My son who is in Grade 11 is doing his CBSE (commerce stream). He is keen to do a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) and law. I want him to enrol in an IB curriculum school because I think it will give him an advantage when applying to international universities. Could you recommend subjects that will help him in law studies later?
Anu, by email 

As your son is already in 11th grade I'd recommend that you let him finish his schooling in the CBSE system if he is doing well. The CBSE curriculum is accepted in the UK and the US.

To apply for an MBA, your son will first need to finish his bachelors degree after which, depending on which school he wants to apply to, he will need a few years of work experience under his belt.

MBA schools do not look at the examination system your son did in school; the focus is on his undergraduate degree and related work experience. Your son can do a BBA or even a Bachelors degree in engineering, for instance and then pursue an MBA. If your son plans to do law in the UK, there are no particular subject requirements. Commerce with economics would help or if he does move to an IB curriculum school, his subject choices could be history, political science and economics.

In the US, law is a postgraduate degree and can be done after his undergraduate degree in any major. He will have to do an entrance exam like LSAT (Law School Admission Test) to get admission to top law colleges.

In the UK, your son would need to show three A level subjects if he is planning on studying law. For the top-ranked universities he would need 85 per cent overall in his final CBSE results.

Joint degrees or dual degrees (like earning one in law and another in marketing) are offered in the US and the UK but they are highly competitive and challenging. 

My daughter is doing her 12th grade commerce with mathematics. She is not interested in accounts and would like to do architecture. Please advise.
Saji, Abu Dhabi 

I ask all parents to make their children take a psychometric test, so the child will not have to study subjects he/she is not interested in or inclined towards. Career choices should be based on the child's natural aptitude. Psychometric tests can help determine the attitudes, personality traits and the individual's abilities through assessments.

To study architecture in the West she'll need English, humanities subjects, mathematics including geometry, trigonometry, algebra and pre-calculus, and physics. Art courses would help to broaden her abilities to visualise the end project. Courses in business and commerce are also helpful for a career in architecture. The American University of Sharjah has an excellent reputation and is the first university outside North America to offer B.Arch. Your daughter has to write an entrance exam before applying to top colleges offering architecture degrees in India. The Bachelor of Architecture degree (B.Arch) is a five-year programme in India.

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Verma began his career with Ernst & Young before moving on to set up the Gulf operations of IDP Education Pty. He now leads Intelligent Partners in Dubai developing a wide range of solutions in areas of international education. You can ask a question by emailing friday@gulfnews.com