britt blog: dfbritt.blogspot.com
web site: www.dfbritt.com
email: britt.mx@gmail.com

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Happy Holidays from Britt!

               Happy Holidays from Britt!

Best wishes to our friends and students in Mexico and around the world.  To celebrate, we're offering 

A Wonderful Discount on TOEFL prep programs 
and private Spanish classes! 

Take Advantage of 2012 Prices on Jan. '13 Programs...Plus take a
 


15 % Special Holiday Discount
To take advantage of this special offer, just mention this promotion when you  make payment. 
Registration must be made before December 20, 2012. 

Discount may be applied to any TOEFL prep or language class--not to test application.
No other discounts or promotions apply.
Applicable to a full month of Spanish classes.
Complete advance payment must be made for discount to apply.
Credit cards not accepted.
Registrations are accepted only for classes starting in January, 2013. Subject to availability.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

11 important webinars in the month of Nov....



    Online Events     

Jueves, 15 de noviembre
Improving your Listening on the TOEFL iBTRegístrate aquí

Martes, 20 de noviembre
Choosing a University / Cómo Elegir una Universidad
Favor de registrarse: aquí

Miércoles, 21 de noviembre
Improving your Speaking on the TOEFL iBTRegístrate aquí

Martes, 27 de noviembre
Admissions Exams for U.S. Study / Exámenes de Admisión para Estudiar en EEUUFavor de registrarse: aquí

Martes, 27 de noviembre
Improving your Writing on the TOEFL iBT
Regístrate aquí

Viernes, 30 de noviembre
Note Taking on the TOEFL iBTRegístrate aquí

Thursday, October 25, 2012

30K PhD scholarship offer from USC...


USC Announces the USC Global Fellowship for International PhD students; 5 for Mexico



A new prestigious award for PhD studies at USC has been founded, and one of its objectives is to attract the most talented and sought-after students from Mexico to USC.  Called the USC Global Fellowships, the award will go to outstanding applicants to any USC PhD program. The awards include full tuition, year-round health and dental insurance, and an annual stipend of $30,000. USC hopes to award at least five fellowships to candidates from Mexico in 2012.

USC's global fellowship programs are designed to attract and serve outstanding PhD students from regions around the world.  Global fellowships represent the highest level of fellowship funding offered by the university. Students receive support packages consisting of two years of fellowship and either two or three additional years of support, depending on their PhD program, in the form of teaching assistantships, research assistantships, or additional fellowships. 
As a leading private research university, USC is engaged in a broad range of research activity, and has more than 300 graduate programs in 17 professional schools and the Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences.  Fellowships are available in all fields of study except clinical medicine and other programs that are subject to clinical fees. Applicants should preferably be eligible for support from CONACYT.

Applicants from Mexico please contact Angela McCracken at angela@usc.edu or +52 (55) 5202-8822 for further information.

Friday, October 12, 2012

College admissions essays: advice, tips, tricks...


Applying to college involves more than filling out some paperwork and submitting your high school transcripts with a list of your achievements. You will also have to write an essay. Even if you’re a straight-A student who also happens to be a published author, writing your college application essay can be incredibly nerve-wracking.

Writing a good college application essay is important. After all, it could technically make or break your chances of getting into your dream school. How? If two students applying to the same college have similar grades, test scores, and extracurricular activities yet one wrote a fantastic essay while the other’s was mediocre … well, you get the drift.

College Application Essay Prompts and Questions

Nearly 500 colleges and universities now accept the Common Application, which requires students to answer one of the required essay prompts in 250 to 500 words. If you’re applying to more than one college—which is “common” when filling out the Common App—you will still submit the same admission essay to all of the schools. (Some colleges do request a customized essay, but they request it on a supplement form.)
You’ll quickly realize that even the maximum 500 word requirement isn’t very long. If you keep your sentences short and sweet, it’s possible to get your message across and hopefully knock the socks off of the admissions officers who read your essay. Here are 10 other college application essay tips and tricks to consider:
1. Write about the given topic. College applications—including the Common App—often present students with multiple essay prompts. It’s up to the student to decide which prompt to choose. These prompts can be questions to answer, fill-in-the-blanks, or something else entirely. Read them carefully and make sure you understand what you are supposed to write about.
2. Don’t just re-word your application. Your college application itself is already highlighting your academic achievements and extracurricular activities. If you volunteer at a pet shelter on the weekends, take music lessons, or have a part-time job—and you’ve mentioned these things on your application—try to cover another aspect of your life in your essay.
7. Proofread and revise. You’ll feel a sense of accomplishment when you finish writing your essay, but resist the urge to click “submit” as soon as you’re done. You will want to proofread for spelling and grammatical errors and possibly even revise your essay.
8. Read it out loud. When you think you’re finished, read your essay out loud. If it sounds a little bit “off,” then chances are something isn’t written the way you intended for it to be.

9. Seek feedback, but don’t go overboard. It’s a good idea to share your essay with your English teacher or guidance counselor, but you don’t have to seek feedback from every adult you know. Getting opinion after opinion on your work might drive you crazy or cause you to trash your essay and start from scratch—which is probably unnecessary.

10. Try not to stress out. Even though applying to college stresses out a lot of people, try your best to stay grounded. You shouldn’t take your application essay lightly, but you should also remind yourself that it’s an essay. It’s not the end of the world! You’ll have to write plenty of other essays in your lifetime.

Read More:

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Britt's new QR code...


Seems everybody has their own "QR Code" now, so we decided we should have one too!  Take a pic of the image below or copy it from you pc browser.  It will take you to the Britt web site (www.dfbritt.com).  Pass it along to your friends!


Want to make your own QU code?  you can have it encoded to link to your web site, your email, your Facebook, most anywhere!  Or maybe you want aps to read codes?
Here's a good site: www.qrcodegenerator.com.

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Meet Harvard, Georgetown, Stanford, Duke, U. of Pa.,,,

Mark your calenders for Sept. 10 and reserve below if you'd like admission info. from these outstanding universities.  It will be help at the American School...

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

TOEFL iBT webinars starting August 10...


Don't miss these free TOEFL iBT webinars in August!
Click below to register for the first one on Aug. 10.
Send an email to the rep. below to receive future invitations.



How to attend:

Click on the link provided below and follow the instructions.


César Maldonado 
TOEFL iBT Outreach Officer


Wednesday, August 1, 2012

MBA Tour coming to Mexico City Aug. 7...

The MBA Tour

This is one of the most important MBA tours that will be visiting Mexico City this year.  If you're interested in an MBA, you'll need to take the GMAT and TOEFL exam--which we can help you prepare for!

Reúnete con las mejores escuelas de negocios del mundo
Ciudad de México 
Martes 7 de agosto
Hotel St. Regis
Paseo de la Reforma 439
Col. Cuauhtémoc
Ciudad de México
Regístrate gratis
Video: Why The MBA Tour?

Páneles MBA: Cubren temas de admisión - solicitud de ingreso, financiamiento y búsqueda de carrera

Presentación de Escuelas:Compara programas fácilmente
Feria MBA: Encuentro uno a uno con los directores de admisión y ex alumnos

Conoce a tus compañeros de MBA y amplia tu red de contactos

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
YouTube
Blog
Google+

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

iBT Listening practice webinar on July 13th...

Improving your Listening on the TOEFL iBT! 

Friday, July 13th at 4 pm

  • See an overview of the Listening section on the TOEFL iBT 
  • Receive suggestions as to how you can study for the Listening section of the test
  • Get ideas from other students on ways that have worked for them
  • Feel more confident when you get to the Listening section of the test

 




*Make sure you have speakers and a microphone so that you can interact. I suggest you log in fifteen minutes ahead of time so that you can fix any technical difficulties that may arise.

Saturday, July 7, 2012

TOEFL Prep for Spanish Speakers available at Global Books


Global Books
Gante 4A, Centro, D.F.

TOEFL Prep for Spanish Speakers , by Greg Britt, is now available at Global Books in downtown Mexico City.  It's seen here, currently displayed in the front window of the store (first row, second from left, by the "dummy" books.)  It's priced at 380. pesos (compared with 400. at American Bookstore, and aprox. $26. USD in the U.S., at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc.)

Special thanks to Cristian for taking the picture.  

And "triple congratulations" go out to Cristian and another former student Ma. Fernanda.
Both have recently passed the TOEFL, both will start law degrees in Washington D.C., and the two are engaged to be married this month! 

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Special orientation session for new USA students...

On your way to the USA to study for the first time?
Here's an orientation session you should sign up for.
You'll learn about university life, medical insurance, security, transportation, housing, etc.
Sign up for the July 19th event by clicking the link below...


Monday, June 4, 2012

New TOEFL iBT Resource Center...


The Institute of International Education Office for Latin America located in Mexico City, now has a center specifically devoted to the TOEFL iBT exam.  César Maldonado is your new TOEFL iBT Outreach Officer. If you are a student, a parent, school counselor or are simply interested in learning more about the TOEFL iBT exam, these are just a few things he can assist you with:


  • Answer the question  What is the TOEFL iBT all about?
  • Direct you to and help you with your TOEFL iBT registration
  • Find TOEFL iBT testing centers close to you
  • Offer you a step-by-step guide on how best to prepare for the TOEFL iBT
  • Give you tips and discuss strategies on how to do well on the TOEFL iBT
  • Recommend materials that will help you improve your TOEFL iBT score
  • Discuss the costs of your TOEFL iBT investment
  • And link you to my colleagues at the EducationUSA center, experts on universities in the U.S. where the TOEFL iBT is an application requirement for admission 


Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Follow-up on future PBT test dates...


TOEFL® PBT Test Centers and Dates


OK, Today we get a little good news from ETS.  But not much!  They have just announced today that one PBT will be scheduled for Mexico City (the only one in the country) on August 18, 2012.  No doubt, places will fill quickly, so don't delay if you want a place.  That just might be the last PBT for Mexico, but we never know for sure.

We went ahead and checked all new PBT dates in the world.  The only other tests that will be remotely close to Mexico will have tests on August 18, and November 17, 2012:

Seattle, WA. and Kailvakona, HI. USA, Sucre, Bolivia, and Belize City, Belize.

A very good excuse to go to Hawaii!  (Otherwise, the testing locations will be no closer than Europe).

Monday, May 7, 2012

Very bad news from ETS...


We've been expecting this for years...but every year they continued adding 6 more PBT exams in Mexico.  Now the official announcement is posted on the ETS web site that the paper-based official TOEFL test is being phased out.  We thought maybe they would add more PBT tests just because there are not enough iBT options in Mexico City--so many applicants have to leave the city to take the test.  But that does not seem to be the case...it's now May 7, the last scheduled PBT was May 5, and no new test dates are appearing on the ETS site.  So now you will have to take the iBT if ITP is not accepted.  Or travel to some very faraway land where limited PBT's might be administered due to lack of Internet capabilities...perhaps some Latin American countries will still offer it--we'll have to see.  We will continue preparing students for ITP (which we administer) and iBT.  We'll also add a IELTS prep program soon--some applicants find the speaking section is easier since it's administered as a live interview, not just speaking to a pc.  Here's the announcement:

TOEFLETS. Listening. Learning. Leading.


TOEFL® Paper-based Test to Be Phased Out

The TOEFL® PBT test, administered in a paper-based format, will be phased out starting in mid-2012. In some regions, the last TOEFL PBT test administration will be in May 2012. You can take the TOEFL PBT test until that time and submit your scores to institutions and agencies for two years after your test date.
When the TOEFL iBT® test was launched in 2005, ETS established a transition period to allow continued use of the paper-based test in countries where infrastructure issues limited our ability to offer the TOEFL iBT test. These issues included unreliable electrical service, Internet connectivity issues and other factors.
Currently, 96 percent of TOEFL test takers worldwide take the TOEFL iBT test and access continues to expand. Also, the TOEFL iBT test is desired by universities because it measures all four communication skills — reading, writing, listening and speaking. For these and other reasons, we feel it is time to end paper-based testing.
ETS remains committed to providing access for anyone who wants to take the TOEFL test. Please be assured that ETS is making every effort to ensure that individuals living in areas where the TOEFL PBT test is currently administered will be able to test.
Learn more about the TOEFL iBT Test.

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

No shipping on English books to Mexico...

books
Here's a web site we recommend if you're looking for new English language books.  The shipping is free to Mexico!  There are only new books (not used), but with pretty good prices.  We've ordered several books from this site.  Need a copy of TOEFL Prep for Spanish Speakers?  You can find it here.!  If you order before May 14th, you can take an extra 10% discount, using this code:  APMA12


No shipping, no Customs charges, discounted rates, and an extra 10%!


  An extra 10% OFF everything

The Book DepositoryOn top of already discounted prices. No minimum spend. Free delivery worldwide.

Monday, April 16, 2012

Virtual student fair scheduled for April 21...


Here's a student fair you can attend without leaving home!

Hobsons’ Virtual Student Fair
Date: April 21, 2012
Time: 11:00hrs - 17:00hrs
Some features of this event:


  • Get admissions information from U.S. colleges and universities: chat live with them when you log in!
  • Chat with international students like you who are already on campus
  • Watch student video webcasts and download them.
  • Be eligible to win USD3,000 in scholarships- all you need to do is follow these 2 easy steps: 1) Register Online and 2) Attend the Fair.

Monday, April 2, 2012

April 19th info. session for Comexus scholarship info...

Estudios de Posgrado




How to Choose and Finance a Graduate Program
with COMEXUS

Date: Thursday, April 19, 2012
Time: 16:00 to 18:00
Place: EducationUSA Advising Center in the Benjamin Franklin Library
Cupo límite: 50

Hear from our EducationUSA advisors who will talk about the process of applying to a graduate school program, scholarships, financial aid, the student visa, and mandatory exams such as the TOEFL iBT and GRE. *This information session qualifies you for a follow-up one on one advising session.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

CONACYT-FUNED 2012 scholarship program announced...

Programa Conjunto CONACYT – FUNED 2012 


CONACYT and FUNED have just launched their application for joint funding for 2012! Successful applicants will receive a scholarship of $20,000 for their M.A. program in the social sciences, business, and science fields that FUNED finances. In addition, students would receive a loan from FUNED to complement the scholarship. This scholarship/loan is available for students who have already applied and been accepted to the university program. Please click here for more information.

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Choosing & financing programs & schools...upcoming info sessions...



How to Choose a Graduate Program of Study with COMEXUS
Date: Monday, March 5, 2012
Time: 16:00 to 18:00
Place: EducationUSA Advising Center in the Benjamin Franklin Library
Capacity: 45
Did you know that there are over 2,000 graduate programs in the U.S.? We’ll help you search for and compare programs and find options that fit your goals/interests.

   
La licenciatura en los EUA y cómo financiarla
Fecha: jueves, 8 de marzo, 2012
Hora: 16:00 a 17:30
Cupo límite: 45
Lugar: El centro de asesoría de EducationUSA en la Biblioteca Benjamín Franklin
Entérate sobre becas y apoyo financiero, la visa estudiantil, los exámenes de entrada incluso el TOEFL iBT, ACT y SAT, cómo lograr admisión, y educación superior en los EUA. *Después de asistir esta sesión informativa, tienes la posibilidad de arreglar una cita individual.

   Cómo elegir una carrera universitaria
Fecha: Jueves 22 de marzo, 2012
Hora: 16:00-17:30
Cupo límite: 45
Lugar: El centro de asesoría de EducationUSA en la Biblioteca Benjamín Franklin
Explora tus intereses y opciones para la carrera. Aprende cómo se define un “major” y “minor” (enfoques académicos) y cómo caben dentro de un programa académico de “liberal arts,” sistema típico estadounidense.

Friday, February 17, 2012

9 reasons NOT to choose a college...

Graduates
It’s that time of year again! High school seniors are anxiously waiting to find out if they were accepted by their dream colleges. Don’t have a dream college? You’re not alone.
There are dozens of determining factors when selecting the right school for you. Depending on your unique situation, some factors will weigh more heavily than others.
Figuring out how to pick the right college can be a challenge, but we’ve compiled nine of the wrong reasons to pick a school below:


1.  You're following friends.  Going to the same college as your boyfriend, girlfriend or BGG might sound like a good idea now, but the tables could turn a few weeks into the semester.  People change at college--a lot.  College is a time of growth--time to make new friends. 
2. Your parents went there.Some parents want their children to attend the same college they did. Your mom or dad might have loved the place, but that doesn't necessarily mean you will.

3. Tuition is ultra-cheap (or ultra-expensive.) The cost of a college education is a big deal, but cheaper (or pricier) doesn't necessarily mean better. Cost alone should not be your only deciding factor.

4. They offered you a huge scholarship. A $20,000 college scholarship sounds great … and it is! But just remember that it might be spread across four years, and a $5000 discount per year might not put much of a dent in the tuition at a pricy private university. (Some are $50,000 per year and up!)

5. You’re a big fan of their sports teams. Just because you love watching their games on TV isn’t a great reason to go to college there. After all, football is fun but you’ll do a lot more than tailgate during your college career!

6. It’s the only school you applied to. Even if you have your heart set on a particular college, apply to one or two others. You never know what you might be missing out on.

7. It’s in New York City (or near the beach, or in the mountains, or…) Some students attend a college that’s close to home so they can avoid paying room and board, which means that the school’s location was an important deciding factor when picking the college. Choosing a college because it’s far from home or in a particular city may not be the best idea, though. You might wind up at a school that you hate because you thought being near the beach sounded cool.

8. It’s a party school. It’s completely possible to have an active social life at any college. Choosing a school because a magazine claims it has the most keg parties in America isn’t necessary to have a good time during your college years.

9. It has a prestigious reputation. A degree from an Ivy League college might look good on your resume, but choosing a college simply because of its rep is fairly superficial. Yes, you will receive a quality education, but does the school’s cost really justify going there for the sake of its name? In most cases, a good student can succeed at any college.

Wondering how to pick the right college for you? StateUniversity.com is a comprehensive resource full of information you can use. Search schools by state, ranking, program, size, cost, and more! Use our School Comparison Tool to compare up to 4 colleges and universities at once.