Rooted in Purpose: How the Lycée Prepares Students for College and Beyond

A Conversation with Natalie BITTON on College Counseling, the Class of 2026, and the Art of Guiding Students Forward

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As the last part of the school year is arriving and college decisions have begun landing in inboxes, the hallways of the Lycée carry a particular charge. For College Counselor Natalie BITTON, this season — electric, tender, and full of possibility — is one she has accompanied students through for nearly two decades. We sat down with Natalie to talk about the Class of 2026, the philosophy behind the Lycée's college counseling program, and what it means to guide a young person toward a future that is truly their own.

The Weight of Waiting

Late March can feel like one of the most charged moments in a senior's year. What does this period look like from where you sit?

Late March feels electric and quiet at once. Seniors are relieved and vulnerable, celebratory and anxious — all at the same time. There's excitement about next steps alongside the very human uncertainty of "what comes next." Students have been working toward this moment for years.

To help them stay grounded, I encourage rituals (sharing acceptances with peers, celebrating small wins) alongside practical next steps like comparing financial aid packages, planning campus visits, and keeping track of deposit deadlines. Regular check-ins focused on values and fit rather than prestige. Mindfulness, perspective checks, and concrete timelines help move energy from rumination to action.

Keep in mind that admissions results for students at international schools like ours are occurring from October to July, as the process can be different based on country.  Therefore, we support students and their families all through the year, not just in March.

Is there anything about the waiting that is actually valuable, even if it doesn't feel that way to students right now?

Absolutely. The waiting itself fosters patience. It helps students clarify their priorities and creates space for honest reflection. Decisions often make more sense after a pause. In many ways, the waiting is part of the maturation.

The Class of 2026

Every graduating class has its own character. How would you describe this one?

The Class of 2026 is thoughtful, resilient, and curious. These are students who balance global awareness with local engagement. They're collaborative, and they bring real creativity to their work.

What have been their particular strengths in the college application process this year?

Their personal narratives have been authentic and mature. Many have shown sustained extracurricular commitments — not just participation, but genuine leadership and long-term projects. They've also demonstrated impressive adaptability across virtual and in-person contexts, and many bring compelling international perspectives that enrich their applications.

Were there challenges specific to this cohort?

Every student is unique, and as challenges come up, we respond with individualized planning, deeper advising on application strategy, and extra support for standardized testing choices and timelines.

How the Program Works

Can you walk us through the college counseling journey — when does it start, and what does it look like from first conversation to decision day?

Conversations begin in grade 9 with self-exploration and course planning; grade 10 deepens academic advising and exploratory testing; grade 11 centers on research, testing, and building a coherent résumé; grade 12 focuses on applications, interviews, and decision-making. We run workshops, one-on-one counseling, counselor-parent meetings, essay support, and timeline checklists.

The underlying philosophy is counseling from the inside out - viewing the student’s path as one of exploration about themselves first, and then from there, exploring the outside world and the choices they want to make for themselves.

I also develop strong relationships with the parents, so that I can understand the context of the family and what is important to them in the college planning process.

What do you think makes the Lycée's approach to college counseling distinctive compared to other schools?

The Lycee’s approach is personal and based on caring and connection.   Because I have been working at the Lycee for 19 years, I know and understand the families well, and therefore our conversations are based on trust, relationship, and connection.   There is a magic that happens in the relationship I have with each student that is difficult to quantify - at the end of the day, they know we care about them and that we are coaching and cheerleading them to express their most essential self. 

Although I cannot speak to how other schools conduct their college counseling programs, I can speak to the dedication and expertise that we bring:  bilingualism and multilingualism, small-cohort personalization, and an emphasis on fit over prestige. 

I also spend a lot of time building relationships with universities worldwide, speaking to them about our diplomas (French Bac and IB), our curriculum, and our students.   We translate international curricula for admissions offices and help students craft narratives that integrate and highlight international and TCK identities.

Is there something families often underestimate about this process?

Families often underestimate the emotional component of the college planning process for both students and parents, as well as the family system.   Planning and going off to college can be viewed as one of Western culture’s rites of passage.  And with every rite of passage, there is celebration of the passage which occurs when an individual leaves one group to enter another.  The passage also involves a significant change of status in society which includes phases of separation, transition, and incorporation.  The time and emotionality it takes to move through this rite of passage is beyond filling out a college application.  This is one of the reasons it takes time to refine meaningful essays and to assemble authentic, evidence-based activity lists. 

What would you say to families of Middle School students who are still a few years away?

I encourage students to explore curiosity-led projects rather than resume-building for its own sake. Also have fun, and create meaningful experiences that build friend networks - this time of life is the developmental stage of belonging. 

I encourage parents to observe their emerging teens for their essential essence, and then plan activities and opportunities from that essence. This can be a time of vulnerability for students as they navigate who they are and how they want to belong.  Parents can focus on celebrating the essence and strengths of their emerging teens.  When students are confident and know their strengths, they can make choices for their lives that are consistent with who they are.   Rather than focusing on grades, focus on developing consistency, discipline, and frustration tolerance.  If phones are within the family’s values, then I recommend flip phones, rather than smart phones.

Service Learning and the College Process

How does the service learning program connect to college planning?

Throughout high school, each student is offered many opportunities on and off campus to engage in enrichment.   The service learning program is one of those opportunities where they can participate in community service projects, cultural exchange, and reflective learning.  They also have the opportunity to attend a service learning trip in Grades 10,11, and 12, and many students take part for multiple years. This year, we will be going to Morocco to explore the themes of Food Sustainability across the various cultures - Arab, Muslim, Jewish, Indigenous Amazigh.  It’s a deep dive in anthropology, history, politics, and an intimate exploration of global cultures.   Students work on an individual project based on their unique experiences and deliver the project in the form of a written essay, dance, song, or other expressive means.

What do students tend to take away that surprises them?

Experiences like the service learning program provide concrete examples of leadership, empathy, and initiative—experiences that are often highlighted in college essays and interviews—and they shape students’ voices and priorities.

Students are surprised by how much they learn about themselves, gain humility, and discover new interests or career sparks that inform future choices.

College Counseling and the International Track

How does counseling look different for students on the IB pathway compared to the French Track?

We are very excited to be able to add the IB to our curriculum, and look forward to working with the students who have chosen this path.  Because we work with each student individually, the path is already unique regardless of the diploma they are working towards.  So in one way, nothing changes in how we approach college counseling with IB students.

In another way, what does change is how I communicate with universities about which program the student is in, and how the student strengths are expressed in the program that they are in. Counseling for IB emphasizes holistic credit recognition, internal assessments, and international curricular rigor. I guide IB students toward institutions and programs that value breadth-plus-depth and advise on subject selections that align with intended majors.

The IB Diploma is well recognized internationally — but is it equally understood by US admissions offices?

Like the FB, the IB diploma is a diploma highly esteemed by universities worldwide for its breadth, depth, and rigor.  We provide context in school profiles, counselor recommendations, and direct outreach when needed. I frame the IB track as intentional global preparation—highlighting interdisciplinary thinking, research, language skills, and community engagement.

Along with my colleagues, I attend conferences, give workshops, write papers, deliver keynote addresses, and serve in leadership positions that highlight both the FB and IB. For the last 15 years, I have served on several NACAC committees to add my voice to the profession and to continue to foster collaborations with colleagues at other Lycées, and colleagues in university admissions offices.  During the years of 2020-2023, I was elected as President of the International Association of College Admissions Professionals, building relationships with over 3,500 professionals worldwide to support student success.

What about younger International Track students — are you already laying the groundwork?

As families make choices for high school, choosing which diploma program is one of the conversations that come up. We meet with families on an on-going basis. Starting in Grade 9, and every year thereafter, we meet with families (and students) individually to discuss the family goals and student goals.  

We also encourage inquiry-based projects, sustained extracurriculars, and reflective portfolios that will feed naturally into both IB coursework and future college narratives.

How does the global scope of where IB graduates apply shape your approach?

Our students and families view university opportunities through a genuinely global lens. Students typically apply to institutions across three or four geographies. We tailor guidance accordingly — earlier applications for the UK, breadth and narrative for US liberal arts programs, and so on — helping each student build a strategy that fits each system they're applying to.

The Admissions Landscape in 2026

The world of college admissions is ever-evolving. What are you seeing this year that feels new or different?

With increased attention on burnout and mental health, application materials that show sustained engagement balanced with self-care and resilience read differently than long lists of activities. We’re coaching students to prioritize depth, honest reflection about challenges, and demonstration of learning rather than trying to “do it all.” Colleges are also more receptive to contextual explanations of gaps or reduced schedules, so advocating for students’ health is now an important part of our advising.

At the same time, there’s a rapid shift toward fluency with AI and digital tools as part of a student’s skill set. Admissions reviewers are noticing applicants who can responsibly use AI for research, data projects, creative work, or coding—especially when students show original thinking and clear ethical use. We’re helping students learn to integrate AI into project workflows, document their process, and present outcomes that demonstrate critical thinking and technical competence rather than relying on AI to produce final content.

Are Lycée students particularly well-positioned in the current landscape?

Multilingualism, international perspective, and long-term sustained projects position our students well for globally minded programs and institutions seeking cohorts who will add perspective to their student bodies.

If you could change one thing about how families approach the college process, what would it be?

Encourage families to prioritize curiosity and long-term fit over brand prestige. Choosing a place that matches a student’s intellectual and social needs matters far more than selectivity.

Looking Ahead

When you think about where the Class of 2026 is headed, what makes you proud?

What makes me proud is being able to mentor, guide and counsel students to choose paths rooted in purpose—whether in STEM, the arts, public service, or business—and doing so with humility, ambition, and a clear sense of how they want to contribute.

What do you hope they carry with them from their time at the Lycée, beyond the school's name on their diploma?

I hope they carry critical thinking, ethical leadership, love of learning, multilingualism, and the confidence to navigate unfamiliar contexts. Those qualities will matter far more than the school name on a diploma.

 

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Natalie BITTON has been the College Counselor at the Lycée Français de San Francisco for 19 years. She is a former President of the International Association of College Admissions Professionals and an active voice in the global college counseling community.