ALPHE London Secondary Focus Conference:
SMG’s Business Development Director, Bryan McCready, and Global Marketing Director, James Mann, traveled to London last month to participate in the ALPHE UK Secondary Focus Conference. This was the team’s first conference since the beginning of the pandemic and it was terrific to finally get to see everyone in person again.
Bryan McCready, Director of Program Development (left) and James Mann, Global Marketing Director (right)
Kirsten Ramsay, International Education Administrator, Lambton Kent District School Board — Chatham, Ontario, Canada (left) Bryan McCready, Director of Program Development (right)
SMG’s representatives met with over 30 agents from more than 15 countries as well as many of our partner schools in Canada. They were thrilled to have a chance to meet some new partners and catch up with many of our long-time partners. The discussion revolved around the various programs that SMG can offer international agents of which are mentioned below:
- F-1 Public High School Program USA: Students can choose one of over 70 different Public School Districts, located throughout the United States. Qualified students have the opportunity to graduate after only one year. This program offers several options for sports, as well as a diverse range of classes to choose from.
- F-1 Private Choice High School Program USA: Our F-1 Private Choice programs provide students the opportunity to study in well-rounded private schools throughout the United States. With over 100 partner schools, we have established relationships with elite boarding schools, Blue Ribbon day schools, and IB schools. Our private schools offer international students excellent academics, co-curricular activities from sports to clubs, and school events that foster friendships and cultural awareness. We have a school for everyone! Our F-1 Private Choice option allows students to choose exactly where they want to study based on their interests, goals, desired location, budget, and more. Students who are a part of the Choice option can stay for multiple years and often graduate while on the program. The schools on our F-1 Private Choice option include boarding schools, day schools, schools in big cities, and schools in rural areas.
- F-1 Basic High School Program USA: Our F-1 Basic program is for students who want to attend a well-rounded school while learning about the American culture. Students will receive an excellent education while experiencing various school and host family activities! The F-1 Basic option places students in both volunteer and paid host families, making this program more affordable. This option also offers students the ability to stay for multiple years and graduate. The SMG F-1 Basic Team reviews the student’s application and places the student in a school and region based on the information they include in the application. On the Basic option, students can select a public/private school option, public only or a private school option only. If a student chooses the public/private preference, SMG will place the student in either a public high school or a private high school. For students selecting the private only option, for an additional fee, students can choose a sport, class, or extracurricular activity they would like SMG to guarantee in their placement.
- St. Thomas More School USA (Boarding School): STM offers a close-knit, unique academic experience for boarding school students. Each student receives a multifaceted, heightened level of attention which emphasizes their personal, academic, and athletic development. STM graduates have 100% acceptance to U.S. colleges. In 2021, STM had graduates accepted to Yale, Cornell and Columbia University! To learn more about St. Thomas More School, please click here to review our latest brochure.
- SMG Canada: SMG Canada Students can choose from a list of over 100 schools located throughout Canada. We offer host family and boarding experiences in public and private schools. Students can also return year after year and earn a HS diploma. Through our partners in Canada, we are able to offer an exceptional opportunity for international students to become part of a new family, study at a new school, and learn about an entirely new culture. SMG Canada students are given the opportunity to create a program that is customized to their liking by choosing the school they attend, classes they take, activities and sports they participate in, and the length of their program. All of our students are placed with a loving and caring host family and will attend the local school while integrating with other Canadian students on a daily basis. Please contact James at jmann@student-management.com to learn more about any of our amazing options in Canada! Visit student-management.com/smg-canada/ for more information!
- SMG UK & Ireland Program: SMG is excited to offer our newest program as a result of such high demand. This program offers students the opportunity to study at state funded sixth form schools and state colleges. Private Day as well as Boarding Schools are also available. Students can attend schools in Ireland, England, Wales and Scotland. Both the UK & Ireland offer highly competitive educational systems and are highly rated in the World Rankings each year. Please contact uk@student-management.com with any questions. Visit student-management.com/smg-uk/ for more information!
- J-1 Academic Year High School Program (ISE): Each year, ISE sponsors J-1 Visas for nearly 3,000 foreign exchange high school students, making ISE one of the largest sponsors in the nation. ISE has been known for its quality and reliability of service for 40 years.
SMG highly encourages and is always offering trainings for our partners — either in person or virtually — so please contact us if you have any questions about any of the above program offerings!
At SMG, we place a strong emphasis on having personal relationships with our International Representatives as well as our school partners. We always try to visit the campus of any school we plan to promote to our agents, to ensure that it meets the high standards of quality that SMG applies to our programs.
After the ALPHE Conference, our team focused on developing the SMG UK program — touring several UK school campuses in the London area! James and Bryan had the privilege of participating in David Game College’s first ever Fam Trip, meeting all their great staff and some fellow agent attendees along the way. David Game College’s campus is situated in the wonderful Tower Hill section of central London, surrounded by iconic London buildings and only minutes away from the Tower of London and Tower Bridge.
The team was also delighted to participate in a tea reception with Duke’s Education Group, in which they met most of the team as well as the founder, in the historic setting of the Reform Club. Duke’s Education Group encompasses 30+ private schools in the U.K. Several of the schools will be highlighted in the coming months.
The SMG Team looks forward to a great year of recruitment for all of our high school programs and is very excited and motivated to participate in more events with our amazing partners across the world.
