Are you University Bound?
We are.

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
9 December 2024

New US Foreign Student Data

The Czech Republic sent 802 students to the US during the 2023-2024 academic year.

In other news, new data shows international students overall contributed $43.8 billion to the U.S. economy last year and supported more than 378,000 jobs. International-student spending in 12 states amounted to $1 billion or more. But whether these enrollments rise or fall over the next several years is unclear. Three major destinations for international students, Australia, Britain, and Canada, have or are considering new restrictions on student visas, possibly giving the US a competitive advantage. And the looming decline in the number of American 18 year-olds is spurring US colleges to look for new students abroad. That said, stats show a 5% drop in new enrollments of international students this fall, and 12.5% fewer American student visas were issued worldwide during the months of May to August.

UK Increases Domestic Fees

The UK has announced that, effective April 2025, tuition fees for domestic students will rise by £285 to £9,535 per academic year. This is the first rise since fees were set at £9,250 in 2017, and will affect UK students applying for 2025 entry. For now, fees for international students will not be increased. In other UK news, overall applications for the October 15 university deadline -- for Oxford and Cambridge, and courses in medicine, dentistry, and veterinary science -- rose for the first time in three years, by 1.3%, for a total of 72,740 applicants. The US share of these applications rose by 15.4% over last year, doubling since 2016. On the other hand, the total number of applications to courses in medicine dropped 3.3% year on year, falling for the third successive year and reaching the lowest level since 2019.

Putting the "Extra" in Your Essay

Students applying to the UK should, by now, be planning the personal statement for their UCAS applications. Many will make the mistake of believing that it’s all about putting down every possible qualification they have for the course. In many ways it is; to make an offer, unis want to be persuaded that you have the preparation to succeed. But they also want to see how you may be distinctive among a pool of similarly prepared applicants. For example, unis may be impressed if you have an interest in a subject nonadjacent to your course. And they love students who have developed an insight about their course as a result of an experience or activity that may seem unrelated. Here’s a blog post that explains how that “extra” detail may turn out to be essential for your essay.

Our Services

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.