College Counseling at HIS

The college counseling team at HIS aims to guide students through a process of identifying their strengths and interests in order to find their “best fit” options for life after HIS. Aligning with the HUSKIES learner outcomes, the college counseling program encourages students to be “confident to explore new experiences” and “use multiple sources for research” as they develop their college search list. By integrating college readiness lessons and activities through the homeroom curriculum (see Unifrog.org) and meeting with students individually beginning in the spring of their 11th grade year, the college counseling team supports the needs of students seeking admission to English-medium programs around the world. 

In order to best prepare for the rigorous college admissions process throughout their time in the high school, students are encouraged to consider the following common requirements for university applications around the world:

1. GPA: The student’s grade point average is determined on a 4 point scale based on the student’s course grades. Please see the school profile for specifics about the HIS grading scale. 
2. Standardized test scores: 
   • SAT: Most HIS students take the SAT at least once by the spring of their 11th grade year. The SAT is offered on-site 7 times throughout the year. Students must register for the SAT through their individual College Board accounts (sat.org). 
   • TOEFL and IELTS: For many of our students who have not had English-medium schooling throughout their whole educational careers, universities may ask for an English language proficiency test such as TOEFL or IELTS. These tests are not offered on-site, however, students can register to take them frequently throughout the year (ets.org and ielts.org).
   • AP scores: Application to some specific academic programs, such as science and engineering programs, in Australia, UK, Canada, and Japan may require specific AP test scores for admission. Students should be sure to carefully consider AP courses that they may need as they make course selections for their 11th and 12th grade years. AP courses are taught by HIS teachers, and the tests are offered on-site each year in May. For a full list of AP courses available at HIS, please see the school profile.
3. Extracurricular activities: Students are encouraged to get involved in after school activities and service opportunities throughout their high school career as a way of showing engagement with the community. At HIS, students are also required to obtain an EIR (extracurricular involvement requirement) credit each semester in order to graduate.
4. Letters of recommendation: In their senior year, HIS students applying to university will often need up to two letters of recommendation-- one from a teacher and one from a counselor. The teacher letter of recommendation should be from one of the student’s 11th grade teachers in a core subject that most closely aligns with their area of interest. The counselor letter will be written by a member of our college counseling team who takes a broad view of the student’s academic and personal development throughout their time at HIS. Students will be informed of the appropriate process for requesting letters of recommendation in their senior year and will be supplied with a letter of recommendation request form through their college counseling Google Classroom.
5. The personal statement/ college essay: Most university application systems will require students to complete at least one essay in their application. While the prompts and styles of these essays vary depending on the type of university, students should aim to work on their essays in the summer and fall of their 12th grade year, getting feedback and support from the college counseling team and their English teacher.

In order to keep students on track with their college application process, Grade 12 students are required to obtain the Post-graduation Plan Credit, which will also count towards their EIR requirement for the year. 

Popular university destinations for our graduates include the United States, Canada, Australia, and Japan. For a complete list of the most recent matriculations, please see the HIS school profile.

For questions about the college and university application process, please feel free to contact HIS college counselors Nick Fazio (nfazio@his.ac.jp) and Laura Harmon (lharmon@his.ac.jp).