Preparing students for new challenges

Students can start as early as 10VP/VG (canton of Vaud), which corresponds to the fifth year before the end of Maturité/ECG.
A student who starts the program in 10VP/VG (canton of Vaud) must complete it in 4 years.

A student who starts the program in 2M/2ECG (canton of Vaud), must complete the program in 2 years, as the workload will be much greater than for a student doing the program in 3 or 4 years (this formula is reserved for students who are already bilingual or have a very advanced level of English and a strong capacity for work).

The student must be comfortable studying in Switzerland to be able to work properly on the 2 curricula. The major assets of a student who wants to do the Dual Diploma are rigor, autonomy and organization.

* Example canton of Vaud

To be admitted to the Dual Diploma program in Switzerland, students:
– must be regular students at a Swiss school in which they receive secondary education.
– must have a sufficient level of English (between A2 and B1) to start the program. A placement test will be carried out.

Students in the program must complete 6 of the 24 credits of the American high school:

• 4 credits for compulsory subjects: 2 credits from two levels of English, 1 credit in US History and one credit in US Government/Economics
• 2 credits for elective subjects: at the student’s choice according to his or her tastes and interests.

The remaining 18 credits are validated with the report card of the Swiss secondary school.

Students need a computer with a webcam, a headset with microphone and a good Internet connection. Activities are delivered via an innovative and interactive e-learning platform, Colegia, on which students can work flexibly and autonomously, always guided by the designated teacher. Academica provides access to all the necessary platforms and resources (Zoom, Teams and Office Suite software), as well as all the pedagogical documents students need to consult their lessons, work and complete their assignments.

The program requires a weekly commitment of 3 to 5 hours, depending on the student’s initial level of English and the school year. This time includes both classes and personal work, and can be higher or lower depending on the number of credits the student will have to validate during the year. The student always organizes the work plan with the constant support of the American teachers.

Students must have completed the 24 credits required for graduation and have an overall average of at least 2.0 Grade Point Average (GPA) and a minimum average of 70% in all subjects. The GPA is calculated by adding up the final numerical grades obtained in all subjects taken to date, and dividing by the number of subjects taken to obtain the overall average.

We use the Academica® International Studies grading grid for equivalence with Swiss grades:

It is possible, but if a student has failed the test in the year of his/her entry into 1M/1ECG (canton of Vaud) and wishes to reapply for entry into 2M/2ECG (canton of Vaud), he/she must ensure that he/she has sufficient work capacity to follow the 2-year program, which will be much denser, with 3 credits to be validated each year.

The entrance test is a 75-minute MCQ comprising 60 grammar, vocabulary and comprehension questions. Students must be able to understand simple everyday expressions, introduce themselves and communicate with someone on familiar subjects in simple terms, and describe their immediate environment.

The best preparation for the test is to study English well, read in English and so on. The aim of the test is to place students at their correct level.

The level in 1st year depends on each student. After passing their admission test, they join the English I, II or III group. This enables them to follow courses adapted to their level and to enter the next level during the 2nd year.

English I corresponds to a level A2/B1.
English II corresponds to a level B1/B2.
English III corresponds to approximately level B2/C1.
English IV corresponds to approximately level C1/C2.

Whatever their level of English on entering the program, all students will make significant progress.

By the time of graduation, all will have reached at least the level and fluency of an American High School Diploma student.

All our students are invited to attend two College Counseling sessions during their Dual Diploma program, to help them think about their personal university project. The first, mandatory, takes place in the second year and the second, voluntary, takes place in the third year.

If you want to study at a university in the USA, it’s best to work on your plans as early as possible. Many universities close their applications as early as mid-December. Academica provides support, advice and guidance on applying to American universities in general.
Several documents are available on the Colegia course platform: information on
admissions, the TOEFL and ACT/SAT tests.