Professional Documents
Culture Documents
A well-informed parent community is critical to the success of our Hotel and Hospitality Programs:
students in the college process. We’re your counsellors as well as our Challenge Your Expectations!
students’. Please make good use of our office and resources
whenever questions arise.
Our Featured Book:
Your CIS University Counsellors
The Campus Cure - A Parent’s
Guide to Mental Health and
Wellness for College Students
Your CIS University Counsellors:
Sow Fun Dawson - sfdawson@cis.edu.hk
Administrative Assistant
“Education is what you get
Brankie Wong - bwong@cis.edu.hk
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Identifying and Addressing Distorted Thinking in the College Process
Students understandably approach the college process with some degree of trepidation. Thankfully,
experience teaches us that with diligent research, honest reflection and thoughtful consideration given to
selecting appropriate institutions, most students get through the college application process just fine.
In fact, they’ll be better for the experience as they will have gained:
• self-knowledge;
• decision-making skills;
For university counsellors, the difference between students who approach their college process in a
healthy manner versus those who don’t is often readily apparent. These differences will include how they
view their academics, their grades, as well as their prospects for success and happiness at university and
beyond.
• adopt the all-or-nothing mindset freighting the college process with a weight that is sometimes only
sustained through serious compromises to wellbeing.
The latest research into adolescent brain function tells us that after
infancy, the teenage years are the most consequential in terms of their The latest research into
impact on development. While all students are inevitably exposed to adolescent brain function
some combination of cultural, family and peer pressures, less healthy tells us that after infancy,
students are, for whatever reason, more vulnerable to these forces. This
vulnerability exacts a heavy price as these are the very students who are the teenage years are
fueling a world-wide increase in dysfunctional behaviors ranging from the most consequential
chronic sleep deprivation to perfectionism, cutting, eating disorders, in terms of their impact
depression and even more serious forms of mental illness that often on development.
carry lifelong consequences.
We live in an era of unprecedented change. Along with the usual socio-political uncertainties, technology is
affecting behaviors in ways we have yet to fully grasp. On a more micro level, family and peer pressures
are the most powerful forces in the lives of adolescents. Students struggling under the combined weight
of these pressures are highly susceptible to internalizing distorted perceptions around:
• academic performance;
• university choice;
• competition.
Students often need help in arriving at an accurate understanding of the role that higher education will play
in their lives. Those with skewed perspectives are likelier to subscribe to
exaggerated or distorted beliefs regarding the role that a college
education and university prestige will have, falling prey to such
It’s important to note misconceptions as:
that students can • The name and prestige of the university I go to will have a profound
develop unhealthy effect on the remainder of my life.
views even in homes • To future employers, my choice of university will be a deciding factor
where parents are not as to whether or not I am hired.
exerting pressure • I worry about not getting into a prestigious enough university.
around academic
performance or Parental expectations and pressure
university and career It’s important to note that students can develop unhealthy views even in
choice. homes where parents are not exerting pressure around academic
performance or university choice. That said, there’s a much greater risk in
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families where students find that the following statements accurately reflect their experience:
• My parents explode with anger if I come home with a grade they disapprove of.
• About the only thing my parents ever talk to me about is college admission.
In vulnerable students, the belief that students need to be “perfect” by In vulnerable students,
attaining outstanding grades can produce a mindset that sees grades as the the belief that students
ultimate arbiter of their futures as well as their self-image. This unhealthy need to be “perfect” by
identification with numbers will find expression in the following beliefs:
attaining outstanding
• High school is essentially a “race for 7s”.
grades can produce a
• Anything less than a 7 is a shameful/embarrassing grade that carries mindset that sees grades
the potential of ruining my future.
as the ultimate arbiter of
• My grades and standardized test results are critical factors to my their futures as well as
future success in life.
their self-image.
The student who wholeheartedly subscribes to these beliefs is more likely to express profound feelings of
inadequacy, sadness and hopelessness. Students experiencing excessive academic pressure may often
feel the following:
• I would rate myself as highly stressed and anxious with regard to academic performance and/or the
college process.
• I worry that I am unable to arrive at a healthy balance between academics, co-curricular activities
and everything else I do.
• Agree upon mutually shared goals for this college process – how can we best accomplish them?
• Parenting isn’t easy. Reach out for support – you’re not alone.
• Engage in fun activities – it’s not all about college and grades.
FURTHER READING
Trying to be perfect is killing
our teens and we’re to blame
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College Rankings: Why You Need to Be Suspicious
For the general public, college rankings continue to exert a powerful hold on the college selection process.
Below is another in a series of articles we’ve run criticizing their validity and reliability.
College rankings almost uniformly rely on what are called “input measurements.” (See box below.) These
measurements attempt to quantify the “quality” of the students entering the university, but not the quality of
their experience at the institution - a methodology, which if you think about for a minute, really doesn’t make
much sense.
Input measurements have the advantage of being easier to quantify and less expensive to collect while
output measurements have to rely, at least in part, on alumni surveys, and as anyone who’s ever created
surveys will tell you, it’s often extremely difficult to get people to respond to surveys, or if they do, to answer
completely honestly.
• Recent graduates are easier to reach and more likely to fill out a survey than older alums which can
skew results, particularly in longitudinal studies.
• Less successful alumni may be more reluctant to share the kind of personal data often requested
which again can make the results less reliable and conclusive.
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Where Do College Degrees Lead? You Might Be Surprised!
“If you use a philosophy education well, you can get your foot in the door of any industry you please. Industries are like
the blossom on a tree while philosophy is the trunk - it holds the tree together but often goes unnoticed.”
― Criss Jami, Killosophy
Finance, economics, medicine, law, architecture, business….these are among the most popular majors our
students pursue. It’s more than just market factors or salaries that account for their popularity. There’s a
certain security in knowing that these degrees can lead in a straight line to a particular career. A degree in
economics/finance, for example, will in all likelihood lead to a position at an investment firm or bank; the
architecture graduate will find work at an architecture firm.
While parents understandably want certainty and security for their children’s careers, we’re living in an era of
unprecedented evolution - make that revolution - in the job market. Not only are today’s careers more fluid
and changeable, they’re downright unpredictable. Who would have guessed that 20% of today’s workforce
would be employed in careers that didn’t exist a generation ago? Underlying this ever-evolving job market is
the fact that employers are increasingly more interested in the prospective employee’s skills rather than the
knowledge gained in a particular degree.
Flexibility, creativity, people skills, language skills – essential assets in the 21st century global economy - are
not simply confined to certain degree majors, and employers are increasingly looking to diverse skillsets and
majors to meet their needs. Need convincing? Click on: The surprising thing Google learned about its
employees – and what it means for today’s students
We might tend to think of the Classics major, for example, as having very limited employment options. While
it’s not a huge stretch to imagine that a Classics degree might lead to careers in teaching and journalism,
would you suspect that Classics majors find careers as lawyers, doctors, financiers, programmers or even
ministers? How can that be? The answer makes sense from the employer standpoint because Classics
majors have well-developed communication and analytical skills along with an ability to handle complex
information, often in different languages.
• What kinds of careers can a Geography degree generate?? You might be surprised. Geography is
an exceptionally multi-disciplinary course where students might delve into the hard sciences,
humanities or both. Geography majors go on to careers in science, business, education, research,
publishing and much more, specializing in everything from cartography to conservation.
• Where might the ever-popular Psychology degree lead? It might be better to ask where doesn’t it
lead. Psychology majors find work in a wide variety of public, private, profit, nonprofit, business and
service organizations. Positions can include: administration/management, community relations,
program development, research, human resources, public relations, advertising, market research,
retail and sales.
• Music majors can become teachers or performers or composers but they also become therapists,
find work in various media, sound engineering, app development, talent agent/scout, broadcasting,
entertainment – some even go on to become physicists as there’s a high skills correlation between
the two disciplines.
Hopefully, the point is clear: the relation between choice of major and career isn’t as linear and obvious as it
used to be. There’s literally a world of opportunities in degree majors that might not be readily apparent.
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Independent University Agents: Why We’re NOT Fans
From our contacts with university counsellors at sister schools here in Hong Kong and in the region, we hear
of a growing market for private university agents. We understand that anxiety plays a huge role in the college
process for some families, and we recognize the fact that it’s normal for parents to hear that other parents are
hiring agents, and question whether or not this might be the right decision for them and their student.
While your CIS University Counsellors are understandably biased when it comes to this issue, we feel we have
very compelling reasons for our view that hiring an independent agent is simply unnecessary, and can, in
fact, be detrimental. Pardon if this sounds like we’re tooting our own horn, but here are some facts to
consider:
• CIS students have gained admission offers to universities the world over including North America, Europe,
Asia and Australia. For compelling evidence of their success in the college process, take a close look at
our current CIS University Profile. You’ll find a diverse list of outstanding university placements - rich
evidence of our success in helping students matriculate to institutions uniquely suited to their needs.
• Our counsellor-to-student ratio is excellent, and, unlike so many other high schools, we are fully focused
on university counseling. It’s what we do. Our accessibility to students and parents is outstanding.
If these reasons aren’t compelling enough or you’re still unsure, please consider the following:
• Private university agents are unregulated. No training or licensure is required. Anyone can hang a
shingle, splash the names of a few famous schools in their advertising and open for business.
• We often hear of private university counsellors who disseminate misinformation and/or engage in ethical
abuses - while often charging exorbitant rates.
• University admission representatives are increasingly wary and suspicious of admission documents that
appear over-packaged, too-good-to-be-true, or in-authentic.
• Building strong relationships with students and families is critical to our work. These efforts can be
compromised when an independent agent is furnishing contrary or erroneous advice, thereby creating an
adversarial situation with the student caught in the middle.
• In addition to guiding students through the application process, your CIS University Counsellors write
student recommendation letters - a task that is obviously dependent on getting to know the student well.
Students who are working with independent agents are sometimes less inclined to work as closely with
their school-based counsellor.
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• What are the agent’s credentials? The highest US credential for private college counseling comes from
the Independent Education Consultant Association (IECA). IECA’s required qualifications include a
master’s degree, at least three years of admissions counseling experience, experience working with
scores of students, and extensive campus visits.
• What training and professional memberships does the agent hold? Which college admission
conferences has the agent attended? Membership in the National as well as International Association
of College Admission Counselors (NACAC and IACAC) is strongly advised. In addition to attending, has
the agent presented or served in a leadership role at these conferences?
• ASK: “How many of your previous students have applied and been accepted to the countries and
kinds of colleges being considered?” You will want an agent who has experience with the application
process for likely countries and institutions.
• ASK: “Can you use personal connections to help my son/daughter get into one of my top choice
colleges?” The answer to this question should be an emphatic NO! Understand the role of the agent in
this process. A counselor doesn’t get the student admitted - a counselor helps the student demonstrate
why he/she deserves to be admitted.
• ASK: “Will you write a draft of any required essays?” Again, the answer should be a clear and
emphatic NO. Not only is this unethical, but university admission officers are trained to recognize
suspicious work. Understand how the prospective agent works with students through the essay writing
process.
• Understand what services will be provided beyond what the student will receive at CIS. If you fully
understand the services provided at CIS, you will find, in all likelihood, that there’s no need for an agent.
A Great Experience for the Right Student: CIS Alums Studying at Oxbridge
Share Their Insights
Most importantly, an applicant should take a detailed look at the course material when deciding between the
two unis. They have all their subject synopses and course material online, so an applicant should really look
at which course fits them better. An example I can give is in Economics. Oxford Economics is less technical /
quantitative, and part of the degree involves courses outside of 'core' economics such as finance /
development / history of economics. Cambridge's course is much more quantitative and focuses majority on
'core economics' of Micro and Macro. It's up to the applicant to see what floats their boat. Also Oxford has
better Chinese food.”
“Drastically different.
a) The tutorial system is rough if you aren't comfortable speaking up / arguing with your tutor and if you're
used to skating past assignments. Imagine this - your tutor has a PhD on a topic which you've had less than
a week to understand, and they're grilling you on it.
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b) Also, imagine the course material that US / non-Oxbridge unis have in a term (around 3-4 months). Now
imagine cramming all that material, and more, into 8 weeks. (Or for high schoolers, imagine all the material
of your HL classes over 2 years, crammed into 2 terms. Sadly not an
exaggeration.)
c) Depending on your course, the contact hours differ, e.g. sciences and “…I think what really
engineering have a lot of contact hours, meaning they must attend lectures sets it apart is the
and labs and tutorials (~30 hours) in a week which can be overwhelming. amount of self-
Economics and management (and degrees such as English, Classics, etc.) has regulation and self-
about 2-3 mandatory hours a week, which seems like a breeze, but means
teaching necessary, and
there's not enough guidance in work and learning, and majority of the material
has to be self-taught with a textbook.
the intensity of tutorials
The academic experience is unsurprisingly rigorous, but I think what really sets and workload might be
it apart is the amount of self-regulation and self-teaching necessary, and the surprising for students
intensity of tutorials and workload might be surprising for students who think who think that the IB
that the IB was difficult enough.”
was difficult enough.”
The application process: any suggestions on how to make this process work smoothly? What
factor(s) should applicants consider in the choice of
college?
“Other than choice of degree and college, there's not
much else an applicant could control for. Just make sure
to submit before the deadline because UCAS is infinitely
glitchy, and chill out with the interview prep until you are
actually summoned for the interview. At that point,
getting a good grade in IB is much more important than
interview prep. Also, research and study and do a few of
those standardized tests before doing them (e.g. TSA,
etc.). I talked to a couple of tutors who did interviews,
and they were saying that they only read a fraction of
personal statements, because grades and those test
scores must pass a 'benchmark' before your personal
statement gets read. Many applicants with good
predicted grades don't even get their statements read
because their test scores weren't strong enough.”
There are any number of rumors suggesting that applicants can game the Oxbridge process by
applying to less competitive courses or less prestigious colleges. Thoughts?
“…yes, applicants can game the process. But this never works out in the long run because:
a) If an applicant isn't really interested / has a propensity for that subject, they're not going to survive first
year.
b) If you're not the right stuff, you're not the right stuff. They accept the same quality of candidates across
all colleges - they even have 'screening' interviews (additional interviews conducted without the applicants'
knowledge) to ensure that there is consensus across colleges in terms of quality. If you are Oxbridge
material, they will make a place for you. Colleges have a quota, but they can change the quota based on
whether they like an applicant or not - St. Hilda's E&M only has 2-3 spaces per year officially (it's on the
website!), but for 3 years running they've taken in 4-5 people.
c) The idea of competitive or 'prestigious' colleges isn't that their tutors are better, or they're better
students. Most tutorials are held with people of different colleges, and most of the time you're not being
tutored by a tutor from your college anyways. It's more that the location / buildings / food / reputation of the
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college is better, and that they have more applicants. But most of these applicants are screened out through
the test scores.
The successful Oxbridge student: what are his/her qualities? Who struggles there? What are your
thoughts on the tutorial system?
“Difficult to answer, I still don't know what I'm doing in this university. But here are a few qualities that
students must have to get in / complete a degree:
priorities shouldn’t be
applying in the first place. Any other factors that the prospective Oxbridge applicant needs to
Learning is the reason take into consideration?
one goes to university.” “Probably make sure that they actually want to go to Oxbridge. The uni
experience isn't gonna be how US schools are - no frat parties, no
sororities / frats, no big classes for you to meet your friends and do group
projects with, there's a pressure to do well all the time on all your assignments, and really bad British food in
the cafeteria 70% of the time. It's going to be a fine line between intense studying, intense fun, and intense
stress.
And students should really be honest with their own academic abilities, and that for some Oxbridge might
not be the best fit. If a student requires a lot of guidance / tutoring in their education, then again probably
not a good fit. This sounds really mean to say that a student shouldn't consider Oxbridge if their scores
aren't high enough, but most students here have easily gotten 45s in the IB / full A*s in their A-levels, and a
lot of these students can barely cope with the academic rigour / demands of their courses.”
For more responses to these questions from our alums, click here.
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For whatever reasons, the hospitality and administration management degree doesn’t enjoy the status that
other programs might afford, yet, for the right student, this course can be highly challenging and rewarding.
It can’t be overstated that the tourism industry is the world’s largest employer extending from
accommodations, meals and transportation to such diverse events as weddings, concerts, business
conferences, security - wherever large gatherings require organizational skills so the career outlook for this
degree is strong.
Typically, study abroad options are available and highly valued as are co-ops and
internships (often paid).
What qualities/interests should the prospective hotel and management degree student possess?
The ideal candidate will enjoy travel, meeting new people, cooking, giving parties, working with people,
sports, learning about different cultures, socializing in large groups and leadership roles. The industry thrives
on outgoing, creative and highly organized employees. There’s no such thing as a routine day. The ability to
pay attention to detail and respond positively to pressure are critical qualities. Interested students need to
understand that they will be working while almost everyone else around them is playing.
These can include: restaurant/hotel/resort manager; convention and meeting planner, festival and event
organizer, caterer; and government tourism department employee. While travel agents have been hit hard by
web-based travel planning services, security represents a rapidly growing career-related opportunity. Other
career opportunities include customer and retail managers as well as human resources officers.
When comparing programs, it’s helpful to remember that there’s no one best format. Some colleges take
advantage of nearby hotels, casinos and resorts to furnish on-the-job experience. Majors housed in a
business college tend to offer modified business courses emphasizing food and beverage operations. Non-
North American programs may require students to study a second
language.
https://www.prospects.ac.uk/careers-advice/what-can-i-do-with-my-degree/hospitality-
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Book Review: The Campus Cure Is a Helpful Parent Guide to Wellbeing for
Students Entering College
The Campus Cure: A Parents Guide to Mental Health and Wellness for
College Students by Marcia Morris MD.
This book is a necessary reminder that mental health issues which smolder in early
adolescence can surface when the young adult reaches university. In an era when
mental health issues affecting young adults are increasing in frequency and
severity across the globe, this practical book gives parents the tools for successful
interventions should the need arise. While it is aimed at parents of college age
students, the book has obvious applications for parents of younger students.
Her blog, College Wellness, posts very helpful articles aiming to help parents cope with students suffering
from a range of mental illnesses. Again, highly applicable to younger students as well.
On technology triggering anxiety: “Students tell me social media in general increases their stress level.
They feel insecure when they see pictures of a student having fun at a party, going on a great trip, or getting
a prized internship. They experience FOMO (fear of missing out) and walk around with a feeling that they’re
just not good enough.”
On the power of therapy: “Connecting with the right therapist is essential, and studies show that treatment
outcomes improve when there is a good fit between the therapist and patient. As for the kind of therapy
that is helpful, cognitive behavioral therapy has the best outcomes. This therapy addresses cognitive
distortions that lead to negative thoughts and encourages behaviors like meditation and exercise that
improve mood.”
On alcohol use: “Teach your child about the dangers of binge drinking: five or more drinks for a man and
four or more drinks for a woman in a two-hour period. Encourage a far lower amount. It is generally
recommended that women not have more than one drink per day and that men not have more than two
drinks. Advise them not to drink on an empty stomach…”
On making grades the only measure of success: “Do not check your child’s grades daily; students have
told me parents’ constantly checking grades increases their level of anxiety, which can hinder performance.
One study showed parental over-involvement in academics, with frequent phone calls and reminders to get
things done, was correlated with poorer college performance.”
On fighting perfectionism: “I urge students to try be in the moment and experience what they are doing
today, rather than always thinking about where they will be five years from now. I encourage them to
participate in a club unrelated to their major, to take time for friends, do an outdoor activity, and to not base
their self-worth entirely on their grades.”
On sexual assault: “Every parent, especially parents of daughters, needs to be prepared in case their child
is a victim of sexual assault. The numbers of college students who are sexually assaulted may surprise you,
but they do not surprise me after years of working with college students. I hear too many stories of
unwanted sexual encounters…”
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Articles of Interest from the Web
How to improve school results: Not extra maths but music, loads of it
Australia
What happened to the top students from the class of 1998?
Canada
Budget 2018 gives a major boost to fundamental research in Canada
HK
Here’s how Hong Kong parents can balance the amount of time their children spend on their
computer screens
UK
UK produces world-leading research
Cambridge University considering break with 200 years of tradition by adopting US-style
degree system
US
Yale’s most popular class ever: happiness
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