Blogs & Latest News

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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‘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 –

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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.

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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.

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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. 

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