Written by the University Advising Department
Bags are unpacked, classes have started and activities have been joined. But as UWC ISAK Japan settles into the busyness of the present, we are also turning an eye toward the future. In the last two weeks, the University Advising office has hosted visits from 13 colleges and universities on campus. These visits are great opportunities for students learn about different kinds of universities from people who know them intimately and ask their questions about the application process. Many of the representatives who visit us are the same people who read the applications and make admissions decisions, so it is an excellent chance to make a memorable impression. Many of our seniors have had interviews with our visitors, who have told us that they are very impressed with the level of engagement and intellectual curiosity shown by UWC ISAK students. The coming months are filled with more university visits that we hope students of all grade levels will take advantage of.
As University Advisors, we have met with the Grade 12 cohort to set the tone for the application process: It is our goal to help students to know themselves deeply and make choices intentionally to find the best fit between themselves and a university. We do not believe that there is a single best university, only the best university for each student. Students were reminded that the purpose of a university education is not to get a job, but rather to become the best possible and most capable versions of themselves so that, as fully actualized individuals, they will be able to do many jobs, some of which may not yet even exist. With this in mind, students are encouraged not to think of their university choice as deciding the rest of their lives, but rather, as a decision about what will come next.
We have also begun meeting with Grade 12 students individually to finalize their university lists and help them prepare their applications. We encourage G12 students to meet with us regularly, until their applications are sent.
This week, we had a session with Grade 11 students to introduce the university research process. Grade 11 students will work indepently through the first semester to research as many possibilities as they can find for post-UWC options, and not depend on the few universities brands they are already familiar with as potential choices. In the spring, they will begin working more closely with their University Advisors to narrow these options to a long-list of twenty universities best suited to their academic aspirations, financial resources, and lifestyle priorities.
It is exciting to see dreams become possibilities and possibilities become plans, making the most of the moment and propelling into the future.
