International path · university counselling
University counselling for studying abroad
We find universities that genuinely suit the student and build applications so subjects, tests and deadlines line up. The United Kingdom, Europe and the United States.
Petra Teichmanová
university counsellor
11 years
of experience in university counselling
110+
students Petra has helped with applications
3 groups
of universities: dream, target and safe
6 months
is only the paperwork minimum. The profile is built years before IB
Why it's not just picking a school
Every country admits students differently
What works for the UK doesn't work for the US, and Dutch deadlines don't wait for IB results. This is where families most often lose months.
Every country has its own rules
Visas, recognition of the Czech maturita and IB, apostilles and certified translations.
Every school wants different tests
Predicted and final IB grades, SAT or ACT, IELTS, TOEFL, Cambridge, ESAT, the Bocconi test.
Grades don't translate directly
How a gymnázium average or IB results map onto what British, American or Dutch universities ask for.
Documents and references
Proof of study, predicted grades, teacher references. The format and the deadline differ by country.
Different application systems
UCAS, Common App, Studielink, Parcoursup or individual university portals, each with its own rules.
Deadlines that don't wait
Oxford and Cambridge in mid-October, the Netherlands in January, US universities from November.
A written report, not impressions from a call
A consultation with Petra and a written report, not impressions from a call. It names the target universities, what each one wants and who does what before applications are submitted.
- 1Profile: The student's academics, interests and activities.
- 2Goal: Universities grouped as dream, target and safe.
- 3Requirements: Scores, subjects, tests and deadlines for each one.
- 4Plan: An application strategy and an action plan, who does what and when.
What the report covers
The report sorts the student's target universities into the dream, target and safe groups, lists what each one asks for in scores, subjects, tests and deadlines, and closes with an action plan naming who does what before applications go in.
The report is written in English, for English-speaking families.
The shortlist
Aim high, and have somewhere to go
We don't bet everything on one school. The shortlist is built from three groups based on how well a university's requirements match the student's results. The same university can be a dream school for one student and a safe choice for another.
- Dream
Requirements are above where the student stands today. They apply with a plan: extra subjects, tests and work that lead there.
Example
- Imperial College London
- UCL
- Target
Requirements match the student's potential. Preparation is still needed, just the path is easier than to the dream schools. This is the core of the applications.
Example
- University of Bristol
- University of Bath
- University of Southampton
- Safe
Requirements match the student's results, and the school is still a good choice, not a fallback.
Example
- University of Edinburgh
- University of Manchester
The shortlist is never fixed once and for all. When predicted grades or test results shift, we rearrange the groups.
Process
How counselling works
We start with the future goal, and only from there do we build subjects, preparation and applications.
- 1Profile and goalWe go through the student's academic profile, interests and activities. We choose countries, subjects and universities in three groups and find out what each one wants.
- 2Written reportWithin a few days you get a report: the recommended path, a shortlist of universities with requirements and deadlines, and an action plan.
- 3ApplicationsPersonal statement, essays, references and interviews. Feedback on drafts until they match what the university is asking for.
- 4Team and subjectsArina and the team pick up from the report: extra subjects, tests and work so the profile grows where the university needs it.
Who you work with
Petra Teichmanová
university counsellor
At seventeen she went on an exchange to the United States, and that experience set the course for her whole career in international education. After studying international relations at Anglo-American University she has worked in the field for eleven years, with experience from agencies in the Czech Republic, Canada and Australia. From 2020 she worked as a university counsellor at a Prague gymnázium.
Specialisation: United Kingdom, United States, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Sweden and Ireland
Universities we aim for with our students
Universities from shortlists we have built with students, not confirmed admissions. We also help with applications to Oxford, Cambridge and Ivy League universities, and with choosing summer schools such as Yale Young Global Scholars.
Czech universities
A Czech university, in English too
Counselling isn't only for studying abroad. Czech universities also offer programmes taught in English, for example at Charles University or the University of Economics, Prague. We help choose the programme, prepare the application and the admission process. It often makes sense to apply abroad and to a Czech university at the same time.
AleksandreUniversity of Economics, PragueFrom our team. After an international school he now studies at the University of Economics in Prague.- Science programme in EnglishCharles UniversityArina prepared her for physics in English. She was admitted to the programme.
FAQ
What parents and students ask us
- Which school year should we start in?
- Long before IB, at the end of primary school or in the first years of secondary school. The academic profile for top universities is built over years: direction of study, subjects, tests, activities. The application itself is only the administrative minimum and takes two to six months. We can help later too, there is just less time left to build the profile.
- What if my child doesn't know yet what they want to study?
- That's fine. The first consultation also helps name interests, strengths and options. The goal becomes clearer as we work.
- Do you help with Czech universities too?
- Yes, with choosing the programme and with the application, including programmes taught in English. It often makes sense to follow a two-track path: applications abroad and, alongside them, an application to a Czech university.
- Does my child have to study IB?
- No. Counselling is for IB students and for students on the Czech maturita path alike.
- Do you help with applications to Oxford, Cambridge or Ivy League universities?
- Yes, the scope of counselling includes the most selective universities and summer schools such as Yale Young Global Scholars.
- Do you guarantee admission?
- No. We build the shortlist so that alongside dream universities it also includes target and safe ones.
Let's talk about where the student is heading
In a free consultation we'll suggest the first step and show how counselling would work.