Recently, due to US college admission rates decreasing each year, acceptance to top colleges is a rare occurrance that warrants intense competition among applicants.

Among the many applicants worldwide, there are many students that are not only academically capable and well-rounded but also supported by a strong family background. In recent years, due to the influence of social media, a variety of articles describing US college admissions has filled parents’ social media feeds. Such news has once again brought attention to the US application process as well as concern to the parents of aspiring children. They commonly ask, “Is it still possible for my children to have a fair chance in the college application process?”

Shanghai High School International Division (SHSID) is a school located in Shanghai’s Xuhui District for international students. The school encompasses grades one through twelve and has over 2,800 students from over 60 different countries, the majority of which are Asian. Upon enrollment, parents no longer have to worry about their children’s education as the school cares for each and every student with its “no child left behind” policy from Grade 1 to Grade 12, striving to ensure that each student successfully graduates from high school. Each year, approximately 50% of SHSID graduates enroll in US colleges, while the others choose to go to Canada, Australia, the UK, Singapore, Japan, Korea, or other countries around the globe. The majority of SHSID students come from middle class families. Out of the students applying to US colleges, around 90% enroll in a Top 50 university each year; there are also acceptances from Harvard University, Yale University, Princeton University, Stanford University, or MIT annually. (Official school website:www.shsid.org) Outstanding college matriculation is merely one result of SHSID’s educational philosophy, which is to contribute to the personal and lifelong development of every student through the “four pillars”.

Let us discover the stories behind four SHSID graduates from the class of 2019 and explore their personal experiences, hopes, talents, and dreams as well as how they worked hard to earn their place in top US colleges.

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