With the Class of 2009, Seoul International School will have 1,664 alumni. Seoul International School offers a U. S. college preparatory curriculum and is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Historically, graduates of Seoul International School seek to continue their educations after graduation and the vast majority seek to do so in colleges and universities in the United States. Historically, all those seeking the opportunity to continue their studies have had the opportunity to do so. Our graduates are in an increasingly larger international applicant pool even though most hold U. S. citizenship or permanent residence status.

Because the international applicant pool continues to grow and because even the most competitive schools in the U. S. actively encourage students outside the U. S. to apply, it is more and more difficult to predict the decisions on applications. Even the most highly successful students cannot be confident of admissions from the most competitive schools in the U. S. Since it is a given that S. I. S. students plan to continue their studies after graduation, it is essential that students and their parents understand there is no magic formula to guarantee acceptances.

Planning ones post high school studies cannot begin in the junior year. In reality, all that a student has done from day one of formal education will have some bearing on the student's success. The elementary and middle school years provide the foundation for success in high school courses. At the time of application to university, the record seen by colleges and universities begins with the courses and grades from the freshman year. To a certain degree, the freshman and sophomore years in the S. I. S. curriculum are the foundation years of high school. Success, intellectual growth, focus and developing maturity in those years open the doors to more choices and individuality in scheduling courses in the junior and senior years.

At the time of application to colleges and universities in the U. S., the transcript will show the achievement in grades nine through eleven and the degree of challenge in the senior year schedule. S. I. S. offers students a wide range of courses in which they can excel and broaden their interests. Although other factors are important in application to schools in the U. S., the amount of academic challenge and success in those challenging courses is probably the most important factor in a senior's application. Other factors are standardized test scores, extracurricular commitment, individuality and the ability to write. S. I. S. offers the programs and environment in which each student has the opportunity to grow in each of those areas.

Fredric M. Schneider
D. P. P. S.