Offer: 

• Phillips Academy Andover
• Phillips Exeter Academy
• Deerfield Academy
• Peddie School
• Cranbrook Schools

From: International School Hong Kong

Interests: Sports, architectural design, coding, robotics

Personality traits: Naturally introspective and humble, grounded and reliable, adaptable and composed in the face of change

Application Journey

01. Self-Discipline

“Self-discipline” is the first keyword for Student Z. Due to allergies, he started football at three and began swimming at seven on a doctor’s advice. This change led to significant rewards, including an invitation to join the Hong Kong Swimming Team in April 2022. However, this posed a dilemma: joining meant sacrificing other activities and rest time, and compressing his academic schedule as he prepared for U.S. high school applications.

After discussions with the guidance team, Student Z accepted the challenge. A detailed application schedule was created, helping him manage his time efficiently. He developed excellent time management skills, balancing early morning training, school, and more training after school. He used his 2.5-hour daily commute to study, ensuring he completed 25 hours of swimming training weekly without neglecting academics.

The structured schedule, combined with long-term exercise habits, helped him maintain regular sleep patterns, providing a solid foundation for his demanding application season.

02. Experimentation

“Experimentation” is Student Z’s second keyword. Personal experiences in interviews and presentations are more impactful than mere statements of interest. The guidance team encouraged him to broaden his experiences beyond sports. He participated in makerspace learning, woodworking, 3D cutting, an online course on eco-friendly car making, and programming. He led a cross-school team to design robots, winning second place in the First Lego League.

Despite the pandemic, his hands-on skills, knowledge exploration, and teamwork experiences grew, transforming him from a “stereotypical STEM student” to a “versatile polymath.”

03. Challenge

“Challenge” is the third keyword. Though exempt from TOEFL and with optional SSAT during the pandemic, Student Z aimed for high SSAT scores. Initially finding SSAT challenging, he followed a meticulous study plan, using fragmented time to memorize vocabulary and practice reading. His hard work paid off with excellent SSAT results.

04. Transformation

“Transformation” is the fourth keyword. Initially shy and hesitant, Student Z became confident and articulate in interviews. The guidance team identified this weakness early, emphasizing interview tasks, mock interviews, and meetings with admissions officers. Their support and his effort led to significant growth, resulting in high praise from admissions officers and successful interviews with top schools.

Top schools admired not just his swimming talent but his consistent self-discipline and effort. As Yohji Yamamoto said, “Be a free and self-disciplined person, living seriously with the determination to succeed.” Every effort deserves respect, showing the value in accomplishing challenging tasks.