School Preparation

Our company is a leading specialist in secondary education abroad. For many years we've helped school students choose the best school, walking together with them and their parents through the complex path from countless questions and answers to securing a place at the school of their dreams.

The undeniable advantages of secondary education in countries such as the UK, Switzerland, USA, Canada, Germany and Austria include the stability of the education system, well-established traditions, a skilful combination of modern methods and technology with a classic approach, highly qualified teachers, an absence of stress, the ability to spot and nurture children's talents while giving them the right direction, and study in an international environment.

For many, choosing an education abroad is about earning a school-leaving certificate that opens doors to the world's best universities.

Why use Baltic Council for International Education's professional support when applying to a secondary school abroad?

• We have extensive experience working with schools in the UK, USA, Canada, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain and other countries.
• We've personally visited dozens of schools around the world.
• Baltic Council takes part every year in specialist international education fairs and conferences: ICEF, BBSW (British Boarding Schools Workshop), Alphe, Independent Schools Show.
• Baltic Council is a member of the BSA (Boarding Schools' Association), bringing together more than 600 private boarding schools worldwide.
• Behind every school's name, website and brochure, we see real people, an understanding of the atmosphere, and knowledge of how well a given school works with international students; where's best for preparing for Oxford or Harvard, where for medicine, where for an acting degree, plus feedback and impressions from our own students and their parents.
• In our meetings we explain the various study programmes in detail (GCSE, A-Level, IB, Abitur, American High School Diploma, Foundation and others) and help choose the one that's right for you.
• When choosing a school, we take into account academic achievements, ambitions, interests, hobbies and the student's personality type; we discuss future career questions.
• We place great emphasis on explaining the different types of school and finding the best option for a specific student: single-sex or co-educational; an international school where most students are foreign, or one where most are local; a classic boarding school or a private sixth-form college; a sports academy or a music school.
• Schools trust us to run entrance tests, and Baltic Council is also a UKiset test centre (for UK private schools). In Latvia we're the centre for all Cambridge exams and IELTS. So when applying to several schools, our students don't need to travel for testing at each one - we arrange everything locally.
• Baltic Council organises the largest international education fairs in Eastern Europe - Days of International Education and the Secondary Focus Fair.
• Working with us, you'll get help with visa matters, plus comprehensive support throughout your studies and later university admission.

Many parents choose a school abroad for their children, each for their own reasons. Among the main advantages of private schools abroad, we see the stability of the education system and traditions proven over decades, sometimes centuries. What's more, in many countries, universities prefer school-leaving certificates earned in that country, or those with international recognition, such as the IB (International Baccalaureate).

When choosing a school, we start from the student's abilities, ambitions and academic record. For those with a lower language level, we recommend starting at an international school. Such schools exist today in England, Germany, Canada, France, Switzerland and elsewhere. Here students study the language intensively, alongside general subjects, get to know the local education system, and prepare to move to a school where most students will be from that country.

We've personally visited a huge number of schools worldwide, know their features and differences, and assure you that when choosing a school, what matters most is that the school suits the student, not the other way round.