Paving the road to academic success and beyond

Many parents believe that academic success alone ultimately sets exceptional students apart from good ones.

However, educators at Canadian International School of Hong Kong believe that the foundation for building success starts at an early age and requires a careful balance of academics, extracurricular activities and community service. The Head of School at CDNIS, Dave McMaster, explains that facilitating this balance is key to helping students reach their post-graduate goals and ease them into university life.

“Universities are always looking for students with top academic performance, but they also take into consideration the holistic review of applicants,” he states.

Having worked with students at CDNIS for the past eleven years and having worked with three graduating classes under the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum, McMaster is proud to share the continuously rising achievements of each new graduating class. “The 2012 graduating class was exceptional and we believe the class of 2013 will perform even better. We have students going into a great variety of programmes all over the world,” he states.

From business, liberal arts and professional studies such as law and medicine, to less traditional disciplines such as fine arts and film, McMaster says CDNIS’s diverse IB programme has given students the opportunity to explore their options and excel at whichever area their interest might be.

While the majority of students enroll in direct entry Medical and Law schools, as well as the more traditional Commerce, Engineering and Science programmes, this past year, more students than ever chose to attend universities renowned for their arts programmes, a trend McMaster notes as growing. This, he explains, has to do with the school’s guidance counsellors and teachers, who are keen to help students explore their interests and passions.

In fact, Head of Guidance Bob Bate says students are encouraged to talk about their post-secondary plans with their family, teachers and friends early on. “We start conversations around careers and postsecondary transition in grade 10 and it is built off of our Careers 10 class. Students do a wide range of assessments and aptitude tests to help them better understand what options may be available to them that they have not yet considered,” says Bate.

Ensuring students know as much as possible about the universities they are applying to, the school organizes campus tours during school breaks. “In addition, we host more than 300 universities on campus, 70 of which are part of an annual university fair,” Bate explains. “Students are encouraged to attend the university presentations to learn as much as possible about the various schools and the programmes they offer. Not only are CDNIS students very knowledgeable about the universities and programmes they are applying to,” Bate adds, “the students are also well prepared for the rigors of university life. In terms of work load and research skills, grade 12 students in the second year of the IB Diploma Programme are working at a similar level as a first year university student.”

McMaster says students often apply to as many as eight universities in three countries with 100% of graduates going on to university. “Our students are academically successful and the majority will go to the schools of their choice. This past year alone, we had five students accepted at the Art Institute of Chicago, one of the world’s top art schools.”

With impressive academic records, CDNIS students were offered an impressive amount of scholarships. “Our students were offered approximately HKD $16 million in scholarships to attend various schools around the world. One of our most outstanding students received a USD $140,000 full scholarship to the Art Institute of Chicago,” says McMaster.

With a nurturing staff and a knowledgeable team of counsellors dedicated to helping students excel beyond high school, McMaster says the sky is the limit for CDNIS graduates. “Our students understand they are very privileged in that they are given many opportunities and experiences. We try our hardest to ensure that these experiences and what they’ve learned here will help them not only in university but as successful global citizens.”

FAST FACTS

• Canadian International School of Hong Kong was established in 1991 with 81 students

• A through-train IB World School, offering the Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma Programme in addition to the Ontario Secondary School Diploma all on one campus

• Currently over 1,800 students of 41 nationalities and 250 staff

• CDNIS is committed to developing caring young people who possess a sense of social responsibility.