College Counselling ｜ Linden Hall High School

College Counselling

Our College Counsellor Supports Students in Applying to Universities Overseas.

At Linden Hall High School, we have a College Counselling specialist who helps students think carefully through which is the right educational and career pathway for them.
Personalised support is provided to students aiming to enroll in universities overseas.
Not only do universities in different countries and regions require different application documents, but they also employ different interview styles, testing methods, and writing submissions. All this requires the specialised knowledge that an experienced College Counsellor can provide.
As the first step toward helping students realize their career goals, the counsellor works collaboratively with students on their university choices as well as admissions expectations and procedures.

The College Counselling Process

STEP 1.

Career Planning

Increase students’ self-awareness of their interests, abilities, and goals.
STEP 2.

Personal Branding

With the counsellor’s support, students further clarify their academic and career directions while developing self-marketing plans that highlight their unique strengths.
STEP 3.

University Selection

Students identify universities that match their goals, academic interests, backgrounds and skills.
STEP 4.

Application Documents

We prepare admissions-related documents such as the transcript and letters of recommendation.
STEP 5.

Resume and Writing Submissions

The counsellor guides students in crafting a winning resume and writing submissions appropriate for each university’s admissions expectations.
STEP 6.

Interview Skills

Students prepare for their interviews through mock interviews and other resources provided specific to each university’s application process.
STEP 7.

Final Decisions

The counsellor supports students in making final enrollment decisions once admissions offers are received.

College Counsellor

Natsuko Tohyama

Before joining Linden Hall, Ms. Tohyama built up 13 years of experience working with students from around the world in educational counselling and admissions. Having practised in higher education admissions offices as well as served students as a guidance counsellor, she brings a holistic understanding of the admissions field. Under her leadership, students have gained admission to universities such as Harvard, Oxford, Cambridge, Stanford, New South Wales, Monash, etc.

My hope is to provide students guidance at the critical juncture in their lives that is university admissions.

I aspire to listen carefully to each student’s goals and dreams so that we can think together about what country or countries the student should consider enrolling in university at, as well as their ideal university major or course of study.
College counselling actually has two aspects, life counselling and technical counselling. The former involves selecting universities to apply to through open conversations about the student’s particular life and career goals. The latter is the practical side of university admissions, in which I provide guidance about volunteer and other extracurricular activities for the student’s admissions portfolio, essay writing, interviewing, compiling application documents, etc.
Applying to university is an important step in students’ lives, and I feel it is important to consider the decision from multiple angles. For instance, students may take into consideration their likely fit with the culture and environment of the region the university is located in. While studying overseas, students will need to understand the communication style and values of their host country and culture. Also, in a rapidly changing world, I believe students must think about how their field of interest may develop in the future, about what career paths may open or even close to them. One of my roles as a college counsellor is to help students develop a long-term perspective of their lives after graduation.