About 90% of the 2019 senior class chose a college bound path, according to the school’s profile. Even though the rate of students admitted and attending college was high, only one VHHS student was admitted and enrolled in an International college from. 

As rising seniors and juniors start their college application process it can benefit to give international colleges a look. 

Rebecca Bellito, the college resource counselor, is experienced with assisting students with the application process. According to Belito, there have been many seniors who graduated VHHS that showed interest in international colleges.

“Several students have looked at Canadian colleges, roughly five to ten,” Bellito states, “As for colleges in Europe, only a couple.”

VHHS senior Charlie Lemme (12) is applying to three international colleges. 

“It’s about life after college,” Lemme says.  

As many seniors navigate college and life after highschool there can be a plethora of experiences offered in international colleges that American students wouldn’t normally give a second thought to. Lemme gives insight into why the colleges, specifically in the UK, are a good fit for him.

“These schools have good links [to the industry I’m interested in (Formula 1)],” says Lemme.

 Lemme plans on continuing his education in these specific colleges which are in a country, or area, that the career is booming in. 

VHHS offers two seminars and meetings per year to offer students as much information needed to be educated on the application process of international schools. VHHS hosts an international college fair annually in late November. This year the fair was hosted on zoom. The advisors invite over 45 ambassadors from colleges around the world. 

To clarify, an international college versus studying abroad or campuses abroad are different. Colleges such as New York University offer abroad options at their campuses in Abu Dhabi and Shanghai. These such universities offer all students attending the opportunity to engross themselves in the cultures of other countries. They also allow immediate access to the college’s professors straight from the university. 

“We have had students in the past go to certain programs and attend at their international locations. It’s their [the universities’] professors on their campus, not exactly studying abroad.” Bellito stated. 

An international college or university does not have a base in the US. It is a separate college entirely with much of their culture engrossed into the school itself. Not having the option of returning to the US attending the same college. 

Programs such as music and business in US colleges offer a semester abroad at their campus in other countries. While international colleges are based in their respective countries with no other campuses. 

Attending international colleges have very similar application processes.

“The cost was almost the same as out-of-state tuition, which made my interest grow,” says Lemme. 

Side bar: A few represented were:Liverpool Institute for performing arts: a college for liberal art students with a little over 1,000 students having many famous artists pass through, Bocconi University in Milan:(14,900+ students, 100 nationalities, 49% of abroad students, and 282 partner universities around the world).