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May 2020
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It is hard to believe, but your sophomore year is quickly wrapping up! You are completing some of your last virtual classes and very soon you will be considered a JUNIOR! There are still a few more weeks ahead filled with opportunities to give your best effort, learn and grow! Some of you are preparing for your testing and summer timelines. Our May Newsletter gives you some ideas from online volunteering to SAT Optional Schools to low cost online summer programs to get you started on your quest. Make sure you make use of this time to smell the spring flowers, learn to cook a new recipe, take a mental break and enjoy these last few weeks with online coffee and lunch dates with friends before the summer break! Be well!
Virtual Summer Programs
For many who were looking forward to your summer abroad, we understand your disappointment. 😔 But as universities open up to deliver online summer programs, there are several changes that can be good and even great! Tuition costs, travel and even room and board often made these summer programs over the top pricey...well the great news is: you will start to see these costs cut by half to even FREE?!?! 😱
For example, for the summer of 2020, the University at Buffalo is offering its much coveted Pharmacy Summer Institute at NO COST!! You heard it...FREE!!!! So get out there and research the plethora of affordable online programs available now. You might find not only a hidden gem but an opportunity that sparks your own lifelong interests in career pathways!
For many who were looking forward to your summer abroad, we understand your disappointment. 😔 But as universities open up to deliver online summer programs, there are several changes that can be good and even great! Tuition costs, travel and even room and board often made these summer programs over the top pricey...well the great news is: you will start to see these costs cut by half to even FREE?!?! 😱
For example, for the summer of 2020, the University at Buffalo is offering its much coveted Pharmacy Summer Institute at NO COST!! You heard it...FREE!!!! So get out there and research the plethora of affordable online programs available now. You might find not only a hidden gem but an opportunity that sparks your own lifelong interests in career pathways!
Online Volunteering
Now more than ever is there a need for our community to come together. Whether it be directly in your own family from helping out your parents, siblings or friends, or within your school, church, neighborhood or service groups...be the good. Not only does volunteering your time, energy and expertise help someone in need, it can give you purpose and direction. Colleges value students who are able to see beyond their own scope, who have the courage to overcome and the strength to positively impact their own communities. Be the change in someone's life...CREATE the good.
Mariliza Karrera from Career Addict writes about her top suggestions to get you started...
1. UN Volunteers (UNV)
The UNV programme is the United Nations’ online volunteering platform and offers dozens of online opportunities across the world. Like the rest of the UN’s efforts, this programme strives to boost sustainable human development, and finding a project through this platform means that you’ll be able to do truly meaningful work.
The best part about the UNV website, however, is that it’s very easy to use, and finding an opportunity that fits your needs is simple. You can start by choosing the sector you’d like to work in – translation or teaching, for example – and you can then navigate through the various opportunities generated to find something that suits you.
2. Help from Home
Help from Home is a UK-based organisation which aims to bring together volunteers and micro-volunteering projects. The goal here is to encourage more and more people to participate in projects that do not require long-term commitment and which can help make their spare time more impactful.
This platform is very user-friendly and will help you navigate through their many virtual volunteering opportunities. The best feature, however, has to be the ‘pyjama rating’ that is listed with every opportunity, so that you’ll know if you can complete the task in your bed wear.
3. VolunteerMatch
VolunteerMatch is an extremely popular organisation for volunteering opportunities. Although they don’t offer online opportunities exclusively, they have a pretty broad section for people who want to volunteer from home. This organisation is driven by the belief that everyone wants to make a difference in the world and that all people need is a platform from which to make it happen.
Their opportunities range from writing emails, newsletters, etc for non-profits to teaching musical instruments and even designing websites. You can start by selecting a cause that interests you and then filter the results generated by ‘Virtual’ to get results that match your needs.
4. Create the Good
Create the Good is an organisation that aims to help those who are interested in helping others and want to give back, but can’t due to not being physically present. The idea is to get those with extremely busy schedules or those caring for others (children, seniors, etc) to have a platform from where they can offer their services.
There are many opportunities available and, depending on your skill set, you are sure to find something that not only fits your skills but also makes you passionate for the cause. There are myriads of options available for people who can write or who can offer free legal advice, for instance, while there’s also a crisis hotline which you can staff if you want to help in a more hands-on manner.
5. Do-It
Do-It is the national volunteering database with over a million opportunities available. It’s also a platform which thousands of people trust, although you should note that the majority of the opportunities available in this database are for local work. However, it also offers many online volunteering opportunities, as well.
All you need to do to find a virtual volunteering opportunity is to filter search by ‘do-it from home’. You can then filter by ‘most recently updated’ to make sure that you are focusing on opportunities that are still in need of help.
6. Catchafire
Catchafire identifies itself as a community that strives to promote the social good sector. Their goal is to make volunteering as efficient and effective as possible by matching talented individuals with organisations that are in need of their specific skill set. They value results and, as such, only work with non-profits that have what they call a ‘demonstrable impact’.
You can search their database in a fairly straightforward way. Start by choosing ‘what you’re good at’ and then filter the results by ‘online’ or ‘virtual’. If your time is really limited, you may want to check out their ‘1h phone calls’.
7. School in the Cloud
The School in the Cloud is driven by the belief that knowledge can be acquired so long as there are enough resources to encourage the self-learning process. As such, they’re dedicated to providing a space for children from all around the world with internet access to search for specific information, aka the 'big questions'.
The big questions are asked by volunteers (aka the 'Grannies') who interact with students via Skype and ask the children to find answers and solutions to problems that will help them gain valuable knowledge. The children are encouraged to work in groups and move about freely, while Grannies provide any kind of support the children require, remotely.
8. Missing Maps
If you have a particular affinity for cartography, then Missing Maps - an initiative to map areas which are, up until now, unchartered - could be for you. Volunteers are asked to map some of the most vulnerable areas on Earth, so that crisis teams can respond whenever there’s a natural or humanitarian disaster in a more efficient way. Helping this organisation and its partners (which includes the Red Cross and Médecins Sans Frontières) is as simple as looking at satellite images on your computer and then adding buildings and roads to maps. There’s information on the organisation’s website on how to edit maps and you’ll have lots of support throughout the process.
Now more than ever is there a need for our community to come together. Whether it be directly in your own family from helping out your parents, siblings or friends, or within your school, church, neighborhood or service groups...be the good. Not only does volunteering your time, energy and expertise help someone in need, it can give you purpose and direction. Colleges value students who are able to see beyond their own scope, who have the courage to overcome and the strength to positively impact their own communities. Be the change in someone's life...CREATE the good.
Mariliza Karrera from Career Addict writes about her top suggestions to get you started...
1. UN Volunteers (UNV)
The UNV programme is the United Nations’ online volunteering platform and offers dozens of online opportunities across the world. Like the rest of the UN’s efforts, this programme strives to boost sustainable human development, and finding a project through this platform means that you’ll be able to do truly meaningful work.
The best part about the UNV website, however, is that it’s very easy to use, and finding an opportunity that fits your needs is simple. You can start by choosing the sector you’d like to work in – translation or teaching, for example – and you can then navigate through the various opportunities generated to find something that suits you.
2. Help from Home
Help from Home is a UK-based organisation which aims to bring together volunteers and micro-volunteering projects. The goal here is to encourage more and more people to participate in projects that do not require long-term commitment and which can help make their spare time more impactful.
This platform is very user-friendly and will help you navigate through their many virtual volunteering opportunities. The best feature, however, has to be the ‘pyjama rating’ that is listed with every opportunity, so that you’ll know if you can complete the task in your bed wear.
3. VolunteerMatch
VolunteerMatch is an extremely popular organisation for volunteering opportunities. Although they don’t offer online opportunities exclusively, they have a pretty broad section for people who want to volunteer from home. This organisation is driven by the belief that everyone wants to make a difference in the world and that all people need is a platform from which to make it happen.
Their opportunities range from writing emails, newsletters, etc for non-profits to teaching musical instruments and even designing websites. You can start by selecting a cause that interests you and then filter the results generated by ‘Virtual’ to get results that match your needs.
4. Create the Good
Create the Good is an organisation that aims to help those who are interested in helping others and want to give back, but can’t due to not being physically present. The idea is to get those with extremely busy schedules or those caring for others (children, seniors, etc) to have a platform from where they can offer their services.
There are many opportunities available and, depending on your skill set, you are sure to find something that not only fits your skills but also makes you passionate for the cause. There are myriads of options available for people who can write or who can offer free legal advice, for instance, while there’s also a crisis hotline which you can staff if you want to help in a more hands-on manner.
5. Do-It
Do-It is the national volunteering database with over a million opportunities available. It’s also a platform which thousands of people trust, although you should note that the majority of the opportunities available in this database are for local work. However, it also offers many online volunteering opportunities, as well.
All you need to do to find a virtual volunteering opportunity is to filter search by ‘do-it from home’. You can then filter by ‘most recently updated’ to make sure that you are focusing on opportunities that are still in need of help.
6. Catchafire
Catchafire identifies itself as a community that strives to promote the social good sector. Their goal is to make volunteering as efficient and effective as possible by matching talented individuals with organisations that are in need of their specific skill set. They value results and, as such, only work with non-profits that have what they call a ‘demonstrable impact’.
You can search their database in a fairly straightforward way. Start by choosing ‘what you’re good at’ and then filter the results by ‘online’ or ‘virtual’. If your time is really limited, you may want to check out their ‘1h phone calls’.
7. School in the Cloud
The School in the Cloud is driven by the belief that knowledge can be acquired so long as there are enough resources to encourage the self-learning process. As such, they’re dedicated to providing a space for children from all around the world with internet access to search for specific information, aka the 'big questions'.
The big questions are asked by volunteers (aka the 'Grannies') who interact with students via Skype and ask the children to find answers and solutions to problems that will help them gain valuable knowledge. The children are encouraged to work in groups and move about freely, while Grannies provide any kind of support the children require, remotely.
8. Missing Maps
If you have a particular affinity for cartography, then Missing Maps - an initiative to map areas which are, up until now, unchartered - could be for you. Volunteers are asked to map some of the most vulnerable areas on Earth, so that crisis teams can respond whenever there’s a natural or humanitarian disaster in a more efficient way. Helping this organisation and its partners (which includes the Red Cross and Médecins Sans Frontières) is as simple as looking at satellite images on your computer and then adding buildings and roads to maps. There’s information on the organisation’s website on how to edit maps and you’ll have lots of support throughout the process.
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Preparing to take the SAT during your Junior year?
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More silver linings as colleges go test optional. Due to the cancellations of SAT exams world-wide, colleges are reviewing their standardised testing policies to remove the previously required exams. For some universities, this may be temporary for the Class of 2021, but for others it is a permanent update in their holistic review process. Either way, standardised testing has/will/may become less significant in the landscape of college admissions. Stay tuned...work in progress.
Click on the highlighted titles below to find:
Click on the highlighted titles below to find:
How to Register Online
Seoul Foreign School is a closed testing center. This means we only offer testing spaces for Seoul Foreign School students. When registering, you will not see Seoul Foreign School listed as a testing center. In order to reserve a testing space at Seoul Foreign School, you will need the SFS test center code, which you will enter during the registration process.
Please contact your counselor to receive the private test center code.
Leaving SFS?
We are sad to see you go but want to support you in your transition. If you are moving or transferring to a new school, please complete this form to begin the withdrawal process from SFS.
Seoul Foreign School is a closed testing center. This means we only offer testing spaces for Seoul Foreign School students. When registering, you will not see Seoul Foreign School listed as a testing center. In order to reserve a testing space at Seoul Foreign School, you will need the SFS test center code, which you will enter during the registration process.
Please contact your counselor to receive the private test center code.
Leaving SFS?
We are sad to see you go but want to support you in your transition. If you are moving or transferring to a new school, please complete this form to begin the withdrawal process from SFS.