The Academy is dedicated and committed to the long-term success of its students. ALA’s team of experienced university guidance counsellors works with its young leaders to help them prepare for and navigate the entire university application process; including identifying schools that fit career goals and interests, preparation for for entrance exams and interviews, and identifying and securing scholarships and financial aid. Finally, ALA’s guidance staff work to educate students about all of their options in order to help them make an informed decision when they hear back from universities.
University Guidance
More Information for:
Dear Students and Families
Welcome to the career and university exploration process! This is a process that can be stressful, but it should also be seen as a chance to be creative and thoughtful about your higher education future after African Leadership Academy. Ultimately, the selection of a college or university belongs to you (the student) and you should feel a sense of empowerment and freedom because of this. You can look forward to learning a great deal about yourself through this process.
The African Leadership Academy University Guidance team will work diligently with students to create career and university exploration lists and other possibilities for life after ALA. We encourage students to sign up and see us as often as they wish when school resumes in September; whether it be to discuss a particular school or choice of major, your application checklist, or if you just want to chat! The more time we spend with you, the easier it is for us to help explore a university option that may work best for you. Please keep your parents and guardians informed through the application and selection process, as they will be participating from a distance.
It is highly recommended that you share your Maia Learning details with your parents, so they can stay up to date on your college list. It is imperative that we (students, families, and counsellors), as a unit, stay on the same page throughout this journey!
Career and university counselling at ALA is like taking a course – follow the syllabus provided, ask questions when you are confused or unsure, and aim to get as much out of the process as possible. Do not listen – too much – to the outside world, as it will only add to your stress. Remember who you are, the skills you have honed while at African Leadership Academy, and what you ultimately want for yourself; this is key while exploring, and applying to colleges and universities.
In providing career and university guidance, the counselling team at ALA will focus on the attributes and personal success of each member of our student body; we take all aspects of a student’s academic and extracurricular career into consideration while helping them consider their possibilities after ALA. Our approach to counselling is to tailor the process to each student’s needs and goals. Our goal is to empower and encourage students to strive for the most competitive and challenging post-secondary options appropriate to their individual strengths and interests. To this end, we ask our students to think deeply and carefully about their talents and aspirations, set reasonable and appropriate goals and present themselves in a manner that will fully represent their strengths.
The ALA University Guidance office believes firmly that students must be the drivers throughout the post-secondary education search process. However, we recognize it as a collaborative effort between students, their families, and advisors, and we will work hard to keep them involved. We promise to be honest, forthright, and to provide you with many tools and aids during your search as we play our role in developing the next generation of African Leaders!
Wishing you the best of luck through this exciting process,
The University Guidance Team
Downloads and important information
ALA Campus
The campus is located in Honeydew which is about 35 minutes from the CBD, Sandton and Rosebank areas. We are about 50 minutes from OR Tambo International Airport and 25 minutes from the local Lanseria Airport which services flights to Cape Town and Durban.
Directions: Click here for directions to the ALA campus
Best Times to Visit
ALA follows the northern hemisphere calendar so we are open from September to June. We recommend college visits from Sept – November, March – May. The best time to visit the ALA campus is after school starting from 3:40pm. Monday visits following the ALL school assembly at 2:20pm to which you are invited are recommended. (Weekend visits can also be arranged on occasion.)
Hotels
There are very few options close to our campus. We recommend staying in and around the following areas: Sandton, Rosebank Mall and Melrose Arch. Both Sandton and Rosebank are accessible via Gautrain from OR Tambo International Airport and will be central to more of your school visits. Admission officers also recommend staying by the airport for early morning flight from OR Tambo.
Transport
We strongly recommend hiring a driver and car for your visits to Johannesburg especially if visiting 2-3 schools a day. Uber is present and an extremely efficient method to zip around for short distances. To arrange a shuttle, please do so through your hotel or through Avis Shuttle Service – http://www.avispoint2point.co.za/
Visiting Other Schools
Johannesburg has a number of schools that will be open to receiving university representatives during the school term. (Please call ahead) With the exception of AISJ and ALA, most schools follow a southern hemisphere calendar.
From ALA
- American International School of Johannesburg – 40 minutes.
- Crawford College – 35 minutes
- John’s College – 35 minutes
- Stithians College – 25 minutes
- Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls – 55 minutes
Within Southern Africa
We recommend visiting these campuses as well if you have some time.
- International School of Cape Town – http://isct.co.za/
- Maru a Pula, Botswana – http://www.maruapula.org/
- United World College – Waterford Kamhlaba, Swaziland – http://waterford.sz/