CBA STORIES
STUDENTS + PARENTSMeet the people behind the experience. Student and parent interviews, college journeys and a closer look at the support along the way.
Explore the storiesPEOPLE, PATHS & SUPPORT
Interview highlights and college journeys, paired with a guide to CBA’s support.
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Current CBA student
After studying in California while living with a host family, Aiden moved to CBA. Comparing the two experiences, he is very satisfied with CBA’s student support system and Chicago location.
College destinationCarnegie Mellon University
Marco describes how ELL and approachable tutors helped with English speaking, writing and schoolwork. In the interview, he shared plans to attend Brandeis University; he later went on to Carnegie Mellon University.
Tony’s mom highlights communication with CBA as a meaningful difference. She describes receiving academic reports and updates about residence life, school and relationships, helping her understand more than grades alone.
College destinationCalifornia Institute of the Arts
Olivia recalls SAT and ACT preparation, math help and ELL alongside activities such as tennis and horseback riding. She also values learning to live independently while making friends in the program.
A classroom challenge can affect the evening routine, and daily habits can affect learning. CBA connects residence care, academic check-ins and school communication so support reflects the student’s wider day.
College destinationUC Berkeley
Luhan values after-school help for homework and material he did not fully understand in class. He also describes friendships across cultures and the balance between shared activities and personal space.
College destinationSt. Norbert CollegeMusic · Conducting
Tom remembers feeling nervous about a new language, food and culture. He describes turning to staff and tutors when communication was difficult, and gradually feeling more comfortable speaking with others.
ELL runs Monday through Thursday, from 7 to 9 p.m. A consistent evening schedule creates time to work on English alongside the demands of school.
College destinationPenn State University
Ethan mentions helpful ACT classes and enjoyable activities, but also the everyday skills of keeping a room and doing laundry. Friendships in the program are another part of what made the experience meaningful to him.
The CBA parent app brings daily records and staff conversations together. Updates written in English by U.S. staff or host parents are automatically translated into the language of the country where parents live.
College destinationPenn State University
Steven highlights SAT and ACT classes alongside tennis, horseback riding and field trips. He also talks warmly about the friends he made and the people around him.
Clubs, volunteering, sports and projects can help students test what they care about. CBA helps connect activity choices with interests and longer-term goals, keeping the student’s own contribution at the center.
College destinationUCLA
Victor describes CBA staff helping with school transportation and communication with school or college counselors. His interview emphasizes practical assistance around the school day as well as activities beyond class.
CBA helps students identify key activities and connect motivation, action and growth to application prompts. Students write their own essays; CBA supports reflection, organization and revision.
College destinationUC Irvine
Howard remembers opportunities to exercise and spend weekends with others. His interview highlights how sports and recreation helped make residence life enjoyable.
Course choices work best when goals, prerequisites and workload are considered together. CBA connects school communication with academic planning so a challenging schedule remains realistic for the student.
College destinationBoston University
Sophia talks about everyday comforts: familiar food, friends to spend time with and rides for errands or church. These small details helped shape her experience of living away from home.
Choosing a school also means considering where a student will live, study and get help. CBA brings partner-school choices together with Chicago supervised boarding and eligible managed-homestay options.
Current CBA student
In this short interview, Jerry describes teachers as friendly and willing to help when questions arise. It is a simple picture of what approachable support can mean in daily life.
Understanding a concern is the beginning. CBA reviews the situation, coordinates appropriate support and follows up, connecting what students, parents and schools share with practical next steps.
Purdue University
CBA connected William’s aircraft photography with a local gallery exhibition and supported flight-school arrangements. His U.S. private pilot certificate in 2021 became part of a broader journey toward aerospace engineering at Purdue in 2023.
University of Oxford
Beginning in grade 8, James received academic support from CBA alongside opportunities in tennis, horseback riding and a local hospital internship. His existing college story traces that period of exploration to Oxford admission.
Parsons · SAIC
When Katherine changed direction in grade 11, CBA connected portfolio preparation with SAIC painting classes, weekend art study and exhibitions. Her case shows how a new interest developed into work for art-school applications.
University of Chicago
Jackson’s University of Chicago case pairs his admission story with a CBA support plan: subject check-ins, analytical writing, school communication and economics exploration. The plan brings study priorities and application preparation into one sequence.
MIT
Meggie’s MIT case presents a CBA support plan linking robotics, computer science coursework and independent projects. Tutoring, mentoring and records of individual contributions give the plan a clear progression.
Interview cards summarize what speakers said; they are not verbatim quotes. College cards are editorial summaries of CBA’s existing case studies.
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