Alecko Eskandarian: Overview of a Soccer Career in the US (Part 1)

Carie Goldberg, founder of Gold Standard Sports, is a highly regarded sports manager based out of Los Angeles. She has been kind enough to put Brazil College Counseling in touch with one of her clients and a friend, the MLS-soccer-player-turned-assistant coach, the very gracious Alecko Eskandrian.

Alecko's career in Major League Soccer was probably influenced early on by his father, who was part of the New York Cosmos and the Iranian National Football Team. During his high school years, Alecko was awarded the Gatorade National Athlete of the Year Award. In 2003, Alecko was the #1 draft pick at the 2003 MLS Super Draft.

BCC: What can you tell a Brazilian soccer player about the benefits of playing in the United States at the high school or college level?

AE: The greatest benefit is gaining an education that will last for the rest of your life and open doors for future employment opportunities, because as we all know, a soccer career doesn't last forever.

BCC: What are coaches looking for? How does one get their attention?

AE: Coaches are looking for good soccer players with strong character. There are many different ways to get a coach's attention, but the best way to start is by simply contacting them.

BCC: If there was a timeline of things to do to be recruited (and the Brazilian high school system is only three years long) what would it look like?

AE: Difficult to say. Coaches are always looking for good players. Many of the top players in the US are known within the Academy or youth national team system, so that is the best avenue to search for the best players. For an unknown international, simply contact the coaches and initiate conversation to see if there is any interest.

BCC: Is English totally necessary?

AE:No.

BCC: How do I know I will fit in at a school and on a team?

AE: That is for you to decide. Visit the school, speak to the coaches and students, ask questions.

BCC: Which schools have great soccer teams (HS or college)?

AE: The University of Virginia. :)

BCC: Are Brazilians players welcomed in the US by other players?

AE:Of course!

BCC: What are the downsides of playing professional soccer?

AE:Injuries.

BCC: What is the hardest lesson to learn about the sport?

AE:Discipline, commitment, pressure, dealing with failure as well as success, consistency, etc etc. It is not easy to be a successful professional athlete, and a lot of hard work and preparation is necessary before you even get close to the soccer field.

BCC: Are there any outreach programs for really great soccer playing kids from very poor (international) areas?

AE:I'm not exactly sure. At the moment, the best outreach programs are through hearsay because a lot of time and money is now being invested in developing the American youth soccer system. There is no secret recipe or protocol or avenue of communication that ensures a path to US high school or college soccer, but simply reaching out and having a CV or video of highlights can go a long way. I can only speak for myself, but if I am contacted with that type of information then it will be much easier for me to help you or at least direct you to someone else who might be better suited to help.

To read more about the amazing Alecko Eskandarian, please visit his Wikipedia page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alecko_Eskandarian

Kool Kristine: Majorly on My Mind

There’s a lot to consider when you choose a major. When deliberating on your choice, a lot of the focus seems to be on jobs and life after college—will all of the money and time you put into your undergrad years get you a job? Will the job be the one you want? Will it pay enough for the life style you want? Will it pay off your student loans?

These are all important questions, and ones that I have encountered more than I’d like as an English major. These days, the sciences get attention as the bread-earning, intellectual, progressive, and useful degrees. English, the imaginative cousin to the sciences, is generally eschewed as an impractical degree for kids-at-heart who want to live La Vie Boheme in some ruthless and liberal city as a struggling, albeit brilliant, writer. (I’m the first to admit I’ll probably end up starving in Paris one day with a manuscript in my hands and not enough Euro for wine, but that’s besides the point.)

I chose to major in English because I think reading and writing is fun, I enjoy the challenge of my literature classes, and I love being able to go to a fiction workshop and let my imagination revert to my six year old self for ten minutes for a prompt. But, once I have a diploma in my hand and it’s time for me to confront the “real world”, I think that an English degree will provide me with the flexibility I need—let’s face it, who can predict what they’ll need at fifty when they’re nineteen?

I will always use the writing skills that I’ve developed to write in my own time in the hopes of one day publishing a novel, but I am also eligible to write and edit for magazines, work for an independent publishing house in the city of my choice, write grants for non-profits, or maybe become a professor. Freelancing is always an option as well, and there’s always the hope of surpassing J.K. Rowling as the most successful children’s writer ever. So, though English may not be Pre-Med, I have plenty of options once I graduate. Best of all, these options all fit the life I envision for myself, at least as of today. But, with the flexibility of an English degree, I have no doubts that whatever changes I encounter, my degree will be worth the time and money I poured into it.

So, whether you’re leaning towards Dance, English, Theatre, Communications, Physical Therapy, Philosophy, Forestry, Education, Biology, Environmental Science, Pre-Med, Chemistry, Math, or Art, make sure it is a degree that will fit you: your goals, your strengths, what you think is fun and interesting and useful, the kind of work you want to do when you grow up, how early you want to retire, and—if you have a change of heart in the middle of the career ladder—whether or not your degree has ample shock absorbers to deal with the pot holes and rapid change of direction in your life.

Kool Kristine: Choosing Universities

I have invited a regular guest blogger- a college student- an avid writer- a very sharp intellectual and an all around great kid to contribute to the blog. This is the first of several installments from Kool Kristine- life as seen from her quick snap shots of the college journey.

When the spring of my junior year of high school rolled around, picking what colleges I wanted to apply to felt a little bit like playing Jeopardy. Each school was a different flashy price tag, almost as equally appealing as the next.

“University of Denver—yeah, I can see myself going to school in Colorado. University of Portland looks like it has a super great dining hall! Oh, but I might be able to learn how to sail and do the rowing team if I go to Western. But Lewis and Clark has such an awesome campus and they serve ice cream at every meal…I guess I’ll apply to the University of Montana and University of Idaho too. Reasonably priced, and all that.”

The summer before senior I visited the schools that were the easiest to get to, and was finally able to list them from where I most wanted to go, to where I thought I’d be the most miserable. This was roughly my thought process for my top three choices:

• Lewis and Clark: A liberal arts school with a beautiful campus in wonderful Portland, Oregon near my family. The English Department looked pretty good, I liked the tour guide, and my interview with someone involved in admissions—I wasn’t sure exactly who—seemed to like me, and knew about my high school. This was a university that my college counselors wanted me to go to, and even though the tuition sticker price was way above anything my family and I could reasonably pay for I wanted to go there no matter what it would cost me.
• Western Washington University: A larger public school was appealing to me because I went to a small private high school, and Western was a good size. Not too big, not too small. I loved the campus and I have a lot of family within a few hours of Bellingham. I was very interested in the English department, and being a resident of Idaho I was eligible for the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) scholarship, which would make attending a public university out of state much more affordable. (More on that later.)
• University of Montana: This was one of those schools I tossed up to the third of my list because so many people had recommended it to me. The English Department at UM is particularly well known for their Creative Writing program, which is what I wanted to major in. Along with this, I was also eligible for the WUE and it was close enough to home to make moving and living there easier than being any further away. The first time I visited I didn’t have any strong feelings for the campus, especially since I already had my sights set WWU or Lewis and Clark. I liked Missoula, but would rather have been in Bellingham or Portland.

What ended up making my decision about where to go to school was not what campus had the nicest buildings, what it cost, what type of food was served, or whether anyone thought I’d fit in better somewhere else. I chose to go to the University of Montana for no one but myself due to the stellar reputation of the faculty and the Creative Writing program. On top of this, UM has all of the benefits of both large and small schools, it’s close enough yet just far enough away from home, and affordable, even for out of state students like me. Once I visited campus again I was able to see how much I liked the atmosphere of Missoula and UM itself, and visiting with the advisor of the English Department only made me more ecstatic about where I was going to go to school.

Choosing a university is a very personal process; you have to earn a degree and consider where you want it to take you, what opportunities might arise, who you might meet, what city you want to live in, and what you want to do while you’re not actively pursuing your education. Out of all of the universities in the world, picking one you want to attend might feel a little bit like spinning the Jeopardy wheel and letting the ticker land where it may. As a veteran of the process, all I can say is that it’s best to think long term and below the superficial surface of what appeals to you in a university. Apply to some schools even if you don’t think you’re bananas over them, because a month or two down the road you might change your mind. When the deadlines stare you in the face and demand a decision, chose a university where you think you’ll be the happiest and receive the best education and degree for you and your dreams, and you’ll be on the right track.

Rank Your Brain Function by Using Rankings Right

I find that people are fascinated and incredibly attached to reading all they can about college rankings. Rarely do I sit down with a student without hearing that their college list was closely modeled around the latest from US News or another "reliable" source.

We don't buy clothes without trying them on or go on vacations based on rankings- we choose these by process of adding our own opinions and needs. Why is it that we do not do the same with universities? The Internet is FULL of virtual tours, videos and comments to peruse. Aside from visiting campuses and representatives, I would, as an practice to strengthen the brain, hop right on the Internet and do some research online. It is the biggest resource one can reach out to and the hardest to manage if one doesn't know how. Consider using the same technique I tell my students to do when reading Wikipedia (which I used to detest- but heck- if I can't fight it or flee from it- might as well go with the flow)- use the resources and comments at the bottom of the article to check its veracity. Do it once and you'll know why. For me, studying reader comments on "a first draft" of 2012 admissions " from a source like the New York Time's "The Choice" education blog, is mind-blowing, peace of mind and mindful all wrapped into one.


Students are in a "real-world" learning phase by the end of high school and the college process is a perfect platform for teaching skills. When asked what they think goes into college rankings, my 10th and 11th graders have said things such as: admissions percentages, graduation rates, endowments received, reputation, "whatever the college wanted to say" (small skeptic) and "whatever the school paid for the spot" (big skeptic and not true as I far as I know). My questions back to them were: How do you know these are the variables and how is the math done? The response was silence. One of my mentors, a dean of admissions at a highly competitive liberal arts school in California broke it down for us college counselors in a discussion last year- an eye opener that I have used 100s of times over. Knowing the breakdown made me consider the most basic of questions to add to my teachings about rankings: Since admissions percentages seem to be the area that families get caught up on most often when scouring rankings-here's a smart question to feed a ready brain: How many of the applications College X received were from applicants that met all of College X's admissions requirements? Get the truer percentage by taking only the "fitting" applications and do the math using the number of those students who were accepted from this newly reduced "good" pool. Are the numbers the same as what is published in US News? Critical thinking opens minds.


It isn't that institutions should be wholly blamed for omitting information or that all media outlets are faulty at reporting what info they are given- although it would be nice to require more transparency and synthesis of information as good practice. I also don't think staying away from ranking articles sows rational thinking. Too much doubt leaves little room for finding the truth and not enough makes us easy targets. However, I DO think a little investigative work on part of the reader is not too much to ask for. Take the rankings with a grain of salt, and just like the US admissions process, be holistic in your judgment because there are more parts to a ranking than what someone says. YOUR ranking is more important than anything- so make sure you consider what is valuable to you- such as campus atmosphere, price, courses offered, internships provided, international student body, or any other assortment of criteria that would make a post-secondary choice YOUR choice. In fact, when a university asks that tricky question- Why do you want to attend University X on the application, this is the thinking that they would prefer to hear as opposed to telling them they are #1 in so and so (They don't need to hear something they already know. Heck, they aimed for that spot!!). Researching, evaluating sources, making connections and synthesizing will not only give you those supplemental answers for applications, but you will have confirmed that brain of yours WORKS and WORKS WELL before it gets on campus!

SATs 2012-2013: Details and Dates

There are a few things to know about the SATs before I list the dates for you. First of all, SATs are only a portion, although weighed heavily in most admissions processes, of the application process. The highly researched SATs were, in part, developed to standardized the thousands of different grading systems found across the globe. And its name, the Reasoning test is a hint as to how to study for it. It's all about your reasoning abilities.

For years people have asked me if there are any tricks to know other than studying math, English and writing. First and foremost- go to class. As a bad test-taker in my day, I thought the answer was to study more and totally understand each subject. Although I have never done a true blind-experiment, I have found that it is not so much about inherently great test-takers with awesome grades (let's not joke- SATs usually come easy to these kids) as it is about confident and realistic critical thinkers. Duly noted, people who are trained to test, like Brazilians, seem to have better first scores on the exam in general- especially on the Math section. But there are very few of us who test and magically transcend all sections of the exam. There are some great helpful hints out there- and one of the best is knowing a little more about the college-success-indicator itself.

What is on the SAT exam?
The SAT Reasoning test is divided into three subjects and about 10 sections. With several bathroom breaks, the exam lasts about five (5) hours. It consists of English comprehension, math and an essay. You can score up to 800 points per section, totaling 2400. The essay is a subscore grade on a 12-point scale graded by two readers giving you a maximum of six (6) points each. Many, many universities consider the English comprehension and math sections more heavily than the essay section. You can clarify this information on a school's admissions website. The median average for SATs is about 500 or so per section. Each university has its own average scores listed in a freshman profile and the admissions requirements.

What is the SAT Subject exam?
These content-based exams are offered to students wanting to show exceptional mastery in a particular subject to enhance their profile or used as admissions criteria for students entering into majors like Engineering or Pre-med. If you are one of the students declaring a major during admissions- you will want to see if these exams, offered but not taken the same day as SATs, are part of your check-list.

SAT Help
I started researching tutoring partners about three years ago after finding it difficult to provide teacher-based practice for students. Firstly, because many of our teachers are SAT test center proctors and would feel they were violating ethics by privately teaching to the test; Secondly because I wanted to discover, with a professional's opinion, what this nagging feeling was that told me the SAT was not all about content. After interviewing several candidates, I chose New York City-based company because of its philosophy in creating and enforcing critical thinking and its highly educated and dedicated professors with international experience. Part of the agreement was that they would not just offer sessions to my students, but to my teachers and student-SAT tutors as well. Why should my students know all the tricks? After one lunch period being trained by Isaac Foster, I had an answer to my question- SATs were more than an indicator of mastery of curriculum- but heavily weighed-in a student's independent thought process and problem-solving skills. What I learned from doing the course as one of the students is that the answers to all the questions can be 'seen' within the context of the prompt and answer selection. The finely-tuned eye can make very educated guesses, extrapolating necessary information through the process of elimination. You do not need a calculator or a dictionary. In fact, those who know how to work without them, in my experience, are ready for the exam and much more than that. An interesting comment from my students once they saw how the exam really worked: What will become of us if we continue to rely on technology to "help" us do our work?? (Wow- that could be the next SAT open-essay question!!) This being said- make those Greek and Latin Root flash cards, write letters by hand and use a thesaurus, try not to use a calculator- and learn to apply and connect your classroom content to your life so it sticks. If that doesn't work, sign up for the CollegeBoard's free SAT help,ask us about our NYC tutoring partner who helped scores go up by an incredible 100 points, or be happy you go to a teach-to-the-test school if you are in Brazil! Oh- and one last hint- it seems like the essay section scores best when you write more. Just remember to ANSWER THE QUESTION.

Registering and Sending Scores
SATs (both the Reasoning and Subject tests- which you cannot take the same day) are usually offered the first Saturdays in October, November, December, January, March, May and June. When you register to take the SATs on Collegeboard.org, you will be advised of the test location and dates available. If you are taking the SATs in the United States, you will look at the first table- your registration dates are different. If you are taking the SATs OUTSIDE OF THE US, please scroll down for the international dates. Please remember that not all Test Centers (such as the American School of Brasilia) offer all SAT test dates.You will have the opportunity to send your scores through the SAT system to the universities to which you apply. In fact, the scores MUST be sent through the CollegeBoard system to be considered official by the admissions committees.

EAB will offer the exams in October, November, December, May,and POSSIBLY June.

SAT Specials Tips
Some schools, if you talk to the admissions office, will waive the need for a TOEFL if you score high enough on the English portion of the exam.

There are over 800 post-secondary institutions test free universities that do not require the SATs and some that do not require SATs for international students. As these cases are more rare, planning is pertinent.

If you need financial help or other arrangements to take the exam, Collegeboard offers SAT fee waivers and test accommodations for students with disabilities.

Summer/Feriados Options: A Way to Enhance You

I am a big supporter of students attending summer school programs (the right ones) for enhancement academically and emotionally, as well as development for interests and hobbies. Truly, there is no better way to experience being away from home and learning accountability, than having to make your own decisions based on guidance and expectations outside of your regular comfort zone. The tools summer schools can offer are invaluable and are transferrable to the classroom and beyond.

Almost all college applications question your summer activities and your college campus visits. Did you enrich your learning or just your tan? How about enriching your learning and getting a tan? When is it best to go? Any summer (that is June/July on the American/European calendar)- especially the summer after you are finishing up Grade 10- if you are Brazilian- you should plan to go after your first year of ensino medio.

Choosing programs is easy- either choose one that will allow you to be a better student by reinforcing a subject or aim for a course that will help you discover if you want to get into engineering of marine biology. Remember, US colleges do not expect every student to declare a major during admissions- you can take time to develop and refine your taste in the hundreds of majors out there. By exploring your options during holidays, you will build your confidence and your abilities.



Make sure you keep tabs on your experience to later transfer to applications and/or resumes as well as get sealed transcripts and letters of recommendation to bring back to your school counselor or education consultant.

You can search by individual university websites for high school programs or try the Enrichment Alley site for a comprehensive list of opportunities!



You can always ask Brazil College Counseling for guidance in choosing your program.

Ensino Médio Action Plan Year 1

Since high school for Brazilian schools runs on a calendar year from February to December with vacation periods in July and December, students may be confused as to how to time-manage their three years of schooling with US/Canada/Europe admissions practices. Although what each student chooses to do and when one chooses to accomplish it, the basics are easy. Here are some suggestions:

Year 1: You would be the equivalent of a freshman (Grade 9) and sophomore (Grade 10) at the same time. You can use the action plan suggestions from CollegeBoard to help you. But after almost a decade working in Brazil- here are some fine points about studying in the US (I can get to Canada and Europe later) I would want you to consider:

A) Create a CollegeBoard account and a professional email address that will become your "business" email. Using your name is a great way to start. Sign up to receive the SAT Question of the Day so you get some practice. Use Big Future to get to know the universities and the program.
B) Decide how you will use your name. Since Brazilians often have, by tradition, long names, you may find that many of the forms don't allow you enough space to put your name in and prompt you to put in as many letters as will fit. My suggestion is to use the same name, no matter the length, that is on your transcripts (confirm how your name is printed with your school) so that everything matches up for recipients of your documents.
C)Get involved in a long-term, committed service project that allows you to develop decision-making skills, confidence, leadership and intense learning. You should spend at least an hour a week on this and document, in your own way, the number of hours and weeks you participate. You will need this information for applications. I find one long-term project and several short term with specified goals brings a nice focus. My services also offer connections and development of skill-building service projects.
D) Make an extra-curricular/academic log in Excel or Google Docs. This can be simple or more detailed, depending on your style and will be updated throughout your three years of schooling. It should include sports, academic awards, piano lessons, math tutoring, MUN meetings and travels, etc. Basically, anything you do outside of the classroom that contributes to the development of you as as an individual can be added. You only need to add the hours and weeks per year spent with a description of what it is that you do. Descriptions will end up playing a very important part in the way you "label" yourself within these activities that many other people also do, so make sure the activities give you a chance to have growth and learning to share and show others.
E)Try to attend as many college fairs as possible and check with me, the local newspaper or Casa Thomas Jefferson to see when they are available in your area- or the area closest to you.
F) If possible, study abroad in July on a college campus. You can see a comprehensive list on a website called Enrichment Alley or visit university websites and search for High School programs. What course(s) should you take? Either one that enriches your studies (you excel in Math and want to take a higher level course) , reinforces your studies (you need to improve your English) or engages your area of future interest (You may want to study medicine so you take a pre-med course). Make sure you request copies of your transcripts and a letter of recommendation from your course(s). If they are sealed- leave them that way! Schools abroad will require that you, your educational consultant or your teachers send information like grades and recommendations sealed and with official stamps.
G) If you plan to do a course in July, be prepared to ask your teacher (in the subject you want to study or one whom you are close with) for a recommendation in February. Let them have time to write it- and sit down with them- tell them why you want to study during the summer, where, and what you want to focus on in their class to improve your skills. It is okay to have your teacher write it in Portuguese and take it to Casa Thomas Jefferson or elsewhere to be translated. In this way you give them guidance and focus for your letter. Many schools do online applications, so you will have to be prepared to show your teacher how to upload the recommendation in English (this could be tricky so maybe it is best to ask the translator to send you an electronic copy). You will need to start searching for courses the beginning of the Brazilian school year, but know that many applications and courses are only starting to be available, and you must keep checking the sites. What should a teacher write? Stay tuned for my article on teaching recommendation writing. Be careful of the idea that it is okay to write your own recommendation and then have a teacher sign it! If you are not sure what to do, ask the program advisor!
H) Take a look at which standardized tests you may need. There is the ACT, an alternate to the SATs, and while it is 100% viewed by all 4-year universities, it is not as widely required. Next, we have the SAT Subject Tests, designed to show excellence in certain subject areas, and usually required with regular SATs if you want to enter into a declared program such as Engineering. For US universities, the English proficiency test in the form of the TOEFL (most Brazilians will have to take it. Only some waivers apply) is the most commonly used admissions requirement. Study material can be found online at ACT and TOEFL websites, through CollegeBoard for the SATs, or through the coaching company that works via Internet in Brasilia with the American School of Brasilia. See me for more details about the coaching company.
F) Google College Comparison Sheets, view a few different samples, create your own and plug in information as you find colleges that interest you. Information should include admissions requirements of each school as well as your own personal requirements (big city, soccer team, etc), should you have any. College lists should have 2-3 dream schools, 3-5 target schools, and 2-3 safety schools. Expect this list to be refined after you take time to do college visits and/or interviews, study university profiles and freshman class admission stats, change your mind, receive your standardized test scores, etc. Remember you are looking to matriculate into UNDERGRADUATE programs. You cannot do law school or med school without doing four years of undergraduate studies. And unlike Brazilian university, you do not have to know what you want to study before you apply. So add schools that have a variety of programs that may interest you.
G) Should you do all this if you are not sure where you want to study? Sure! Why not?!? It only adds value to your skills and knowledge. After all, you can always get accepted to a university abroad in Year 3, ask for a deferral, study for the ENEM/Vestibular and weigh your options once you have those results. That is the real secret- to enjoy the ability to give yourself OPTIONS with careful planning.
H) Should you believe the US News and other rankings? Only if you believe that the criteria they use to give rankings is fair. Remind me and I will tell you what that is. Better to do your own research and find the right match for you!