Get the inside scoop from alumni who've already gotten into their dream schools!
We talk to alumni who have been accepted to Columbia University, Juppen University, and are now Upgrade tutors about how they got into top schools.
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In 9th grade (my first year of high school), I felt relatively inadequate in a highly competitive environment, but I was very ambitious in terms of clubs, so I tried to join a basketball team, dance team, English translation club, etc. I tried to join at least one club in each category, especially academics, sports, art, and volunteer.
In 9th grade, I didn't have a specific plan or idea of what I wanted to do for a career, but I was intrigued by humanities and literature, so I definitely decided to go into the humanities. As I entered 10th grade, I realized that my GPA was really important, so that's when I started focusing on my GPA and grade management.
From 10th grade on, I also took the SATs in earnest until I reached my goal score, and at the end of the year, I used my summer vacation to study intensely, doing three sets a day.
Deciding to major in architecture, I wanted to differentiate myself by connecting my interest in the humanities and history to architecture, so I gained experience through architectural activities and papers, which ultimately led to my admission to Columbia University as a full-time student.
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In 9th grade, I went to an international school for the first time, so I was a little less familiar with the IB curriculum than my peers, so I spent a lot of time adjusting. The biggest difference was that Korean education focuses on accuracy, whereas IB education focuses on a creative approach.
Since my school was an IB school, I was required to do clubs in all four areas of Creativity, Action, Service, and Enrichment, but at the international school, I led the STEM-related clubs and tried to raise awareness of STEM. In order to do nine clubs, I devoted about three hours to a different club every day, and in addition, I studied for the SAT intensively during the summer after the semester ended.
To differentiate myself, I participated in a trivia club and IT-related electronic activities, conducted school promotion activities as a Student Ambassador, and worked on course selection and GPA management in the IBDP program during my junior year. Ultimately, she was admitted to the University of Upenn.
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