Guidance Department

The CIS Guidance Department is tasked with helping students find their passion in life and give them the tools with which to achieve their goals. Students need support from faculty, home, peers, and their wider community in order to grow into their best selves. We aim to coordinate these resources in order to nurture young scholars into confident and competent adults, ready to encounter an ever-changing world.

Kevin Jones, Guidance Councillor at Clifford International School in Guangzhou, Panyu, China

Our support includes assisting students in identifying their interests and strengths, university planning with students and their families, helping all students find academic success, planning for standardized testing, and much more. I understand that navigating the university planning process can be intimidating for many parents. We break the process down into several stages to help both students and parents understand each element thoroughly:

Grade NineGroup parent meeting discussing how students succeed in high school.
Grade TenOne-on-one parent meeting with the guidance counselor for overview of the university application process. Group meeting with students to help them develop academic interests that match with possible areas of study.
Grade ElevenGroup meeting to help students come to decisions about differences in university based on country/region, size, available majors, reputation, and requirements.
Grade TwelveIndividual and group meetings to guide students through the entire university application process and provide necessary document services.

Grade Eleven and Twelve students have the opportunity to join university visits. University representatives from all over the world give presentations to our students (either in person or virtually). This gives students the opportunity to learn more details about each university and ask good questions!

About Kevin Jones, Guidance Counselor

Kevin Jones, Guidance Councillor at Clifford International School in Guangzhou, Panyu, China

Previous to working at CIS, I worked in university admissions for some of the top US universities. I know that universities are looking for students who are ready to meet tomorrow’s challenges. Through our seminars, parent meetings, student sessions, and visits with university representatives, students have many opportunities to grow and learn. We are proud to help in the development of tomorrow’s leaders!

Contact Information

(English) 留学规划指导中心（英文)：8573 6106
(Chinese) 留学规划指导中心（中文)：3477 9724

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a guidance counselor do?

The school guidance counselor has two main jobs: First, the counselor helps students and their parent or guardian navigate the world of university preparation. This can be study tips, interest inventories, advice for writing personal statements, or help in selecting the right university.

Second, the guidance counselor tracks students’ credits on their way to high school graduation. This includes giving advice to students as to which courses to take to satisfy university requirements and which remaining credits the student needs to graduate from high school.

What is the best university for my child?

The best school for your child may or may not be among the ones on the top of international ranking lists. The choice of a university is both an important and personal decision. Things to consider would be: Program availability and ranking, university size, location, student/teacher ratio, price, overall ranking, where the student wants to eventually work after university graduation, competitiveness, and availability of activities/clubs that are interesting to the student.

How should my child prepare for university?

The truth is that the answer depends on several factors. Having success in their classes is definitely a big part of it, and it’s hard to be prepared for university without working hard to get good grades in high school. There may be other significant factors that could help your child get into their dream university. It mainly depends on the university’s country or region. Different places around the world have different requirements and expectations. If you’re unsure about which requirements your child needs to meet, please schedule a meeting with the counselor to discover more.

Since my child is attending Clifford International School, does that mean he/she still needs to take the IELTS/TOEFL exam?

In short, yes, your child will probably still need to take a language proficiency exam. Each university has different requirements about which students are required to take language exams. However, in general, universities require students to complete four years in a high school that uses English as the primary medium of instruction, and the high school is located in a predominantly English-speaking country. While we pass the first bar, we do not pass the second. The vast majority of our students are required to take a language proficiency exam. Check out our first edition of Counselor’s Quarterly for more information on which exam your child should take.

Can I still ask for help with high school documents after I graduate?

Yes! We provide transcripts and other document services to former students, even if they did not graduate with us. These services are generally provided free of charge, with only postage fees needing to be paid by the student. A quick email to the counselor will get you started.

Counsellor’s Quarterly

Each term, our counsellor writes an article with tips and advice about your child’s path to a fantastic university.

March 21, 2023