IB ESSential Science

Considering the United Kingdom for environmental science? There’s one big difference you need to understand first. In the US, you spend your first two years taking a mix of classes before settling into a major. That’s the nature of a ‘liberal arts’ education – you experience a broad range of subjects across several fields of…

A new study suggests that some environmental solutions could reach a point where they begin to drive their own success. Here’s what that means for IB Environmental Systems and Societies students. When we hear the words tipping point, we usually think about something going wrong. Climate scientists, for example, are concerned about tipping points that…

The United States has more strong environmental science programs than any other country in the world. The American university system also has a huge range of prices, program styles, and opportunities. In this post, I’ll take you through the standout US schools according to my research. I’ll cover what makes each one worth a look…

I can’t take credit for building this list, but it’s a resource that should be shared widely among students and families navigating the application process across colleges and universities in the United States. Jamie Kirby at Estrela Consulting updated their “Ultimate List of Hidden College Scholarships” the other day. If you’re applying to an institution…

Now that I have your attention, let’s talk about what it means. Senator Bernie Sanders shared that headline the other day, so I decided to verify it. Turns out, it’s actually true. A widely cited database found close to 1,000 free-tuition programs across 45 states. The Washington Post even published an article about it in…

Universities in the US and Canada want to see what a student cares about over time. Not ten activities. Two or three, with real depth and real growth. That means energy and commitment over time dedicated to something important to the child. It means meaningful service that actually helps someone, not just an after-school club…

Heat waves raged across much of Europe this summer, leaving many parts of the continent dry and brown. But a couple of spots in England bucked that trend. The Holnicote estate is part of two rewilding projects by England’s National Trust. Throughout 2026’s record heat, the rewilded areas stayed green, in large part due to…

There are some things I will never do. I will never guarantee admission to any university. Nobody can. Anyone who does is shortchanging your child because they have no control over whether an application is successful or not. That’s entirely in the hands of the admissions officer at each college or university. I will never…

A university guidance counselor isn’t someone who gets your child into a university. I want to be clear about that from the start. What I do is help students understand their options, plan their subjects, build a realistic list of universities, and meet every deadline. I ask questions. I give honest feedback. I monitor progress…

Most students doing fieldwork for the first time show up with a phone, some vague notes about what they’re supposed to measure, and no real plan for how to record what they find. That’s not their fault. Fieldwork is genuinely hard to prepare for from a classroom. I’ve been teaching IB Environmental Systems and Societies…

For university applications, reflection isn’t an extension activity. It’s the whole point of the application. Students often treat reflecting as something to do after the “real” work is done. It’s seen as a a wrap-up question or a box to check. But it isn’t. Even if a lot of IB schools require students to do…

“Follow your passion” is common advice, especially around this time of year when students are graduating. We hear it a lot in graduation speeches and farewell assemblies.  It’s well intentioned, but “Follow your passion” is also widely misunderstood. Many students interpret passion as something they’re supposed to discover fully formed: a singular interest that defines…

For much of the past century, the answer was relatively straightforward: to transmit knowledge so that graduates have the tools to fill a role in the workforce. But in a world where information is abundant and instantly accessible, that answer is increasingly incomplete. The students I work with today don’t need more content. They need…

A substantial body of research suggests that students tend to remember and understand information more effectively when they take notes by hand rather than typing them. The most widely cited study is by Mueller and Oppenheimer (2014), who conducted three controlled experiments comparing longhand and laptop note-taking. Mueller and Oppenheimer found that although laptop users…

Third-Culture Kids (TCKs) possess unique identities shaped by diverse cultural influences, enhancing their adaptability and global awareness. Universities value these traits for fostering diverse communities, yet TCKs often struggle to present a cohesive self in applications. Effective guidance helps articulate their experiences into compelling narratives that elevate their admissions prospects.