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Career Guidance & University Counselling

Empowering Students to Make Informed Choices for Their Future

Career Guidance

The Career Guidance Centre was established at our Oud Metha campus in 1995, well before structured career guidance became common in the region, and operates across The Indian High Group of Schools.

Our approach is student-centred, personalised and opportunity-driven. We help students understand their strengths and interests, explore academic and career possibilities, evaluate options and prepare thoughtfully for their next stage. The school has also partnered with professional organisations in the outside world that conduct standardised psychometric assessments and offer guidance / counselling sessions.

Structured career and university guidance begins from Grade 8 and develops progressively through the secondary years.

Meet Our Guidance Counsellor

Ms. Radhika Jajodia

Guidance Counsellor - Grades 11 & 12

Ms. Radhika Jajodia provides dedicated guidance and counselling support to students in Grades 11 and 12, helping them navigate academic choices, career pathways and university applications.

Through individual counselling and personalised guidance, students are supported in evaluating courses, universities, admission requirements and application pathways in line with their academic profile, interests, aspirations and future goals.

Students and parents may contact the Guidance Centre to schedule an appointment or seek support.

Email: iis.guidance@iisdso.org
School Extension: 1132

How We Support Students

Guided from the Start

Structured support for informed and personalised academic planning begins in Grade 8, allowing students to progressively understand their interests, strengths, abilities and possible pathways.

A Global Perspective

Students receive reliable and relevant information about universities, courses and career pathways across the world, helping them explore opportunities beyond familiar or assumed choices.

Preparation for Transitions

Professional counselling, university research, application guidance and support with application requirements help students prepare confidently for the transition from school to higher education.

Reflective Decision-Making

Students are encouraged to think critically, understand their own strengths and interests, evaluate alternatives and make deliberate decisions about their future.

Inclusive Support

Guidance is collaborative, with educators, families, alumni and school leadership contributing to a support system in which the student remains at the centre.

Career Aptitude Assessment Collaboration

As part of its commitment to empowering students with informed and purposeful career choices, The Indian High Group of Schools has partnered with a professional career guidance and assessment organisation. Through structured aptitude and career assessments, students gain valuable insights into their strengths, interests, abilities and potential career pathways. The initiative enables students to develop greater self-awareness, explore diverse academic and career opportunities, and make informed decisions aligned with their individual profiles and aspirations. This collaboration reflects the school’s commitment to nurturing self-aware, adaptable and future-ready learners who are equipped to navigate an evolving world of opportunities with confidence.

Guidance by Grade

Grade 8: Discovering Interests

Career exploration begins by helping students understand themselves.

Group sessions introduce students to their interests, strengths and emerging areas of curiosity. Students are encouraged to explore activities and experiences that connect with their interests and may contribute to their future academic and career pathways.

Grade 9: Exploring Personality & Career Fit

Students begin to explore how their personality, interests and strengths may connect with different career possibilities.

Career exploration sessions help students broaden their awareness of potential pathways and begin thinking about the relationship between who they are and the work they may eventually choose.

Grade 10: Aptitude, Careers & Stream Selection

Grade 10 is an important decision-making stage for CBSE students.

Students receive guidance on aptitude, academic strengths, career interests and the relationship between subject choices and future pathways. Counsellors meet students and parents to discuss what different streams can lead to and the relevant entry requirements before the Grade 11 stream decision.

The objective is to help students make a well-informed stream choice based on suitability rather than perception.

Grades 11 & 12: University & Career Planning

The focus becomes increasingly personalised as students approach higher education.

The Guidance Centre works with students to understand their:

Academic Profile → Interests → Strengths → Aspirations → Course Requirements → University Options → Future Goals

Students receive support throughout the university planning and application journey.

We help students identify universities and courses that align with their academic profile, interests, aspirations and long-term goals.
Rather than working from a fixed list of universities, the Guidance Centre continuously researches the global higher-education landscape and shares relevant opportunities with students.

Students and parents can meet with the Guidance Counsellor to discuss:

  • University and course choices
  • Country and destination options
  • Admission requirements
  • Career pathways
  • Application strategies
  • Entrance tests
  • Employability considerations
  • Individual student concerns

One-to-one guidance sessions are arranged on request.

Students are supported in understanding university application processes and completing the documentation and requirements relevant to their chosen institutions and destinations.

The Guidance Centre supports students in understanding how to present their academic and personal profile effectively through appropriate application components, including:

  • Personal statements
  • Essays
  • Statements of Purpose
  • Letters of Recommendation / references
  • Predicted scores
  • Supporting documents

The focus is on helping students communicate their experiences, strengths, interests and aspirations authentically and effectively.

Students are guided on relevant university and country-specific requirements, including appropriate entrance and English-language tests where applicable.
This may include guidance around tests such as SAT, IELTS and other institution- or destination-specific requirements, depending on the student's chosen pathway.

Relevant scholarship information and other financial opportunities are shared with students and families to help them explore ways of supporting their higher-education plans.

Students receive information and guidance on internships, volunteering and other meaningful experiences that can contribute to their personal development, skill-building and university profile.

The Guidance Centre organises and facilitates information sessions, talks and university-related updates to help students remain informed about changing higher-education opportunities.

Building Pathways from Grade 8

Explore Early. Plan Progressively. Decide Confidently.

Career guidance at IIS DSO does not begin when university applications open. It develops progressively from Grade 8.

Through structured sessions, aptitude support through collaboration with a comprehensive career and aptitude assessment platform, career exploration, profile-building activities and individual counselling, students gradually develop a clearer understanding of:

Who am I? → What am I good at? → What interests me? → What can I study? → Where can I study? → What do I need to prepare? → What do I want for my future?

This progressive approach enables students to make increasingly informed academic and career decisions as they move through secondary school.

Internship and Volunteering for You

IVY is The Indian High Group of School’s internship and volunteering programme for Grade 12 students, introduced following the UAE's move to allow formal internships for graduating students.
Students can gain meaningful experiences through:

  • Internships with commercial organisations
  • Volunteering with organisations working on social, environmental and health causes
  • School-based volunteering opportunities

These experiences enable students to develop practical skills, broaden their understanding of different fields and gain exposure beyond the classroom before progressing to higher education.

Learning from Those Who Have Walked the Path

Our alumni community forms an important part of the wider career and university guidance ecosystem.
Alumni reconnect with the school through seminars, student interactions and engagement initiatives, sharing their university experiences, career journeys and insights with current students.
These interactions provide students with an opportunity to learn directly from graduates who have experienced the transition from school to university and beyond.

A World of Possibilities

The global higher-education landscape is constantly evolving. The Guidance Centre therefore continuously researches developments in universities, courses and career pathways across different countries and institutions.
Our approach is student-centred and opportunity-driven.
When a university or programme offers an opportunity relevant to a student's subjects, interests or aspirations, the Guidance Centre shares the information so that the student and family can explore it further.
This enables students to access a broad and evolving range of higher-education opportunities rather than being restricted to a predetermined list.

Our Approach

We continuously explore the global higher-education landscape to identify opportunities that may be relevant to our students. We then:

Research

Understand universities, courses, requirements and emerging opportunities.

Identify

Recognise pathways that may align with student interests and profiles.

Inform

Share relevant opportunities and updates with students and families.

Guide

Provide personalised support to help students evaluate their options.

Empower

Enable students to make informed decisions and take ownership of their future.

Supporting Every Student’s Individual Journey

There is no single definition of the “right” university.

The right choice depends on each student’s:

  • Academic profile
  • Interests
  • Strengths
  • Aspirations
  • Preferred learning environment
  • Course requirements
  • Career goals
  • Personal circumstances

Our Guidance Centre therefore helps students move through five stages:

Discover

Understand interests, strengths and aspirations.

Explore

Research courses, careers, universities and destinations.

Evaluate

Consider options based on academic and personal suitability.

Prepare

Develop the documentation, experiences and application components required for chosen pathways.

Decide

Make choices with greater clarity, confidence and ownership.

Specialist Guidance Services

Personalised sessions for students and parents with the Guidance Counsellor, arranged on request.

Information sessions covering career exploration, student profile building, higher education options and university preparation.

Aptitude-based interventions support students in understanding their abilities and how these may connect with academic and career pathways.

Relevant university, course, admission and higher-education updates are shared with students as opportunities arise.

Alumni interactions provide students with first-hand insights into university life, career journeys and experiences beyond school.

Our goal is not simply to help students secure university admission.
It is to equip them with the knowledge, confidence, self-awareness and decision-making skills they need to take ownership of their future.
From the first exploration of interests in Grade 8 to the university application journey in Grades 11 and 12, the Career Guidance Centre walks alongside students as they discover possibilities, evaluate pathways and prepare for the next chapter.

Explore with purpose.

Choose with confidence.

Prepare for the future.

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