A flying start with our Year 13 students

The 2017-18 school year was off to a flying start with our Year 13 students focusing on both the present and the future. Improving their grades, taking external tests, doing external projects and being involved in CAS were just some of the ways they were focusing on the present. This has also been an exciting time to focus on the future as they made decisions after thirteen years of education where to go next and what to study. Over the past year and a half we have worked extensively on answering that question, and we know parents at home have too. This really is a group project culminating in an exciting new direction for the student. 

As of mid-January we have sent a total of 165 applications to universities in five different countries. The majority of the applications thus far have been to the United States, however Canada, Hong Kong, England, and Singapore have captured our students’ interests as well. With 18 of our 34 graduates having completed their applications they can now focus on getting the grades they need to ensure their offers, as well as learning the necessary life skills that they need to live on their own next year. Hopefully students are practicing in the kitchen, doing their own laundry and learning about finances at home these next few months. 

The 9 students applying to either Canada, Singapore, Vietnam, France or Korea will be doing so over the coming months. The 6 students applying for Australia have the choice in some cases to apply this academic year, or more commonly, they will be applying starting in October 2018. We will continue to support them through their application process, despite the fact that they will no longer be students at British International School Hanoi. Some students are entertaining taking a gap year next year, which universities regard quite highly as they feel that students who have taken some time in between their studies tend to be more motivated and know exactly what they want after having had experience in the ‘real world.’ Students taking gap years will either apply to the university now and then ask for a year deferral, or start the application procedure while on their gap year, once again fully supported by the school.

What we find exciting about this year’s cohort is the fact that students really are interested in finding their right fit and are willing to look at all the options the world offers in terms of post-secondary education. This year we had 128 different universities visit from 16 different countries including Abu Dhabi, Australia, Austria, Canada, China, England, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Japan, Scotland, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, United States of America, and Wales. Hopefully with more exposure from universities in countries such as the Netherlands, Japan and Ireland, where the tuition fees are very reasonable for a high-quality education in a desirable location, our future students will be able to take advantage of even more great opportunities.

Acceptances are already starting to roll in for our first IB graduates from the UK, Hong Kong and a few from Canada. The majority of the others will happen throughout the next few months. Thus far students have been accepted to the following schools in the UK: London School of Economics, The University of Warwick, University of Birmingham, Loughborough University, Durham University, Royal Holloway University of London, University of Surrey, Brunel University London, Coventry University, Nottingham Trent University, University of Hertfordshire; Hong Kong: The Chinese University of Hong Kong; Canada: Seneca College of Applied Arts & Technology and Humber College.

We look forward to helping our students over the next few months to either apply to university, or to decide which offer they wish to accept – exciting times!

As a parent, please help support your child through this time as some anxiously await decisions. We also ask that you have discussions with your children about how to manage finances, and perhaps get in the kitchen with them to ensure that they can cook and take care of themselves next year.

Lori Fairbairn, Counsellor

An informative video is available below for all parents to access, which contains an interview with Lori Fairbairn, our BIS Hanoi Counsellor: