The New

Counselor’s
Survival Guide
Part 2
Your Essential Toolkit For Guiding
Students From Career Exploration
to University Application

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Contents

Chapter 1: How to Start Careers Guidance With Your Students 5

Chapter 2: How to Introduce Your Students to International 9

University Destinations (in Three Easy Steps)

Chapter 3: How University Reps & University Visits Fit Into Your 12
Guidance Strategy

Chapter 4: Working With Independent Agents and Consultants 16

Chapter 5: How to Get Students Started With Application 20

Writing

Chapter 6: Managing References & Recommendation Letters 23

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About This Guide

This second guide has been designed to be used alongside the New
Counselor’s Survival Guide Part 1 to support guidance counselors who
may be new to the international school market or teaching professionals
who may be making a career move into a counseling role.

Part 1 was created to help counselors design and build a university and
careers guidance strategy. Part 2 is designed to help them implement
this guidance strategy against the backdrop of a higher education
market that is becoming increasingly globalised and competitive.

This second part gives counselors an overview of the challenges

and milestones that they will face when delivering a careers and
university guidance strategy. Counselors can use this guide to:

≥≥ Devise a strategy for exploring careers with

their students, before moving on to university
research and application in later years.
≥≥ Help students to conduct intelligent university
research and improve their application writing.
≥≥ Understand how external stakeholders (e.g.
university reps, agents) can shape and influence
their university guidance strategy.
≥≥ Learn how to adapt their guidance strategy to
different countries and higher education markets.

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Chapter 1: How to Start Careers
Guidance With Your
Students
If you’re starting a new role as a counselor, and careers guidance is part of your job description,
then you’ll need to think about the challenges your secondary school graduates will face in the job
markets of the future. Here’s why:

• More people choose to live and work in countries they didn’t grow up in. More than
ever, this means that your students are more likely to see the whole world as a potential
workplace. This is particularly true for international school students (often nicknamed ‘third
culture kids’) who have been exposed to intercultural experiences from an early age.
• More top class graduates will be competing for top class jobs, as more students from
emerging middle classes in countries like India and China will be studying at university.
• The graduates of the future will enter a job market which is changing rapidly - many of your
current students could end up working in jobs that don’t exist yet!

There’s also the fact that many students start out not really having much of an idea what they’re good
at, let alone how to use those skills in a work environment.

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution here. Every student’s aspirations will be totally different and
their career goals will be shaped by a multitude of different factors. But on their journey to finding
the right career for them, there are a few common worries, myths and preconceptions that students
might fall victim to. It’s your job to challenge these preconceptions and help students approach their
career planning from a place of self-awareness and emotional intelligence.

Let’s discuss these in more detail...

‘I don’t know what I want to do when I’m older’

Some students may start their career planning under the impression that they should know what
they want to do from an early age. Nothing could be further from the truth!

Rather than letting students agonise over the question ‘what do I want to do when I’m older?’ ask
them to think instead about their personal skill-set. What are they good at? How do they like to learn?

There are many organisations out there that offer personality tests and assessments to help students
better understand their own skills and strengths.

For example, the Myers-Briggs ‘16 Personalities’ test is one of the most influential personality tests
that can help students to understand some of the underlying factors that will determine their career
path. Specifically it prompts students to understand their personalities using the following criteria:

• Are students more task-driven and logical in their approach to work, or

are they more people/values driven? (Thinking vs Feeling)
• Are they more comfortable working in large groups or do they
prefer working alone? (Extroverted vs Introverted)

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• Are they more of a pragmatic problem solver, do they take a more
intuitive ‘big picture’ approach? (Sensing vs Intuition)
• How do they like to make decisions? Are they organised and deadline-driven in their approach
to work, or do they like to stay open to changing circumstances? (Judging vs Prospecting)

Myers Briggs is just one example. But it helps to illustrate how personality assessments can
help students to understand their strengths and preferences, which is vital at the start of their
career planning.

It helps them to start thinking about their futures from a place of genuine self-awareness, which will
mean that they are better placed to pick the right courses and specialisms as they proceed through
school and towards university application.

‘I’m going to follow my passion in life’

You might work with some students who have a very clear idea of what they want to do when they’re
older. This shouldn’t be discouraged, but it’s important to make them aware that passion alone can’t
govern a career path.

For starters, ‘passion’ is a very hard thing to define in a world where the careers of the future are likely
to be subject to great change and fluctuation. Raw talent and enthusiasm will not necessarily suffice,
especially because many job roles will require other supplementary skills and competencies.

Case Study: Journalism

For example, you may be working with a student who is a talented writer, and considers him/herself
to be very creative. Let’s imagine they have ambitions to be a journalist. While it’s true that they may
enjoy writing, and take a keen interest in current affairs, a career as a journalist brings challenges that
they may not be prepared for. For example:

• Logistics: Journalists have to work to tight deadlines and may be required to

travel at short notice. They may also be required to work unsociable hours.
• Additional skills: As well as being good writers, journalists are required to be good
editors and proofreaders. They must also be able to manage competing deadlines,
priorities and projects, and possess tenacity and drive in the face of obstacles.
• Long-term prospects: Journalism is changing radically as an industry. The popularity of digital
and online content and the rise of social media has put ‘traditional’ journalism under threat.
Journalism is a career path where freelance work and self-employment are now commonplace.

Top tip: Use classroom activities that get your students thinking about potential
career paths. Will their ideal job exist in the same form in thirty years time? What
will jobs of the future look like? What skills and competencies will be required in the
job markets of the future? What working patterns and income could they expect?

‘I need a job that has a good starting salary’

Some students may be drawn towards particular career paths because of the promise of a high starting
salary; for example, Medicine or Law.

Again, there’s nothing wrong with this. But some students may feel pressure to choose a career path
because it commands a high starting salary (some students might also face pressure from their families
in this regard).

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It’s important that your students’ decision-making is guided by salary expectations, but not led by
them. If a student chases a high salary for the sake of it, they could end up in a job that is poorly
aligned to their own interests and skills.

For example, a 2015 Gallup survey found that people who do a job where they are using their
strengths are three times more likely to enjoy a better quality of life, six times more likely to feel
engaged at work, 8% more likely to be productive and 15% less likely to quit their jobs.

In short, tomorrow’s graduates will not choose a job based on salary alone. There are many other
factors that will affect your students’ job satisfaction. It’s important they remember this as they
start their journey.

‘I need to do a degree that guarantees me a job’

As students begin to research potential university destinations, they may feel like they should do a
degree that is likely to guarantee them a related job when they leave university.

Of course, some career pathways require students to undertake a training-based degree. But many
careers don’t, and it’s important for students to understand that there are degrees that may appear
unrelated to a subsequent career path, but will give them transferable skills and strengths that they
can take into graduate life.

This is especially true of degrees that don’t appear to directly lead to a guaranteed job. For instance,
many Humanities based degrees such as English Literature, Philosophy and History can equip
students with the following skills:

• An ability to read and critically assess large volumes of information.

• An ability to work independently and to be self-motivated.
• The ability to write and develop original theories and arguments.
• Experience of oral presentations and peer-to-peer learning.

The above qualities could be relevant in any of the following career paths.

• Law (an ability to digest large volumes of information)

• Entrepreneurship (the ability to work independently/self motivation)
• Media, television, film (originality & developing your own ideas)
• Consulting or professional services (critical thinking & analytical skills)

Top tip: Bridging the gap between academic study and professional development is not
just a question of doing a related degree. As you build your guidance strategy, it’s worth
encouraging your students to think about relevant internships and work experience that
could help to improve their CV.

A successful careers guidance programme will aim to make students more aware of their strengths,
skills and interests.

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In a job market that is guaranteed to change and throw up a myriad of new challenges and
opportunities, there’s little value in students taking a ‘top-down’ approach - i.e. picking a fixed career
choice and trying to work backwards from there.

Instead, it’s vital to encourage a ‘bottom-up’ approach, that encourages students to think about who
they are, what they value and how they like to work. This will make the intimidating task of choosing
a career seem that bit more accessible and ensure they have a good toolkit of transferable skills to
make them stand out from the competition.

And of course, it will make the university research process that bit easier.

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Chapter 2: How
 to Introduce Your
Students to Potential
University Destinations
Studying at university overseas is becoming a more attractive and feasible
option for many students. Schools all over the world are becoming
increasingly global in their aspirations for their students.

But when students are first confronted with the possibility of studying abroad, it
can feel like a daunting prospect. Not only are there are hundreds of countries to
choose from, but every country has a slightly different university system, with its own
entry requirements. So where do they begin their research? How can they know if
a university on the other side of the world is really the right choice for them?

Our top tip? Encourage students to structure their thinking with a series of leading
questions that might help them to critically engage with their university choices.

In this chapter, we’ll show you how your students can organise
their research around three simple questions:

• What’s it like to study in the country you’re thinking of applying to?

• What will university life be like?
• What can you expect from your university course?

Step 1: What’s it like to study in the country

you’re thinking of applying to?
This is a crucial starting point. Students might be looking at universities in countries far from home,
where they could end up spending some of the most formative years of their life. It will be vital that
they think carefully about the culture and lifestyle of their chosen country. Some further questions
to ask include:

What’s the climate like?

Hot? Cold? Humid? Temperate? It might seem like a small detail, but it will be a determining factor
on where students want to spend their time. Are they happy with freezing winters? Do they want to
be in a warm, sunny climate all year round?

What are the language and cultural considerations?

Studying abroad may require a working familiarity with another language. Some students may not
even be taking a degree in their first language. They need to ask themselves if this is something
they’re comfortable with.

Similarly, cultural considerations will have a bearing on whether students feel like they will fit in at
a university. Can students see themselves easily integrating? What’s the political climate like? Will
they fundamentally share common values with other students?

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What will the cost of living be like?

Setting a budget for university is essential (especially when you throw tuition fees into the mix).
How much will things like accommodation, transport, insurance, a mobile phone cost?

How easy will it be to get a student visa?

Study visas are a vital consideration for your students looking to go abroad for university. Applying
for a student visa can be a time-consuming and complex process. So make sure that your students
know what’s involved.

Step 2: What will university life be like?

As students begin to look at specific destinations, it’s important to start thinking about the
academic and cultural fit of each institution. Some useful questions when researching universities
abroad include:

What percentage of students are international?

How welcoming is this university to international students? What kind of support and advice does
it offer?

Some of your students applying abroad will be looking for universities where there are lots of other
international undergraduates. For others, this might not be such an issue!

Does this university offer the qualifications your student needs for their future?

University fit will depend on what students want from

their future career. For example, some universities Top tip: Some university systems will
will be better suited to offering specialist professional offer specific, professional degree
subjects like Medicine, Law or Architecture. courses at undergraduate level, e.g.
studying towards a Medicine degree.
Likewise, some universities may offer degrees with a work In other countries, a student won’t
placement, or a year in industry (for example German be expected to study towards their
Universities of Applied Science). Is this something that’s professional qualification until after
important to some of your students? Are they keen to study university, e.g. students in the US attend
a degree that offers them direct work experience? medical school after completion of
their first university degree. It’s worth
Some jobs in certain countries require specific accreditations. students bearing this in mind as they
Make sure that students are taking this into account consider international destinations.
when looking at a university or a degree course.

What type of accommodation does the university offer?

Encourage students to research accommodation thoroughly. Does the university offer halls of
residence/dorm accommodation for international students? How much will it cost? What’s the
commute to campus like?

What’s the social life like?

Students should have a good grasp of the types of extracurricular activities on offer. After all,
studying isn’t everything! Will your students have access to extracurricular activities that are
suited to their interests and hobbies? It’s also worth students looking at factors like nearby towns
and cities and what they have to offer in terms of culture and nightlife.

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What do other students have to say about it?

Finding out what alumni of the university have to say about their experience of studying there is an
important research tool. If your students are able to talk to any alumni of the university, they should
try and do so. They can also talk to current students when they go and visit the university.

Step 3: What can you expect from the

course/major?
Finally, encourage your students to drill down into the course itself. Some useful research questions
in this final step include:

Does the course look interesting to you?

This might seem like an obvious question - but it’s an important one. Does your student really want
to take this course for the next three/four years of their life? Do all the modules and electives look
interesting? There’s no point embarking on a degree course they’re not passionate about.

What kind of flexibility is built into the course?

Would your student be studying a very specialised degree all the way through their course? Or can
they study a wider range of subjects before specialising (or picking a major) later?

This may have a bearing on the country they apply to. For example, UK university degrees are
usually more specialised, whilst US and Canadian universities encourage students to take a wider
range of subjects before picking a major later on.

How are classes taught?

This is a question that can help students think about how they like to learn. Some degrees will offer
larger, lecture-based classes, whilst others will consist of smaller seminars and tutorials, where
students will have more contact with the teaching staff.

How is the course assessed?

Are your students more comfortable with a course where there are lots of essays and coursework?
Or are they more happy being assessed in an exam setting? Will the course require a lot of group
work and collaborative study?

How much will the degree cost?

This is another big question for students, especially in countries like the United States and the
United Kingdom, where tuition fees are higher.

But don’t let your applicants be deterred by an intimidating price tag. Encouraging students to learn
more about scholarships and financial support is another important step in the university research
process. Countries like the US, which may seem expensive, offer their students generous financial
aid, scholarships and bursaries.

From research to application

Using our three-step process, your students should now have a working idea of what their
preferred university destination looks like.

But this is only the beginning of the application process. As they shortlist their destinations, there
are a whole host of other requirements and criteria that you and your students need to be aware of.
We’ll explore these in subsequent chapters.

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Chapter 3: How University Admissions
Reps & University Visits Fit
Into Your Overall Guidance
Strategy
There’s one powerful ally in your guidance strategy that we haven’t
talked about yet. They’re arguably the key to getting your students really
engaged with prospective higher education institutions.

We’re talking about the universities themselves.

Like schools, universities are becoming ever more global in their outlook, and most
have entire departments dedicated to recruiting international students. Universities
will send reps to schools, both regionally and internationally, to build brand
awareness and to educate students about the full range of their offerings.

How can my students connect with university/

college reps?
There are a number of ways that you and your students can expect to come into contact with
university reps.

University/college rep visits to your school

Many universities will schedule visits to school campuses. These are an absolutely invaluable
opportunity for students to find out about the admissions process in a familiar setting. Some
universities will even offer talks or workshops that are tailored to a particular year group within
your school.

University/college fairs

Many universities will schedule regional and international

tours, appearing in cities and towns at various university Top tip: It’s worth noting that many
and college fairs. universities will be both touring regionally/
internationally and offering direct visits to
Again, a quick glance at a university’s website will often schools. It’s always worth researching and
give you and your students an insight into where and contacting universities individually to see
when is a good opportunity to meet with a rep from what they can offer you and your students.
a given institution. University/college fairs also give
students the opportunity to get an overview of multiple
destinations at the same time.

There are many organisations that run university and college fairs. A few notable examples include:

• The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC)

offers a number of college fairs for US high school students. They also run
an annual fair specifically for international students in Canada.

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• The British Council offers higher education fairs in over 40 countries, designed
for international students who are thinking of studying in the UK.
• UCAS runs university fairs and exhibitions across the UK.
• The Fulbright Commission runs an annual USA College Day, a fair for international
students interested in applying to a university in the United States.

Some international schools even run their own university fairs; e.g. Concordia International School,
Shanghai runs its ‘World University Fair’ for students to meet reps from international universities.

How students can make the most of

their meetings with university reps
Whether it’s at a fair or as part of a visit to their school, it’s important for students to
make the most of one-to-one conversations with university and college reps.

Research is vital

During visits to specific geographies, university reps are often working to a very tight
schedule, and their time will be limited, so your students can’t take these visits for
granted. They need to have researched the university in question before meeting with a
representative, and show up with a list of questions to ask. Some examples include:
• What programs/courses does the university offer that align with their subject interests?
• What are housing/accommodation options like for undergraduates?
• What’s the social life like on campus?
• What’s the surrounding town/city/wider area like? If it’s a campus
based university, what are transport links like?
• What makes this university unique?
• What does this university look for in prospective students?

Not only is a university rep going to be more impressed by students who

are prepared and well-informed, the questions above will also inform
any reflections that students may have after the visit is over.

First impressions are everything

Rep visits are an opportunity for students to present themselves as potential candidates.
So students should make sure that they are authentic and professional in how they present
themselves. Little details like a firm handshake, plenty of eye contact and punctuality make a
big difference.

Following up

Encourage students to follow up with university reps after a meeting, be that via email, Skype or
phone. This can help to give your students’ university shortlisting more focus, because they will
have opened up a dialogue with an admissions rep who can offer them relevant and personalised
guidance. Don’t forget, university reps want to hear from students!

The time immediately after a meeting with a university rep is a time for reflection and objectively
weighing up options. Some useful questions to encourage students to ask themselves are:

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• Did they get everything they needed from their conversation?
Do they need to follow up in any way?
• Did this talk/workshop make them really passionate about applying? If they were keen
on that university before the visit, how do they feel now they’ve talked to a rep?
• Is this really the right university for them in terms of subject
preferences, campus fit, and overall culture?

Top tip: Many international school websites will feature a page or section of the website
dedicated to university visits. These will include helpful info for a university rep, such as:

• How to get to the school campus (or campuses)

• Places to stay in the local area.
• Transportation in and around the local area.
• Helpful need-to-know information for when the rep is on campus e.g. parking
facilities, their first point of contact when arriving at the school.

If your school doesn’t have information like this on your website or anywhere in your
official marketing literature it’s probably going to be up to you to create it!

Why university visits can be a transformative

experience for students
A university visit is an invaluable research tool for
your students. The reason is simple. Top tip: Like your students, it’s
Instead of universities just being remote essential to keep a dialogue open
destinations on a website or in a prospectus, with university reps. So make sure
students will get the chance to talk to someone you swap emails, social media, Skype
who can give them an insight into the actual or phone details (or all of the above!).
experience of living on a campus, or taking a Better yet, if you’ve got a business
particular course. card, make sure they get a copy!

Specifically, a university visit can:

• Offer students the chance to ask valuable questions about a university’s

admissions process that will strengthen their eventual applications.
• Allow students more insight into a university that they may
not have previously thought about applying to.
• Give students the confidence to apply to a university that may have
felt inaccessible, academically and/or geographically.

How counselors should prepare for visits from

university reps
Don’t forget these visits are an opportunity for you too!

Universities value their relationship with guidance counseling teams in schools, and university rep
visits are a great way to nurture valuable long-term relationships between schools and universities.

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Here are a few tips on how you can make the most of these visits.

Familiarise universities with your school’s profile

It’s helpful to provide admissions reps with information about the profile of your school, which may
be helpful in providing context for their visit. This can include, but is not limited to:
• Student demographics.
• The curriculum/curricula your school supports.
• An overview of where students have historically applied/been accepted to university.
• The preferences or aspirations of your current students.

Be a facilitator

Facilitating the conversations and relationships between your students and visiting reps will be
your most crucial job. As well as imparting some of the advice to students that we laid out above, it’s
helpful to be an active participant in talks, workshops and Q&As. This is a great way of making sure
that your students feel engaged too. Here are a few hints and tips:
• Sit in on as many university rep visits as you can - this will ensure your
own knowledge of visiting universities is relevant and up to date, and
you can pass on any information students may have missed.
• Ask questions yourself - some students may be shy or may need a bit of
help to get a discussion going (especially in a group context).

Encourage students to be impartial

It’s probably worth mentioning that whilst they won’t be giving students the ‘hard
sell’, university reps are at your school to talk about their institution, and make a
powerful case for why your students should apply. It’s your job to help students
to be impartial, to critically assess the pros and cons of this particular university,
and whether it’s right for them. You can’t allow them to get star struck!

University rep visits can be a powerful asset. Get them right and your students are
more likely to submit higher quality university applications in the long run.

But university reps aren’t the only external stakeholders who will affect
your students’ applications. In the next chapter, we’ll look at other university
agents and consultants, and ways you can work with them.

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Chapter 4: Working With Independent
Agents and Consultants

If you read Part 1 of our guide (if you haven’t, what are you waiting for?), then you’ll know that we
talked a lot about how to build trust in your guidance strategy and the importance of getting every
stakeholder at your school invested in the work you’re doing.

As students begin the university application process, this will be more essential than ever. Students
and parents will be counting on you to give them the most objective and personalised advice
possible.

But here’s the catch.

In the complex world of international university and careers guidance, school counselors aren’t the
only game in town.

If you’re responsible for delivering your school’s guidance strategy, your advice and your insights
on the university admissions process may sit alongside that of university recruitment agents and
education consultants.

The international market for consultants/agents is a lucrative one. There are a number of reasons
for this:

Universities are trying to recruit a wider range of students

Universities are increasingly looking to expand the diversity of their international student intake.
This means that they may work with partner organisations and agencies (in various capacities) to
recruit students.

Parents looking to maximise their child’s chances

Parents understandably want to give their children the best possible chance when applying to
universities, especially competitive parents! Parents may rely on the advice of agents/consultants in
order to make this happen.

So in this chapter we thought we’d provide you with a quick overview of agents and consultants -
what they do, how they’re accredited and how to factor them into your guidance strategy.

Agents and education consultants: what are the

different types?
The terms agent, education consultant or university recruiter are often used interchangeably.

In fact, they actually refer to a number of different job roles and specialisations. When helping
students with university applications, it’s helpful to know how these different roles might impact
you and your university guidance.

For example, in the last chapter, we looked at university representatives and how their visits can
have a substantive impact on your guidance programme. University reps often work for a university

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admissions department, and will be tasked with reaching out to schools and students, both
nationally and internationally. We’ve already covered how they can be a huge asset to you.

So how are independent recruiters, consultants and agents different? Let’s take a look.

International student recruitment agency/agent

These are third party companies who are employed by universities to help with student
recruitment and, in some cases, support students with their university applications. These agencies
are paid a commission based on the number of students who enrol on a particular course/university.
They are only paid after a student has successfully enrolled at a university.

Impact on your guidance strategy?

The way in which these agencies/agents are incentivised means they are highly likely to recommend
universities that they represent. This means that your students must be encouraged to view an
agent’s advice with this information in mind.

That said, some international agencies are often helpful for international students when it comes
to some of the logistics of studying abroad, such as visa application. For example, many agents
in Australia work in partnership with universities to almost exclusively help students with the
Australian student visa process.

Accreditation

There are a number of international bodies that accredit third party agents, and these organisations
provide further resources if you’d like to know more about how university recruitment agents work
in your country. Some of them include:

The American International Recruitment Council

The Federation of Education and Language Consultant Associations

The British Council

Canada Course for Education Agents

Independent consultants/agents

As you may have guessed from the title, these consultants are completely independent from
universities and colleges. Independent agents and consultants are more likely to push students
towards a wider range of university destinations, as they are often paid by parents and families in
the form of a service fee.

Understandably, parents/families are more likely to seek the help of an independent consultant
if their child attends a school without a guidance counselor. But, this doesn’t mean that you won’t
encounter them in your job!

Impact on your guidance strategy?

Since these kinds of educational consultants are more likely to be paid and incentivised by
students’ families, their university recommendations may carry more weight with parents.

If you know parents and families who are using an independent consultant,
managing their expectations of their children’s university prospects is essential.
Using a consultant may have the effect of inflating a parent/family member’s
already high expectations of where their child will attend university.

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Some parents will get their children started with a consultant/agent from an early
age, so by the time they reach the final two years of secondary school, their son/
daughter will place a lot of faith in that person’s recommendations.

Top tip: Some international schools, especially in countries like China,

may ask parents to sign agreements wherein the school is not liable for
any university application advice given by an external party. This can
help to minimise the chances of disputes between schools and parents.

Accreditation

There are a number of accredited organisations for independent agents in regions around the
world, including the Independent Educational Consultants’ Association (IECA) and The Higher
Education Consultants’ Association (HECA).

How should I work with agents?

Short answer? There are no rules. Dealing with agents and consultants will ultimately be an
exercise in using your judgement. But there are a few hints and tips that might help you.

Remember that agents and consultants are a diverse bunch

As we’ve covered in previous chapters, the world of international university and careers guidance
is a vast and complicated market. Agents and consultants are an important part of this ecosystem
(some may even have been school guidance counselors themselves in a previous life). How an
agent/consultant factors into your guidance strategy will depend on which of the categories above
they fall into.

If you do encounter agents in your job, here are some useful questions to ask yourself if you’re
trying to separate the good from the bad:

• Do they have good knowledge of, and frequent contact with, partner universities?
• Do you believe they’re putting the student’s needs and preferences
first when advising them on university applications?
• Are they empowering your students to take ownership of their own university applications?
• Are they generally supportive of the work you and your school are doing to help the student?

Be mindful of cultural norms

What country are you in as you read this guide? Believe it or not, this makes a big difference in how
your guidance strategy will be impacted by third party advice.

China is one example of a country where the use of agents is much more the norm, and therefore
guidance counselors are more likely to come into contact with them. Because the Chinese market is
more competitive, the expectations of parents and families may be higher.

In short, whether your parents and students choose to use an agent is something over which you
may have little control, depending on where you work. You can only focus on making your own
guidance strategy as robust as possible. Which leads us nicely onto our next tip.

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Create a culture of accountability and trust in your guidance programme

Just in case you still haven’t taken a peek at Part 1 of our guide (we won’t take it personally, but you
really should!), it’s worth recapping what we said about building trust and accountability in your
guidance strategy (and how it relates to an agent).

Parents/Families

If parents/families have hired an agent or consultant, their expectations may be strongly linked
to that person’s recommendations. This may in turn affect their perceptions of your guidance
programme (sometimes negatively so).

Make your school’s guidance process as transparent as possible and ensure parents feel invested
in it. Invite them to as many explanatory sessions and open evenings as you can. If appropriate,
have meetings with both a student and their parent/family member to discuss their university
application progress.

We can’t guarantee that all parents will choose your advice over that of an agent, but an open and
continuous dialogue is never a bad thing!

Students

Expectation setting is the key here. You should make it clear to your students that they are
expected to be the masters of their own destiny.

This means ensuring that students are responsible for their own university research and that they
gain a deep understanding of the application process. This will minimise the chance of an agent
holding too much sway over a student’s university applications.

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Chapter 5: How To Get Your
Students Started With
Application Writing
There’s one common theme that we’ve returned to again and again in all of our chapters so far:
students ultimately have to be the authors and masters of their own guidance process.

This is especially true of university application essays and personal statements. There’s no agent,
education consultant or guidance counselor who can magically unlock the secrets of a truly stand
out application essay. This is a task that ultimately falls to the student.

But a good guidance counselor can really empower a student. What do we mean by this?

• You create a guidance strategy that enables your students to be self-

reflective and self-critical in their approach to university application. They
begin the process fully aware of their own strengths and weaknesses.
• You encourage students to be diligent and detailed with their university
research. This will ensure they have a more realistic understanding of
what they can expect from their chosen university/degree.
• You challenge students to look beyond their academic grades, and
ensure they have a good portfolio of extracurricular activities

These are all qualities that will ensure your students are more likely to stand out when universities
review their applications. In this chapter, we’re going to take a brief look at application essays, and
what universities are looking for.

Application essays & personal

statements explained
Most universities and courses will ask students to submit some form of application essay, personal
statement or statement of purpose in support of their applications. In some countries, like the
United Kingdom and the United States, it’s pretty much compulsory. In other countries, such as
Australia, there’s more variation from university to university and only certain courses and degrees
will require students to write an application essay.

But regardless of which country your students end up applying to, there are a number of criteria
that students should be mindful of as they set about planning potential essays and personal
statements. In the next section, we’ll discuss them in more detail.

Application writing: what are

Example: The UCAS Personal
universities looking for? Statement is a good case study here.
Students applying to the UK must
Formative interest in their subject submit one Personal Statement for
all their university options, meaning
Many university application systems will want students to that they need to demonstrate a
explain when, why and how they became interested in studying a clear interest in their chosen subject.
particular subject or discipline. Was there a book that sparked a

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student’s interest in his/her chosen degree? Were they inspired by a teacher at school? Is their
desire to study this course motivated by personal ambition, or a sense of public service?

Extra-curricular activities

This is another common component of an

application that almost every university
Example: Carol wants to study History at university. She
will ask for. From a strategy perspective,
has amazing grades and test scores, but doesn’t get involved
extra-curricular activities stand out
with many extra-curricular activities. This could mean she
for a few reasons. These include:
struggles to set herself apart from other applicants who do.

• Proof of subject interest Some extracurricular activities she might

outside of the classroom. want to think about include:
• Showcasing a student’s softer skills
- e.g. leadership, teamwork, project • Joining a debating team/entering a public
management, entrepreneurial spirit. speaking competition (demonstrates critical
• Earning other qualifications/ thinking and teamwork ability)
credentials outside of school life. • Joining model United Nations (this would demonstrate
subject interest outside the classroom)
A good university application strategy
• Writing for her student newspaper (this would
involves a student looking at their extra-
demonstrate critical thinking and strong writing ability,
curricular portfolio, and thinking about
both essential for an essay-based subject like History).
how this can link up with their academic
pathway. Are there any after-school clubs,
sports teams or out of school activities
that can bolster their application?

Formative experience/background

Some universities want to know about a formative moment or experience in an

applicant’s life that has informed the student’s ambitions and world-view.

These formative experiences don’t need to be something the applicant has done - they can even
be something relating to a student’s family history, culture or ethnicity. It could also be a time
when they have been forced to question a pre-existing belief or preconception about the world.

Example: US universities love a good origin story! Writing about formative

experiences or personal circumstances is a sure-fire way to creating a US application
essay that really stands out. For more information, check out the essay prompts
for application portals like the Common App and Coalition Application.

University fit

Some university application essays will ask a student to reflect on their suitability
for a particular course or campus. They want to know why an applicant is a good
fit with that university’s culture, worldview or even historical traditions. This is
why researching individual university destinations thoroughly is essential!

Example: If a student is applying to a university, as opposed to a specific

course, then university fit will be important. Again, the US is a good example
here. Students must be able to demonstrate why they’re attracted to
the culture, heritage and traditions of their chosen university.

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Leadership/entrepreneurial skills

The ability to lead a team is often a demonstration of other valuable skills such as
critical thinking, decision making and managing money. Entrepreneurial spirit is
even more invaluable. The ability to start a new project or venture from scratch
demonstrates creative thinking and real ingenuity. Students who can demonstrate
these attributes are likely to really stand out with admissions departments!

Start application planning early

The factors cited above aren’t a magical solution to help your students ace every university
application. But they can help students to focus their thinking as they prepare for university.

But don’t wait until university application season to work on these criteria with
students. Get students thinking about their university application in earlier years,
and how they can demonstrate the attributes we’ve listed. Are there any core
skills or extra-curricular activities that could bolster their applications?

A great university application is about more than grades. It’s about students demonstrating
that they have the drive, ambition to excel in both a curricular and extracurricular context.

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Chapter 6: Managing References &
Recommendation Letters

Most university systems ask schools and counselors to submit a reference or

recommendation as part of their admissions process. The problem for guidance
counselors and teachers is that the quantity and type of references required
vary from country to country and indeed from university to university.

This means it can be difficult to get a handle on the criteria required by different university systems.

Why do references and recommendation

letters matter?
Letters of recommendation and references act as supporting
documents to a student’s university application.

Overall, the recommendation/reference serves the following purposes:

• They allow universities to gauge a student’s suitability for their chosen course.
• They give universities an idea of how a student will contribute to the
campus life, and how they fit with the culture of a university.
• Admissions boards and faculty staff get an overview of how a
student performs in an academic environment.
• They bring a student to life in the eyes of an admissions officer, giving
universities an idea of a candidate’s personality and character.

References vs Letters of Recommendation

- what’s the difference?
If you have students at your school applying to multiple university systems, then it
can be tempting to use the two terms interchangeably, and indeed some countries
will use a variation upon the terminology above (e.g. some Canadian universities
ask for a letter of reference). But they can be very different things.

In this chapter, we’ll dive a bit deeper into references and recommendations, and how
they require a slightly different response from teachers and guidance counselors.

Note: Reference writing requirements across the world occupy a broad spectrum
between concise and formal academic references, and more personalised letters of
recommendation designed to showcase a student’s all-round personality.

For the purposes of this chapter, we’re going to dive deeper into the two most popular - the UCAS
reference and the US college letter of recommendation (LOR). These are the two most illustrative
examples of how references and recommendations can differ greatly in style and tone.

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The UCAS Reference
The UCAS Reference is usually one document sent on behalf of the school.
It may be written by one member of staff, or compiled from the observations
of several teachers who have worked closely with a student.

The focus of the reference is academic (especially in the UK), with an emphasis on:

• The student’s suitability for their chosen degree

• How their personal life experiences have informed their passion for their degree subject
• How they believe studying this degree will help them to realise their career ambitions.

How to write a reference

It’s important to keep the tone and content grounded in a discussion of the student’s academic
record. Even a discussion of their extra-curricular activities must, ultimately, come back to how
this relates to their overall suitability for the course to which they’re applying. Let’s look at this
short excerpt of a student’s UCAS reference, written in support of an application to study History.

Eduardo’s performance has been strong and consistent throughout Year 12, both
in terms of class and group discussions, and exam assessments. His written work
demonstrates strong historical explanation skills, and his essays are always
rich with analysis and clear argument from start to finish.

Other useful talking points for an academic reference may include:

• Why a student’s key skills and aptitudes makes them suited to their chosen degree course
• Their motivation and commitment to their curricular and extracurricular activities.
• Why you think they will be successful in their chosen career path.
• Any mitigating circumstances (if relevant) that may have a bearing on
their university application; e.g. bereavement or illness.

What are universities looking for in a UCAS reference?

To cite one example of a what a UK university is looking for, Imperial College

London recommends that teachers and counselors include the following.

• Demonstrate that students can construct well-

structured essays and reasoned arguments.
• Talk about a student’s organisational or time management skills.
• Talk about how they participate in class discussions.
• Highlight their leadership or team working abilities and communication skills.

How to help teachers write references

If multiple teachers are contributing towards a single reference (as with the UCAS reference), then
it’s important that you co-ordinate with them to ensure that they are showing a student in their
best light. Here are a few tips for helping teachers at your school.

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• Ensure they show, and don’t tell. Teachers need to back up their
observations about students with specific, relevant examples.
• Make sure they’re mindful of word counts. Teachers’ comments will form part of an
overall reference. Their contributions should be insightful, but get to the point!
• If possible, encourage teachers to familiarise themselves with their
students’ Personal Statements and overall university aspirations. This
will empower them to write better, more tailored references.
• Finally, make sure that teachers are mindful of deadlines!

Letters of Recommendation (USA)

It’s important to stress that there is no one single definition of a letter of recommendation,
or what’s required. Also, different universities have their own criteria for how
many letters a school must submit, and who is expected to write them.

But as we explained at the beginning of this chapter, we’re using the US Letter of
Recommendation as a case study, as it’s the best contrasting example of a more personalised,
informal recommendation.

Before we look at how to write a LOR, it’s worthwhile talking about

how it will change depending on who is submitting it.

Recommendation letters from teachers

Teachers will be required to discuss how a student has performed in an academic setting.
They will be required to talk about where the student has excelled, what drives them and
how they’ve coped with setback and adversity. Teachers will often be in a better position to
talk about the specific skill-set that a student will bring to their chosen degree course.

Recommendation letters from counselors

This could be you! If guidance counselors are required to submit a reference to a university,
they may be asked to comment on a student’s overall contribution to school life and how they
might, in turn, contribute to life at their chosen university. This isn’t always the case, though,
so if in doubt, it’s always best to check the individual university’s entry requirements.

How to write recommendation letters

The tone of voice in letters of recommendation is different. Let’s look at an example.

David has demonstrated a consistent ability to use independent thinking and rigorous
analysis in both written assessments and classroom discussions. His essay on Christianity and
redemption in “Crime and Punishment” demonstrated a level of insight beyond his years.

This example LOR dives straight in with a positive endorsement which showcases the student’s
academic ability, but also adopts a personable tone. It’s clear, concise and champions the student.

But this is where a letter of recommendation can differ from a reference. LORs
are often more informal in tone, and are a chance to champion the student’s
personal qualities too. This is exemplified further in the next section.

David’s energy and intellect has seen him excel outside the classroom, and he’s made
a valuable contribution to school life. He has represented our school as a delegate
for Model United Nations, and demonstrates an understanding of world affairs and
current events which has served to make him a highly skilled public speaker.

25
This second paragraph helps to place the student’s academic achievements in a wider context and
uses specific examples to show how this student has participated fully outside of the classroom.

Finally, the letter of recommendation might end with a final,

unreserved endorsement of the student.

In all aspects of school life, David demonstrates drive and a love for learning, qualities that will see him
excel in his future career. His warmth, intelligence and good humour makes him a joy to teach, and a
constant inspiration to his fellow students. I would recommend him without reservation to any institution.

In summary, a strong letter of recommendation will:

• Give clear, concise examples of a student’s academic achievement.

• Tell a compelling story about how the student has impacted on school life.
• Talk about their overall personality and character.
• Make a strong case for why they are a great fit for their chosen university.

References & Letters of Recommendation: final tips to get you started

We chose the two examples in this chapter because they sit at opposite ends of a wide
spectrum of university systems. Of course, the reference/recommendation criteria for
multiple countries is too complex to go into here. But when it comes time to get started
with reference and recommendation writing, it’s useful to ask these questions.

Who will be writing the reference/letter of recommendation?

It may be that it’s your job to collate teacher’s comments into one reference. Alternatively,
individual members of staff will be responsible for writing their own. As a guidance counselor,
it might be up to you to ensure that everyone knows what is required and to what deadlines.

Who will be reading it?

Audience is everything. If your students are applying to study for a specialised course, then it’s
likely that the reference will be more academic in tone, and should discuss their aptitude for their
chosen degree. By contrast, an application sent directly to a university (see our US example) will
require a more fully-rounded account of the student and their contribution to campus life.

How will it be sent?

This is an important logistical consideration that will affect how you manage
deadlines. Do references need to be sent to the university directly, or through a
standardised application portal like UCAS (UK) or the Common App (US). In some
countries, it will be a combination of both. It’s up to you to keep track!

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About BridgeU

BridgeU provides world-class university & careers guidance

for global secondary schools, to empower your students,
inform your guidance strategy and improve outcomes.

Founded in 2014, BridgeU is the market leader in university & careers

guidance for global secondary schools. We partner with schools in over 100
countries and we match students with over 26, 000 universities.

BridgeU provides global schools with a comprehensive end-to-end

solution for schools, advisors and students including:

Personalised university and course matching - Empower your students

to engage more proactively with their future options and make informed
decisions, aligning their skills with relevant universities and courses.

Designed for global schools - BridgeU provides schools with support and training across
time-zones. Our dedicated customer success team works from locations including London,
Hong Kong, New Delhi and Madrid, offering deep domain expertise in regional markets.

Data powered insights - Leverage relevant proprietary data and insights to measure
and assess the impact of the guidance process to inform your strategy.

A trusted global community - Join the largest global community of international careers
advisors, participate in training and invest in your professional development.

If you’d like to know more about how BridgeU can help your students with the university research
and shortlisting process, why not take advantage of one of our free consultations?

Book a consultation
Discover how BridgeU can deliver better
outcomes for your school

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Get in touch today
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