I am not sure what happened in the sequence of events last night. But I do know when I left Kingston for Montego Bay to meet with clients for consultation, the full moon effect started. I had entered the Twilight Zone. Every time I thought I had sat for two or three hours, stretching my legs, I saw more folks in the waiting area. The crowd did not abate, it grew exponentially. So I started consulting at 11:30 a.m. and finished at 11:30 p.m. Notwithstanding, my final clients seen last night wondered how I would make it back to Kingston. Normally I had the Superwoman strength to do so, but last night my legs (post Chik V) forced me to close the office doors and recline on the office sofa. Here comes the Twilight phase. I fell asleep. When I awoke, it was 2 a.m. in the morning. I cried Yikes to self, headed to the door and rushed downstairs to warm up engine and rush off to Kingston. But not so fast! I was locked into the plaza...all gates were locked! So what do you do on a Full Moon week...you throw bags down and try to scale the fence to get over....but no....security comes brandishing a gun, believing I am an intruder, recognizes me and then opens the gate. Whew....but not totally over. I get to the car, the alarm has double-locked the vehicle because silly me, closed it with a key at 11 a.m. in the morning. Clearly 11 is not my lucky number. So what does erudite Ms. Bramwell do? Well, grab a rock and smash the window, push splintered glass away and heads to Kingston, arriving at 6 a.m. Are my woes over, no! The Versan van left in Kingston now has battery problems, left poor driver Mr. Edwards asea in the plaza. Diagnosed by the garage as needing a new battery, (one recently bought in September) we are told we need another one. Again Twilight phase..... It is not the battery stupid, it is the alternator...when does this Full Moon effect end? One of our other vehicles is in an accident, and what happens, the driver goes to the site of crash with the inspector, only to discover that the inspector's car is being towed away....What a day and night! Suffice it to say, we hopFull Moon effects...but int he lives of Versan students, it continues, well, haphazardly.... (Lest I forget for my Montego Bay Comm C student who is the star of Holland High, the college in Massachusetts is College of Holy Cross, I remembered...escaped the wrath of the Full Moon...) Eerily, my top students for GRE and GMAT went to sit their exams at UWI and were the victims of poor administration of the test center. Can you imagine our student blocked by a dysfunctional computer, an administrator unable to fix the problem, and a insensitive administrator who has her fix the computers of other test takers before having her complete her exam! My GMAT student is interrupted by another test taker sitting the exam....pushing her chair in, incessant chatting, setting up of fans for the other test taker not slated for her time sequence....C'mon! I advocate for the paper based exam to return as well as the sitting of the exam overseas until our local test center regulates itself. Back to Priory GRE and GMAT! THE MONTEGO BAY STUDENTS So last night and all of yesterday, I was pleasantly surprised by the efficient use of diaries, the organization of their applications, the almost complete process....Kingston students, you are lagging! QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS SO OFTEN ASKED Miss Bramwell, I am having trouble with my Common App questions? Response: Get to the office, we will assist. Miss Bramwell, I want to change my test center from St. Andrew's to Priory. Response: Contact Collegeboard, pay 29 by credit card and wish granted. Ms. Bramwell, I need safety schools! Response: Why, there is December and January to bring your scores up, so keep your reach, medium and safety schools. Ms. Bramwell, I am applying to Cornell, University of Michigan.... Response: Stop!!! Are you a US citizen? No? Do not apply. There are certain schools that do not give aid and there are others that do. Check a consultant, me....for the details. Ms. Bramwell, I applied late and am waitlisted, will I get in? Response: I hope it is that you are testing at Priory, but waitlisted students usually get in, once you are there early. Ms. Bramwell: I need more scholarships. Response: Have you filled out the CSS Profile and the International Student Financial Aid Form/Certificate of Finances? In January, we will start on the external scholarships. Ms. Bramwell: I do not feel this exam, can I extend to January's test date? Response: Have you been doing at least 2-3 SAT Practise books per month? Reading? Vocabulary building? If not, well....looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it is a duck! (Hopefully, this helps!) Ms. Bramwell: What do I do with my packages? Response: Place in an envelope, address it tot he school, put the Versan address as the return address (we will provide our US one) and we will send off in the weekly mailbag. Ms. Bramwell: What am I supposed to be doing now? Response: Get an email from the Kingston office on the Versan student timeline. Ms. Jodie Robertson can send it to you. Those who missed the symposium, we have the CD so call us to get info on additional scholarships elsewhere. Dominica, we have not forgotten you, we will feature you next week ...we know the inexorable struggle to get your students ready. Till next week.....Yale University has a program, call me about it.It allows you to visit Yale and enter a fellowship program....email me. The picture this week shows our Mannings High School SAt program that has been kickstarted after we assisted them in setting up their program. manchester High, we are coming....