What is SISA?

Sakae Institute-USA

Sakae Institute-USA, founded in Boston, Massachusetts, nearly 20 years ago, acts as the domestic liaison for schools, students and the SISA Tokyo and Osaka offices. Our Boston staff provides follow-up services for Sakae students in the U.S., and supports the Tokyo and Osaka offices through contact with American colleges and universities. The Boston office is also responsible for direct coordination and supervision of the summer and winter ESL (English as a Second Language) programs.

Sakae Institute-USA began recruiting Chinese students to study in the U.S. in 2004. Using the same ‘Sakae method’ we employ with our Japanese students, but tailored to the unique needs of Chinese students, SISA has already established a first-class reputation in China. In 2006, we worked with more than 100 Chinese applicants, all of whom gained admission with scholarship to accredited U.S. colleges. Sakae Institute-USA is also working with universities in China to create 2+2 programs with universities in the U.S.

The Industry Leader

With more than three decades of experience, SISA is the gold standard in the international study arena. An impressive 93% of students placed through SISA receive their degrees in the United States. We maintain our standing by expertly evaluating applicants’ goals and abilities, and matching the student to the school. It is only after extensive personal counseling and careful consideration that students apply to the schools and programs that meet their individual needs.

As a recognized authority in the field of study abroad, Yoko Sakae is in high demand as a speaker, traveling throughout Japan to give presentations to schools and organizations. She has appeared on major network talk shows and has been featured in numerous magazine and newspaper articles. Yoko Sakae and the Sakae Institute of Study Abroad have published more than 50 books and magazines on TOEFL preparation and studying abroad.

Students, Parents and Schools Trust SISA

Every year, over 1,000 Japanese and Chinese students interested in earning their degrees in America, along with their parents, attend SISA’s free seminars introducing the U.S. educational system. Separate workshops are tailored to prospective high school students, college students, and graduate students, respectively. Yoko Sakae and her counseling staff, all of whom hold degrees from American universities, personally interview all potential students to appraise their academic and personal fitness for the intense experience of studying abroad. Approximately 300 candidates a year pass this initial screening and apply to the U.S. schools that best fit their aptitudes and chosen fields of study.

Because of the level of satisfaction SISA produces on both sides of the international education “equation,” we often have “repeat customers.” U.S. schools consider us a valuable recruiting and consulting agency, and many now provide special scholarships for SISA students. At least twice yearly, we organize recruiting events and tours in Japan and China, at which admissions representatives from the U.S. meet with prospective students and their families. Many parents have sent two, three, or more children to be educated in U.S. schools through SISA.