The IDOC Wednesday Blog

Dear Families and Students:

There is an urgent call for all those students who did the CSS Profile to complete the IDOC forms that are required by some of the colleges. Please print and get in here to see us for full completion.

CONGRATULATIONS!

To Young Damien Chang who scored a perfect 2400, I am proud of his achievement who was a part of our SSAT program. We had referred him to Woodberry Forest where last year Andre May of Munro had made it to Duke University and received the Principal's award. In addition, the press got it wrong, we had someone else in Jamaica receive a perfect score -Dr. Aggrey Irons! Jamaica's premier psychiatrist. Lest we forget, a perfect score is wonderful but how well-rounded are we?

School's Challenge Quiz

Did we all see Khamal Clayton, our own Versan student from Cornwall College? Oh, Khamal, we felt that loss, you are still a champion in our eyes.

ACCEPTANCES

Richard Bailey - Alfred University
Dana Anderson - Whittier University and Drew University
Sean Chung - Darrow Boarding School
Kenesha Darlington - Drew University
Aryana Johnston - Southern Methodist University
Steven Millington - Tulane Law/UCLA Berkeley: Boalt Law
Leanne Welds - George Washington Law/Georgetown Law
Khandece Green - University of Rochester (nominated for the Renaissance Scholarship)


March 5th

The seminar on March 5th-parents, guidance counselors and school officials, don't miss this or be square.


March is coming and I have to get that book out of the way. Will be all ears only for emergencies....(smile)

See you next week. Colgate University has invited me to see their school at the end of March. I will check on those who have not yet heard...and see who has been accepted! (smile)

See you next week.

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All Hail Our Law School Applicants Wednesday Blog

I am ecstatic about our law school applicants. We saw the largest growth in our classes. We noticed a spike in their LSAT scores, but most importantly, we are seeing them get into top law schools in record numbers...Can I say 3 from one class into New York University's Law school? A tough program to get into? Amen!!!!!

Congrats Millington, Welds and Lym - wow.....Oh and to Robyn Lym, I say kudos to you for also wrangling Vanderbilt Law and University of Texas-Austin Law school...Good show.

For our undergraduates, I wish to add my heartiest congratulations as they continue to reel in many acceptances. From what I remember:

Joshimar Hussey: Drake University
Aryana Johnston: Rollins College, Austin College
Ashley Ruddock: Eckerd, St. Leo's, Converse
Davy Hemmings: Cleveland State, Florida Tech, Montana State
Trish Groves: University of Bridgeport
Jason Murray: Arcadia, Alfred
Marvin Thomas: Ithaca, Morgan State

BOARDING SCHOOLS

Geana-Joie Angus: Wasatch Academy
Kathy Ip: Havergal
Shanique Bailey: Havergal
Erin Cohen: Rothesay Netherwood
Matthew Whitmore: Darrow
Erin Cohen: Rothesay Netherwood
Annaleise McKenzie: Stonybrook, Shattuck St. Mary


SUMMER PROGRAMS

I am happy to see our Lower VIth students taking advantage of enrolling in a summer program. Record applications have been mailed out this past week. There are two more exciting summer programs available. Call in and hear whether these suit you.


JANUARY SAT SCORES

Yes, I have heard most of the SAT scores. Congrats to those who made the Winner's Circle of 2000. Also, I wish to herald the students who are realistically reviewing their scores and the schools they applied to. It is good to be a realist and weigh whether you need to add a few more schools with open or late deadlines. That Plan B list still exists. Call in for an appointment.


CHECKING ON APPLICATIONS

Please send a card or an email to the schools you have applied to and see whether all is well with your applications. Don't you think it funny when all your applications have arrived, yet one stands out as not having received anything? Don't you realize that this is the sorting room at that university that could have misplaced your pieces that you carefully packed? What has been my remedy for that situation? I have always said "keep copies" of everything and that when such a situation occurs, please fax right away! Our fax machines are always ready to handle that onslaught....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Happy Birthday to all our February born folks and those who made The Year of the Rabbit births. A special shout out to Ms. Graham of the Montego Bay office..

MARCH

March 5th Symposium for guidance counselors and parents on teens and their behaviors. A not to be missed event with Dr.Morton. Call the office for more details.

March is also a month when Ms. Bramwell goes underground to complete her book that needs to be done! I am almost there. So I will resurface for emergencies only. Over to Ms. Pate, Brown and Russell.

EVENTS

Ms. Graham attended the Palmyra Foundation event in Montego Bay this past weekend. Ms. Pate attended the Chinese New Year Festival and saw Kathy Ip and Whitney Ling (good food!). Ms. Bramwell will be meeting with the US ambassador in Montego Bay this Friday at The Palmyra Solis event through the American Chamber of Commerce. Check out her picture in this past Sunday's Outlook Magazine!

CONGRATULATIONS

To our Past Ardenne graduate, Andre White, I wish to give much props to....he attends Dickinson University in Pennsylvania and just earned a full scholarship to not just do his Master's but fully paid through to the PhD program in Neurosciences...watch out for an article I am about to send to the press. Oh you Versan students, keep rolling out...Make me so proud!

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It is a Rusea's High Wednesday Blog

Oh dear folks, it was an arduous drive from Kingston to Lucea. I left at 3 a.m. to get to Rusea's High School. It was beautiful watching the sun rise over the sea at dawn break. I am still amazingly tired but I know that the blog is needed. And eagerly awaitied by all and sundry.

RUSEA'S

Rusea's in Lucea is the predominantly upwwardly mobile school in that region. I spoke to a becy of 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th formers. I was well received. The questions were probing, the head-girl's address was scintillatingly fresh. And what an appreciative audience. The guidance counselor, Ms. Bowlin, had her morning well-planned. It made driving to Lucea before dawn's break a worthwhile experience. Thanks Rusea's. A wonderful morning! I look forward to seeing a few and their parents soon at the office in Montego Bay. So many developments in Montego Bay!

March 5th event!

James Morton Jr., an educational consultant for 20 years in the state of Missouri will be visiting our shores to speak at the Knutsford Court Hotel from 10-12 _General Session for the public. Lunch Break from 12-1 p.m. At 1-3 p.m., the serious practitioners will engage in a workshop. The topic (interesting for teachers, parents, principals, guidance counselors) is " Identifying and Assisting Teens with Complex Needs." This should be juicy information!


Long Island University (Brooklyn Campus)

We have a guest from LIU visiting Jamaica. She brings tidings of good joy. Her school has rolling admissions. She can waive SAT and rely solely on CSEC grades, though good they must be! Mardi is a great, bubbly presence. She should be visiting a number of our schools in the metropolitan area. Look out for the LIU train coming your way! Known for Pharmacy, Media Arts, Nursing...it is also the 3rd safest campus in the United States.


Acceptances:

Ava Mitchell - Bellarmine College
Chantal Brown - Carroll College
Frederica Campbell - Johnson and Wales
Aryana Johnston - Austin College
Huntley Cameron - Western Carolina/ University of Tampa
Tricia Jenkins - St Leo's
Leanne Welds - University of British Columbia Law School/Brooklyn Law School
Medicia Smith - Averett
Ashley Smith - Averett
Orrin Clark - Averett


It has been a wonderful start to the SAT classes last Saturday. We wish our LSAT and GRE good luck on Saturday with their respective exams.

Summer Schol Overseas

Quite a number of Lower VIth students have been coming in to receive counselling and selectuion of summer schools. This bodes well for their applications in December.

See you next week, so tired and ready to fall off this chair, but in Montego Bay and there awaits a line of parents.

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dominca video final

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In Solidarity with Egypt Protest Wednesday Blog

Well, well, well!

What a Boonoonoonoos Year for Versan's law students!

Leanne Welds already accepted to Brooklyn Law, NYU Law and George Washington as well as University of Toronto Law School!

Jordanne Martin to Thomas Cooley Law School

Stephen Millington to NYU Law...

And this is just 1/3 of the class? Good show! And congrats to these erstwhile young folks who are making strides...

To Kimberly Bond, Hollander Myers, Tiffany Terrier who all made passing grades on their recent LSAT exam. It seems we are moving towards another 100% placement. Our most successful group! Not to mention Raisa Woodstock...good show!


New SAT classes have begun...

We have and will begin on February 5th, 2011 at 9 a.m. promptly.

FAFSA/CSS PROFILE

Glad to see most folks made it in to have the items done, to the consternation of some parents who were leery of their finances. But we largely, and I say, largely met the deadlines.

SUMMER INTERNSHIPS

Our Lower VI'ers are now filing in to see what they need to do for the summer whilst looking at the Fall 2012 horizon. They are all not looking forward to the mad Christmas rush for 2011.


Thanks for all reading the blog and acting on the details within!

Coastal Girls School in Maine is now collecting applications (Boarding School) and of course, their main focal points are Environmental Science and the Sciences for Girls.

SSAT

Congrats to Aaron Johnson and Erin Cohen for making the 90's on their January exam.

LSAT/GRE

February 12th is your D-DAY. Take this week to zone in on those triflingly weak areas. It is UWI for the LSAT and Liberty High for the GRE.

Good luck ...

FAREWELL

Sadly, two of our parents passed on this week. We say farewell to Cheryl Hyatt, bubbly persona whose presence we will miss. Also to Mr. Markman, of BDO Chartered Accountants, whose daughter, Suzanne, had attended Amherst and is now studying to to be a dentist. And to Ms. Hyatt's daughter, Tanika, who is studying voice at University of the Arts, we wish both parents, a sad farewell. May their souls rest in peace.

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