<p>I would also add that one of the many functions of the Educational Counselor (interviewer) is to ensure that there is someone local who can help to provide additional context in which an international applicants accomplishments can be interpreted. For example a Marshall Islands candidate might indicate that they are a prefect. Then an EC assigned to the Marshall Islands (and to the best of my knowledge there is only one EC covering the Marshalls) could explain what that means. In some school systems there is only one prefect elected by the students, in others, as many as a third of the class are appointed by the administration, and in many others, there are no prefects at all.</p>