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Are you University Bound?
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And we believe that higher education should provide students the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive. Our company was founded by independent educational consultants and international high-school guidance and careers counsellors who, as professionals and parents, have worked extensively inside a university admissions system that is complex and constantly changing. And for international students, the challenges are multiplied. Choosing the right school is a lifetime opportunity and investment. Let us help your student explore, prepare, and apply with knowledge and confidence to achieve great choices and admissions success.
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Admissions Notes
5 February 2025

February Pep Talk: Y11/G10

Y11/G10/Sophomore students:  You're half-way through the year, and can look back and see what you’ve accomplished since beginning high school, and look forward and start envisioning your future. This is a time both to exercise your curiosity and start building focus. It's exciting! Choose IB, AP or other school subjects that will showcase your strengths and help you develop the interests, knowledge and skills you want or need for university. Unis you apply to will be interested in this year’s grades, so keep them strong. Demonstrate interest, leadership, service, or impact through your involvement in extra- or supercurricular activities. Consider incorporating an experience, learning opportunity, internship, or volunteering activity in your summer plans to allow you to explore or develop an interest. Have a sense of possibility, and start building momentum. 

What Does 'Deferral' Mean?

February Pep Talk: Y12/G11

Y12/G11/Junior students:  This is peak performance time for you, since this academic year will produce the last full year of grades that universities will see when you apply next fall or spring. Try and excel in your subjects, especially those aligned with your desired course or major. For the most selective universities, be sure your subjects demonstrate a high level of challenge and rigor. Develop effective study habits that allow you to manage your school work while helping you minimise stress and feel in control. Begin now to research unis and think about "fit" to compile an effective uni list. Map out your external testing strategy. Be strategic about your summer by planning an experience or project that relates to your university plans, or finding a job to help defray future costs. Try to maintain an upward trajectory in all things, and finish the year strong.

Comms 101: Beyond the Eye-Roll

High school students are always told to develop their communication skills. But what does that actually mean?? Yes, the phrase relates to the ability to speak or write effectively, but it also refers to an ability to interact with another person or audience to make one's meaning clear. This post explains some of these interactive and interpersonal aspects of the communication skillset. Students can work on these skills inside, outside, and beyond the classroom, in every conversation, every day. After all, what good is an important opinion or an interesting idea if you can't communicate it effectively? It's what makes us stronger students, applicants, and colleagues, and better humans.for future employment.

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February Pep Talk: Y13/G12

Y13/G12/Seniors:  Senior year is a high-wire balancing act. Congratulations if you have applied to university and have received acceptances or offers, or if you're completing applications with deadlines this spring. But the admissions process is not over yet! Conditional offers mean that there are still exams to sit and serious school work to be done, and all colleges and universities will expect to see your senior year grades. In addition, senior and capstone projects may be required for graduation and determine honours and awards. Fight "senioritis" and stay motivated and on top of your studies. At the same time, be mindful that this is a year of transition. Not easy! Spend time with friends and family while starting to prepare for the new opportunities and challenges ahead. Most importantly, acknowledge your efforts and celebrate your achievements. And thank your teachers!

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Breaking the Language Barrier

The number of students around the world choosing to study foreign languages at university has been declining for years. In the UK, the field has shown a 33% drop since 2020; at the same time, enrolment in STEM-related courses continues to grow. Factors in this shift include concerns about post-graduate jobs and earnings and the inroads threatened by AI. But numerous studies show that graduates of languages, along with other fields in the humanities and social sciences, are just as likely to be employed as their STEM counterparts, who have their own challenges of redundancy in the face of automated work and rapidly obsolescing skills. As a vocational tool, language skills are crucial to facilitating international trade and business, transnational cooperation, and global security and law. On their own merits, they are crucial to understanding human culture and society, engaging in global dialogue, and navigating change. Sapere aude!

Russell Group Enrolments Grow

Figures from UCAS show that the Russell Group took a hefty 27% of all UK undergraduate university applicants in 2024, up a point from 2023, with the University of Birmingham (up 22%), Durham University (up 20%), and University College London (up 20%) increasing acceptances most. International students accounted for some of the growth, as a record 51% took places at Russell Group schools, up from 41% in 2015 and 32% in 2006, although these enrolments slipped at Bristol, Exeter, Queen Mary, King’s, Leeds, Oxford, Southampton, York and others, and fell significantly at Newcastle(down 26%), Sheffield (23%), and Liverpool (15%). At 69,905, the total number of international undergraduate students applying through UCAS fell to its lowest level since 2016, with Oxford Brookes, the University of Bradford, and the University of Aberdeen accepting their lowest numbers among the cohort since 2006. Wrexham University (up 27%) and University of Portsmouth (up 23%) were big winners, showing the greatest growth in the undergraduate sector overall.

Seizing the Summer Advantage

Summer is a crucial time for students to get a break from school and give their brain a rest. But it can also provide opportunities to explore an area of curiosity, which can enhance self-knowledge, and develop life skills that support well-being in high school and beyond. For example, students who have summer jobs or volunteer report  resourcefulness and improved people skills, and increased confidence in coping with "real-world" challenges. Independent projects and online courses are a terrific way for students to pursue an interest or fill a gap in their learning. Job-shadowing or even short internships can help students identify skills and ambitions they have or might seek to develop -- or not. For students seeking admission to selective universities, being strategic about the summer can help set themselves apart. And deadlines for some programmes come early.

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We provide advising by the hour to address the needs of every family and student. 

 

We also offer targeted packages, described below, to provide extended support and savings.

 

An initial consultation is free.​​

Building the Profile

Students considering selective schools or foreign study destinations benefit from early planning. The goal is to avoid surprises and missed opportunities, and build a profile that is competitive when application season arrives. Advising can begin pre-IB, pre-A levels, or in sophomore year to guide smart subject and extra-curricular choices and ensure a student is on-track to fulfil entry requirements down the line. This package starts with an assessment and includes several consultations at strategic points during the year to set the foundation for admissions success.

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Junior Year Prep

University preparation for many students starts in junior year (G11, Y12). Students are ready to reflect on their strengths and goals, and starting to plan now will build knowledge and confidence and reduce senior-year stress later. This package provides for a sequence of consultations beginning in the fall or spring. It starts with an assessment to identify goals, and then helps the student develop an application strategy with a focus on ''fit.'' Depending on a student's needs, advising can be targeted to help define a focus and identify a course, select subjects and extra-curricular activities, explore destinations, understand entry requirements, begin research and compiling a list, brainstorm essays, and plan summers and senior year.

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Building the Uni List

​The list is the thing. Whether for medicine, art school, engineering, the UK, the Netherlands, the US, or elsewhere, university admissions are competitive and unpredictable. A ''smart'' list is a hedge against risk and ensures good outcomes. Building the list usually starts in the spring of junior year. It is time-consuming and tedious and demands reflection and research. It also requires strategy, since admissions trends are constantly shifting, and there is so much more to choosing a school than the name. This package is meant to strengthen student confidence by guiding effective research and delivering a tailored and "smart" set of choices.

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Senior Year Check-in 

Senior year (G12, Y13) is a balancing act. It starts with a bang and the demands can pile up. Organisation is everything. This compact package provides essential oversight and support to help the student stay aware, on track, and ahead of deadline throughout the application process. It starts with an assessment and checklist, and is followed by a tight sequence of consultations to produce a to-do list and target guidance in the areas where the student needs help most. These may include course or major selection, research, country-specific entry requirements, financial aid, admissions strategy, list-building, gathering supporting materials, writing essays, and reviewing applications.​

 

​Or, ​

Senior Year Comprehensive

This robust package starts at the beginning and continues until applications are done. It provides tailored advising and support on the entire discovery, research, application, and admissions process, from A to Z.

 

Essay Coaching

Whether it's 4,000 characters, 650 words or 50, and whether it's a personal statement, a motivation letter, or for the Common App, the essay challenges the student to write for distinction and impact. We offer basic or advanced support because brainstorming a topic, finding one's voice, selecting evidence, and writing effectively are key. And every writer needs a coach.

About Us
Expert Advising. Admissions Success.

Image by Mitchell Luo

Our Mission

University Bound believes that higher education should offer students the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive. In a constantly changing university landscape, we aim to help students increase knowledge, build confidence, manage risk, avoid stress, and make healthy decisions. We believe in mobility, access, and opportunity for every student. We are avid researchers who are alert to the latest admissions developments and careers trends, and equipped with experience and expertise to help every student maximise choice and gain admission to a

''right fit'' school.

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 Who We Are

Joanna Levison is an American expat in Prague, where she has worked as a university admissions and careers counsellor at an international IB school. She has also worked as an adjunct reader of international applications for the University of California. She launched University Bound to help international students and families navigate an increasingly complex and global university application process. She trained as an independent education consultant with the University of California/Irvine, and recently received her counsellor accreditation from Times Higher Education/UK. She has over 20 years of experience in human rights advocacy, international relations, and strategic communications

Brain Teaser

Our Approach

University Bound offers individualised one-to-one consulting to help students and families navigate higher education pathways. Our approach is student-centred, research-based, and ethical. We put fit and well-being at the centre of our process. We provide strategic guidance and planning for every step of the research and application process, coaching and feedback on personal statements and essays, and insight into financial aid. We help families assess admissions offers and we celebrate results. We work by the hour and offer customised packages to address every student need. 

University Bound Acceptances

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UK

Brunel University, London

Cambridge University

London School of Economics

Oxford University

King's College London

University of Aberdeen

University of the Arts London

University of Birmingham

University of Bristol

University of Durham

University of Edinburgh

University of Hertfordshire

University of Leeds

University of Reading

University of Sheffield

University of Warwick

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US

Bentley University

Boston University

George Washington University

Northeastern University

Parsons School of Design

Pratt Institute

Purdue University

University of Colorado, Boulder

University of Michigan

University of Rochester

University of Southern Florida

U.S. Airforce Academy

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

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EUROPE & ASIA

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Brussels School of Government

Charles University

EHL Hospitality Business School

European School of Business

Hong Kong University of Science & Tech

IE University, Spain

Jinan University, China

Leiden University

Prague School of Finance & Economics (VŠE)

University of Amsterdam

University of New York in Prague

Vrije University, Netherlands

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