About us

   WHO WE ARE

The High School Connection is a student-first education consultancy registered and based in Tanzania, dedicated to helping talented students from financially challenged backgrounds access scholarships and admissions at elite international schools and universities worldwide.

Furthermore, we fully guide fee paying students navigate admissions process for private international high schools and universities worldwide. 

We are not a typical education consultancy. We are scholars ourselves. Every member of our team has personally gone through the exact process we guide you through, the long nights researching schools, the grueling and often intimidating entrance exams, the nerve-wracking interviews, the rejection letters, and ultimately, the acceptance letters that changed everything.

We know what works. We know what doesn't. And we know exactly what it feels like to be in your shoes. 

We understand that every applicant has a unique background and is treated as so. Our services are a la carte, meaning we understand that no size fits all, and the guidance, services and experience will be personalized to fit the needs of the applicant and their family. 

 OUR MISSION

To provide personalised and affordable guidance to ambitious students from challenging backgrounds, helping them access scholarships and admissions at international institutions worldwide.

We walk alongside talented students and their families, from the first application to the final acceptance, ensuring no deserving student is left behind simply because they couldn't afford the right guidance.

    OUR VISION

Equal access to world-class education for every ambitious student, regardless of financial background 

HOW WE STARTED

The High School Connection was born from personal experience, and a mother's belief in her child's vision.

Our co-founder completed her O-Levels with exceptional results, achieving 8 A's and 1 B with a GPA of 1.7. Ambitious and determined, she set her sights on an IB Diploma Programme school, drawn by the programme's unique offerings such as Theory of Knowledge, CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service), and the breadth of subjects unavailable in the standard  Tanzanian A-Level curriculum.

Why IB DP? The IB Diploma Programme is one of the most rigorous and internationally respected pre-university qualifications in the world. Theory of Knowledge (TOK) teaches students to think critically and question the nature of knowledge itself. CAS requires students to grow beyond academics, through creativity, physical activity, and meaningful community service. Together, they shape not just students, but global citizens. It was this holistic education that our founder pursued.

She applied to some of the most competitive international schools in Tanzania. She passed the academic screening for UWC, one of the most selective scholarship programmes globally. She advanced through the essay stage. She made it to the group interview stage. She didn't make it through.

She also reached the final ten at IST, with only three spots available. She didn't make the final cut there either.

By that point, most US and UK boarding school application deadlines had passed. What followed was an exhausting, painstaking process, countless hours spent researching schools across multiple countries, identifying which ones offered scholarships, which ones she was eligible for, what each required, and when their deadlines were. It was overwhelming. And it was lonely.

But she found her path. She secured a scholarship to study at an IB school in Norway.

It was during this time that she approached her mother, Ms. Sada, with an idea: what if no student ever had to go through this alone again? Ms. Sada didn't hesitate. She said yes.

Together, they reached out to the Mo Dewji Foundation in Tanzania, one of the country's most respected contributors to youth education, to seek guidance. The insights and pointers received in those early conversations helped shape the foundation of what The High School Connection would become.

After moving to Oslo, our founder continued refining the process ,applying to schools across the US, UK, Singapore, UAE and continental Europe, writing countless essays, sitting through mock and real interviews, learning precisely what admissions committees were looking for, and securing a full scholarship to one of Austria's most prestigious boarding schools, covering tuition, accommodation, meals and study trips.

The organisation grew by drawing in the most talented students and alumni who went through the same rigorous process. Business registration fully formalized and the word spread. And students started being applying and being placed.

OUR RESULTS

Since our founding, students guided by The High School Connection have gained admission and scholarships to some of the world's most prestigious institutions, including:

High Schools.

Stonehill International School India, GIIS Smart Campus Singapore, St Clare's Oxford, Cate School, Hotchkiss School, Aiglon College, Episcopal High School, Choate Rosemary Hall (full scholarship covering tuition and flights), UWC Mahindra College, and more.

Universities.

World Class universities:

UK: Cambridge, Warwick, Durham, University of Birmingham, Queen Mary University London, University College London. 

Canada: University of Toronto, University of Waterloo

Singapore: NUS Singapore, NTU Singapore, SIT Singapore, SMU Singapore, ESSEC.

Switzerland: ETH Zurich and University of St.Gallen

USA: Minerva University, University of Chicago, Duke University, Stanford university.

Regional Universities:

Monash Malaysia, Curtin Dubai and Australia, Brunel University London, University of London, Middlesex University Dubai and London, Herriot Watt University Malaysia and UK, Kaplan University Singapore, Taylors, Sunway, APU, Multimedia University, Canadian University Dubai UAE. 

OUR TEAM

What makes us different is not just our high success rates and our personalized services, it's who built it.

Our consultants are scholars who have personally navigated competitive international admissions. Several are UWC Alumni who have also served on UWC national selection committees, meaning they don't just know how to apply, they know exactly what selection panels are looking for on the other side of the table.

Our team has gone on to study at some of the world's leading universities, and they bring that lived experience directly to every student we work with. Our team are students and alumni of National University of Singapore, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Stanford University, NYU Stern, NYU Abu Dhabi, University of Toronto, London School of Economics, University College London, University of Glasgow, ETH Zurich and Mzumbe University. 

MEET THE TEAM

OUR PROCESS

For scholarship pathway applicant, it is important to understand that we are selective, because we respect your time, your hope, and your future.

When a student or parent reaches out, we begin with a thorough profile evaluation, assessing academic transcripts from the last three years, and achievements beyond the classroom including but not limited to sports, music, arts and community involvement, because scholarships exist for the whole person, not just grades.

If we determine that a student is unlikely to qualify for a scholarship at this stage, we inform them accordingly. We then work with the applicant and their family to explore alternatives, whether that means more affordable institutions, admission support, or a plan to strengthen their profile for future cycles.

For students we accept into our scholarship pathway program, we guarantee admission offers from at least 2 of their top 5 school choices. We don't make promises we can't keep. We only make promises we already have the strong and proven track record to back up.

   WHY FAMILIES CHOOSE US

• Built and run by scholars who have been through the process themselves.

• Fully registered and tax compliant in Tanzania under The High School Connection Global Educational Consultancy, BRELA registration number 634434.

• Transparent, affordable pricing, no upfront fees until a scholarship is secured for scholarship applicants. With a 25 USD deposit required and deductable from the full consultancy fees. 

• End-to-end personalized guidance and support from school shortlisting to visa application.

• Free and honest evaluations, we say no when we have to, because false hope helps no one.

• Free 30 minutes initial consultation with either the founder or one of admissions consultants. This helps parents and the applicants to ask questions about what we do, why we do it, our success and it is a great measure for applicants to decide whether our program is a good fit for them.

• A growing community of placed students and alumni across the world.