ISC Erbil and University Prospects
With only a year until the International School of Choueifat-Erbil (ISC-Erbil) graduates its first students, university representatives from the U.S. and U.K. have been increasingly showing their interest in the graduates-to-be through regular visits to the campus.
In addition to university representatives, foreign government officials have held information sessions at ISC-Erbil on behalf of the institutions in their respective home countries. The most recent delegation of officials was from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. On February 16, 2012, the Education Adviser of the Cultural Affairs Office, Ms. Lorna Middlebrough, delivered a detailed presentation to prospective graduates on how to enroll in universities in U.S.
The one-hour presentation focused on the U.S. university system, general admission requirements, and application deadlines as well as the cost of attending and acceptances rates for American universities. Ms. Middlebrough also highlighted the differences between public and private universities and community colleges. One of her main talking points revolved around recommendations for thoughtfully choosing and applying to universities. Specifically, she advised the students to send applications to one of their dream universities, two or three applications to more realistic choices, and one application to a “safety” university.
Ms. Middlebrough was accompanied by two employees from the U.S. Consulate in Erbil, Ms. Awat Dizayee, the Senior Cultural Affairs Specialist, and Mr. Matthew Ference, the Public Affairs Officer, both of whom provided students with valuable insight on the U.S. university application process and answered students’ questions.
The presentation was attended by ISC-Erbil Grade 10 and 11 students, upper campus teachers, and ISC-Erbil School Director, Dr. Humaira Bokhari.
