How do schools celebrate all post-secondary pathways in ways that protect student mental health and well-being? It can be tough to balance celebrating student achievements while also protecting their data and plans and being mindful of those students who are yet to receive application outcomes or must make tough decisions. Here are some suggestions for schools.

What we're hearing from our school and university community about adapting to sustainable practices, redefining success metrics, engaging parents, and supporting diverse student pathways beyond secondary school.

As we reflect on the past year, it's with a sense of pride that we share the milestones and innovations that have marked our journey. 

Congratulations to this year's recipients! Guidance counsellors and admissions professionals at our member schools and universities make up an impressive community supporting student transition to higher education worldwide. It’s our great pleasure to recognise and celebrate their work each year through the CIS Higher Education Awards. 

Neither admissions nor counselling exists on culturally neutral terrains. That is, everything that we do in the realm of admissions and counselling is culturally influenced. Darnell Fine asks: what is the dominant culture holding influence over these processes?

‘I came out the second the plane touched the runway’ ... Dane Rowley shares guidance for schools and universities on how to know and do better to support LGBTQ+ international students moving to study in new countries.

Dr DeeDee Werner and Heidi Laws share strategies that set the stage for success for students with learning disabilities—for counsellors supporting students during the application and transition process and for universities to be better equipped to meet students' needs.

Environmental sustainability is a complex topic and an element of our Global Citizenship Model that emerged from CIS research in 2022. We turned to our member schools and universities to learn from their innovative sustainability practices; where to start, how to overcome challenges, and expand our learning.  

The admission and guidance community are students' cheerleaders, coaches, editors, marketing specialists, and counselors as they help students get to university. They also aim to prepare students for life once they arrive at university. Lesson plans from Johanna Fishbein and Robbie Jefferiss help with that preparation.

How does a school measure the success of its university guidance programme? What metrics can be used, and what metrics may do more harm than good?

As a new year dawns, here's a round-up of our most popular blogs in 2022, in case you missed them.

We talk a lot about ‘culture shock’, the anxiety and uncertainty created by experiencing a new culture, language, weather, food, and behaviours. But what about the 'health culture shock' that can occur in doctors' consulting rooms in other countries and cultures?

With great pleasure, we celebrate the outstanding work across our community of universities and schools each year via the CIS Higher Education Awards. This year’s recipient was just announced at the CIS Global Forum on International Admission & Guidance in Madrid!

The covid pandemic accelerated a pandemic that was already underway: one of disconnection. Ours is an era of struggling to find, maintain, or rediscover a sense of belonging. We asked our Forum keynote speaker Dr Doug Ota to tell us more.

Learning from student perspectives and recommendations, we explore gaps in our knowledge and practice relating to international students' mental health and well-being when transitioning from secondary school to higher education. 

Impromptu chats often enable us to address challenges and find solutions quickly; they can foster creativity and generate connection. Can virtual chats emulate 'water cooler' chats?

Climate psychologist Dr Patrick Kennedy-Williams believes in the unstoppable power of the human spirit. He strongly believes in an international parity of voices in the climate emergency and in 'passing the mic' to those in more affected areas worldwide, from whom we have much to learn.

'In the context of the brutal invasion and war on Ukraine, it is difficult, but essential, to consider the present and future of higher education and scientific relations between Russia and the rest of the world.' Philip G Altbach, Hans de Wit and Jamil Salmi look at the longerterm perspective.

Hans de Wit and Elspeth Jones consider a missed opportunity from the Common Statement in Support of International Education and Mobility, recently issued by the international education organisations of nine Western countries as a result of their 2021 summit. Read their perspectives.

Our highlights from the CIS Global Forum on International Higher Education Admission & Guidance provide a clear snapshot of the overarching themes and challenges facing the global admissions and guidance community.