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Grade 11 Parents’ Meeting: College Application

April 28, 2019

On April 26, 2019, students and parents of SHSID’s class of 2020 gathered at the school to attend the College Application Meeting.

Principal Ma explained several questions commonly raised by parents, such as GPA, demonstrated interest, use of agencies, etc., in order to ease parent concerns. Next, Ms. Zhang Nan, the college counselor, further elaborated on the application results of the Class of 2019, materials needed to prepare for applications, and the support given by the school college counseling office. Furthermore, Ms. Liu Qin, the director of G11&G12, as well as Ms. Gu Ying, the head of G11, emphasized several points parents need to pay attention to in the holistic application. After the general introduction, the students and teachers were allowed to scatter to different classrooms where seniors who applied to different regions, such as the U.S., Canada, Hongkong, Japan, and the UK, shared their experiences.

Among those regions, the most attended was the United States sharing session, as SHSID students have traditionally matriculated in the highest numbers to American universities. Several senior students, who got into some of the most respected institutions in the United States, were invited to the session; they started off by giving the most profound piece of advice they extrapolated from their application process. The sharing sessions were stimulated by parents and students asking any questions related to colleges or college applications, and the seniors onstage would take turns giving their best answer. Not only were the seniors themselves diverse, but the questions raised by the audience spanned an equally broad range of topics. Some parents were concerned about financial aid packages for international students, while others were curious about standardized testing preparation, and others still wanted to know whether college visits are important. Each of the seniors gave carefully-worded responses to articulate the nuance in a process as complicated as college applications, and students and parents alike walked out of the session with more insight on the process.

In XMT 110, experiences in applying to universities in Hong Kong and the United Kingdom were shared. After the introduction, the students further elaborated on the differences between applying to non-US universities and applying to those of the US. What is highlighted throughout the process is the centralized attention of non-US schools on academic achievements compared to the more holistic judging preference of US colleges. This, according to the applicants, is actually beneficial for certain applicants as this system may provide the certainty that is not offered in US applications. Finally, as a concluding note, the floor was open to questions, allowing parents to eagerly seek advice for their children’s upcoming application season.

(Written by 11(7) Cissy Choy, Linda Li Pictures by 11(9) Niketa Kou)