Anfisa Bogdanenko, who graduated from ILS in 2019, met with our school’s seniors and juniors to discuss the difficulties faced when studying overseas and ways to deal with them. Anfisa talked about the differences between the approaches to education in Russia and the USA, emphasizing which competencies and skills are important for the university application process. Clearly, language fluency and a generally strong knowledge base make studying in a foreign country easier, but it is also imperative that you let the university know about your skills, knowledge and achievements in your motivation letter.

Anfisa told her audience: “I finished ILS last year as an external student and am now studying at Williston Northampton School in Massachusetts in preparation for my university studies. I am looking at several institutions, but I am hoping to enroll at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)."

Following her presentation, Anfisa answered our students’ questions about studying overseas, gave her impressions of the school where she is currently enrolled, and told how lessons are structured and how students interact with teachers. It should be noted that Anfisa’s meeting with the students was entirely in English.

“The first days or months of overseas study are always challenging,” notes ILS Principal Olga Shevchenko. “Unfamiliar surroundings can make you feel a bit lost, but at ILS we try to prepare our students to take this important step responsibly by offering quality education that meets international standards, as well as visits by representatives of foreign universities and summer programs at colleges and universities in China, South Korea, and Canada, which makes it easier to adapt to life and study overseas.”