.
By + More
The U.S. News Short List, separate from our overall rankings, is a regular series that magnifies individual data points in hopes of providing students and parents a way to find which undergraduate or graduate programs excel or have room to grow in specific areas. Be sure to explore The Short List: College, The Short List: Grad School and The Short List: Online Programs to find data that matter to you in your college or grad school search.
If it feels harder to get into college these days, that's because it is. 
Over the past decade, college admissions rates have slowly become more competitive, according to the National Association for College Admission Counseling's State of College Admission report. Acceptance rates declined by nearly six percentage points during that time period, according to the organization's figures. 
But the good news is that many colleges still admit the majority of applicants. The average acceptance rate for fall 2014 was 64.7 percent among the 1,257 ranked colleges and universities reporting data to U.S. News in an annual survey. 
These 10 institutions listed below, however, only accepted a tiny percentage of applicants and reported the lowest acceptance rates for the fall 2014 entering class. 
The college with the lowest rate of admission was Stanford University, which sent acceptance letters to just 5.1 percent of applicants for fall 2014. Harvard followed with a 6 percent rate while Yale University admitted just 6.3 percent of applicants. 
On the flip side, seven ranked institutions reported admitting 100 percent of applicants in fall 2014. Those include Saint-Mary-of-the-Woods College, ranked No. 21 among Regional Colleges (Midwest) and Wayne State College, tied at No. 75 among Regional Universities (Midwest). 
Here are the 10 colleges and universities with the lowest acceptance rates based on the fall 2014 entering class. Unranked colleges, which did not submit enough data for U.S. News to calculate a ranking, were not considered for this report. 
School name (state)Fall 2014 acceptance rateU.S. News rank and category
Stanford University (CA)5.1%4 (tie), National Universities
Harvard University (MA)6%2, National Universities
Yale University (CT)6.3%3, National Universities
Columbia University (NY)7%4 (tie), National Universities
Alice Lloyd College (KY)7.1%30 (tie), Regional Colleges (South)
Princeton University (NJ)7.4%1, National Universities
Massachusetts Institute of Technology7.9%7, National Universities
United States Naval Academy (MD)7.9%9 (tie), National Liberal Arts Colleges
College of the Ozarks (MO)8.3%4, Regional Colleges (Midwest)
Brown University (RI)8.7%14, National Universities
Don't see your school on the list? Access the U.S. News College Compass to find acceptance rates, complete rankings and much more. School officials can access historical data and rankings, including of peer institutions, via U.S. News Academic Insights.

U.S. News surveyed nearly 1,800 colleges and universities for our 2015 survey of undergraduate programs. Schools self-reported myriad data regarding their academic programs and the makeup of their student body, among other areas, making U.S. News' data the most accurate and detailed collection of college facts and figures of its kind. While U.S. News uses much of this survey data to rank schools for our annual Best Colleges rankings, the data can also be useful when examined on a smaller scale. U.S. News will now produce lists of data, separate from the overall rankings, meant to provide students and parents a means to find which schools excel, or have room to grow, in specific areas that are important to them. While the data come from the schools themselves, these lists are not related to, and have no influence over, U.S. News' rankings of Best Colleges, Best Graduate Schools or Best Online Programs. The acceptance rate data above are correct as of Nov. 3, 2015.

International Students Day

Logo
International Students Day Is On November 18th
Mark Your Calendar
We invite you to attend International Students Day from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM GMT on November 18th. We've lined up a great roster of universities and experts, all there to help you with your tests, college admissions, student visas, and more. This is your opportunity to:
  • Ask questions of 140+ top universities 
  • Gain personal advice about studying in the U.S. and beyond
  • Enter to win an iPhone 6 or a $1,000 scholarship when you visit five collegepages during the event!

středa 11. listopadu 2015

Příprava na IELTS - zdarma!

Dobrý den,

většina zahraničních univerzit vyžaduje zkoušku za anglického jazyka a většinou to je IELTS. Nyní přichází edX a jeho partner University of Queensland s přípravným kurzem na 8 týdnů, který je zcela zdarma.

IELTS Academic Test Preparation – UQx
IELTS Academic Test Preparation – UQx
Ace the world's most popular English-language test. IELTS Academic Test Preparationhelps you understand the exam format, teaches you test-taking strategies, and advances your reading, writing and conversational English-language skills. Start your journey, reach your academic goals, and get the test score you need to study in English-speaking countries

úterý 3. listopadu 2015

Centrum studentských aktivit České kosmické kanceláře

upozorňuje na aktuálně zařazené a probíhající programy pro studenty, mladé vědce a ostatní mladé zájemce o kosmonautiku.


ODYSSEUS ODSTARTOVAL: CSO VYHLAŠUJE NOVOU MEZINÁRODNÍ SOUTĚŽ
Cílem celoevropské soutěže Odysseus je inspirovat mladé lidi k zapojení do výzkumu vesmíru. Do soutěže, která byla vyhlášena 1. září 2015, se mohou zapojit všichni žáci a studenti ve věku 7 až 22 let a jejich učitelé, kteří se zajímají o obory astronomie a kosmonautika. Uzávěrky podávání přihlášek jsou 15. ledna a 31. března 2016 podle věkových kategorií.

Určeno pro kategorii: základní školy, střední školy, vysoké školy
Další informace najdete na adrese:
http://www.czechspace.cz/cs/odysseus-odstartoval


EXPEDICE MARS 2015: ZNÁME DVANÁCT FINALISTŮ VZDĚLÁVACÍ SOUTĚŽE
Již dvanáctý ročník soutěže Expedice Mars vrcholí. Na říjnovém semifinálovém víkendu ve slovenské Terchové bylo vybráno 12 finalistů, kteří se za pár dní zúčastní výcviku v Centru mladých kosmonautů v belgickém Transinne. Z této dvanáctky bude potom vybrána pětičlenná posádka, která absolvuje počátkem příštího roku simulovaný let k Rudé planetě a výstup na povrch Marsu.

Určeno pro kategorii: základní školy, střední školy
Další informace najdete na adrese:
http://www.expedicemars.eu/semifinale-expedice-k-rude-planete/


CanSat: Soutěž studentských minisatelitů
Zajímáte se o satelity a chtěli byste si vyzkoušet sestavit si vlastní? Přihlaste se do soutěže CanSat pořádané vzdělávací kanceláří ESERO a Evropskou vesmírnou agenturou.

Určeno pro kategorii: střední školy
Další informace najdete na adrese:
http://www.esero.scientica.cz/cansat


Vzdělávací konference „Poznáváme vesmírem“
Vzdělávací kancelář Evropské vesmírné agentury pro Českou republiku pořádá dne 13. 11. 2015 v prostorách Přírodovědecké fakulty Univerzity Karlovy v Praze popularizační konferenci o využití Vesmíru ve vzdělávání.

Určeno pro kategorii: základní školy, střední školy
Další informace najdete na adrese:
http://esero.scientica.cz/cze/pages/events


Mise-X: Pátý ročník začíná!
Již popáté bude probíhat mezinárodní vzdělávací soutěž „Mise X: Trénuj jako astronaut“.
Připojte se i vy se svojí třídou k žákům z celého světa a trénujte jako astronauti.

Určeno pro kategorii: základní školy
Další informace najdete na adrese:
http://www.esero.scientica.cz/mise-x


Vzdělávací víkend: Sáhněte si na vesmír
Vzdělávací kancelář Evropské vesmírné agentury pro Českou republiku pořádá ve dnech 20. – 22. 11. 2015 víkendový seminář s podtitulem “Sáhněte si na vesmír”. Seminář proběhne na Rýchorské boudě v příjemném prostředí Krkonoš. Je určen učitelům přírodovědných předmětů na středních a základních školách, kteří chtějí do své výuky začlenit aktivity související s vesmírem.

Určeno pro kategorii: základní školy, střední školy
Další informace najdete na adrese:
http://esero.scientica.cz/cze/pages/events


pondělí 26. října 2015

Otevřená věda!

Otevřená věda V: Studenti, hlaste se!
Milí studenti, pozor! Registrace do pátého pokračování projektu Otevřená věda – studentské vědecké stáže bude spuštěna již toto úterý 27. října 2015 v 9.00 hodin. 
Od ledna do prosince 2016 realizujeme na pracovištích Akademie věd České republiky 70 stáží pro talentované studenty. V databázi na vás čeká přes 200 zajímavých témat, poprvé jsou kromě přírodovědných a technických zastoupeny také obory humanitní. Vybírat můžete mezi stážemi z biologie, chemie, fyziky, geologie, ekologie, techniky, IT, geografie, lékařských věd, psychologie, ekonomie, historie, filologie, filozofie, práv, dějin umění, chemické technologie, biofyziky a astronomie. Další novinkou je účast zahraničních lektorů – stáže v angličtině. Přihlašování je otevřeno pro pražské i mimopražské studenty středních a vysokých škol. 
Registrace studentů bude probíhat od 27. 10. – 10. 11. 2015. Podmínky přihlašování a více informací naleznete zde: http://www.otevrenaveda.cz/nabidka-stazi/pro-studenty.html
Neváhejte a přihlaste se!
Váš tým Otevřené vědy

pátek 23. října 2015

How to write a personal statement for a UK university

Kathryn Abell of Edukonexion shares some tips ahead of her talk at the British Education Fair in Madrid taking place on 19-20 October 2015.
When applying to a UK university, the discovery that school grades alone are not enough to gain entry onto the programme of your choice can come as an unwelcome surprise. This is especially true for international students, many of whom see the words 'personal statement' for the first time when starting their university application.
But far from being a barrier, the personal statement is, in fact, one of the stepping stones to achieving your goal of studying at a UK university.
A personal statement can help you stand out
If you have selected your study programme well – that is to say, you have chosen something that you are truly excited about that matches your academic profile – then the personal statement is simply a way to communicate to admissions tutors why you are interested in the programme and what you can bring to it. And given the fact that many universities receive multiple applications for each available place, and that most do not offer an interview, your written statement is often the only way you can express your personality and say 'choose me!'.
The 'personal' in 'personal statement' suggests that you should be allowed to express yourself however you want, right? Well, to a certain extent that is true: admissions tutors want to get a picture of you, not your parents, your teachers or your best friend, so it has to be your work. However, the purpose of the statement is to persuade academic staff that they should offer you one of their highly sought-after university places; although there is no strict template for this, there are specific things you should include and certain things you should most certainly leave out.
The importance of the opening paragraph
The online Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) undergraduate application form allows a total of 4,000 characters (around 700 words), meaning that you need to craft the statement carefully. The most important part is unquestionably the opening paragraph, as it acts as an invitation to continue reading. If you are not able to catch the attention of the admissions tutor, who has hundreds of statements to assess, then it is highly unlikely they will read through to the end.
The best advice here is to avoid much-used opening lines and clichés such as 'I have wanted to be an engineer since I was a child'. This kind of thing is not the invitation readers are looking for. Instead, try using an anecdote, experience or inspirational moment: 'Although tinkering with engines had always been a childhood hobby, it was the vision of the fastest car on earth, the Bloodhound, at an exhibition in London, that roused my desire to learn everything I could about automotive engineering'. Really? Tell me more!
Your opening paragraph could start in a variety of ways of course, but the fundamental purpose is to grab the reader’s interest.
Provide evidence of your commitment and skills
Following on from that, you have to provide evidence of your passion and commitment to your chosen programme, and highlight the specific and transferable skills you possess to study it successfully. You can do this by following the ABC rule.
Action: Include examples of what you have done, experienced or even read that have helped you in your choice of degree and boosted your knowledge of the subject area.
Benefit: By doing these things, explain what you learned or gained; in the case of a book or article, put forward an opinion.
Course: The most successful applicants ensure that the information they include is relevant to their course in order to highlight their suitability.  Flower-arranging may allow you to realise your creative potential, but will it help you study astrophysics?
It is perfectly acceptable to base this ABC rule on school-based activities as not all students have opportunities outside the classroom. However, if you can link extra-curricular pursuits to your desired programme of study, you are further highlighting your commitment. As a general rule of thumb, the information you include here should be around 80 per cent academic and 20 per cent non-academic. So, for example, as a member of the school science club – a non-curricular, academic activity – you may have developed the ability to analyse data and tackle problems logically. Taking part in a work placement falls into the same category and could have helped you develop your communication, time-management and computer skills. You get the idea.
Non-academic accomplishments may involve music, sport, travel or clubs and can lead to a variety of competencies such as team-working, leadership, language or presentation skills. A word of warning here: it is vital that you sell yourself, but arrogance or lies will result in your personal statement landing in the 'rejected' pile. Keep it honest and down-to-earth.
Provide a memorable conclusion
Once you have emphasised your keen interest and relevant qualities, you should round off the statement with a conclusion that will be remembered. There is little point putting all your effort to generate interest in the opening paragraph only for your statement to gradually fade away at the end. A good conclusion will create lasting impact and may express how studying your chosen course will allow you to pursue a particular career or achieve any other plans. It can also underline your motivation and determination.
Use a formal tone, stay relevant and be positive
As you have to pack all this information into a relatively short statement, it is essential to avoid the superfluous or, as I like to call it, the 'fluff'. If a sentence sounds pretty but doesn’t give the reader information, remove it. In addition, the tone should be formal and you should not use contractions, slang or jokes; remember, the statement will be read by academics – often leaders in their field.
Referring to books is fine but don’t resort to using famous quotes as they are overused and do not reflect your own ideas. Also, while it's good to avoid repetition, don't overdo it with the thesaurus.
Negativity has no place in a personal statement, so if you need to mention a difficult situation you have overcome, ensure you present it as a learning experience rather than giving the reader an opportunity to notice any shortcomings. Also, bear in mind that your personal statement will probably go to several universities as part of a single application, so specifically naming one university is not going to win you any favours with the others.
Get some help but never copy someone else's work
Checking grammar, spelling and flow is essential and it is perfectly OK to ask someone to do this for you. A fresh pair of eyes and a different perspective always helps, and, as long as the third party does not write the content for you, their input could be of vital importance. And while you may get away with not sticking to all of the above advice, there is one thing that you absolutely must not do: copy someone else’s work. Most applications are made through UCAS which uses sophisticated software to detect plagiarism. If you are found to have copied content from the internet, or a previous statement, your application will be cancelled immediately. Remember, it is a personal statement.
Get your ideas down in a mind-map first
Finally, I will leave you with my top tip. If you understand all the theory behind the personal statement and have an abundance of ideas floating in your head, but are staring blankly at your computer screen, take a pen and paper and make a simple mind map. Jot down all your experiences, activities, skills, attributes and perhaps even include books you have read or even current items that interest you in the news. Then look for how these link to your course and highlight the most significant elements using arrows, colours and even doodles. Capturing thoughts on paper and making logical deductions from an image can give structure to your ideas.