Career Planning
Throughout the school, students develop skills that enable them to become mature independent learners and thinkers, prepared for the future world. In addition, students are guided through the higher education process and options available to them in institutions across the world. This is supported by the classroom teachers, the students’ tutors and by our dedicated careers and university applications’ advisor.
As a school that offers both International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma and Career-related programmes, our Sixth Form offers varied routes to higher education. The IB “learner profile” is a fundamental pillar upon which the curriculum is built, and fully prepares our students to be successful at university and beyond. We encourage them to develop their natural curiosity, to explore concepts and ideas in-depth, to apply critical thinking skills and express their ideas confidently and creatively. Integrity and honesty are core, and through the sixth form they develop an open-minded and empathetic approach to the world around them. Through taking risks we ensure our students transition well to challenging university settings, and show resilience and determination in their work. The IB is a highly respected university preparation and we support university applications both in Germany and the rest of the world. Popular international choices include the UK, the USA, the Netherlands and numerous other countries globally.
It is often the case that in order to be accepted onto a course of study in higher education, students need to have studied a particular subject at IB level, and this is often the starting point of conversations when subjects are selected in Year 12. Throughout the Sixth Form, academic progress is monitored very closely and tutors and subject teachers are on hand to support students, and indeed, parents to ensure that academic potential is carefully matched to university courses linked to their abilities and interests. The academic structures and organisation of the sixth form are designed all with this end target in mind.
There is a focus on research and preparation during research week in the second half of the summer term for the Year 12 students to direct their attention to the decisions that they will have to make in their first term of the Year 1. Any students interested in the USA and those who wish to study medicine will have begun their application preparations in advance of this.
Students are encouraged to visit universities prior to acceptance of any offers they receive and this must be arranged through the Head of Sixth Form. We also place significant importance on work experience, as this both helps students identify future career interests as well as building up their university application portfolios.
Exploring the wealth of options for further study and professional development beyond school is an exciting time. We offer our students a structured careers and university programme that guides them through the overwhelming range of choices, so that they can be confident in the decisions they make. Whatever a student’s dreams or aspirations are for the future, we provide clear advice on how to make these a reality.
Our team of tutors and guidance experts give students access to a wide range of resources and links to ensure that their choices are based on sound information. We host International University Fairs that allow students to meet with representatives from a number of different universities from across the globe in order to provide them with the opportunity to explore the range of options for further study that are available to them. We also invite pupils to attend the annual local University Fairs that are held at multiple locations in Munich.
As part of the Careers Programme at the school, students are able to participate in mock interviews as well attend fairs to increase their understanding of vocational career paths. With arranged guest speakers and contact with industry professionals, students acquire insight into a range of careers, thus allowing them to make informed decisions about their future path. Students are encouraged to attend university open days whenever possible and an annual trip to the United Kingdom to visit several universities in London is offered.
We work closely with our Upper School and Sixth Form students to ensure that they are best prepared to take this exciting step into the world. When it comes to applying for university, we work carefully with each student, offering individualised meeting sessions with a Careers advisor in order to facilitate the university application process and to ensure that their application meets the highest possible standards. By working alongside teachers on their post-secondary applications, students are given the opportunity to develop their reflective skills while taking ownership of their future paths.