Sponsored by Yew Chung International School of Beijing (

For most students in their final years at school, the main goal is to obtain a university offer in the knowledge that the following year they will be embarking on the journey to achieving a degree. However, there are so many aspects that need to be addressed in order to get the best out of your university years and eventual careers and it doesn’t start when you arrive on campus for your orientation day. The path to an accomplished university experience begins long before a university application has been completed.

Ryan Jordan, University Guidance Counselor at Yew Chung International School of Beijing (YCIS Beijing) formally starts working with students at the school in Year 10 (age 14) and upwards, covering every from research, university applications, university preparation and future career opportunities, “We do everything possible to ensure students make the right choices for them from the research stage to applications, personal statements and supporting letters. We cover necessary skills such as note taking and working in groups that will aid them not only during secondary school but university life as well. We also discuss fears and expectations of that first year at university, goal setting and stress management. We look at topics such as imagery and self-perception in our Character Education classes to remind our students to be themselves because knowing themselves is the first step to choosing a major and an eventual career.”

With a 100 percent university acceptance rate, thousands of students across the years have benefitted from the tireless work that has been put into helping them achieve their goals, goals the some students have already started to achieve. Michelle Chung graduated from YCIS Beijing in 2010 and after 4 years studying at Princeton University, she has already achieved one of her major goals by obtaining a job at a New York based medical company. Michelle states, “YCIS Beijing’s IB programme and the help from the university guidance counselor prepared me well for the rigors the Princeton curriculum. It wasn’t a difficult transition because YCIS Beijing is undoubtedly an excellent international school and similar to Princeton in many ways. I was provided with an abundance of cultural exposure which helped me feel at ease at university and now New York.”

One key aim of all YCIS schools which is reinforced by the school’s owner and educator Dr. Betty Chan is to not only to educate the leaders of the future, but leaders who care deeply about their society. One former student who has truly embodied this belief is 2011 graduate Helen Leung. After an undergraduate course in International Politics and Sociology, Helen is now undertaking a postgraduate in Refugee and Forced Migration Studies at the University of Oxford. She has also taken on a diverse range of volunteer positions to try and make a difference to the world including representing China as a delegate for the G(irls)20 summit for the past 3 years in which she campaigns for women’s rights, working as a Global Changemaker with the British Council and a acting as a facilitator for the Endowment for Youth Global Development Fund. Helen states, “YCIS Beijing has a very high academic standard which trained me well for university, especially regarding research and writing. Myself and other students were also given many opportunities to participate in extra-curricular activities and community projects, which helped me to become more confident to get involved in various groups and activities.”

On June 3rd, a new group of YCIS Beijing students will graduate from the school, moving on to attend universities including Imperial College London, KAIST, University of British Columbia and University of California, San Diego to start the next step in their educational journey. They will all be looking to aspire to what some of the YCIS Beijing alumni have already achieved. One thing that can be assured is that they have been given all the knowledge and tools possible to achieve their own goals.

To learn more about YCIS Beijing, please visit www.ycis-bj.com

Photo: YCIS

The British School of Beijing, Shunyi is pleased to announce it is a fully-accredited IB World School, following the final inspection report from the International Baccalaureate Organisation.

BSB will begin teaching the IB Diploma as its graduate programme (Year 12 and 13) starting from August 2014.

The English National Curriculum continues to be the cornerstone of education at BSB from the Early Years programme, through to IGSCEs in Years 10 and 11.

The IGSCE, the English National Curriculum’s Certificate of Education, has a proven track record of providing a solid and successful foundation from which to embark on the IB Diploma course.

The British School of Beijing, Shunyi is part of the international Nord Anglia Education group and has followed the trend of the group’s 27 international schools around the world to offer the IB Diploma as its graduate qualification.

Intense preparation has been put into The British School of Beijing’s IB offer to students, led by an experienced team of IB teachers, making it one of the best in Beijing for those students wanting a bigger choice of subjects per class space, smaller class sizes and more individually-focused teaching.

The school will offer subjects across the areas of Languages, Humanities, Science, Maths and The Arts. Students select 6 subjects to study over the two-year programme and must also complete the Theory of Knowledge, Extended Essay and Creativity, Service, Action (CAS) requirements.
School Principal Mr Andy Puttock said BSB’s new IB Diploma programme was about giving students enough scope to pursue their careers and dreams.

“The IB is the natural next step for us as a school that believes in creating great learning through true academic rigour. We are preparing our students for a world beyond school and we want to give them choices so they can discover for themselves where their true strengths lie,” Mr Puttock said.

This sponsored blog post has been brought to you by
The British School of Beijing, Shunyi.

Photos courtesy of BSB Shunyi