University Applications: Insights from YCIS Shanghai Experts

Alison Hung：Students must first identify their personal strengths and interests. A strong candidate is someone who not only wants to attend a particular university but also wants to contribute and thrive within that environment. 

This requires students to gain diverse experiences to discern what works for them and to shortlist universities that align with their learning style and lifestyle. It's important to prioritise the students' preferences before selecting a university. 

By the end of Year 12, students have a shortlist of potential universities and begin working on their application materials in the summer. By the beginning of Year 13, they narrow it down to a finalised shortlist.

Experience beyond academics is crucial, especially for top-tier universities. In the US, extracurricular activities play a significant role in the application process.

Students are often asked to reflect on experiences outside the classroom, such as personal challenges or community service. Engaging in various activities, pursuing interests, and demonstrating commitment can enhance a student's profile.

In the UK, the focus is on super-curricular activities, which are directly related to the student's intended major. These activities demonstrate a candidate's passion and initiative to go beyond the standard curriculum. Students should engage in reading, competitions, and personal research to showcase their enthusiasm for the subject.

YCIS Shanghai facilitates opportunities for students to gain first-hand experience through a range of initiatives. For instance, Year 11 students participate in Job Shadow Programme to gain insights into various professions, helping them to explore potential career paths and make informed decisions about their future studies.

Our Institutional Advancement Office and our tight-knit community of parents are exceptionally delibrate, intentional, and well-connected in providing unique opportunities. A prime example is a student interested in pharmaceuticals who gained valuable experience through a YCIS parent’s company, significantly enhancing his application to Cambridge.

Apart from that, our organisation's EdFutures Division also has a variety of programmes and learning opportunities that allow students to further explore their field of interest.

CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) in the IB Curriculum allows for students to be involved in a variety of activities alongside their academic studies, giving them valuable experiences to highlight in their applications.

We also have students who have successfully completed the Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Award – the only recipients in Shanghai this year - as well as many passionate teachers who organise a variety of competitions and activities that enrich a student’s experiences and provide opportunities to build character.

By focusing on both extracurricular and super-curricular activities, students can build a compelling application that reflects their strengths and interests, making them attractive candidates for universities.

Alison Hung: To help students discover themselves and their passions, we implement a variety of assessments and projects. We conduct learning style assessments, personality assessments, and career and university guidance assessments through a comprehensive system. These tools are designed to help students understand their strengths and preferences.

In addition to assessments, we engage students in projects that encourage exploration of future career paths.

For example, we have students interview professionals who have been in their industry for a long time in the project — Careers Past, Present and Future. This approach helps students think about the future and work backward to understand how industries, like engineering or construction, might evolve over the next decade.

By doing so, students can "future-proof" their education and consider how advancements, such as AI, might impact their chosen fields.

Last year, students conducted fascinating interviews, often with their parents or older relatives. For instance, one student explored changes in architecture and the potential impact of AI on the field, while another used social media to connect with professionals and bring back valuable insights.

The feedback from these interviews is always formative. Some students realise that certain jobs might disappear, prompting them to consider how to remain relevant by developing creativity and other irreplaceable skills. The focus shifts from merely liking an industry to understanding how to avoid being replaced by technology.

After the interviews, students present their findings, sharing insights from various industries. This fosters cross-learning and prepares them for the collaborative environment they will encounter at university.

Phillip Lee：For students, it's important to start preparing for university applications as early as possible. This preparation should begin even before upper secondary by considering long-term goals and visions, not just which university to attend, but also what they want to achieve beyond university.

While choosing a career path at ages 14 to 16 may be unclear, it's crucial to start exploring different options. Once students start upper secondary, they can plan their classes, activities, and community involvement based on their interests and goals.

As the former Co-Curricular Activities (CCA) Coordinator of YCIS Shanghai Puxi, I always suggest our students focus on their interests and passions. Universities seek to understand what excites applicants beyond academics. 

It is important to explore different CCA in lower secondary and Year 10, but by Years 11 and 12, students should actively engage in activities that enhance and expand the scope of their CCA. In other words, take on leadership roles, and make the CCA even more meaningful.

Students approaching the application phase in Years 11 to 13, must apply the same preparation mindset to the application process.

For example, if a student plans to apply to 12 universities in the US, he should research application requirements, such as essays and teacher recommendations, and create a timeline to complete these tasks. Starting essays in Year 12 can help balance the busy schedule of Year 13.

We encourage our students to communicate with us regularly, to ensure that we provide feedback on application materials. Essays, especially significant ones like the Common App essay, may go through multiple revisions. This process requires a significant amount of time and effort, emphasising the importance of being prepared and detail oriented.

Phillip Lee：AI can be quite helpful in the university application process, especially for brainstorming ideas, editing grammar, and suggesting words.

However, we advise students against using AI to simply copy and paste content into their statements. AI does not know the student personally, so it cannot accurately convey their feelings or motivations, which are crucial for universities to understand who the applicant truly is.

Universities are looking for personal insights and genuine motivations in personal statements. Even in the UK, where the focus might be more academic, applicants still need to demonstrate personal passion for their chosen field. 

In addition, universities can often tell when an essay lacks personal input, as AI-generated content tends to be overly professional and lacks the personal nuance that admissions officers seek. 

The personal statement is often the best opportunity for universities to get to know an applicant beyond their grades and activities, especially as most universities do not conduct interviews. Therefore, it is crucial for students to express their unique motivations and experiences in their own words.