Written by:Kyndra Douglass, University Guidance Counsellor
When it comes to university admissions, this year was altogether the most challenging year for applicants around the world. Due to travel restrictions, many students applied to sites unseen and worried that e-learning limited their education and co-curricular opportunities.
Additionally, highly selective universities revealed that many seats in this admission cycle were already spoken for by the previous year’s applicants, as some had a gap year. Yet, our Class of 2021 persisted and earned their places to prized institutions across several countries. While each offer is celebrated, how the students achieved these offers is what is noteworthy. Throughout their studies at YCIS, each of our graduates remained true to their particular endeavors. Within this class you will find 2 Head Prefects, the founder of our Engineering Club, a Disney sound editor, as well as over a dozen athletes. There are human rights activists, a photographer who climbs to death-defying heights for the perfect shot, and the lead singer of her own band.
There is a student who fundraised money for wells in South Sudan, artists who captured the nuances of emotion in their work, and a student who ran the front desk of an international hotel. There is a cookbook creator, House Captains, budding rappers, environmentalists, and a small business investor filled our classrooms. Led by their passions, each Year 13 student pushed through their challenges which included quarantines and e-learning; For many, the closure was a time for reflection and innovation on how to continue their commitments virtually or strengthen them when we all came back together in person. These distinctive characteristics, titles, and pursuits were what distinguished our students from the others so that they reached extraordinary heights in university admissions. Their resilience and dedication to their interests has resulted in each YCIS applicant having received offers to competitive universities in their chosen fields and locations. Our goal in the University and Careers Counselling Office is to encourage other YCIS students to create their own unique paths in the same fashion as this outstanding graduating class, because that is what will make the difference.
