An international school’s university placement record shows where its graduates go after Grade 12, and reading it well means looking past the headline numbers. The most useful records show where students actually enrolled, not only where they received offers, and they cover several graduating classes, list destinations across different countries, and come with the school’s profile explaining its curriculum and grading. Parents should also ask how many students graduate each year, how university counseling works and how early it starts.
This guide from Qingdao No. 1 International School of Shandong Province (QISS) explains how to read a placement record, which questions to ask, and what a strong university counseling program looks like.
What Is a University Placement Record?
A university placement record is a summary of where a school’s graduates have been admitted or have enrolled at university. Schools usually publish it on their website, include it in their school profile, or share it during admissions visits. It may appear as a list of universities, a map of destinations, or figures such as the share of graduates going on to higher education.
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The single most important question is what the list counts. A record can mean three different things:
- Acceptances or offers: every university that admitted at least one student. One strong student with many offers can make this list long.
- Enrolments (matriculation): where students actually chose to go. This is a more accurate picture of outcomes.
- College-going rate: the share of graduates who go on to university at all.
A list of offers is not misleading in itself, but it answers a different question from a list of enrolments. Ask the school which one you are looking at.
How to Read the Numbers
When you look at a placement record, check these points:
- The size of the graduating class. A long list of universities means something different for a small graduating class than for a large one.
- How many years it covers. A single exceptional year can stand out, so look for records across several graduating classes.
- The spread of destinations. Look at the range of countries and types of university, not only the best-known names.
- Fit with your child’s plans. If your child is considering a particular country, check whether recent graduates have gone there.
- Whether names are grouped or explained. Clear records separate offers from enrolments and show each class year.
Read the Placement Record Alongside the School Profile
Many schools send a school profile to universities with every application. Common App’s guide to developing a school profile explains that a profile gives universities context about a school, including its curriculum, grading system, standardised testing and student outcomes such as the college-going rate and college destinations.
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Talk to admissions →For parents, the profile is useful too. It shows which advanced courses the school offers, how grades are awarded, and how the school presents its graduates to universities. Asking to see the current profile is a reasonable request during a school visit.
Questions to Ask About University Counseling
Placement results depend heavily on counseling. Useful questions include:
- When does counseling start? Earlier planning helps with course choices, testing and activities.
- Who are the counselors? Ask about their experience and whether they belong to professional associations such as NACAC.
- Which countries do they support? Applications to the USA, the UK, Canada, Europe, Australia and Asia each have different systems and timelines.
- How do they build college lists? A balanced list includes reach, target and likely universities for each student.
- What help is given with essays and applications? Look for workshops, feedback and help setting up application accounts.
Our guide to choosing which universities to apply to explains how balanced lists work, and our Common App guide for international students covers the main US application platform.
Questions to Ask the School Directly
When you visit, ask:
- Does this list show offers, enrolments or both?
- How many students graduated in each year shown?
- Can I see the current school profile?
- How does the counseling team support students applying outside the USA?
- How does the school help students who are undecided about country or major?
A school with a strong record will usually answer these questions clearly. Our guide to comparing international schools in China covers other factors to weigh, such as accreditation and curriculum.
University Placement at QISS
Every QISS graduate has been admitted to college, a 100% college acceptance record. Our University and College Admissions Counseling Center has helped students gain admission to universities in the USA, Canada, the UK, Europe, Australia, Korea and Japan. The team provides academic planning, coordination of AP courses and testing, Target, Reach and Safety college lists, essay writing workshops, and help setting up application accounts, including Common App and UCAS. QISS is a member of NACAC and IACAC.
QISS follows a US curriculum with AP courses, is accredited by WASC and CIS, and runs an on-campus SAT and AP test center. If you would like to talk about university outcomes and counseling at QISS, you are welcome to visit our campus.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is a university placement record?
It is a summary of where a school’s graduates have been admitted or have enrolled at university. Schools often publish it on their website, in their school profile or during admissions visits.
What is the difference between acceptances and enrolments?
Acceptances list every university that admitted at least one student, so one strong student with many offers can lengthen the list. Enrolments show where students actually chose to go, which is a more accurate picture of outcomes.
What is a school profile?
A school profile is a short document that schools send to universities with applications. It explains the curriculum, grading system, testing and student outcomes, so universities can read each application in context.
What should I ask about university counseling?
Ask when counseling starts, which countries the counselors support, how college lists are built, and what help is given with essays and applications. Membership of professional associations such as NACAC is also worth asking about.
How do I compare placement records between schools?
Compare like with like. Check whether each list shows offers or enrolments, how many students graduated each year, how many years are covered and how widely destinations are spread across countries.
