College readiness: helping our students to fulfil their ambition

This process of preparing for university is woven into every aspect of school life, particularly in Secondary school. In this article, we talk about what college readiness means in practise – and discuss how we prepare our students for future success.

What is college readiness?

College readiness refers to the set of skills, knowledge, and behaviours a student should have when they graduate and enter university. 

To be college or university ready, a young person needs to have a wide range of competencies, which are gained both through and beyond the academic curriculum.

College readiness starts with academic success

In an academic sense, college and university readiness is measured by exam results and other performance benchmarks. This means it’s probably the easiest to quantify. 

As a school, we’re ranked in the top 1.8% of all International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes globally, with 100% of our students passing their IB Diploma each year. This includes outstanding individual results, such as ‘45 out of 45’ IB point scores.

• Our IB Diploma: academic readiness and skill development

With its equal focus on subject knowledge and skill development, the IB Diploma is globally recognised as the ideal preparation for university study. The IB Diploma Extended Essay, for example – which is part of the curriculum’s core programme – is an in-depth research and assignment writing project that replicates the demands of university self-study. 

By offering a world leading IB Diploma Programme, which is preceded by the IB Middle Years Programme, we can provide a clear pathway to higher education. We can also ensure each student develops the academic knowledge and attributes they need to succeed when they get there.

Skills and behaviours that ensure college readiness

In addition to academic success, preparing for university requires our students to build a wide and varied skillset. We help them do this in lots of ways, both in and through the curriculum.

Our exclusive STEAM collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), for example, encourages critical thinking and problem solving, as students tackle challenges set by university professors. Our performing arts collaboration with The Juilliard School, meanwhile, gives our young people a platform to express their creativity and grow in confidence.

Through the IB Learner Profile, our Approaches to Learning framework, and Nord Anglia Education’s Learner Ambitions, we also create a character education framework for our students. This is designed to help them develop the values, outlook, and mindset they need to flourish.

Learning beyond the curriculum

Taking part in extra-curricular activities is important for lots of reasons, not least because it develops a host of skills prized by universities. Getting involved in activities beyond the classroom also helps our students’ college readiness by ensuring they stand out on their university application forms.

Opportunities include more than 120 extra-curricular clubs, which span the arts, technical skills, and sports. Life-changing national trips across China, as well as to destinations in Tanzania and Switzerland, develop independence and confidence, and broaden horizons. We also offer The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award, which is renowned worldwide for its contribution to student growth and development.

The Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) element of the IB Diploma provides opportunities for our students to develop valuable skills, too. 

Developing a global perspective

When our students graduate, we don’t just want them to be prepared for college or university, we also want them to be ready for the world.

Our Global Perspectives curriculum, from Year 9, is specifically designed to engage our students with the world around them. Both the IB Middle Years Programme and IB Diploma include a global citizenship framework, which instils the qualities required by international learners. Through the framework, our students explore global issues and topics, and connect what they learn to hands-on activities and service opportunities.

Our collaboration with UNICEF also opens our students’ eyes to the world, encouraging them to develop their own ways of helping, both locally and globally.

Personalised guidance and support

To help our students realise their university ambitions, we offer the best possible support and guidance. 

In the classroom, a teacher-student ratio of just 1 to 8 ensures every child’s needs and learning preferences are met. Our data driven assessment and personalised reporting methods ensure that every student hits their targets and progresses at the right level, too.

Our tailored approach to wellbeing keeps our students fit and healthy, and equips them with the tools to be resilient, overcome challenges, and bounce back from adversity.

• A dedicated University Counsellor

Our University Counselor is on hand to provide one-to-one advice throughout the university preparation process.

This includes identifying courses that match a student’s aspirations and helping them to create a portfolio of skills and achievements. Our Counsellor also helps students to complete their applications and organises letters of recommendation.

Realising their university ambitions

As a school, we do everything we can to ensure our students’ university readiness. This sees our graduates gain entry to the world’s top higher education institutions.

Destinations include Oxford, Imperial College London, and the London School of Economics and Political Science in the UK; Berkeley and NYU in the United States; and KAIST in South Korea. Supported to pursue their passions, we also have graduates at two of the world’s top three art and design colleges, including the New York Fashion Institute. 

College readiness: set for university success | LIS Chengdu

Learn how Léman International School Chengdu expertly prepares students to gain entry to – and succeed at – the world’s most prestigious universities.