The ‘Golden Gate’ to Universities

In July 2023, our newly appointed Careers & University Guidance Officer (CUGO), Mr. Abdul Oladipo, attended an informative four-day tour to visit some of America’s most prestigious Universities & Colleges. The Golden Gate Counsellor Tour of San Francisco 2023 brought together college counsellors from around the world to understand important factors in college admissions and share best practices.

The tour included visits to Stanford University, the University of California, Berkeley, the University of California, Davis, the University of California, Santa Cruz, San Jose State University, Foothill College and De Anza College. Our CUGO gained valuable insight into helping our students navigate the US college admission process. Mr. Oladipo notes that the college admissions process in the Bay Area is highly competitive and constantly evolving, which makes it important to stay up to date with the latest trends, including understanding the role and impact of financial aid, the importance of diversity and inclusion in the college admission pool or how two-year colleges can be an affordable and flexible springboard for students before transferring to a four-year university. The tour included a noteworthy visit to Apple, which highlighted opportunities to prepare students for college and careers in technology and innovation. To round off the tour, our CUGO attended the large-scale 2023 Miami International Association for College Admission Counselling (IACAC) conference, where more interesting insights and overall knowledge related to college admissions were shared. It also provided an extensive platform for thought exchange with other international professionals.

Comment from CUGO Mr Abdul Oladipo:

“One of the best parts of the tour was the opportunity to network with other college counsellors from around the world. We discussed various strategies for supporting students, such as implementing college readiness programs and fostering a college-going culture. The connections made at these conferences lead to new perspectives, collaborations, resource sharing, and ongoing mentorship. I look forward to continuing these conversations and strengthening my network in the field."

We trust that Mr. Oladipo's College tour experience provided him with invaluable insights to ultimately benefit our students.  Through understanding universities and their admission processes we can maximise opportunities to successfully secure our student college applications.