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Choose an education system, choose what to study, choose the College or University, choose the courses of study, choose… all these choices are made to be chosen!
Multiple applications must be made, often simultaneously. An admission strategy must be made, which includes tactical moves and counter-moves.
It is a process that foresees deadlines, preparing documents, filling in forms, expressing interest, collecting assessments… up to final acceptance, perhaps on the basis of diploma results, in the case of universities, or by passing international tests.
The counselor, in this phase, helps you not get lost in this maze of choices, paying attention to deadlines, making sure that the student has all the right requirements to apply, and proposes recovery solutions, if problems arise. He/she works with the network of selection and admission offices and creates an admission strategy according to the student and his/her family’s choices.
And when the offers arrive? Counselor support is useful for evaluating possible alternatives and having everything needed to make an informed decision.
Schools choose you, but it’s you who decides the best school for you.
In the U.K., education is one of the main economic sectors with a wide range of secondary and university – undergraduate and postgraduate – segments.
The admission process in some schools is very competitive. In general, it has strict rules – UCAS admissions at university level – that each school can customize by setting its own requirements. For international students – post Brexit, those from the EU are considered as such – the requirements and fees are different.
In general, secondary schools ask for grades, certificates or English language tests, letters of recommendation from teachers and entrance exams.
Admission to the University follows a rigorous schedule, establishes an entry point in terms of grades – Predicted grades – forecast and definitive from the Diploma, requires documentation certifying the student’s interest. The expressions of interest are described in the Personal Statement, in which the student writes his/her personal motivations and describes his/her study, volunteer and work experiences. In some cases, one or more additional interviews and/or tests are scheduled for faculties such as Medicine (BMAT), Mathematics (MAT), Computing (STEP). Participation in sports are always considered important, as are social activities and artistic skills, but they have a different weight in the various admission processes.
Switzerland and Holland are dedicated to their educational offer. Holland is incrementing university’ courses in English and Switzerland offers Top Ranking Universities and excellent professional schools.
In university rankings, some Swiss, French and Dutch schools are highly positioned. The admission process is established by the individual university. EU students are treated the same, but the Diploma, language certification, international admission test (SAT) or entrance exam requirements vary.
If you are accepted, an Offer is provided with conditions, including economic ones. Before accepting, it is advisable to visit the school, campus, dormitories (in the case of a boarding schools). Confirmation of acceptance must be given within a certain period of time.
The strategy for choosing and applying is even more important.
Attending an international high school in America with an AP or IB Diploma program facilitates the process of understanding and integrating with the culture and its educational system. The Ivy League – an incredibly exclusive old group of universities – has made the admission process inaccessible to most students and affects the process and procedures of other universities as a whole.
American universities recognize both AP and IB Diploma, but admission is based on grades from all years of high school, the AP or IB courses attended and all extra-academic activities such as travel and work experiences, forms of volunteering, on one’s commitment to sports. The SAT or ACT test is requested by all universities and each sets scores as an entrance barrier. Taking a SAT or ACT test is challenging and you need to prepare: the tests have a fixed schedule and are often repeated more than once in the hope of attaining a higher score.
In American colleges, great value is given to sports skills at a competitive and professional level. The sports facilities atsome campuses are unmatched, but in general the standard is very high.