While it’s the teachers who annually write over 100 letters of recommendation, teach the concepts that later show up on the IGCSE, SAT or IB and provide support for all kinds of extracurricular activities, there were many other people – especially parents – who contributed to our graduates’ success.
There is always a tendency to ask, “How did the class do?” At a place like BISP, there is not one university admission story for the class; it is a tapestry of 53 different stories as students choose to go in a variety of different directions after graduation.
BISP graduates are an incredibly diverse group. Members of this class hold passports from 18 different countries, with 36% holding dual citizenship. Their plans for life after BISP are as varied as their passports, with graduates choosing to attend universities in 13 different countries around the world. For this class, the US is the most popular university destination, with one-quarter choosing to continue their education there. The United Kingdom and Australia are the other top destinations.
At BISP, the university counsellors work with each student as they take the next steps toward achieving their dreams. For most, that means finding a university that is a best fit for their unique strengths, interests, achievements, priorities, financial needs and preferences. For others, it could be training for the Olympics, pursuing a music career or taking a gap year and learning more about the world around them.
About 15% of the class will be taking a gap year or completing required military service before they begin university. Graduates going to Australian universities will enjoy a mini gap year before their university term begins in February. Traditionally, all gap year students and almost all of the athletes pursuing a sports career will ultimately go to university.
Where a student goes to university is a reflection of their own understanding of who they are, the overall success of BISP as a school, and counsellors’ abilities to communicate these stories to admission officers who will benefit by having BISP students at their institutions. With representatives from 110 colleges and universities from 24 different countries coming to our campus in 2018-19, it is clear that BISP is recognised as a top international school with outstanding students. Congratulations to the Class of 2019.
– Dale Ford
Dale Ford is one of two University Counsellors at British International School, Phuket. For more information, visit them at www.bisphuket.ac.th