info@arcadia.sch.ae +971 4 552 2600

Determining The Right Fit

We believe determining the right university fit is crucial for the success of Arcadians, and identifying fit is about the student exploring who they are and what they hope to achieve in terms of their academic and life goals. A student's target universities, interests and personality are central to the student-university pairing process. With our counselling department's support, every Arcadian's university decision can be a simple, thoughtful, and rewarding process as we help them narrow down the possibilities into a manageable list.

As Arcadians embark on what will likely be one of the most important journeys in their life, they must be relatively sure on the universities that are the best fit for them, where they may fulfil their potential study area(s) and potentially explore other interests as well. For this reason, it is never too early for Arcadia secondary school students to start thinking about where they would like to go to university.

The university-bound student must understand that their GCSE and predicted A’ level grades, the rigour of their school curriculum choices and their activities both in and out of school will largely dictate the calibre of universities they consider, so preparation for the university process begins well before Year 13. Although a student's role in the university application process starts with their academic preparation, a crucial step is to develop a list of target universities. Students must begin by conducting a thorough university search. Then narrowing down their list according to what they do and do not want in a university. It is not only about the degree programmes offered, but students also have to factor in the general vibe of a particular university, its clubs and other co-curricular activities, its student population, location, and the fee structure, amongst other factors.

Here are steps we take to find universities where our students will thrive:

  • We work one-to-one, through multiple stages with our students to identify their academic interests, personal hobbies and personality traits to help them choose universities that are the best fit for them and where they are likely to attend and succeed.
  • We conduct assessments, personality tests, questionnaires and identify defining qualities to determine what is essential for every Arcadian, where they want to be, decipher their dreams and aspirations, and then facilitate matches.
  • We determine a student’s strengths, weaknesses, abilities, and what kind of learning community they want to be a part of.
  • We look for important criteria to determine the right universities – academic preparation, internship opportunities, career options and student life.
  • We evaluate universities together and consider the following factors as we determine fit: size, location, academic majors, classes, student culture, campus vibe, fee structure, clubs and organizations, job placement statistics.
  • We keeping rankings in check – while rankings do have a place in our process, looking beyond university rankings remains vital for the success of our students.