2022-23 Semester 1 Travel Recap

While it is dangerous to identify our current world as “post-pandemic,” we have returned to many practices that had been on hold since prior to the outbreak of COVID-19. For college counseling, one of these practices to which we have returned is a commitment to travel. As we have shared, college counselors travel for a variety of reasons in support of our school and program. From learning about different universities to developing relationships with admissions offices to crafting and honing counseling skills, travel is an essential part of our work. Most of our travel is planned and communicated far in advance, and so while our absence from campus can be disruptive, any challenges can be avoided with advanced planning. Additionally, we have a standing commitment for there always to be a college counselor on campus when the office is open, and all of our students, while assigned to work with a particular counselor, may meet with anyone as needed! We work as a team in the OCC! 

That said, we wanted to share a brief update from recent travels by the college counselors. Check out our Instagram page (@eagles.collegecounseling) for pictures, videos, and more information. If you have any questions about any of these topics, please contact the college counselor directly!

• Mr. Rusert visited universities in Atlanta in September. He paid separate visits to both Emory University and The Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). At each visit, he met with admission officers, attended an admission office information sessions, and participated in student-led campus tours.  

• Ms. Sabeh visited three very different colleges in Colorado in September. She first visited Colorado College - a small, private, liberal arts college – located in Colorado Springs and just an hour's drive from Denver. She then visited the University of Colorado, Boulder – a large, public, research university – located in Boulder and only 30 minutes from Denver. Last but not least, she visited the University of Denver – a medium-sized, private, university – located in the heart of downtown Denver. At each of these universities, she participated in campus tours and met with the admissions office to introduce them to Graded and invite them to visit us. Between the friendly students, diverse academic opportunities, and 300+ days of sunshine, many Graded students will find Colorado to be a great fit.

• Mr. Rusert and Ms. Sabeh attended the NACAC Annual Conference in Houston, Texas in September. The NACAC conference is the largest of its kind with over 7,000 secondary school counselors and university admissions professionals from all over the world attending each year.  Mr. Rusert and Ms. Sabeh attended multiple educational and informational sessions, visited the exhibit hall with hundreds of companies in the education sector, represented Graded at a variety of private, industry-related events, and met with admission leaders from countless universities. Prior to the conference, they also participated in counselor-visit programs at Rice University and The University of Houston where they also met with admission officers from those respective universities, attended informational sessions, and participated in campus tours.

• Mr. Neill attended the CEO P2P Conference in Lima, Peru in October. This was a small conference of 12 individuals from high schools around South America as well as US-based university representatives who were on tour in the area. Mr. Neill was able to connect with a variety of universities, and the CEO P2P group will visit Graded with a group of colleges in the second semester! 

• Mr. Neill attended the College Board Forum in Orlando, Florida in October. After presenting with the Vice President of International from College Board, the International Development Lead for UCAS, and the Director of International Admissions from the University of Chicago on the topic of “International Student Behaviors: Reading the Tea Leaves” to a full house of university admissions professionals, Mr. Neill attended a number of sessions on standardized testing and college admissions practices while connecting and reconnecting with the 1500 attendees, half of which were college and university representatives.

• Mr. Neill visited the six public universities in Prague, Czechia in November. Prior to the CIS Forum (below), Mr. Neill participated in a “Study in Prague” program where he and a collection of college counselors visited the amazing (and cheap!) options for university in Prague. Ask Mr. Neill about Charles University (CU), Academy of Performing Arts (AMU), Prague University of Economics and Business (VSE), Czech Technical University in Prague (CTU), University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague (UCT), and Czech University of Life Science Prague (CULS). These are some incredible opportunities! 

• Mr. Neill and Ms. Sabeh attended the CIS Global Forum on International Admissions & Guidance in Madrid, Spain in November. Totalling about 3000 attendees from the high school and university side, this event is seen as the premier event for European institutions.

• Ms. Sabeh visited universities in Milan, Italy in November after attending the CIS Global Forum (above). She toured the campuses and met with the Latin American representatives for Bocconi University, Humanitas University, and Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore. These three institutions provide different academic programs at minimal cost, making Milan an option for almost any student. Bocconi University is one of the most world renowned business schools in the world, with the program, philosophy, and international focus to back up that reputation. Humanitas University offers degrees in medicine taught completely in English and recognized worldwide. And University Cattolica has a wide range of bachelor's programs taught in English from psychology to economics and management, (as well as a medical program in Rome!). Milan is also a great city for college students!

• Mr. Neill visited EHL Hospitality Business School in Switzerland in November. EHL is generally considered to be the top hospitality school in the world; however, it has developed into a business school with a hospitality focus, and it is a place more Graded students should explore. While some percentage of graduates from EHL enter traditional hospitality jobs, some 50% enter the same jobs as more traditional business schools. Additionally, these graduates are highly sought after in the job market for having strong technical business skills and well-developed people skills. Take a look! Mr. Neill is super excited about EHL, so come talk to him!

• Ms. Sabeh visited IE University in Spain in November, as part of a Sao Paulo counselor fly-in program. She had the opportunity to visit the campuses in both Segovia and Madrid. The range of academic degrees and the innovative educational model was truly impressive! For many of our globally-minded Graded students, IE is the ultimate fit!

We are excited to share what we have learned! 

Looking ahead, there will be additional travel planned in the second semester, including conferences in New Hampshire, USA; Guatemala; Singapore; the UK; and Columbia before our travel to New York City and Florida during the next school break!