University Extension Programs for International Students - Fast-Track to a Better Career

In today's challenging and rapidly-changing global economy, many people are seeking ways they can gain the best advantages in the job market. The solution for many international students may be enrolling in an extension program offered by many prestigious universities throughout the USA.

What are "Extension Programs"?
Extension programs are focused education programs taught by regular university instructors that help students develop specific types of practical knowledge and/ or skills they can apply to current or future jobs. There are extension programs designed for recent high school and university graduates, as well  as experienced professionals. Extension programs offer students the opportunity to earn a certificate from the university after successful completion of a certain set of courses. Many certificate programs can be completed in less than one year, some in as little as 2 months.

What are the Main Benefits of Extension Programs?
University extension programs offer many important benefits for students seeking additional knowledge, skills, and training:

• Low Cost - Because of their shorter length, the school and living expenses for extension  certificate programs are far less than for traditional university degree programs. 
• Practical Training - Extension program courses teach students current, relevant knowledge and gain experience in applying it to real-life situations. Certificate programs lasting at least 9 months will qualify students for the Optional Practical Traiuning (OPT) program that provides the opportunity to get paid work experience with an American company for up to one year.
• Flexibility - Most university extension programs offer multiple starting dates each year to accommodate different students' schedules.
• Accessibility  - University extension programs offer students who are academically inadmissable to traditional degree programs the opportunity to earn valuable education and training from regular university instructors.     
• Professional networking opportunities - Students work closely with classmates, instructors, and outside businesspeople during their program and naturally develop connections with them. These connections can become important parts of a student's professional business network and sources for future business opportunities. 
• Prestige - Completion of a university extension program provides students with the prestige of having earned an education certificate from a good American university. This accomplishment can be added to students' resumes and help them advance their careers.

What are the Admission Requirements for University Extension Programs?
Most students considering a university extension program will need to meet the following requirements for admission:

1. Strong English skills - Most programs require students to submit a minimum IBT TOEFL score of 80. Students who do not yet have strong English skills may first enroll in intensive English courses offered by most Extension Programs. 
2. Bachelors degree (for post-graduate programs) - Students must have earned the equivalent of at least a bachelors degree in order to be accepted to post-graduate-level Extension programs.
3. Sufficient financial support - Students must be able to demonstrate that they have enough money from personal, family, business, or government funds to cover all of the expected school and living costs during the program. Financial requirements will vary depending on the length of the program, school, location and housing type selected.  

Some programs may have additional requirements, depending on the nature of the program and the prior knowledge required for successful participation.

AEP works closely with several prestigious university extension programs throughout the USA that offer a wide variety of programs in art, business, education, hospitality, information technology, sciences, and many other fields. To learn more about which programs may be best for your students and how AEP can help them get accepted, contact our School Placement Team at: info@americanedpartners.com

Educating Overseas Advisors About American School Programs - "It Depends"

AEP staff recently conducted a series of training meetings with our newest Global Network Partners in Beijing, China. These meetings provided opportunities for our Asian partners to learn the latest news about AEP programs and effective delivery of AEP school advising and placement services. It also offered a forum in which they could get answers to their most frequently asked questions about admission requirements, course content and delivery, and housing options. One of the main things highlighted during the Q&A sessions was the distinctive nature and large variety of American school programs. It seemed that the answers to most questions had to be prefaced by the phrase, "it depends". Some of the many questions asked included: "What kind of housing do American universities offer?", "What is the minimum GRE/ GMAT score for masters degree programs?", "What kind of student support services are available?", etc.

While American high schools, colleges and universities share many things in common, their vast numbers, compounded by the slight and not-so-slight differences unique to each, mean that even generalizations are difficult to make. For this reason, AEP invests significant effort in developing detailed, up-to-date information about each of our American partner schools. AEP's U.S. Headquarters then provides this information to our global network of advisors who, in turn, share it with potential students. Students who wish to enroll in AEP programs are guided through the school application and visa process through the coordinated efforts of AEP's overseas Global Network Partners and our U.S.-based school placement team.
AEP welcomes inquiries from overseas agents seeking expert school advising and placement support for programs starting in early 2011. Please contact our placement advising team for assistance at: info@americanedpartners.com

"Best Value Schools" To Look at for Spring 2011

The old saying, "You get what you pay for" tends to be true in most cases. When it comes to American colleges or universities, however, it's possible to find many institutions that provide great education programs, great campus facilities and student support services at prices that are far lower than other schools that provide much less.

In this week's message, we take a look at what a "Best Value School" is and introduce you to one of them.

What Is A "Best Value School"?

A "Best Value School" is one that provides students with a high quality educational experience at a reasonable cost. Schools can provide these experiences in several different ways:

1) Offer small classes and a small student-to-faculty ratio.

2) Offer a wide variety of academic programs and student support services.  

3) Have clean, modern campus facilities that utilize the latest learning technologies.

4) Have easy access to computers, wi-fi connections, and research/ study facilities.

5) Have highly educated and experienced instructors.

6) Have a dedicated international student office with experienced staff committed to helping each student succeed.

Featured "Best Value Schools" For Spring 2011  

Here is just one example of what American Education Partners has found to be a "Best Value School" here in the USA:

Cascadia Community College- Cascadia is the newest community college in Washington state, but has quickly risen to become one of the best in the United States (Ranked #2 in the USA by Washington Monthly magazine).

Cascadia students receive many benefits not available at most other schools. First, Cascadia shares its campus with the University of Washington. Students not only get access to University of Washington's vast research archives and publications, but many Cascadia instructors are also University of Washington instructors. Second, the college has a student enrollment of just 3,000 students. This means small class sizes and a much greater amount of student-teacher/ faculty contact time than possible at larger schools. Third, students benefit from Cascadia's corporate partnerships. Cascadia classrooms use the latest learning technologies developed by Microsoft and students have internship opportunities at this and other well-known local technology companies. Fourth, Cascadia has the highest percentage of students transferring to the University of Washington (Ranked #41 in the USA).
Considering all of these features and the fact that tuition fees are typically $10,000 - $20,000 less each year than most 4-year universities, Cascadia Community College is truly a "Best Value School".

Cascadia Community College is accepting applications for Winter 2011 beginning in early January. American Education Partners' placement team can help international students through the application process to Cascadia Community College and other carefully-selected schools and provide other services like airport pick-up, housing placement and on-going student support service. Please contact the AEP placement team for more information at: info@americanedpartners.com  



New East Coast University Partner - University of Connecticut

American Education Partners (http://www.americanedpartners.com/) is pleased to provide qualified students with admission and housing placement to the University of Connecticut's Torrington campus in Northwestern Connecticut.

Why UConn?

University of Connecticut and several of its individual departments have consistently received top-rankings by several publications including U.S. News and World Report, Forbes, Kiplingers, and many others. University of Connecticut was recently ranked the top public university in the Northeastern United States and a Top 50 school in the entire United States. Students can choose from over 100 majors in fields such as business, education, engineering, health sciences, aand many others.

Students who apply to UConn through American Education Partners will study their first year at the Torrington campus. This small, 100-acre campus provides first-year students with a number of important benefits:
- Less competitive admissions requirements.
- Small classes with a 10:1 student-to-faculty ratio
- Full-accesss to UConn's extensive online research materials
- Safe, small-town living environment
- Comfortable living accomodations in a beautifully-restored nearby dormitory

Why Connecticut?

Connecticut enjoys four distinct seasons, each of which offers beautiful natural scenery, opportunities to enjoy outdoor sports and activities and participate in a wide variety of cultural events.

Among Connecticut's many great features is its safe living environment. Connecticut has one of the lowest crime rates in the United States. In Northwestern Connecticut, home to UConn's Torrington campus, serious crime is almost non-existent.
Connecticut also has a strong tradition of providing world-class education. Connecticut high school students have some of the best test scores in the country and most of the state's universities are nationally or regionally-ranked.
Adding to these important features are Connecticut's beautiful natural scenery and convenient location - two hours or less to New York City and less than three hours to Boston. Both of these cities, as well as many other places in between, are easily reached by commuter or long-distance trains.

Featured Public High Schools for Spring 2011

American Education Partners is pleased to be able to offer international students with the opportunity to spend a semester at several top public high schools starting in January 2011.

Each of our partner public high schools are located in very safe, smaller towns in Northwestern Connecticut, less than 2 hours from New York City. Connecticut public high schools are widely recognized for their high academic standards and student achievements. Each of our partner public high schools offers a wide range of Advanced Placement (AP) and Honors classes to qualified students. Additionally, students will be able to join a number of student clubs and sports that are offered at each school.

Students enrolling in these schools will live in dormitory-style housing in charming, renovated houses. The dormitory will be supervised by a full-time live-in house parent who will prepare 3 home-cooked meals each day, provide transportation to and from school each day, homework assistance and more.  

Students will enroll in these programs on the F-1 visa program which will allow them the option of continuing their high school education in the USA and entering college or university without having to return to their country to apply for a different visa.

Read below for an introduction to our public high schools that are accepting applications for Spring 2011.

Canton High School – Founded in 1854, it is located in Northwestern Connecticut, just 90 minutes from New York City. The school has approximately 540 students with an average class size of just 21 students. It was recently named a Silver Medal School on U.S. News and World Report magazine’s “Best Schools” list for the quality of its academic program.

Farmington High School – Also located in rural Northwestern Connecticut, Farmington High School has consistently received recognition for its education program, teaching staff and its students’ high test scores. It was recently ranked as the top public high school in Connecticut by Newsweek magazine and #271 in the entire United States.

Killingly High School – One of Connecticut’s most modern and progressive schools. The school recently completed a new campus building that utilizes the most modern learning facilities and technology available. Each student at Killingly is provided with his/ her own Mac laptop computer to use for class homework and research projects throughout the school year,

Northwest Regional High School – A comprehensive public high school that provides a solid college preparation curriculum combined with elective courses in practical subjects such as business, culinary arts, technology, and many others.

Woodstock Academy – Woodstock Academy is a public/ private school, partially supported by local government funding.  The school is committed to providing a safe, supportive educational environment that encourages students to pursue learning opportunities inside and outside of the classroom.

American Education Partners is currently seeking out good public high schools in other areas of the USA to recommend to international students in 2011.

Read our weekly blog updates to learn the latest news and information about education opportunities in the USA!

Latest Midwestern and Western University Rankings

American Education Partners is proud to offer students the opportunity to apply to many nationally-and regionally-ranked colleges and universities throughout the USA. This week, we introduce some more of our partner schools in the Western and Midwestern USA and the most recent rankings they received in U.S. News and World Report magazine's annual school rankings issue. Each of these schools' rankings improved once again, demonstrating their committment to providing students with a good education and a good experience.


Midwestern USA Schools


Bradley University - #6 Midwestern USA University - Bradley is a private independent university, located on a beautiful 85-acre campus in Peoria, Illinois. Bradley University offers more than 100 academic programs of study. The University's Foster College of Business is AACSB-accredited and its undergraduate program has been ranked the 11th best in the United States.



Western USA Schools

California State University - Northridge (Tseng College) - 1st Tier Western USA University - The Tseng College at Cal State University - Northridge provides students with Intensive English Programs or career certificate programs . Academically-qualified students successfully completing in the Intensive English Program can get conditional admission to the University's bachelor or masters degree programs.


San Diego State University (College of Extended Education) -1st Tier National University - San Diego State University's College of Extended Education offers students a variety of Intensive English Programs or career certificate programs . Academically-qualified students successfully completing in the Intensive English Program can get conditional admission to the University's bachelor degree programs.


University of California - Riverside (Extension Program) - 1st Tier National University - UC Riverside's Extension Program offers students a variety of Intensive English Programs or career certificate programs for individuals or groups taught by experienced university professors. Students that successfully complete the Intensive English Program can get conditionally- accepted to nearby Riverside Community College where they complete the first 2 years of a bachelors degree program.

Latest School Ranking Information for AEP Partner Schools

American Education Partners is proud to offer students the opportunity to apply to many nationally-and regionally-ranked colleges and universities throughout the USA. In this newsletter, we introduce some of our partner schools in the Eastern USA and the most recent rankings they received in U.S. News and World Report magazine's annual school rankings lists. Each of these schools' rankings improved once again, demonstrating their committment to providing students with a good education and a good experience.

AEP Eastern USA Partner Schools Get Higher Rankings for 2010-2011!

 Long Island University - CW Post - 2nd Tier National University. Located in a quiet area of Long Island, less than 1 hour from New York City. This university offers a wide range of bachelors and masters programs as well as an on-campus ESL program.

Sacred Heart University - 1st Tier Northern USA University - Located in upscale Fairfield, Connecticut near New York City, the university offers a wide variety of popular bachelors and masters degree programs in a small, friendly campus environment.
University of Connecticut - Torrington - #66 National University - The University of Connecticut's small Torrington campus provides undergraduate students with a friendly and supportive campus environment. Students can complete their bachelors degree program at the Torrington campus or transfer to the main campus in Storrs after completing at least one full year at the Torrington campus.

University of Hartford - 3rd Tier National University - The University of Hartford is a residential school located on a large 350-acre campus in suburban Connecticut that offers almost 90 undergraduate programs and more than 30 graduate programs.


Each of these schools have spaces available for undergraduate and graduate programs starting in Spring 2011.
For information about applying to AEP Partner Schools, please contact us at: info@americanedpartners.com



Sincerely,

American Education Partners' School Placement Team