University Admissions

One of our main goals at TAIS is getting students ready for university and future careers. This happens in a variety of ways. All classes have embedded skills which prepare students to be able to write and analyze data when they get into college classes. We encourage students to combine their interests and desires, parents wishes and recommendations, and the school’s recommendations to make a plan for college enrolment and, ultimately, their future.

Students are supported along the way with SAT/ACT and TOEFL/IELTS preparation and tutoring. Individualized study plans, created using the latest algorithms, are used to target and support specific skills with daily practice. A special focus is put on the development of critical thinking and western educational philosophy, so that students are not only ready for gaining admission to, but also for excelling in, the best-suited universities.

Year by Year Plan of Action

The College Counseling department has a plan for each and every student tailored to getting him or her fully ready for admission and success in the best university.

8th Grade: Students are introduced to the concept and plan of getting ready for college by their 12th grade big brothers and sisters who are going through the process currently. They’re invited into the college recruiting presentations that happen several times a semester. The counselor introduces them to the idea of the PSAT via the College Board website and materials, to get ready to take their first test in the fall of 9th grade. TOEFL-Junior preparation sessions begin.

Freshman Year: PSAT 9 is taken in the fall and the AP potential is analyzed. Students receive advice on which AP classes to begin planning for, when they enter 10th grade. Students are guided in setting up Khan Academy and College Board online accounts, creating a study plan for the SAT, supplemented by having one-on-one meetings every two weeks with the counselor.

Sophomore Year: Students will take the PSAT a second time and continue working on their college plans every two weeks and AP readiness. Career assessments are given to establish interests and strengths and students transition from TOEFL-Junior into the main TOEFL prep.

Junior Year: A busy year! Over the sophomore summer semester, the college counselor supports them in completing their selection of majors and universities; students will bring those choices to the counselor for discussion and analysis in the fall of the Junior year. Next, the student and counselor liaise in getting the appropriate tests and materials lined up to meet the requirements of the colleges and universities the student has chosen., students will take the PSAT, TOEFL, SAT, ACT. The AP class program starts for many juniors who excel in academics. Those who qualify will be able to show their prospective universities where their academic strengths and interests lie, and be on a par with the other competitive students once they get into university.

Senior Year: 12th grade is a busy one with college applications to be completed by Chinese New Year. Students work with their counselor on various online applications including Common App, Coalition, Direct, and UCAS, depending on the schools to which they are applying. SAT General and the ACT are taken again for an opportunity to boost their scores. Students will be taking the last of the SAT Subject Tests as well as any AP exams, in May, for which they have prepared over the preceding 4 semesters.