Personalised University and Career Counselling

College and Career Counseling Philosophy: The goal of the Sias IS college and career counseling office is to guide and support each student and family through the college application process with current, relevant, and specialized information for families applying to, and seeking to afford, colleges and universities around the world. At Sias IS, students are provided the tools to build their own future and be prepared for lifetime joy and success in academic, social, and emotional growth.

MYP 4 students focus on creating a foundation for high school that involves working with teachers and advisors to be continuously curious, eager to learn, and self-reflective about their time in high school. Each year, students will take charge of their individualized course selection and build skills not only to be successful in school, but to be ready for a globalized world after graduation. MYP 5 students will start a self-discovery process in order to think broadly about their ideal “fit” at a college or university. During DP1 and DP2, students will have frequent individual appointments with the college and career counselor. Eleventh grade will focus predominantly on college research and exploration of opportunities. Students will narrow down a balanced and realistic list of colleges in the fall of DP2.

College and Career Counselors serve students primarily in MYP4-DP2 by providing a program focusing on the significant aspects of the career research planning and application process. With a goal of 100% college acceptance to an institution that will be a good fit for each student, the College and Career Counselor works individually with each student through extensive one-on-one conversations. Additionally, in coordination with each student’s advisory teachers and other members of the faculty, as well as with the school administration, counselors assist students in discovering their strengths and interests, exploring career alternatives, and finding institutions of higher learning that will meet these interests, strengths, and values. The College and Career Office has developed a curriculum that helps students explore career alternatives and understand college and university options around the world. In collaboration with the DP coordinator and the School Counselor, the College and Career Counselor directs a program of activities focusing on academic preparation, self-reflection and agency, university and financial aid applications, scholarship searches, fulfilling testing requirements of universities, obtaining recommendation letters, and preparing for the transition to college. They provide regular events and workshops for parents to educate parents on the IBDP program and the current worldwide admissions landscape.

The College and Career office is dedicated to working with individual students and families and offers extensive group presentations in workshops, classrooms, and liaising with college admissions representatives. The College and Career Office maintains a resource library of print and electronic information of college catalogs, college guides, scholarship information, and financial aid applications. Students and parents are encouraged to borrow resources from the school (through checking books out through the student’s library account), and to engage in all activities that increase their exposure to understanding different university systems of the world and meeting college admissions representatives in person at college fairs. The College and Career Counselor engages with hundreds of colleges and universities each year at conferences and university campus visits in order to keep current about post-secondary options around the world.