University/College and Career Counseling

TASIS England offers a four-year Future Pathways course that prepares students, starting in Grade 9, for the university and college search and application process. Students are provided with the digital Post-Secondary Options Handbook, which is incorporated throughout the four-year college counseling program. College counselors work regularly with all our Upper School students through the planning and action stages of college admissions. Our unique four-year curriculum is designed to assist and support our students at each stage of their development and support our families every step of the way. At orientation in August, the college counselors meet with all Upper School students to discuss the college admissions process as it relates to setting goals, academic achievement, academic planning, and co-curricular involvement.

The TASIS England College Counseling team meets with ninth and tenth-grade students (freshmen and sophomores) throughout their first two years in the Upper School as they begin the college journey. They work on career assessments, resumes/CV building, using Maia Learning, understanding PSAT scores, and understanding the grade-level college counseling timeline. Discussions are held with students about productive summer plans and to understand their individual goals and future plans.

Students in eleventh grade (Juniors) continue with the Future Pathways course sessions that focus on important information related to the application process, such as finding the right institution to match their goals, writing the application essays, requesting teacher letters of recommendation, and researching different course options. College counselors also assist in planning final-year course selection, as well as summer activities. Juniors are assigned to a specific college counselor in January to begin making individual post-secondary plans based on the concepts presented throughout the four-year college counseling course. Students are introduced to how the application process works in the countries that interest them, and are required to have a one-on-one interview before May of that year to discuss college and career goals and begin formulating a list of suitable colleges.

During the Fall term, the college counselors work closely with students in twelfth grade (Seniors) to individually help them with each step of their applications. The team works with small groups and will guide each senior in essay/Personal Statement writing, supplemental essays, scholarships, financial aid, and teacher letters of recommendation. The students are taught the tools for organizing their application timeline, follow-up, interviews, and decisions. Self-advocacy is taught as a life skill. Ownership of the process is given to the seniors, knowing that their self-made choices will be the correct ones.

Admissions representatives from a wide variety of colleges and universities from around the world visit the campus throughout the year to meet with interested students. Trips to major university fairs also help students learn more about their options. Over the year, the College Counseling Department hosts many workshops on the admissions process for parents and students and often brings in highly regarded university admissions representatives as speakers. Coffee mornings for parents of students in each Upper School grade provide a forum to discuss current college issues, and the Director of College Counseling is present at parent coffees and grade-level meetings. Additionally, the college counselors are always available to meet individually with parents.

MAIA LEARNING

A vital component of the four-year college counseling program is the use of Maia Learning, an online college and career counseling platform. Each Upper School student is encouraged to use the program to explore not only post-secondary options but also to explore learning styles, personalities, and careers through surveys. The platform also offers a section to support students in building a resume as well as researching thousands of colleges and universities from around the world.

Maia Learning has a growing section of resources to assist families in exploring worldwide post-secondary options. The college counselors work with students to understand how to use the many features during the Future Pathways course and individual meetings.

Each Upper School parent is offered an account that is linked to their child. This is an excellent opportunity for parents to support students in taking the lead in their post-secondary exploration.

MORRISBY INTEREST AND CAREER INVENTORY

Career counseling is incorporated within the four-year college counseling program. In addition to the learning, personality, and career surveys available through Maia Learning, TASIS England utilizes the Morrisby Interest and Career Inventory to provide students with further advice. The Morrisby survey is offered to every Grade 10 student in the winter, as well as Grade 11 students who are new to TASIS England. After taking the survey, students are offered a one-on-one interview with a college counselor to review the results and discuss how these relate to potential courses, careers, and post-secondary pathways. After the interview, students are given access to several tools to help them research course options at TASIS England, career suggestions, and even university course selection. TASIS England pays for the Morrisby fees for students.

TEST PREPARATION COURSE

Interested juniors have the opportunity to enroll in an on-campus SAT and ACT preparation course. The course is designed to review basic verbal and math information and to familiarize students with the test format. Enrollment in this Second Semester course is optional, and detailed information, including the course fee, is sent to Upper School parents in the fall.

College Admissions Testing

To support students in becoming familiar with standardized tests and being aware of the various admissions tests that are used by some universities, TASIS England offers students the PSAT. The TASIS England Test Supervisor and School Exam Officer is responsible for registering students, and the college counselors assist in explaining the scores. Further information regarding each test is below:

PSAT/NMSQT – Grades 10 and 11: Preliminary SAT and National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test: Measures a student’s ability in critical reading, math, and writing and provides preparation for the SAT. Juniors who are American citizens may also qualify for the prestigious National Merit Scholarship. This test is mandatory for all Grade 10 and 11 students.

TASIS England is a testing center for the SAT and ACT, both of which are standardized tests that are used by several American colleges and universities, as well as some international universities. Students must register for each test through the College Board (for SAT) or ACT (for the ACT test). The TASIS England Test Supervisor and School Exam Officer is responsible for supporting students to register for each test, with the college counselors assisting students in understanding if a test is necessary based on their post-secondary plans TASIS England offers:

SAT Reasoning Test: Measures a student’s ability in critical reading, writing and language, and math. It is commonly known as one of the two US university entrance tests; however, it is also used for admissions by countries around the world, including Canada, the United Kingdom, and more.

ACT: Measures a student’s ability in English, reading, mathematics, and scientific reasoning. It also has an optional writing test. It is commonly known as one of the two US university entrance tests; however, it is also used for admissions by countries around the world, including Canada, the United Kingdom, and more.

TASIS England is also a registered testing center for several admissions tests necessary for the UK and Canada. Further information is sent to Upper School students and parents each fall from the College Counseling Office, in partnership with the TASIS England Test Supervisor and School Exam Officer.