What I'm Bringing Back to My Students: Lessons from CIS-EARCOS Bangkok 2025

I've attended plenty of international conferences before, but always as a show host with a microphone on a stage or as a translator with a headset. Walking into the Shangri-La Hotel in Bangkok on 19 September for the CIS-EARCOS Conference felt completely different. This time, I wasn't managing the stage or interpreting for others, I was there as a university guidance counsellor, trying my best to soak up every bit of information I could for my students. Two days later, I left with a notebook and a laptop full of insights, a phone full of contacts, and a completely different perspective on how to guide my students through the university application process.

Pre-Conference: Learning from the Ground Up

I arrived early for the pre-event registration and jumped straight into the CIALFO workshop on sharing best practices. What struck me immediately was how candid everyone was. Hearing from counsellors who are in the trenches in Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia sharing what's really working in their schools gave me practical strategies I could immediately visualise using. The university representatives also gave us their unfiltered perspective on what they're looking for, which is always refreshing when you can get past the marketing speak. It was the perfect way to ease into the conference.

Day One: Diving Into the Sessions

The standout session that morning was "From Campus to Career" featuring speakers from Deakin University, University of Leeds, and University of Melbourne. Freyja Krebs, Martin Maule, Claire Bingley, and Khoa Lam broke down how Australian and UK universities are actually preparing students for employment. Given that graduate outcomes are often the first thing parents ask me about (and honestly, students too), this was super relevant. They showed specific examples of how employability skills are being woven into undergraduate programmes, which gives me concrete information to share with families who are weighing their options.

The Interview Workshop That Changed My Approach

One session I'm really glad I attended was the UK admissions interview workshop in the afternoon. I'll be honest. I'm much more comfortable with US and Asian admissions processes, so I was there specifically to fill in some gaps in my knowledge about UK applications. Adam Cowling, James Russell, and Lucy Lee Allen from NIST International School, along with Melissa Abache from Cambridge, walked us through the different interview formats students might face especially MMIs and Oxbridge interviews. What really helped was getting practical tips for running mock interviews, something I've been wanting to do better in the future. Having someone from Cambridge there answering questions made the whole Oxbridge interview process feel a bit less daunting, which I know will help when I'm trying to reassure nervous students down the line.

The Scottish University Boat Tour (Thanks, Joe!)

Joe had been recommending I do the Scottish university boat tour for long enough that I finally gave in, and I was worth it! That 1.5 hour boat trip turned out to be one of the highlights of the conference. There's something about being on the water that makes conversations flow more naturally. Without the formal setting of a conference room, the university reps and fellow counsellors from across Southeast Asia opened up in ways they might not have otherwise. We talked about everything from specific programme quirks to the realities of supporting international students. It was relaxed, genuine, and incredibly useful. If you get the chance next year, don't skip it.

Day Two: Bridging the Gap

The panel on Day 2 titled "Bridging the Gap" was probably the most eye opening. Hearing admissions officers from NYU Abu Dhabi, Yale, and UVA sit alongside counsellors from Oasis International School and Dulwich College Singapore and talk openly about institutional priorities that doesn't happen often enough. Erin Macleod, Eric Laug, Paul Mwakisu, John Yi, and Clara Hoff were refreshingly transparent about how decisions get made and where we can find information about what different schools prioritise. It felt less like "us versus them" and more like we're all trying to find the right matches. Everyone at the workshop appreciated the interactive, hands-on approach and the opportunity to share experiences with each other.

The High School Fair: Tables Turned

As a counsellor, I've been to quite a lot of university fairs where university reps are stationed at booths and I'm the one walking around as a visitor. The highlight of the last day was the high school fair, where the tables were completely turned. This time, high school counsellors were stationed at booths, and universities came round to visit us. It was brilliant. My Lionheart intern and I engaged with hundreds of universities throughout the day, and it was lovely seeing so many familiar faces, reps who visit BIS Hanoi every year. Having them come to us meant we could have more meaningful, focused conversations about what our students are looking for and what each university could offer them.

The Conversations Between Sessions

The formal sessions were brilliant, but honestly, some of the best learning happened in the corridors and over coffee. I met so many university representatives, admissions officers, professors, and fellow high school counsellors from across Southeast Asia. These casual conversations were just as valuable as the workshops, everyone was generous with their time and insights. I collected a ton of specific information about programmes, application nuances, and emerging trends that I'll be sharing with our students in individual meetings throughout the year.

What I'm Taking Back to My Students

What I appreciated most was how practical everything felt. This wasn't a conference where you sit through agendas and pitches, it was about genuinely understanding the landscape and getting better at our jobs. I'm heading back with a fuller toolkit and, more importantly, connections with people I can reach out to when specific questions come up.

The best part? All the information and knowledge that were shared and gained during those two days won't just sit in my notes. They'll be woven into each meeting I have with my students, whether we're discussing university choices, preparing for interviews, or exploring career pathways. That's what makes this kind of professional development genuinely worthwhile.

What Admissions Officers Actually Want

Good grades and test scores get your application read. They don't make it memorable. What admissions officers consistently say separates strong applications from standout ones is authenticity and genuine intellectual curiosity. They want to see that you chose your activities for real reasons, learned something from them, and can articulate why it mattered. They're looking for engaged thinkers, not just high achievers.

Where Counsellors Come In

This is where a good counsellor earns their keep. Rather than pushing students toward prestigious names, effective counsellors help them find genuine fit, schools where the culture, teaching style, and departmental strengths actually match who the student is and how they learn. The goal isn't just getting in somewhere impressive. The BIS Hanoi University Guidance Team has already adopted and implemebted Mr McKinney's 4S strategies (Study, Safe, Social, and Stay). We are using these to explore and embed students' university research journeys, focusing on what they prioritise and the environments that best support their comfortable study. It's landing somewhere they will thrive. As one guiding principle puts it: "The purpose of the application is not to impress, but to express the person you are becoming, and where you believe you can become that person best."

Last but not least, special heartfelt thanks to Lee, Sarah, Simon, Gemma, Joe, and Yen who have supported me to be on this invaluable experience!