ASSIST’S School and Scholar Matching Approach

ASSIST begins by getting to know each student as a whole person. We consider academic strengths, interests, personality, goals, maturity, extracurricular activities, and the type of community in which the student is most likely to thrive.

We also draw on our close relationships with our member schools and our understanding of their academics, culture, programs, communities, and available scholarship opportunities. The goal is not simply to place a strong student at a strong school. It is to find the right combination of Scholar and school.

The goal is to identify a setting where the Scholar has the opportunity to thrive academically, socially, and personally.

Yes. Your application and interviews are important opportunities to help us understand what matters to you. Also, after a scholarship offer has been accepted, families provide us with a Preferences Form which further helps us understand the matching criteria. We encourage you to be thoughtful and honest about your interests, goals, preferences, and the type of environment where you believe you can grow and contribute. That information helps inform the matching process.

You can share geographic preferences as part of the information that helps ASSIST get to know you. However, location is only one part of a strong match. A school in a region you hadn’t initially considered may offer the academics, activities, community, and opportunities that make it an especially strong fit for you.

Families are welcome to tell us about schools that interest them, but the standard ASSIST scholarship process is not an application to a specific school. ASSIST determines the final match based on the student’s complete profile, the qualities of our member schools, and the scholarship opportunities available that year.

Families seeking greater participation in the school selection process may wish to learn about the ASSIST Select Scholarship or the Finalist Direct Placement Option.

That’s not unusual. Many students begin the process knowing only a small number of U.S. schools.

Schools do not simply join the ASSIST network. We carefully vet and hand-select each member school to ensure it meets our program criteria. We partner with leading schools across the United States that share our values and are committed to developing future global leaders. Each offers a rigorous academic program, a vibrant campus life, and a welcoming community for ASSIST Scholars.

Our deep knowledge of these schools allows us to identify opportunities that may not be obvious through rankings, reputation, or online research alone. A school you have not heard of may turn out to be exactly the right place for you.

Families usually begin the process knowing only what can be learned from a website, reputation, ranking, or map. ASSIST knows its member schools more deeply. We understand their communities, strengths, opportunities, and the qualities that may make a particular student especially well suited to them.

The school a family initially imagines may not be the one where the student will have the most meaningful experience. We ask families to share what matters to them, remain open to possibilities, and trust the expertise behind the process.

Yes. We want to understand any factors that are genuinely important to the student and family. These may include academic interests, activities, school setting, religious affiliation, boarding or host family considerations, and other personal needs.

Preferences help inform the process, but they are not a list of requirements or a guarantee of a particular type of school. The standard ASSIST matching process works best when families communicate their priorities honestly while remaining open to schools they may not already know.

ASSIST has been matching international Scholars with American independent schools since 1969. Over 57 years, we have developed a thoughtful, highly personal process informed by experience, close school relationships, and an understanding of what helps students flourish during a year abroad.