Getting an early start: Benefits of university guidance programs for younger students
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WHILE international schools around the city are beginning to bring the first semester to a close, Secondary students all over Shanghai are showing no signs of slowing down, as they are hard at work at various stages in their university application process. Some are busy drafting college essays, while others are planning and scheduling visits to educational institutions over the summer, and others are eagerly awaiting notice on early decision admission from their school of choice. But there are other students — even much younger — who are simply getting a head start in order to be prepared when the time comes for them to begin thinking about tertiary studies. According to Harvard University staff, William Fitzsimmons, head of Admissions and Financial Aid, Marlyn E McGrath, director of Admissions, and Charles Ducey, adjunct lecturer in Psychology, professional college counsellors who begin working with students as early as middle school can provide “advice (that) can be helpful in assessing talents, goals, and making ‘mid-course corrections’ that can make a real difference in students’ lives.”
At one international school, Yew Chung International School of Shanghai (YCIS), university preparedness starts early, with a strong curriculum for all students beginning in Year 9 and continuing all the way through Year 13. The University Guidance Program at YCIS focuses on developing many key skills necessary for college as well as helping student’s determine their strengths and interests and the most suitable universities for further study.
Truly prepared for university
Secondary students study a broad range of topics in High School, but at YCIS, this also includes coursework and one-on-one meetings beginning in Year 9 to help build foundational skills for students’ long term success. Karel DeCock, University Guidance coordinator at the school, says: “We make university preparation central as part of our students’ learning starting from Year 9 with individual meetings to help shape their plan for their classes in the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) program, and with weekly classes starting in Year 10 where we focus on strategic skills, including note taking, research skills, time management, presentation ability, goal setting, and much more.” These capabilities are core to not just the college application process, but also ensure students’ success long after graduation from YCIS.
Standing out from the pack
The 1,254 universities and colleges included in the 2016 US News & World Report rankings study received an average of 7,400 applications, with some schools receiving more than 92,000 applications with only a 17 percent acceptance rate. With college admissions representatives each often reviewing more than 1,000 applications, students are to able to strategize about how to set themselves apart with the help of the university guidance team at YCIS. As the counsellors work with each individual student, they focus on how best to apply to each particular school. Sonja Phongsavanh, a University Guidance counsellor at YCIS adds that, “One way we help students stand out from the bulk of applicants is to truly focus on the specific subjects and activities they are interested in. We then help guide them to understand which Universities are strong in those particular areas, and then suggest they look further into the particular professors who are known as leading experts in those areas. This helps our students shine in their college essays, as they are able to show the admissions representatives that they not only have a deep interest in that school, but also that they truly understand the schools’ programs and professors, and perhaps that they have even done related research themselves.”
Making the right decision
Location is a big determining factor in selecting the short list of target universities to which each student will apply, but it is far from the only one. By starting early in the review process, and meeting with individual families, students and their parents can truly hone in on the specific universities that will provide not only the right programme, but also the right fit. In addition to several “College and Career Night” events each year, on-campus college visits, multiple workshops for parents and students on the application process, and a university fair each Spring, the team of guidance counsellors at YCIS agree that it is important that the parents and student work together to select the right school. DeCock says: “We work hard to provide information and ensure there is a full awareness amongst the parents so that they are able to provide their child with the necessary support at home.”
There is no question about the enormity of the decisions for each student surrounding their application process for university, but there is also a direct correlation in reducing the pressure they face by beginning the process earlier. At YCIS, where students start prepping early it’s a “supportive marathon” rather than a “stressful sprint,” and students are able to head toward the finish line of not only a successful university acceptance at the school of their choice, but also with the skills for success once they matriculate.
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