Preparing for Your Next Steps
ISA provides personalised support for university applications, career planning, and life after ISA
Schooling with the Future in Mind
At ISA, we believe that school is both a valuable experience in the present and a vital preparation for the future. To ensure every student is fully prepared, we have a full-time, highly experienced University & Careers Counsellor who works closely with each student and their family. A strong home-school partnership is crucial in providing the support young people need as they plan their next steps.
Our approach is entirely student-centred. We don’t have an agenda for where students should go; our only goal is to find the environment where each individual will thrive, as there is no single best choice for all. While most graduates go straight to university – whether in Scotland, the rest of the UK, or the wider world – we enthusiastically support those who choose a different route into adult life, helping them find the path that is best for them.
Guidance at Every Step
Our university and career support is a carefully planned journey that begins in Middle School and builds year on year, ensuring students and families feel confident and prepared for the future.
Sparking Ideas
We begin in Grade 8 with the Morrisby Careers programme, which helps students understand how their interests and strengths relate to the world of work. Through these engaging sessions, students start thinking about possible career pathways that may suit them in the future. While this is a great time for exploring big ideas, the focus remains on keeping all doors open, and students will continue with a broad and balanced curriculum as they move into High School.
Settling In
The focus in Grade 9 is on a smooth transition into High School. Our university & careers counsellor provides an overview of the journey ahead, and students begin building strong relationships with their advisor and Head of Grade. This is also the year students can start attending our regular careers events, where they hear from and ask questions of professionals from a wide range of fields. While the main focus is on settling in, one-to-one guidance is always available to discuss pathways as needed.
Deepening Self-Knowledge
This is a key year for self-discovery. All students undertake a comprehensive Morrisby Profile assessment, which measures aptitudes, interests, and personality. This is followed by feedback interviews and a parent information evening. Students then use their detailed reports in small group workshops to begin researching specific university courses and their IB entry requirements. To ensure personalised guidance, our university and careers counsellor then holds individual one-to-one meetings with every student to discuss their personal pathways and future aspirations.
Focused Planning
The planning process becomes more concrete in Grade 11, beginning with an IB and University Information Evening for parents to outline the journey ahead. An independent advisor provides expert talks on university admissions, followed by individual goal-setting meetings for each student with our university and careers counsellor. Through a series of workshops, students research and compile their initial long list of potential university courses, which culminates in individual family meetings to discuss each student’s unique pathway and the specific application requirements involved.
Application & Decision Support
In their final year, students receive comprehensive support to navigate the entire university application process. The year begins with an information evening for parents, followed by a period of intensive work on applications for any country students choose to apply to. A team approach ensures every student is supported: an independent advisor provides expert feedback on personal statements and university applications, while our university and careers counsellor manages predicted grades, writes references, and holds family meetings to finalise pathways. This hands-on guidance continues right through to results day, ensuring students feel confident as they make their final decisions for life after ISA.
IB Curriculum
Dive deeper into the High School Curriculum which prepares students for whatever comes next.
Ready for the Future?
If our personalised, supportive approach to planning for life after school sounds like the right fit for your family, we’d love to tell you more. Get in touch with our admissions team today to arrange a visit and see it all for yourself.