Thursday 29 October 2015

On Nayantara Sahgal


If for one thing she is to be remembered is at least for the stories that she had to tell as the niece of the first Prime Minister of India. But she has even more to offer - she is a non-conformist, she challenges your comfort unobtrusively and you feel somewhat calmed by her words and her stunning presence. Take a look at the two articles and if possible, read a few things from her own pen!


I have assigned Aniqa with the following reading - she will return the item in 3 days.

Sunday 25 October 2015

SECOND Notice of the Performance Tomorrow

It has long been a part of Logophiles to attend theatre performances. This year we had been not so lucky, thanks to my fractured patella. Coming Monday, 26th October, we will go and watch a প্রাচ্যনাট production A Man For All Seasons. Follow the link below to see a few pictures from the play. The link goes to প্রাচ্যনাট website. http://prachyanat.org/production/man-seasons/

The tickets will be from 100 Taka. You may invite your parents, relatives, friends - I will be very glad to welcome them to this critically acclaimed প্রাচ্যনাট production. 

Time: 6.45 pm - 8.45 pm
Venue: জাতীয় নাট্যশালা, Shilpakala Academy, Shegunbagicha  (শিল্পকলা একাডেমী, সেগুনবাগিচা, ঢাকা)
Ticket: 100

Since the performance is on the FINAL day of a Festival, I strongly advice to order the TICKETS in advance. It is going to be almost impossible to get one on the SHOW day.

WORKS Today

Five of us [Zayed, Ifrat, Manjurul, & Shadman] working here today. I am feeling quite productive today - will be finalizing a very important document today for the November Deadline. 

Three of our students are now on their TOEFL exam - I hope when they are done, we shall ask them to give us a TALK on how to go for TOEFL in the coming weeks.

Just FINALIZED an SOP - the FIRST document of the season. Work concluded at 12.35 pm.

Financial Papers

Documents the Colleges / Universities require
First 4 mandatory,
Last 2 optional
1.      ISFAA is the Paper Version of CSS Profile. If you fill this up then CSS profile is easy to finalize.
2.      CSS Profile – needs to be filled up online.
3.      There is a FEE for CSS Profile. But you can ask the colleges to send you a CODE – so that you can use CSS Profile as FREE.
4.      Tax Paper from Bangladesh – try to use English Form – otherwise get the Bengali Form Translated.
5.      Bank Statement / Deposit Statement from Post Office / mÂqcÎ   
The following items are NOT mandatory but you SHOULD keep it prepared – so that when needed, you may send.
1.      Employer Statement / Salary Statement[most of the colleges do NOT need it]
2.      Notary Affidavit [most of the colleges do NOT need it – but it is a good idea to send].
3.      Collect the SAMPLE from me.

Additional Item
1.      Certificate of Finance [published by College Board] – All college/uni will require it.
2.      This FORM requires a Seal and Signature from BANK.
3.      If the BANK does NOT agree, then you will write FIND Attached on the space.



Saturday 24 October 2015

Supplementary ESSAY Grid - URGENTLY NEEDED

Grid Sample [Please use MS Word Format]: I liked this format below (sent by Bushra)


No.
College Name
Deadline
Supp Essay Topics
Strength of program
1
Agnes Scott College
E.D.-1st
Early Action- 15th 
Early Action II- 15th 
Regular Decision- 15th 
1. Please tell us why you chose to apply to ...
2. At .... through direct experience or by observation of another leader?
3. What global issue can you imagine yourself addressing during your time at ...?
4. Please indicate your current experience for your number one sport choice.
The ... Major is made of Chem, X, Y, Z Courses. It is pretty robust. There are summer research programs where students can engage with faculty.

Unworthy QUESTIONS and Appropriate Responses: This is how I opened my DAY

All these questions has already been addressed in the last 3 months. If you still have query, please talk to others in the class. SAT-II subject combination is given in Stress Book-I, so check there. But, since I can see that you are completely DE-MOTIVATED and would not take the above advice for a good response - here are my responses. 

  1. No STUDENT in the HISTORY of Anglophiles gave SAT only ONCE. So, yes - you must repeat DECEMBER SAT-I. 
  2. You have already misused your SAT-II preparation time and that's why you are thinking of shifting the SAT-II. Yet, it is possible to improve the SAT-II score to perfect 800 by working 16 hours per day for the next 5 days. So, total working hours will be 16x5=80.
  3. Your SAT-I score carries high percentiles in spite of below 1800 marks. So, in my opinion, it is a SOLID score for applying to IVY Leagues. No compensation is necessary.
  4. Math and Physics are enough for SAT-II subjects. Chemistry is NOT mandatory.
  5. Working on a Research Paper requires CHARACTER not TIME. You have TIME - but I am afraid you do NOT have the required CHARACTER. In 2013-14 session one student sent her SECOND Research Paper - ONE Month AFTER the Deadline. She got acceptance from 12 colleges. Her best SAT Score was below 1800.
  6. I have already been DISTRIBUTING students of LOGOPHILES to different institutions. 

Listed BELOW are the QUESTIONS of someone - whose IDENTITY has been kept undisclosed for understandable reasons.  
  1. Should I repeat SAT in December? If not, could I give the SAT II in December instead of November? 
  2. How much should I aim for to a minimum in SAT II so that it compensates for SAT? 
  3. Would it be wise to take Maths IC instead of Chemistry? 
  4. Is it too late to start a Research Paper? 
  5. Is there any institutions that I could join for volunteering or community service so that I can add to my ECA? 

Friday 23 October 2015

Required Reading - FILM + Class Plan for Tomorrow


This is to request Abir and Labib to go through the WIKI entry on the 2014 film INTERSTELLAR. If anyone else is interested, please go ahead. We shall discuss a few challenges in logical-reasoning with relation to this film. 


Tomorrow I will only meet SAADMAN (for SOP finalization) and LABIB only. The rest of the others may come over - but I will NOT be available for interaction. 

Some REVEALING Blog Posts

Who will BELL the Cat

Click the links to the Admissions Pages. Here they are:

TUFTS Admission Page
U Chicago
Stanford Admission Page
CalTech [No Admission Yet] 
Dartmouth
U of Notre Dame [No Admission Yet]

They will give emphasis on SAT-II score.

Thursday 22 October 2015

Advice on TOEFL from Tahiat

Here is an post from LAST Year. Those who are preparing for TOEFL are advised to go through this 2 min reading. Note that he has specifically mentioned YouTube lessons by NOTEFULL. The website can be accessed below. But read Tahiat's post-TOEFL mail first.

  1. Post-TOEFL Advice by Tahiat
  2. NOTEFULL advice and Video Clips on TOEFL

Wednesday 21 October 2015

All UNDERGRAD Applicants Expected Tomorrow

Important meeting tomorrow. If unable to attend - please notify through MAIL. Manjurul will be absent.
At home concentrate on the SAT - Subject tests.
Look for important ONLINE Free Courses on different disciplines. You may use this info for your Common App. 

A Glimpse of LIFE Here - HERE - Well, Here indeed


 
 
7:33 AM
Hello Sir,



How have you been? I'm sorry it took me so long to be in touch, but please hear me out. So it's been a couple of months here, and I can't remember a time when my family and I actually had a peaceful moment: renting a place to stay in New York and buying a car, working with banks and insurance. Apparently they have insurance for EVERYTHING. 
Life is impossible here without a job, so I took up a job in Dunkin Donuts shortly after I landed. It wasn't so bad, since I daily got free coffee and donuts. I spent my savings mostly exploring New York and buying art supplies, also stocking up on warm clothes for winter. Here, Istiak, Adib, Ishmam and I had a mini Anglophiles hangout, and I had a couple more with Ishmam. Honestly, it is all fun and games as long as we have fat wallets. I recently quit Dunkin and applied as a hostess in an exquisite hotel near Times Square. If I get the job, I might as well pay you a visit before college starts. So yes, they pay a decent amount of money, including tips. Not to mention its a French restaurant. Which explains why I'm so excited about all the food and wine. 
Also, I made around 70USD as an artist in New York, so being unemployed is not so bad right now. 

You won't believe where I went a couple of weeks ago. I visited Mount Holyoke College! The campus is absolutely beautiful in fall, and I didn't like the idea of waiting a whole year for that. I stayed with Raidah and she was the best host ever. It was a fun weekend, getting my way around the campus and visiting Smith and Hampshire colleges. I almost met Topojit, I mean I saw him but he went away before I could catch up. However, I recently got a mail from Mount Holyoke. They reviewed my FAFSA and I received a couple of grants so I'll be paying $11,300 including everything. I think it's a pretty good deal, considering how we planned on $12,000

Enough about me now. I heard about your accident, I hope you're doing well now. I'm sorry sir I had to leave so early. We were supposed to meet again but I got to know about my flight just four days before the departure. I had to wrap my life in Dhanmondi within these four days and help shift my father to Bashundhara. I don't know when I'll be back, at least not within the next two to three years. I miss everything about Dhaka. Sadly, nobody realizes this once you're out of there. I think now its safe to tell you our Anglophiles saying, "USA jaite parle toh life set!" I suppose you can tell the heavy sarcasm with a hint of desperation. 
Anyway, I hope to hear from you soon sir. If it makes you feel any better, not a single day passes without my mother saying, "Sir akbare size kore dise toder." Considering how we're not only prepared for college here, we're prepared for life anywhere. 

Samiha. 

Tuesday 20 October 2015

Pompeii

Imagining Pompeii is not an easy task especially when you know that it ceased pulsating with life and have been used as a metaphor for 'last days'.

Can anyone extend this opening/middle/end to an essay that is both contemporary and localized?

Lot of Essays

I have received the LARGEST number of essays on a single day TODAY. I have now become a little more ambitious - so, let's go for 15 essays per day for the next three DAYS.

When you have the HIGHEST number of REJECTS - only then you will start hearing from me in a SUBDUED manner.

Here is a painting (Lesser Ury 1861-1931) - anyone willing to write an essay should first read the first chapter of Return of the Native - a novel by Thomas Hardy.

Our class concluded today exactly at 3.00 pm. We meet again tomorrow at 8.00 am for more essays. I will also assign at least ONE research title. 

No Adjectives + Another 10 Hour Work Today

Image result for adjectivesThou shalt NOT use any adjective intended for evaluation in your Why College Essays.

I will again be working another 10 hour today. I expect everyone to send me minimum 5 essays. Additionally send me an ECA Grid based on the SAMPLE shown in the class. 

Monday 19 October 2015

How Many Essays

8-15 Essays Per Day. This includes the supplements of different colleges.
Image result for essays
 

A Mail with an Underline

Our Class Continues Beyond 7 Hours

We are working non-stop today for the 7th hour continuing - this is the first taste of how our classes shall evolve into. The will gradually become Cold-Monstrous-Gravelike where you do nothing but write and WRITE and write.

Every Activity List MUST have some sort of story to tell. Remember, there is so LITTLE ROOM beneath it. 

Sunday 18 October 2015

Only for Those Who Are Seriously Interested in THEATRE

PictureMashrour's Theatre Workshop at ARENA

I am willing to recommend only 2 students to this 4 Week long workshop. Please follow the link to find out more. It may be noted that Prachyanat School of Acting and Design runs a comprehensive theatre workshop that results in a 6 Month Diploma Certificate. If you are interested to join this program - you need to sign up from January 2016.

I will only allow MAXIMUM two from our class who have proven an KEEN interest in theatre and who have shown enough prospect of eligibility (through submission of good number of essays) for ED.

Saturday 17 October 2015

Literature Class Tomorrow


I will take a SAT-II Literature Class tomorrow morning from 9 to 12. I will also work with individual students from 2 pm till 6 pm. Those who are yet to submit Recommendations are advised to do so as early as possible. The two days I could not meet a few of you for different reasons. From tomorrow we resume our regular works.

SAT-I and SAT - II Mock on Monday Morning. Test begins at 8.30 am and continues till 12.00. For SAT-II please make sure that you bring your own books and calculators. Saadman shall join me for SOP from 9.00 am onwards - we intend to work till 6 pm. Aniqa shall join me at 3 pm to work till 6.00 pm. I will fix the time for Afrida and Maisha later on.

Thursday 15 October 2015

Working ALONE today

I will be here in the class till 12. Only Abir is likely to join me for an hour. 

Wednesday 14 October 2015

Resume

Zayed, Bushra, Susan - Please show me your Resume in 15 min from now. Abir, can you send me a resume from home - if that is not too troublesome? Azima, can you too?

Note the post on Loose and Periodic Sentences

Image result for urgent noteI would like to ask you to incorporate a VERY Balanced Combination of these TWO Types of sentences to your CA Essays and Probably those Supplements that require a flair of Creative Writing.

The rest of the essay types - Add Info, Why Essays - should NOT include these TWO Types of sentences.