2017-18 Careers Season kicks off with a bang!

Academy’s biggest university fair on record

On Tuesday 5th September, the Council of International Schools (CIS) brought 34 universities from 4 countries – USA, Canada, UK and Spain – to the our biggest university fair yet. 15 more universities arrived for a second fair on the 7th. These included the University of Westminster in the UK, Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL) in Switzerland and Jacobs University Bremen, located in Germany. Students got the chance to pick university representatives' brains on subjects as varied as housing, admissions and what the locals like to do for fun. 

Successful first fair of the season

Prior to that, seven U.S. universities and one Irish university visited the Academy on 28th August. University representatives provided a thorough look into campus life, academics and admissions. Grade 12 student Alisha Tejani said of the event, “I liked how we were exposed to different universities, both public and private. And I got to ask practical questions about things like scholarships.”

With the diversity of universities represented, it comes as no surprise that students each had their favourite picks – “I liked Trinity College in Dublin because of its holistic approach to education. It also offers an exchange program with Indian universities, which you don’t see every day,” mentioned Rhea Raydi. Others preferred Trinity’s American counterparts, such as Bennington College in Vermont and the University of Colorado at Boulder. Grade 12 students currently applying to college are supported by the Academy’s university counselling department, which hosts university fairs and provides students with one-on-one support throughout the application process.

Inspirational UBC visit

Next, the Academy was fortunate to have a visit from the University of British Columbia, hailed as the most international university in North America. Students were clearly impressed with the UBC representative’s presentation. “UBC is a very prestigious university. When you’re applying to universities like I am this year, it’s one that just has to be on your list,” commented attendee Kameel Pirani. From a skydiving club to a Nobel laureate in astrophysics, UBC boasts both a unique campus life and a highly qualified faculty. UBC also receives the highest number of IB Diploma candidates, making it a good prospect for Aga Khan graduates. All in all, students summed up the event by saying, “It’s a dream to be part of university life there.”

Academy’s university counsellors contribute to IC3 Conference in New Delhi

Ms. Pragati Pandey, the Academy’s University Counsellor, along with her associate, Ms. Joana Mugumba, attended the International Careers and College Counselling (IC3) conference on the 30-31^st of August in New Delhi. The IC3 Conference brings together school leaders, college counsellors, teachers and university representatives to drive transformative counselling and admissions practices. Over 500 high school and university delegates from 20 countries were in attendance this year. Pandey played an integral role in the planning committee for the conference and acted as a jury member for the first ever University Counselling Awards in India.