Blogs | Ivy Central

It’s Not All About the Money!

In the world of Careers Guidance, we are used to the idea that to help a young person prepare to make decisions about what career they want to pursue, you would explore their interests and strengths. Such considerations are essential; people tend to have more rewarding careers if they do something they enjoy and can do well. However, interests and strengths can only ever be part of the thinking. The individual’s feeling of job satisfaction is missing from such an approach. We may find ourselves working in a job that links to our interests and strengths but fails to provide the internal glow of a job well done.

September 22, 2022

Admissions

Still Writing Your Common App Essay? 5 Tips to Help You

With the submission deadline for applying in the early round of US college applications rapidly approaching, you will hopefully be well on the way to finishing your personal essay. If you are struggling, then hopefully, this article will help as I share five tips from college admission professionals that can help you create a winning essay.

September 8, 2022

Five Top Tips for Making the Most of Grade 9

The move to Grade 9 can feel somewhat overwhelming, but it is also the start of a new chapter in a student’s life. Many think that learning has more of a point as thoughts start to move toward what comes after school. This makes Grade 9 a critical transition point for students; it allows them to explore options without worrying about standardized tests or researching colleges. Grade 9 is also the time to put in place good study practices, ones that will take you through the remainder of your education. In this blog, I will share five top tips to help you make Grade 9 the best yet.

September 1, 2022

US COLLEGES THAT ARE INTERVIEWING THIS FALL

Giving a solid college interview can help sway the decision in your favor. If you haven’t already identified those colleges on your list that are interviewing this fall, now would be a good time to do that.

August 30, 2022

Applying to the UK? An Introduction UCAS

UCAS stands for Universities and Colleges Admissions Service, although everybody calls it UCAS. It is the only way in which students can apply to most of the universities in the UK; there are a few private universities, such as the University of Buckingham, that will accept applications through UCAS or directly, and others, such as London Interdisciplinary School which you can currently only apply to directly. UCAS provides a centralized service for students and universities, with the whole process conducted online through its portal. In addition to the application, UCAS also provides a massive amount of information about universities, topics related to Higher Education, and even starting your first job.

August 25, 2022

Do I need to take an English Language test?

Colleges and universities will look for an international student’s ability to study in English as part of their admissions process. All courses will be taught in English, so it makes sense that anybody they accept will need to understand what they are being taught. The two most common tests used to assess non-native students’ English language ability are the International English Language Testing System (TOEFL) and the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). TOEFL is most common in the US, while IELTS is more commonly used in the UK.

August 18, 2022

Planning for College: What to do Over the Long Summer Break?

If you are finishing grades 9 and 10, then the summer is the time for you to delve into your interests and explore new ones. Good grades will only get you so far in the college application process, colleges will also want to know about activities you have been a part of, and the long break provides the perfect opportunity for you to put time into these activities.

July 21, 2022

So You Want to Be a Lawyer? Part 2. Training to Become a Lawyer in the UK.

I will focus on the route followed by aspiring lawyers in the United Kingdom. The legal profession in both the US and the UK is regulated, meaning that you will have to meet specific professional standards to practice. Once you have met these standards, then the legal profession offers a vast array of career options to suit nearly all interests.

July 14, 2022

So You Want to Be a Lawyer? Part 1: Training to Become a Lawyer in the US.

Through my discussions with students working with Ivy Central, I have noticed an increase in students expressing an interest in a career in law; with that in mind, in this article and the next, I will show you how to become a lawyer.

This guide focuses on the US…

July 7, 2022

And the Graduation Rate is…..

Degree courses in the US are based around a four-year program of study, but across all institutions offering degrees, the average time it takes students to graduate is over five years. The reasons for this are numerous. It might be that a student changes their major, or there are personal circumstances that result in them taking time out from their studies, but it might also reflect difficulties in getting a place on popular courses or struggling to pass a graduation requirement.

June 16, 2022

‘The Open Curriculum’: Should you opt for one?

When I first started understanding the US education system, I was enthralled by the unique curriculums each university offered. In particular, the Open Curriculum caught my attention as it encouraged students to dive into the subjects of their choice directly.

Let’s understand what kind of a student is likely to make the most of an Open Curriculum –

May 26, 2022

The Questions Every Pupil Thinking About Going to a US College Needs to Answer!

It can be very easy to be seduced by the idea of going to college, particularly one of the great colleges and universities worldwide. The good news is that the dream is increasingly becoming a reality for those that aspire to this goal but achieving it is not always straightforward and can sometimes come as a shock.

In this article, I want to help anybody considering applying to a US college, and their families think about some of the hard questions that will need to be answered on their journey toward college and university.

May 26, 2022

8 Qualities you should demonstrate to colleges.

One of the most common questions that college counsellors are asked is “How do I get accepted by ????? University?” There is not a straightforward answer, each college or university in the USA will have their own peculiarities in what they are looking for, but there are some things that are common across just about all of them.

If you look on the websites you will often find something about how they make their admissions decisions, schools may rank them differently in order of importance but in this article I share some of the key qualities that colleges and universities will look for in your application.

May 19, 2022

What do you actually study at US Colleges?

Can you imagine sitting in a college class you did not know you signed up for? In case you wish to avoid such blunders, one of the key aspects to understand when exploring colleges is the type of curriculum you would be studying right from the first day of your college journey. Remember that understanding what the curriculum at a specific university offers needs to be the priority in your college search process.

May 11, 2022

Reach, Target and Safe: What are they and why are they important in college lists?

When you are building your college list you will often come across people recommending that you have a mix of reach, target and safety schools in your list. What you are less likely to find is a description of how you can decide which colleges fit into which category, so that is what I am going to do with this blog.

May 5, 2022

Enrolling Now For 2023-24

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