This year, COVID-19 has turned the world upside down, and for high school seniors, these students experienced a senior year unlike any we’ve ever seen before. But life goes on, and despite the chaos COVID-19 has caused, students at international schools all over Beijing are graduating in good spirits and high hopes for the future. Congratulations to the Class of 2020!

Meet Jessica F from Singapore, a recent graduate from the British School of Beijing (BSB) Shunyi.

“BSB helped shape me become who I am today.”

I got accepted by a few universities and am currently deciding between going to New York University or Yale-NUS College. I’ll major in Economics.

Some of my favorite memories from my time in high school must be serving as BSB’s Head Girl this past year, attending the Prom, and Vienna Ball.

“The progressive nature of the IB course that BSB offers constantly requires me to walk out of my comfort zone.”

BSB helped shape me to become who I am today. I transferred to BSB 5 years ago from a local Chinese school which had a different teaching style and environment. Not only in terms of the curriculum, but the whole atmosphere here at BSB is much more open and free, which contributes to my well-rounded personal development.

Also, the progressive nature of the IB course that BSB offers continually requires me to walk out of my comfort zone, which has made me a better person.

I think I have found the style of learning that suits me the most here at BSB – self-orientated but with close interaction with our teachers; being able to choose subjects within a broad range but based on our interests. These have contributed to my academic success.

Jessica with friends on a hike

My favorite teacher was Mr. Brigstock, both his lessons and who he is as a teacher and a person that has inspired me to pursue a future in economics. His lessons were always well-prepared, fun, and informative. Every class had something I could take away. Apart from preparing us for exams, he taught us how to think like economists.

My parting shot to the great BSB community would have to be; we have a relatively small community at BSB. This means we interact much more closely with our peers and teachers, which gives me lots of warmth. Thank you, BSB!

KEEP READING: “You Know What Is Best for You, Trust Yourself, You Will Go Far.”

Photos: BSB Shunyi 

This year, COVID-19 has turned the world upside down, and for high school seniors, these students experienced a senior year unlike any we’ve ever seen before. But life goes on and despite the chaos, COVID-19 has caused, students at international schools all over Beijing are graduating in good spirits and high hopes for the future. Congratulations to the Class of 2020!

Meet Anya H,  a British-Chinese high school senior graduating from Beijing International Bilingual Academy (BIBA).

Anya H

I don’t really have a single favorite memory from high school,  I have many fond memories like coming up with inside jokes, sports trips, bike rides on school trips.

Life at BIBA

I believe everything in my life has played a role in shaping who am I today, and my school allowed me to come into contact with more cultures and perspectives and allowed me to embrace my identity as both a mixed-race child and a global citizen. It also allowed me to develop both logical and thorough ways of thinking, and innovative, creative ways of tackling problems as well as critical thinking skills.

I will be going to college in the UK, possibly at the University of Manchester and I will be studying Biochemistry.

Planning ahead, setting deadlines, and being able to stick to them were some of the strategies I learned in high school that I feel will help me succeed in college. I was also able to learn to deal with pressure and balance different aspects of my life, for example, after studying for a couple of hours, going outside and kicking a ball around. Those kinds of things just let you think outside the box and detach from your little bubble for a while and focus on other things.

I know this isn’t going to sound true, but I genuinely did not have a favorite teacher, all of my teachers played different roles in my life and I had different yet equally good connections with many of them. If I had to name a favorite teacher there would be a list of over ten!

If I could change one thing about my high school experience, it would be to try not to focus as much on grades. I placed a lot of weight on the grades I got and they were a large part of my identity, as such, grades affected me a lot, definitely in a somewhat unhealthy way. So yeah, if possible, I would try and detach myself from my grades a bit more.

Friendships are forever

Is academic success more important than building strong friendships? I would honestly say the two come hand in hand. My friends played a big role in my academic success, we were able to support each other through the IB program and help each other when needed. These experiences, in turn, led to building strong friendships. If I were to say focus on one before the other, I would say build strong friendships first and then work towards a common goal together to reach academic success.

As a final message to my school I’d like to say that the 2019-2020 year has been a really weird one, but, thanks to you lot, I was used to weird already.

KEEP READING: The Senior Year That Wasn’t: Jennifer Z.

Photos: Anya H

This year, COVID-19 has turned the world upside down, and this year’s high school seniors experienced a final year unlike any we’ve ever seen before. But life goes on and despite the chaos, students at international schools all over Beijing are graduating in good spirits and high hopes for the future. We spoke to some of these leaders of tomorrow about their future plans, and advice for younger students. Congratulations to the Class of 2020!

Hello, I am Sophia B and I was born in Taiwan. I am graduating from AISB-Hope International.

This fall semester I will be attending Biola University in California and I hope to major in nursing.

My favorite high school memory was playing sports with my friends. I loved playing sports and it was also a great way for me to build new friendships.

The teachers at my school are very kind and they want the best for every student there. They challenge us and help us grow to become a better student. This school taught me to be a hardworking person and most importantly it taught me to step out of my comfort zone and try new experiences.

Sophia B

I have tried many different study strategies, like studying in a group, making flashcards, or copying materials. But there is one study strategy that I like and will help me succeed in college, which is studying verbally with someone else. I would ask someone to quiz me and then I will explain the answer to them. Talking about the answers help me understand and learn better.

My favorite teacher would be my PE teacher because I really enjoy her classes. She is fun to be around with. She is also my volleyball coach and she pushes us to try our best. She believes in all of her players and she challenges us to be better. She is also generous because she would buy us food after we finished a tournament.

The Biola University campus, where Sophia will be studying next year

If I could go back and change one thing about my high school experience, I would change how shy I was. I want to step out of my comfort zone and be more courageous to try new things. I of course also want to change the coronavirus situation and wish that it did not happen, so every senior could enjoy their last high school year with their friends. I am devastated that I missed a lot of senior activities planned this year, but I am still thankful that I have a way to connect with friends and talk with them.

In life, building strong friendships is more important than academic success. Academic success is important of course because it will help you with college applications, but high school is just four years of our life, but the friends that we make will be there for us even after high school. My friends helped me enjoy high school and without them, the school will be stressful and boring. Friends will support and encourage you for life.

My final message to my school is that we are not alone when we are dealing with difficult situations. Look around you, you have friends who will support you and you have teachers who will help you. I also want to encourage students to step out of their comfort zone and try new things.

KEEP READING:  The Senior Year That Wasn’t: Haerin L. 

Photos: Sophia B, Biola University

Many of us would agree that our Senior year of High School was one of the most memorable years of our life. Between graduation, college acceptance letters, Prom, and the knowledge that it’s the last year spent in your hometown (and parents’ house no less), it’s a time that we both never want to end, and can’t get past soon enough. Unfortunately, for the class of 2020, most of these traditions were devastated by COVID-19. In this series, we chat with Seniors to find out the extent of the impact to their final year of High School and what they’ve done to salvage those memories.

Meet Haerin L., from South Korea who’s currently a senior at Beijing No. 55 High School International Students Section.

Can you briefly walk us through how COVID-19 has evolved for you, personally? What were your initial thoughts? At what point did you realize the devastation and disruption it was causing? How do you currently feel?

When COVID-19 was rapidly spreading in China, started from Wuhan, my mother and I decided to go to Korea earlier than we originally planned, as Korea had far fewer patients back then. Initially, in January, I thought COVID-19 would be a domestic problem so that by the end of the Winter vacation things would go normal again. However, in the second week of February, Korea experienced the outburst of COVID-19, and that was when I realized that the situation was becoming more serious than I expected. However, I still insisted on remaining in Korea as my school decided to apply online teaching skills using “tengxun jiaoyu” programs. I could not risk the possibility of infection from the airport. Furthermore, I thought it would be safer in Korea (at least I can stay with my parents) than in China, as both my parents could not go back to China due to their jobs.

Right now, I cannot go back to China though I really want to, as Korean airlines canceled all the flights for Beijing until April. Currently, I feel absolutely awful and lonely as I could not communicate with anyone, staying in my house all alone. But I’ve attempted to overcome these gloomy emotions by exercising and reading various books.

Senior year of High School is supposed to be one of the most memorable years of your life. Unfortunately, however, you and your peers aren’t getting to enjoy all that it has to offer. Can you tell us a bit about that? What are the conversations that are happening amongst your friends right now?

The saddest thing is that I lost my opportunity to see my classmates again. As our school is an international department, we often choose colleges located in different countries, often even in different continents. Some people go to the US, some people stay in China, some people go back to their own countries. It is obvious that our whole grade is not able to meet each other ever again after this year. That recognition made me sad. Our grade only has approximately 20 people and I’ve known most of them since I was in 8th grade. Regardless of our nationality, the whole grade is a whole big family. It feels like I do not get any chance to even properly say goodbye to my family. Nowadays, my friends and I often talk about how we are going to miss each other in college. We also often talk about the past. Since we’ve known each other since middle school, there’s a lot of memories to share. We talk about how we miss the time we share; not only big events like culture trips, but small, mundane things like getting school buses every morning together and going to McDonald’s together after class. I know I’m going to miss those tiny little activities.

What activities were you most looking forward to this year that have either been postponed or canceled? Prom, graduation ceremony, etc.

I was looking forward to the graduation ceremony more than a Prom. Graduation ceremony feels like the proper ending for my high school era. Also, when I looked at my parents’ albums, they had a picture or two from their graduation ceremony. Whenever they found the picture, they started to remember every single detail from their high school, about their classes, friends and all the joyful events. Since my childhood, I thought it would be nice to have a picture from high school graduation ceremony so that I could remember my high school memories clearly later. So I’m really disappointed that the school said there is a high possibility of the cancellation of the graduation ceremony.

Has COVID-19 affected your ability to graduate at all?

IB announced the cancellation of May 2020 final exams. My school also recently announced the cancellation of our graduation exam, which was also the mock exam for the May 2020 IB final exam. Fortunately, I am able to graduate as my school will give the final score for the second semester of the final year based on previous GPA and internal assignments. I have no idea how IB will grade the students instead of the final exam yet.

Has COVID-19 affected your plans for after graduation? If so, how? Were you planning on going abroad for college? Doing a bit of traveling during the Summer? Etc.

I planned a trip to Europe after graduation with my cousins. As I spent my teenage years in China, it was supposed to be a big family reunion. But the situation in Europe is getting serious now, so the plan was eventually canceled.

Despite all that has happened this year, have you done anything to try and salvage these last few months of your High School experience? Have you and your friends been able to “hang out” on Zoom or FaceTime? Have you made backup plans for a Prom in case it gets officially canceled?

My friends and I usually talk in WeChat. One time, we used “tengxun jiaoyu” to communicate with each other, but soon we dropped that idea as mutual communication was impossible in that way. My Korean friends planned to have a little meeting in Korea during July, but it is not a Prom since not all students can attend it.

Thanks for giving me a chance to share my experience during this serious pandemic situation. Hope everyone is dealing with the COVID-19 crisis well.

Photos: Haerin L., Unsplash

Many of us would agree that our Senior year of High School was one of the most memorable years of our life. Between graduation, college acceptance letters, Prom, and the knowledge that it’s the last year spent in your hometown (and parents’ house no less), it’s a time that we both never want to end, and can’t get past soon enough. Unfortunately, for the class of 2020, most of these traditions were devastated by COVID-19. In this series, we chat with Seniors to find out the extent of the impact to their final year of High School and what they’ve done to salvage those memories.

Meet Elaine L., a senior at Beijing Huijia Private School.

Can you briefly walk us through how COVID-19 has evolved for you, personally?

I learned about COVID-19 through news, but I underestimated its scope and duration. At first, nobody believed that it would interfere with the IB Exam, but here it does. So I guess it’s better to be prepared for the worst in the next few months.

Senior year of High School is supposed to be one of the most memorable years of your life. Unfortunately however, you and your peers aren’t getting to enjoy all that it has to offer. Can you tell us a bit about that? What are the conversations that are happening amongst your friends right now?

Despite everything that happened, my friends and I have still been able to share the precious experience of college application and to be each other’s mental support, which is really great.

What activities were you most looking forward to this year that have either been postponed or canceled?

I had to cancel my graduation trip, but the graduation ceremony will probably be held as usual. I am really thankful for it because there are countless opportunities to travel in life, while we only get to graduate once.

Has COVID-19 affected your ability to graduate at all?

As far as I know, we are not taking the IB Exam this May, which is what I personally regret the most, above all other postponements and cancellations. Having studied IB for so many years, I really wish to sit the full exam to test my learning. I can’t help feeling that my high school experience is incomplete.

Has COVID-19 affected your plans for after graduation? If so, how? Were you planning on going abroad for college? Doing a bit of traveling during the Summer? Etc.

I’m planning to get my driving license and hopefully go to college this August. But who knows when will I get my student visa?

Despite all that has happened this year, have you done anything to try and salvage these last few months of your High School experience? Have you and your friends been able to “hang out” on Zoom or FaceTime? Have you made backup plans for a Prom in case it gets officially canceled?

In the past three months I have only talked to my friends on the phone. I feel like people are not in the mood for hanging out right now.

Is there anything else you’d like to include that hasn’t been asked?

The COVID-19 took away some events and experiences that we expected, but at the same time, it gives us a pause to try something new and to learn to appreciate what we usually take for granted.

Photos: Elaine L, unsplash

Many of us would agree that our Senior year of High School was one of the most memorable years of our life. Between graduation, college acceptance letters, Prom, and the knowledge that it’s the last year spent in your hometown (and parents’ house no less), it’s a time that we both never want to end, and can’t get past soon enough. Unfortunately, for the class of 2020, most of these traditions were devastated by COVID-19. In this series, we chat with Seniors to find out the extent of the impact to their final year of High School and what they’ve done to salvage those memories.

Meet Fatima, a 16-year-old from Azerbaijan who’s finishing her year at Beijing Number 55 High School.

Can you briefly walk us through how COVID-19 has evolved for you, personally?

This outbreak really affected me. At first I thought it was just an annual flu, I didn’t think it was a big deal, but then I found out that a lot of people are losing their lives because of this coronavirus, so for our health, we need to be quarantined at home, and stay safe. I was a person who liked to stay at home. I sometimes would be very lazy to go out, but since the outbreak, I found it’s difficult to stay at home, and sometimes feel very strange. Beijing these days doesn’t even have cars on the streets, and this also caused Beijing to have better air quality.

This outbreak has also affected me academically. I thought we would have normal school, but as time passed, the outbreak became more and more severe, school was delayed, and we had no way to go to school, so we can only do online classes for our studies.

Senior year of High School is supposed to be one of the most memorable years of your life. Unfortunately however, you and your peers aren’t getting to enjoy all that it has to offer. Can you tell us a bit about that? What are the conversations that are happening amongst your friends right now?

It’s a great pity that we can’t see each other in our senior year of high school, we can only contact each other with WeChat and other social media platforms. The most recent conversations I’ve had with my friends is Prom and the graduation trip. We’ve been planning where our Prom is going to be, what kind of dress to wear, and where we can plan to go out for our trip. But we don’t know yet whether these activities will carry on properly. I hope the virus will go away soon, and we can meet each other as soon as possible.

What activities were you most looking forward to this year that have either been postponed or canceled? Prom, graduation ceremony, etc.

I don’t know when we’re going to start school yet, but the last thing I want to be postponed and canceled is the Prom. Whether it is Junior High School graduation or Senior High School graduation, students will always hold a Prom, which has become a traditional activity in our school. If the graduation ceremony because of the outbreak was canceled, I will be very sad.

I am also looking forward to the graduation ceremony. I believe that one of a students’ greatest wishes is to throw their hat in the graduation ceremony, and I hope that this year our classmates can throw a graduation hat. I am also very much looking forward to the graduation trip between our friends. This will be my first trip with friends to other countries, so I very much hope that by then the virus will see a very big improvement, so we can all do these activities for graduation.

Has COVID-19 affected your ability to graduate at all? Are you able to take all the necessary High School Exit Exams, College Placement Tests, etc.

Overall this outbreak won’t affect my graduation and university interview. IB canceled their exams in May this year because of COVID-19, but they will still give us our certificates depending on our work. Our school grades will also be based on our homework and coursework, to give us the corresponding results as graduation test results.

College entrance exams will be using video calls for interviews, so this outbreak won’t affect my overall graduation and entrance exams.

Has COVID-19 affected your plans for after graduation? If so, how? Were you planning on going abroad for college? Doing a bit of traveling during the Summer? Etc.

COVID-19 really affected my life after graduation. I originally wanted to travel abroad with my family and friends during the Summer vacation, but now have to consider whether this virus will be resolved, and if the trip will be delayed or not. So I don’t have an accurate answer yet. I will not go abroad to go to college, I will continue to go to college in Beijing.

Despite all that has happened this year, have you done anything to try and salvage these last few months of your High School experience? Have you and your friends been able to “hang out” on Zoom or FaceTime? Have you made backup plans for a Prom in case it gets officially canceled?

My friends and I have been chatting on social media during the outbreak, like WeChat and Instagram, and we only talk about where we could hold a Prom if there was one, but we haven’t talked about where we could hold it if it was canceled. I think we’re going to end up hosting our high school Prom indoors.

Photos: Courtesy of Fatima, Pixabay, Unsplash

I think not! International schools are slowly opening around Beijing after what seemed like a long summer. As students begin anew, fresh from summer vacation, it’s time to get heads on ready for the rigors of homework, tests, exams, sports and other time demanding, but important tasks. School is here!

There are a number of things that students need to contemplate as school begins. First of all, students should spend some time evaluating their summer – not just what they did but what they learned? How did their perspective change? What value was added to their overall outlook? Who influenced them and in what ways – friends, teachers, staff, etc…? What were the main take-a-ways from their summer experience? These are just a few questions to be asked and the answers written down. This could be good fodder for application essays.

Lots of students look forward to school starting. Seeing old friends, making new ones and prepare themselves mentally for the coming school year. It is important that students set down on paper some goals (reasonable, attainable, and perhaps aspirational). If you are a Grade 11 student, it is important to remember this is, in some instances the last set of grades colleges will see (if you are applying Early next year). If you are a Grade 12 student, you have lots to do – complete researching schools, take final standardized tests (ACT, SAT, TOEFL, IELTS), write essays and do well in school. In either case, don’t sacrifice quality for expediency. Don’t cut back on the rigor of your academics to get a “higher” GPA. Take the challenge!

School is a wonderful place, yet sometimes students get complacent. Old habits re-emerge and lethargy sets in. Be vigorous, work hard, and find compelling interests. If there are few to choose from, create something new – a new club, activity, and project. If you let go of an activity you once enjoyed, restart. Find ways that you can truly engage yourself above and beyond the classroom, but not at the expense of time or grades.

Sometimes reinvigorating after summer can be hard. A student mentioned the other day that the first few weeks of school would be slow and no homework. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that teachers are going to take it easy, especially if you are entering either of the last two years of school and particularly if you are taking AP, A-Level, or IB courses. It’s time to rock!

Lots of new things come with the start of school. Over the summer, schools have been refurbishing, updating, and getting ready for the new school year. At many schools there have been lots of new hires, so you may find that you have new teachers or even college counselors. A common statement heard is that “these teachers don’t know me.” Yes, that is true, but your job is to get to know them, particularly if they are in the areas where you need letters of recommendation/references for applications. It is also particularly true of new college counselors. Schedule a meeting with them as soon as possible and make it a regular event. Share your insights on where you are thinking about applying if you’re a senior, ask their advice, give them a cheat sheet on your achievements, personal qualities, etc. If you’re a Junior, the same is true.

So while the dog days of summer are coming to a close, it’s time to refocus, revitalize, and get with the program. Make the most of the year to come. Keep up the intensity throughout the year, seek challenges, create new ones, and have a great year. Make a schedule of when and what needs to be done, so nothing gets lost. It will be a great year, but only if you keep everything in focus!

Photo: hanfordsentinel.com

The International School of Beijing (ISB) is proud of its seniors who have received offers from more than 600 universities worldwide. While International Baccalaureate (IB) exams are still in full swing, college acceptance notifications have been flooding in for our students as they prepare for their next steps beyond ISB.

North America accounted for the most university offers, with the US (87%) and Canada (6%) the likely destination for many of our graduates. Our seniors also received offers from universities in the UK, Australia, Europe, and Asia.

ISB prides itself on ensuring our students find their best-fit college based on their passions and talents. The enormous scope of university offers signals that our students are pursuing their passions at many of the world’s finest educational institutions.

“The Class of 2017 applied and was admitted to the most diverse number of different colleges in quite some time, perhaps in the history of ISB graduating classes. Seniors focused on finding schools that would be the best fit for them, and in doing so diversified the application pool,” said ISB High School Counselor Andy Mennick.
ISB’s Class of 2017 also etched their place in school history for having the largest percentage of full IB Diploma candidates.

“ISB alumni and IB Diploma-earners worldwide tell their high schools that the rigor and breadth of the IB Diploma helps students transition to college with ease,” added Mr. Mennick.

While seniors are still finalizing their commitments, here is a partial list of the colleges and universities for the Class of 2017:

Agnes Scott College
Albion College
Algonquin College of Applied Arts & Technology
Allegheny College
American University (3)
Aston University
Auburn University
Augsburg College
Babson College
Barnard College
Baruch College of CUNY
Bates College
Bennington College (3)|
Bentley University (2)
Binghamton University (2)
Bishop’s University
Bocconi University
Boston College (4)
Boston University (9)
Bowdoin College
Brandeis University (4)
Brigham Young University (6)
Brown University (3)
Bryn Mawr College
California College of the Arts
Cardiff University
Carleton College (3)
Carnegie Mellon University (2)
Carroll University
Case Western Reserve University (2)
Central St. Martin’s College of Art & Design
Chapman University (2)
The City University of Hong Kong (5)
College of Charleston
The Chinese University of Hong Kong (2)
Clark University (2)
Colby College
College of William and Mary
College of Wooster
Colorado College
Columbia University (3)
Concordia University (4)
Cornell College
Creighton University
Dartmouth College
DePaul University
Drake University
Drexel University (5)
Duke University
Durham University (2)
Eckerd College
Elon University (2)
Emerson College (3)
Emory University
Erasmus University Rotterdam
Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising
Fordham University (2)
Franklin and Marshall College (2)
George Mason University (3)
George Washington University
Georgetown University
Grinnell College (2)
Hamilton College
Haverford College (2)
Hofstra University
Hong Kong Polytechnic University (3)
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (5)
Hope College
Indiana University, Bloomington (3)
Ithaca College (2)
James Madison University (3)
Johns Hopkins University
Kalamazoo College (2)
Kenyon College
King’s College London
Laurentian University
Lehigh University (2)
Les Roches
London School of Economics
Loyola Marymount University (3)
Loyola University Chicago
Macalester College
Marist College
McGill University (3)
McMaster University
Michigan State University
The New School (2)
New York Institute of Technology
New York University (7)
North Dakota State University
Northeastern University (13)
Northwestern University (2)
Oberlin College (3)
Occidental College (2)
Old Dominion University
Pace University (2)
Pennsylvania State University (6)
Pepperdine University
Pratt Institute (2)
Purdue University (7)
Queen Mary, University of London
Queen’s University (2)
Reed College (2)
Rice University
Ringling College of Art & Design
Rochester Institute of Technology (2)
Rutgers University
St. Edward’s University
St. John’s College
St. John’s University
St. Mary’s College, California
St. Olaf College
Santa Clara University (3)
Sarah Lawrence College
Savannah College of Art & Design (3)
School of the Art Institute of Chicago (2)
School of Visual Arts
Scripps College
Seattle University (2)
Seoul National University
Simon Fraser University (2)
Skidmore College (3)
Stevens Institute of Technology
Stony Brook University (2)
Suffolk University
SUNY Albany
Syracuse University (2)
Temple University
Tufts University (3)
Union College (2)
United States Air Force Academy
University College London (2)
University of Aberdeen
University of Birmingham (2)
University of Bristol
University of British Columbia (6)
University of California, Berkeley (4)
University of California, Davis (13)
University of California, Irvine (7)
University of California, Los Angeles (6)
University of California, Merced
University of California, Riverside (3)
University of California, San Diego (10)
University of California, Santa Barbara (6)
University of California, Santa Cruz (8)
University of Colorado, Boulder
University of Denver
University of East Anglia (2)
University of Edinburgh
University of Exeter
University of Florida
University of Glasgow
University of Hawai’i, Manoa
University of Hong Kong (4)
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (2)
University of Iowa
University of Kent
University of Leeds
University of Leicester (2)
University of Maastricht
University of Manchester
University of Mary Washington
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (2)
University of Minnesota, Duluth
University of North Dakota
University of Notre Dame
University of Oregon
University of Ottawa
University of Pennsylvania
University of Pittsburgh
University of Puget Sound (2)
University of Reading
University of Sheffield
University of Southampton
University of Southern California (5)
University of Stirling
University of Richmond
University of Rochester (4)
University of San Diego (2)
University of San Francisco
University of St. Thomas
University of Texas, Austin
University of Toronto (7)
University of Utah
University of Vermont
University of Virginia (2)
University of Warwick
University of Washington (8)
University of Waterloo (2)
University of York
Villanova University (2)
Virginia Tech (3)
Wagner College (2)
Wake Forest University
Washington and Jefferson College
Washington State University
Washington University, St. Louis
Wellesley College (2)
Wesleyan University (2)
Western University (2)
Western Washington University
Whitman College
Wilamette University
Williams College
Worcester Polytechnic Institute (2)
York University (2)

This post is provided by ISB.

Photos: ISB

How do you relax?
Participating in extracurricular activities such as debate and the school play helps me let loose; I get to channel my energies in different ways, which helps me in my studies as well.

What is your most treasured possession?
My collection of all the posters and scripts of productions I’ve been in since year 7, as well as the accompanying film recordings. Toad of Toad Hall, Witches, A Christmas Carol, Alice in Wonderland, Lessons in Love, Sleeping Beauty and this year, Little Shop of Horrors.

What sound or noise do you hate?
The sound of Velcro snapping; I don’t know why but it makes my skin crawl. I cringe and feel a ticklish feeling at the base of my skull when I hear that sound.

What would your super power be?
To fly fast because then a) I wouldn’t have to deal with Beijing traffic on my commute to school, b) I could quickly go to Sanlitun for my favorite ramen whenever I want, and c) I could also visit my grandparents in Taiwan whenever I want.

When you were younger, what did you want to be when you were growing up? What do you want to be now?
I started out wanting to be a lawyer because I was good at debate and loved working with people. However, that all changed when I started volunteering at a hospital in Taiwan. Working in the emergency room made me realize that medicine is, in part, a social science, so I decided I want to become a doctor.

If you could bring one extinct species back to life, what would you choose?
The Baiji White Dolphin, a beautiful marine mammal that’s native to China.

If you could edit your past, what would you change?
I would go back and work harder on my IGCSEs. It didn’t seem that important at the time, but nothing sucks more than getting 89% on tests when a little bit of effort could have pushed me past the A* threshold.

What advice would you give other students at your school?
Ask questions. If you don’t understand something or you want to try something, never be afraid to ask. I wanted to participate in the Intel Science and Engineering Fair, but no one from my school had ever done it. All it took was for me to ask, and six months later I was in Sichuan with my partner, explaining my project to a crowd of visitors.

When were you happiest?
A couple of months ago, at a friend’s birthday dinner where everyone was laughing, we had good food, and great people. It was right after we had finished our mock exams, so it was just a great time to de-stress and relax before our hectic schedules started up again.

What trait do you most dislike in yourself?
I am way too loud. I get way too passionate and loud sometimes and I don’t really hear myself at that volume, so I have no idea until someone points out that birds are falling out of the sky due to the sonic booms coming from below.

What is your favorite word?
Soporific, the first SAT word I had ever learned, which I got wrong. I thought it meant “multiple, or many”, but it actually means “induces sleepiness or drowsiness”.

What is your least favorite word?
Markscheme. It’s every IB student’s least favorite word.

What do you owe your parents?
Everything. But most importantly, my wonderful sense of humor from my mother, and my dashing good looks from my father.

What is the most important lesson life has taught you so far?
Life is like an electrocardiogram, it has its ups and downs. If it’s flat, it means you’re dead.

This article originally appeared on page 41of the 2016 June-July Issue of beijingkids magazine. Click here for your free online copy. To find out how you can obtain a hard copy, contact distribution@truerun.com.

Photos courtesy of DCB