With the ever growing popularity of University Pathway programs around the world, students can have questions about which path is their way. The landscape of a university pathway programs has changed as it’s grown in popularity, and ILSC has continued to stay on top of the evolving trends and course content. We spoke with Liliana Sitkowiecki and Livia Tramontina, National Pathway Managers in Canada and Australia, about what makes ILSC’s Pathway Program unique and what the future of pathways could mean for you!
What does the ILSC Pathway Program cover?
For almost a decade, ILSC`s University Pathway Program has helped thousands of students build a strong foundation in both the English language and their critical thinking skills necessary for success at both college and university. As they progress through the levels of the program, students learn skills like writing insightfully thorough well-structured sentences, paragraphs and essays. Pathway students also improve their comprehension by applying a variety of reading strategies to different texts.
The program also covers areas like academic reading and writing skills, critical thinking, grammar and vocabulary, study skills, note-taking, research and academic essay writing.
Our Academic Excellence Assurance means that our students are monitored throughout their program to ensure that they maintain both good attendance and grades. This is necessary to guarantee successful entry to our locally and globally recognized partner schools, and beyond!
How have pathway programs changed in recent years?
We have recently updated our curriculum to reflect the need for students to think critically and speak/write using academically appropriate vocabulary. We’ve continuously improved our program offerings based on student and post-secondary partner feedback and needs. We work hard to guide and prepare students to enter their preferred program at our partner institutions, and it shows; in the last 3 years, ILSC has had over 2900 students graduate from the University Pathway Program.
Part of this upgrade curriculum also includes moving aspects of the University Pathway into the digital space, like the Keep Me Safe app, available for all ILSC University Pathway students in Canada. With our new Keep Me Safe service, University Pathway students at ILSC Language Schools have free access to immediate chat support and a wealth of free resources to help your ongoing personal and academic success, in the way that’s most convenient, comfortable and valuable for you.
What can My SSP help you with?
- Adjusting to life in Canada
- Exam Stress
- Managing your finances
- Healthy living habits
- Juggling your time
- Relationships with friends, family and roommates
- Loneliness or homesickness
To download the app, visit here, or to learn more visit www.keepmesafe.org
How does ILSC work with universities/colleges to ensure that course content is relevant and up to date?
ILSC’s language levels are based on the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) and the Common European Framework (CEFR). Specifically, we submit assessed-student work samples to the universities/colleges so that they can benchmark our levels against their requirements.
We regularly host college and university representatives on our campuses to ensure that the University Pathway Team remains responsive to the changing nature of university admissions. Our partners say that “ILSC students are well equipped to handle the rigorous academic demands of higher education thanks to our high academic standards.” We regularly communicate with our partners to track the progress of our students at their institutions to ensure their continued success.
Does successful completion of ILSC University Pathway program lead to automatic university entry? What happens to those students who do not successfully complete the course to the standard required for university entry?
Yes, the successful completion of our University Pathway Program guarantees direct entry to any of our partner college or university’s programs (provided the students obtain an Australian or Canadian Student Visa).
Throughout the students’ journey, we constantly monitor achievement and attendance to ensure that they progress through the courses at an appropriate and timely pace and support them with any roadblocks they may have.
We work with students’ so that they can meet the necessary requirements to enter their desired program. They are able to extend their study period with ILSC to complete the level required for their study program (in this case, they will have to defer their start date with the partner college/university). The University Pathway team can recommend additional study based on the student’s individual needs, to ensure their success in our program. Our instructors are also highly skilled at working with students to address specific gaps in their knowledge.
What is the advantage of taking a pathway program ILSC?
One of the many advantages of taking a pathway program at ILSC is that the student is able to adapt to university life and the campus more readily.
ILSC’s University Pathway program introduces an additional step (home country, to a language school, and then university) but gives students valuable opportunities to connect with a diverse group of students with similar goals and familiarize themselves with the education system in their chosen country. To this end, ILSC aims to maintain a balance of nationalities in our classrooms. Our university pathway team also supports students to successfully transition to their partner institution from ILSC Language Schools.
As you can see, pathway programs are growing both around the world and at ILSC, and you can have confidence knowing that ILSC remains at the forefront of ensuring course content is relevant for you and the support you receive will help you gain successful entry to one of our partner schools.
Want to get started on your own Pathway Program journey? Check out this video, or visit here for more details.
