College Counseling Programs and Services
With 25+ years of experience in the field, we are proud to offer a program with enough structure that students and families are clearly instructed about the process, expectations, and responsibilities, yet also maintain flexibility for students to explore their options in their journey towards self-sufficiency and young adulthood.
The specialized care and attention honed by the International School of Boston’s Office of College Counseling provides:
- Work with students throughout the summer before Grade 12
- Expertise in higher education systems in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, and parts of the Middle East and Asia. Expert knowledge of the following systems:
- Common Application
- Coalition Application
- UC application
- UCAS (UK)
- Studielink (Netherlands)
- Parcoursup (France)
- OUAC (Canada)
- CAO (Ireland)
- Hours of individual meeting and contact time; ability to coordinate multiple applications to multiple countries simultaneously
- Excellently crafted personal narratives for applications and letters of recommendation
- Bilingual counseling
- Connections with admission officers and college counselors both in the US and around the world
- Specialization in art school applications and visual art portfolios
- Specialization in conservatory applications and performing arts audition preparation
College Counseling Program by Grade
GRADE 9/TROISIÈME
FIRST TRIMESTER
- Students need to focus on their academic work and high school expectations
- Get to know their teachers
- Utilize office hours
- Attend ISB’s club fair and get involved with some extracurricular activities
- Consider trying out for a sports team
- Opportunities to attend evening college presentations
- Advisory work on skill acquisition and core principles
SECOND SEMESTER
- Continue focus on academic work
- Continue involvement in sports and clubs
- Begin involvement with community service at school
- Start Notable Project with advisor and CC Office
- Advisory work on skill acquisition and core principles
- Work Observation with local company/organization
- Attend local fair for summer opportunities
- Determine activities for upcoming summer and start applications, if necessary
- FR: Complete option form for 10th grade with advice (Track coordinator/ CC Office)
THIRD TRIMESTER
- Continue focus on academic work
- Work Observation presentation
- Continue Notable Project with advisor and CC Office
- Advisory work on skill acquisition and core principles
- FR: Brevet exam
- IP: Complete option form for 10th grade with advice (Track coordinator/CC Office)
GENERAL TIPS
Read books, newspapers, magazines, follow current events, make friends, ask questions, get involved, know what organizational tools work best for you and use them consistently, try a new activity or sport; this is the time you can take risks!
The Office of College Counseling is an integral part of faculty and Wellness meetings, as well as works closely with the Dean of Students, curriculum coordinators, and the health and wellness counselor, thus fully acquainted with students and their learning styles even though the Office might not be in the daily classroom.
GRADE 10/SECONDE
FIRST TRIMESTER
- Increased focus on academic work and high school expectations
- Informational meeting for parents about taking the PSAT
- Opportunity to take the PSAT exam
- Attend evening college presentations at ISB
- Continue involvement with extracurricular activities
- Continue Notable Project with advisor and CC Office
- Parent meeting about thriving in the three main tenets
SECOND SEMESTER
- Continue Notable Project with advisor and CC Office
- Attend mini-college fairs at ISB arranged by CC Office
- Informational meeting for parents about reading PSAT results
- Attend local summer opportunity fair
- Determine and review summer plans with CC Office
- Group meeting with CC Office to review course options for 11th/12th grade
- Career presentations in class
THIRD TRIMESTER
- Participate in Sages and Seekers program
- Meetings/games to familiarize with college terminology
- Finalize summer plans
- Career presentations in class
- Attend evening college presentations/mini fairs at ISB
GENERAL TIPS
Discover art, go to local concerts, visit museums, see dance and theater performances, explore the outdoors, consider organizing events with friends like a “Trash Pickup Day” or writing cards for children in hospitals.
The Office of College Counseling is an integral part of faculty and Wellness meetings, as well as works closely with the Dean of Students, curriculum coordinators, and the health and wellness counselor, thus fully acquainted with students and their learning styles even though the Office might not be in the daily classroom.
GRADE 11/PREMIERE
Foundation For College Preparedness: Do personal best in academic work, cultivate curiosity, be of service.
FIRST TRIMESTER
- Begin Baccalaureate program, whether French or International. Students need to focus on their work in these classes to understand the expectations and their responsibilities.
- Informational meeting for parents about taking the PSAT
- Option to take the PSAT
- Country-to-country higher education systems meeting for parents, covering the United States, Canada, France, UK, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Ireland
- Country-to-country higher education systems meeting with students in FlexTime
- Create standardized test account (College Board/ACT/TOEFL)
- Opportunity to attend school-day, college admission officer visits at ISB
- Opportunity to attend CIS International Fair held at ISB
- Opportunity to attend evening college presentations at ISB and in Boston area
- Opportunity to attend National Portfolio Day, if applicable
SECOND SEMESTER
- Informational Meeting for parents about understanding PSAT results
- Group Kick Off meeting for students; Student Questionnaire
- Group Kick Off meeting for parents; Parent Questionnaire
- Begin monthly individual meetings between student and counselor- these are full-period meetings (50 minutes)
- CC Office creates individualized standardized testing strategies
- CC Office works with individual student to create summer projects/plans
- First round of French Baccalaureate exams
- CC Office gives detailed college discovery plan with school suggestions and research methodology, including Naviance
- Attend evening college mini-fairs
- Parent Naviance meeting
- FR: first round of Baccalaureate exams
THIRD TRIMESTER
- Continue individual student-counselor meetings
- CC Office organizes trip to Boston NACAC College Fair
- Attend evening college presentations and mini-fairs
- Attend BISCCA College Fair
- CC Office-directed college discovery continues
- Possibly take first round of standardized tests
- Social Media talk
- Individual parent meetings
- Mock Admission evaluation game
- CC Office reviews transcripts with track coordinators, IT, individual students, and parents
- CC Office begins providing information on financial aid and scholarship
- CC Office reviews summer plans of individual students
- CC Office helps students find meaningful service projects, as needed
- CC Office coordinates College Trip or Experience Day
- Try to visit colleges with your family
- FR: Second round of Baccalaureate exams
- FR: Oral examinations for Baccalaureate
GENERAL TIPS
Focus on leadership skills, run for a position in Student Council, become a leader in a school club, keep a journal, determine self-care and wellness strategies, such as yoga, meditation, walks – follow and establish hobbies.
The Office of College Counseling continues individual meetings with students utilizing technology conferencing platforms throughout the summer- ISB’s Office of College Counseling is par excellence for providing hours of individual meetings.
GRADE 12/TERMINALE
Foundation For College Preparedness: Do personal best in academic work, cultivate curiosity, be of service.
SEPTEMBER
- Group Senior Year Kick Off meeting with students
- Group Senior Year Kick Off meeting with parents
- Continue bi-weekly individual student-counselor meetings
- Work on finalizing application list, with an eye to balance and diversity
- Ask teachers for recommendations utilizing pink form
- Ask for any special recommendations (coaches, extracurricular/volunteer supervisors, employer), as appropriate
- Personal Statement and essay brainstorming with counselor
- Host/attend the CIS International Universities Fair
- Host/attend school-day visits with college admission officers
- Host/attend video conferences with international college admission officers
- Host/attend evening presentations from college admission officers
- Review standardized testing plan and complete any final registrations
- Start work on application forms with counselor guidance
- Determine schedule of personal statement/essay drafting, depending on country/systems/schools with counselor
- Try to visit college campuses with family, if possible
OCTOBER
- Continue bi-weekly individual student-counselor meetings
- Individual evening meetings for parents
- Host/attend school-day visits with college admission officers
- Host/attend video conferences with international college admission officers
- Host/attend evening presentations from college admission officers
- Determine schedule of personal statement/essay drafting
- Draft and revise personal statements/essays according to individualized schedule
- Take standardized tests, as per individualized strategy plan
- Continue work on application forms
- Start interview practice with Office of College Counseling and faculty
- Draft resume according to Office of College Counseling’s format, or school-specific if required
- Office of College Counseling works with teachers regarding letters of recommendation
- Start work on FAFSA and scholarship applications, if applicable
- Try to visit college campuses with family, if possible
- Submit Cambridge/Oxford application, if applicable
NOVEMBER
- Continue bi-weekly individual student-counselor meetings
- Attend Portfolio Day, if applicable
- Create media content for applications, if applicable
- Submit early decision/action applications to US schools, if applicable
- Submit University of California application, if applicable
- Submit Ecole Polytechnique application, if applicable
- Draft and revise personal statements/essays according to individualized schedule
- Take standardized tests, as per individualized strategy plan
- Request standardized test scores sent to schools
- Continue work on application forms
- Take UK entrance exams, if applicable
- Continue interview practice with Office of College Counseling and faculty
- Create college portal accounts for ED/EA applications, as instructed by universities
DECEMBER
- Continue bi-weekly individual student-counselor meetings
- Continue interview practice with Office of College Counseling and faculty
- Opportunity for standardized testing
- Finalize and submit remaining US, UK, and Canadian applications
- Early decision results released (US)
- Early action results released (US)
JANUARY
- Finalize and submit Sciences Po application, if applicable
- Continue interview practice with Office of College Counseling and faculty
- Prepare for international entrance exams
- Finalize and submit Studielink (Netherlands)
- Submit art portfolios, if applicable
- Submit FAFSA and scholarship forms, if applicable
- Early action results released (US)
- Create college portal accounts, as indicated by universities
- FR: Bac Blanc exam
- Office of College Counseling arranges visit lunch with ISB alumni
FEBRUARY
- Undertake international entrance exams and interviews, if applicable
- Start working on Parcoursup choices, if applicable
- Individual student-counselor meetings, as needed
MARCH
- Finalize and submit Parcoursup, if applicable
- Start hearing decisions from universities in US, UK, Netherlands, possibly Canada
- Individual student-counselor meetings, as needed, to review possibilities
APRIL
- Attendance at Accepted Student Days (whether in-person or online)
- Individual student-parent-counselor meetings, as needed
MAY
- Matriculation deadline for US universities
- Finalize firm/insurance choice for UK universities
- Parcoursup decisions released
- Canadian schools decisions released
JUNE
- GRADUATION! You are well prepared for whatever comes next!
GENERAL TIPS
Continue to practice wellness techniques, be kind to each other as you all go through this process, communicate, communicate, communicate with counselors, teachers, administrators, try to keep up extracurricular commitments, role model for younger students, BREATHE!