Preparing for university

The university application process is a significant milestone for our high school students. We provide structured support to guide them through course selection, applications, and predicted grades, ensuring they feel confident and prepared at every stage. Our Careers and University Counselling Team provides comprehensive guidance to students on their educational pathways, higher education options and applications to universities worldwide. Each student, along with their family, receives personalised support tailored to their aspirations, academic performance, and individual goals.

Support throughout the application process

We believe the best way to prepare students for the transition to university is to begin early. Our Careers Team starts to engage with students from the later MYP years onwards, talking to them about how to enhance their profile through extracurricular activities, discovering their areas of interest, and considering which are the best subjects to pursue their future goals.

Throughout the Diploma Programme (DP), students engage in weekly sessions with the Careers and University Counsellor. This might take the form of workshops or guidance on key aspects of the university application process, including applications to different countries, creating a CV, writing a personal statement or letter of motivation or essay, preparing for admission tests, and building a strong university application profile.

In addition to group sessions, our team offers personalised support through regular meetings with both students and families to discuss educational options, refine goals, and explore potential pathways.

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Career-focused events

Every year, we host career events large and small, such as the University Fair and Career Summit, which provide valuable opportunities for our students.

Our 2025 Career Summit featured workshops on various topics such as applying to universities in different countries, strategies for building a strong profile and how to choose a career, alongside showcasing universities from around the globe.

Results and university destinations

IBDP results

Congratulations to our graduating DP students who have achieved an impressive set of results. Year on year, we continue to see our students improving over the course of the Diploma Programme.

36

Average score of top 40% students in 2025

45/45

The highest score achieved by ISS

32

Average Score achieved by DP students in 2025

University destinations

With a broad range of fields such as Business, Economics, Medicine, Arts, Engineering, Liberal Arts and Sciences, Social Sciences, Psychology, Biomedical Sciences and Neuroscience, our recent graduates have been accepted into over 40 top-tier universities after completing their studies at ISS Lisbon.

About Dukes Plus

Part of Dukes Education, Dukes Plus is a family of specialised consultancy services and educational experience providers, including the highest standards of university preparation, once-in-a-lifetime industry experiences, tuition, summer schools and day camps.

Each individual organisation in Dukes Plus is a leading provider of expertise and support for students at every stage of their journey from school to career. The Dukes Plus organisations work closely with students in the UK, Europe, and around the world, either supporting students directly or supporting schools to provide services.

Future Ready Programme

The Dukes Plus Future Ready Programme is a comprehensive package of support designed to empower students to face their futures with confidence. Delivered by the university and careers experts at Dukes Plus, it is available exclusively to Dukes schools.

Applications to top universities are increasingly competitive and the careers landscape is changing faster than ever before. To prepare our students for this dynamic and challenging future, every Dukes school benefits from the expertise of Dukes Plus. From exclusive careers talks for students to rigorous training for our university advisors, the Future Ready Programme takes our university and careers education to the next level.

Your Future-Ready Journey

Dukes Career School

The Dukes Career School is a series of intensive one-day workshops for students aged 15-18 at Dukes schools, designed to enhance their skill development and enable them to explore a range of competitive industries.

Delivered in-school by Dukes Plus career experts, each workshop is a fully immersive, gamified experience. There are three workshops in the series which build on one another to provide a thorough careers education:

Year 10 (Grade 9): Industry Insights Workshop – a taster of five sought-after industries, including hands-on activities and advice on what to explore next.
Year 11 (Grade 10): Recruitment Ready Workshop – a crash-course in how to excel at every stage of the recruitment process, from drafting CVs to impressing at interview.
Year 12 (Grade 11): Assessment Centre Workshop – a simulated assessment centre, featuring psychometric testing, exercises, and group tasks, plus personalised feedback

Dukes Plus University & Careers Accreditation

All university and careers advisors across Dukes schools are formally certified each year through a rigorous, high-level training programme delivered by Dukes Plus. This annual Accreditation ensures that every advisor is expertly equipped with the latest insights, strategies, and guidance to navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of university admissions and career development.

The Accreditation is led by Dukes Plus Head of International Schools & Partnerships, Hayley Bendle. Hayley is a former Director of Careers & Higher Education at Cardiff Sixth Form College, the UK’s leading independent school for academic results and university destinations. She has advised over 1000 UK and international students who have successfully gained places to study at the world’s most selective universities. Hayley also serves on the Communications Committee for International ACAC, a global organisation of higher education counsellors and consultants.

Dukes Plus Careers Centre of Excellence

In keeping with our commitment to excellence in university applications and careers education, our Careers Centre of Excellence serves as a dedicated hub within the school for students to receive high-quality, personal advice on their next steps after graduating.

Staffed by our highly trained university and careers advisors, the Centre offers a year-round programme of tailored support. Beyond scheduled events, the door to the Careers Centre of Excellence is always open to students who wish to access advice, explore opportunities, and plan confidently for the future.

Dukes Plus Online Careers Institute

The Dukes Plus Online Careers Institute is an online lecture series featuring leaders from world-class universities and companies – created exclusively for families at Dukes schools.

Every fortnight during term time, Dukes Plus will bring powerful perspectives and insider advice to your screen, helping families make smarter decisions about university, careers, and life after school.

Sessions are high-energy and exclusively available on demand to all students and parents at Dukes schools from Year 9 (Grade 8) upwards.

Speakers will include:

Decision-makers at elite universities, discussing their institution, application process, and how to stand out
Directors at world-class companies, covering how they hire, what they wish they’d known at 17, and what students should be doing now to stay ahead
Leadership and life-skills experts, revealing how to build transformative self-confidence, develop unbeatable resilience, and lead an incredible team