"Celebrating our Learners" aims to applaude our learners - who they are, the hard work they've put in, their achievements and their dreams. Please scroll down to read on!

Well done to these learners in Science! They have shown oustanding effort and resilience in their studies.

A huge congratulations to Sebastian Lage-Pally and Trishan Biswas who competed in the International STEM Olympiad 2022 and achieved 6th and 4th places respectively!

As this process can be overwhelming and stressful, as I sometimes found it, here are some tips I have for students and parents at the beginning of university applications that I wish I knew before and what I believe can help the process.

1. Begin Doing Research Early: Knowing what you want to study is really important, especially if you have yet to choose your IB higher and standard level subjects. Even if you are not sure where you want to go, I recommend doing a general search for universities and courses to see what interests you and what subjects/requirements may be necessary. For example, as someone who applied to art schools, taking Visual Art HL was essential and helpful for applications.

2. Get Familiar: During university sessions in school with Ms Aine, we went through websites such as Cialfo where we had to fill in details about ourselves and our interests. Through Cialfo, we were able to shortlist universities and take into account where we wanted to go in the future. I also highly suggest looking into where different universities want applications uploaded and what supplementary materials, such as portfolios and essays, are required. Making a timeline was also helpful to ensure I was asking for subject specific recommendations, for example Visual Art and English, at an appropriate time and submitting materials before deadlines.

3. Prepare Supplementary Material: For the courses I applied to, I had to curate an art portfolio, make a short film, do university challenges, and write countless title-specific essays. Although this was a lot to do, it was all necessary for the schools I wanted to apply to. I highly suggest making a checklist of what you need and starting right away, specifically for anyone interested in art, as many courses require you to create new work specific to their prompts, which takes time. As for general writing, many American universities have the “Why___?” essay and this is the perfect essay to take about yourself and why you would be the perfect fit for their school, so be authentic and do your research!

4. Stay Updated: Whether it is through emails or social media, I highly recommend staying up to date with universities you are interested in or have already applied to. Through university newsletters, I have been reminded of deadlines, financial aid updates, and online meetings. These are very helpful in knowing what is around the corner and what you can get involved in as a prospective student, including online tours and Q&A webinars. Taking the initiative to sign yourself up for online meets to learn about student and academic life is something I highly recommend as many schools offer this.