2022 What Foreign Service Families Need To Know About The College Application Process

Growing up in the Foreign Service presents both opportunities and challenges. How can a student play to the strengths of their international experience and what are some of the unique factors that might affect the process differently? Come and find out in this presentation on just what makes the college application experience unique for Foreign Service students! Rebecca (Becky) Grappo has guided scores of expat and Foreign Service students on the path to college by helping them to think through such important elements as high school preparation, selectivity, fit, possible majors, and affordability. She has worked in international schools, written about the topic of college applications for the Third Culture Kid, visited several hundred colleges throughout the United States and is often called on by guidance counselors in international schools for assistance. Becky developed and taught the UC Irvine extension course for consultants on “American College Counseling for the International Student”, and completed her certificate in college counseling from UCLA. She is an active participant in the International Association of College Admissions Counselors (IACAC) and until recently, served on the Board of Directors of The Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA). She keeps current in developments in the college admissions world, especially as they pertain to kids overseas. She has also traveled extensively throughout the UK and Europe to visit universities with degree-granting programs in English. Many families in the Foreign Service know Becky as a 27-year veteran of Foreign Service life, having raised her own three children in the FS as well as having worked on education issues in the State Department.