Questions parents should ask before admission at Ecole Globale, Dehradun

What is the actual hostel language environment?

This is a very important question for parents coming from non-Hindi speaking or different cultural backgrounds.

In our experience, outside classrooms most student interactions happened mainly in Hindi, while academics were usually a mix of Hindi and English.

Parents should clearly understand what the real day-to-day communication environment looks like inside hostel life.

How much time does the assigned buddy actually spend with the new student?

During admission discussions, the buddy system is often explained as a major support structure for new students.

However, parents should ask practically how the school ensures this support actually happens during daily life.

In our case, the interaction time was very limited and our child was often going alone to academics, sports activities, dining areas, and other places during the initial days.

This is not against the assigned buddy personally — she was a sweet child and kids naturally have their own schedules and friend circles.

The important point is whether the school actively monitors and supports the buddy system during the emotionally difficult adjustment phase.

What happens if the roommate situation becomes emotionally difficult?

Parents should ask how quickly roommate-related emotional concerns are handled and whether room changes or intervention support are available.

During the first few days, even small emotional situations can deeply affect children who are already struggling with hostel adjustment.

How are new Cambridge students integrated socially?

Before admission, we were informed multiple times that there was no difference between CBSE and Cambridge students.

However, during our very first day itself, we personally experienced situations where students would come, ask whether our child was from CI, and after hearing that she was from Cambridge, would simply react with “Oh…” and walk away.

Since the majority of students were from the CBSE board, this immediately created a feeling that CI students were socially viewed differently inside the environment.

Later, our child also personally felt socially isolated after joining and found it difficult to integrate naturally into the larger student environment.

Parents should ask specifically how new CI students are emotionally and socially supported during the first few weeks of hostel adjustment.

Can we speak to current and former Cambridge students before admission?

This is one of the most valuable things parents can do.

Admission teams will naturally highlight the strengths of the school. Current students can provide practical insights about hostel life, academics, friendships and day-to-day experiences.

If possible, also try speaking with former students, former teachers and former parents. These conversations often provide perspectives that never appear in brochures or admission presentations.

What kind of foreign university scholarships are students actually securing?

Nowadays many schools display logos of foreign universities in brochures and marketing pages.

However, simply showing university logos does not tell the full story because students from many normal schools also get admissions abroad.

One of the more important practical questions is: how much scholarship money students are actually receiving from universities every year.

Good schools nowadays proactively share scholarship statistics, average awards, and major student achievements openly.

Parents should compare these scholarship outcomes across schools instead of focusing only on marketing brochures.

Are Cambridge examination fees already paid to the board?

Parents should clearly ask whether Cambridge board fees are already deposited to the examination board or still held internally by the school.

This becomes extremely important during withdrawal or refund-related situations.

It is better to request written clarification over email regarding:

• • When exam fees are actually paid
• • Which portions are refundable
• • Which portions are already committed externally

How often does the counsellor meet new students?

Parents should ask how many one-to-one counselling sessions are arranged during the initial days, how long those sessions usually are, and how emotional distress is monitored.

In our child’s case, there was only a single counselling interaction where the main reassurance given was simply that “everything will be okay.”

Later, we were informed that the counsellor was on leave during that period, which honestly became very difficult for us to understand considering the seriousness of the situation.

Seriously? The counsellor was unavailable during the most emotionally difficult phase for a new hostel child?

How are parents informed during emotional difficulties?

Parents should ask very clearly what situations are considered serious enough for immediate escalation to families.

In our case, this was not simple homesickness. Our child was unable to sleep properly for multiple days and was going through severe emotional distress and depression-like symptoms.

Looking back, we personally feel the seriousness of the emotional condition should have been escalated to us much earlier and more clearly.

What happens if the child refuses to continue?

Parents should understand what emotional intervention process exists if a child repeatedly expresses the desire to leave the school.

It is important to know whether the school treats such situations as routine adjustment issues or as serious emotional wellbeing concerns requiring stronger support.

Who takes responsibility during severe adjustment issues?

Parents should ask who exactly becomes responsible when emotional adjustment becomes severe: hostel staff, counsellor, academic coordinators, wardens, or admission teams.

Parents should also understand how different teams coordinate during emotionally sensitive situations involving children.

Which fees are actually refundable and under what situations?

Parents should ask for complete written clarification about refundable and non-refundable fee components before admission.

This should include boarding fees, food charges, refundable security deposits, admission fees, and examination-related fees.

What happens if the child leaves within the first few days or weeks?

Many parents may assume that partial refunds or reasonable adjustments will happen if the child leaves very early.

Parents should not assume this. Ask very specific written questions before admission.

Can all important policies be shared over email before admission?

This is probably one of the most important questions parents should ask.

If discussions only happen over calls and WhatsApp, later misunderstandings become very difficult to handle.