Initial Consultation & Needs Assessment
A prospective client (student or parent) meets with the educational consultant for the first time to discuss their academic background, career aspirations, and what they hope to gain from the consulting service. The consultant asks detailed questions to understand their specific needs and goals.
Dialogue
Listen and follow along with the conversation
Vocabulary
Essential words and phrases from the dialogue
overwhelmed
Feeling unable to handle something because there is too much or it is too difficult. In the dialogue, the parent feels overwhelmed by university options, which is common when facing big decisions.
academic strengths
Subjects or skills in school where a person does well, like math or science. This helps in planning education by focusing on what you're good at.
career paths
Possible jobs or professions someone might follow in the future. It's useful to discuss these early to guide education choices.
extracurriculars
Activities outside of regular classes, such as sports, clubs, or hobbies. These show universities a student's interests beyond academics.
GPA
Grade Point Average, a number that shows overall school performance, like 3.8 out of 4.0. It's important for university applications.
well-rounded
Having a balanced set of skills, interests, and experiences, not just focused on one area. This makes a student more attractive to universities.
navigate
To guide or find a way through a complicated process, like handling university applications step by step.
aspirations
Strong hopes or goals for the future, such as career dreams. Sharing these helps consultants match advice to personal goals.
Key Sentences
Important phrases to remember and practice
Could you tell me a bit about what brings you in today and what you're hoping to achieve from our session?
This is a polite opening question to start a consultation. It uses 'could you' for a soft request and 'a bit about' to make it casual. Useful for professional meetings to understand someone's purpose; practice it to sound welcoming.
We're a bit overwhelmed with all the options and don't really know where to begin.
Expresses feeling stressed by too many choices, using 'a bit' to soften the intensity and 'don't really know' for uncertainty. Great for describing confusion in planning; the structure shows common ways to admit needing help.
What are some of your academic strengths and areas you're most interested in exploring further?
Asks about strong subjects and interests, with 'some of' for examples and 'exploring further' implying future development. Useful in interviews or consultations; note the plural 'areas' for multiple topics.
I've thought about engineering, maybe something in clean energy.
Shares career ideas tentatively with 'I've thought about' for past consideration and 'maybe' for uncertainty. This pattern is practical for discussing vague plans; it helps build confidence in expressing ambitions.
To get a better picture, could you tell me a bit about your current GPA?
Requests more details politely, using 'to get a better picture' as an idiom for clearer understanding. Ideal for assessments; the infinitive 'to get' explains purpose, a common grammar structure.
That's a solid academic record. And robotics and piano show a well-rounded profile.
Gives positive feedback with 'solid' meaning strong and reliable, and connects activities to a 'well-rounded profile' for balance. Use this to praise someone; it combines simple sentences for emphasis.
Does that align with what you're looking for?
Checks agreement using 'align with' meaning to match or fit. Perfect for confirming expectations in services; it's a yes/no question that encourages response, common in business English.
We can certainly put together a strategy for those.
Offers help confidently with 'certainly' for assurance and 'put together' meaning to create. Useful for promising plans; the modal 'can' shows ability, a key grammar point for offers.