Want to Study Abroad with Achi Johanna Lim (UBC)

(an MGC student till Grade 6)

What school do you currently attend and what course are you taking?

University of British Columbia (International Relations and Commerce)

How did you decide to apply to this university?

I decided primarily on the program and major. Initially, I intended to do a major in Economics and they had a great program for it. I also considered the location & size of the school; it is a beautiful campus and I wanted to go to a larger school. I also had family nearby, which was an important factor to me since it would have been my first time away from home.

If you applied to schools in the Philippines as well, how was the process different?

I only applied to Ateneo in the Philippines. The application process was similar in the sense that it required an exam (ACET), transcripts, essays, and teacher recommendation letters. However, it was different in the process itself, as they required students to physically go to campus and send in their applications. The ACET exam was also different as it is unique to Ateneo, and you would need to prepare for it on its own. In addition, most schools in North America (less so in Europe/Australia) don’t have you declare a major when you apply. You apply to the Faculty (or Bachelor) and then you declare a major after your first or second year.

Were there any specific courses or exams you had to take aside from your courses in school? If so, how did you prepare for them?

I took AP English Language to fulfill the English requirements for most schools outside the Philippines (many universities require a score of 4 or higher). I took the AP Language class in my Junior year; I prepared for the exam by taking many practice exams and using free online resources. I also had to take the SAT, which I prepared for by again, taking many practice exams from previous years. I also used Khan Academy to help sharpen any particular subject that I may not have been fully comfortable with.

What extracurriculars or out-of-class activities helped you gain competitiveness in your application?

I tried to focus on a few extracurricular activities that I was interested in and tried to get leadership positions in them. Personally, I think having leadership positions really allowed my application to be more competitive. In high school, I was part of student government for 3 years (grade 9 class representative, treasurer in grade 11, and class president in grade 12), Model United Nations (Finance Officer, Public Relations Officer), Varsity tennis captain, debate team (co-founder), and was part of the National Honour Society. Outside of school, I was involved in tennis competitions and semi-annually volunteered to co-organize events for a local orphanage.

What might have a bigger impact on your application: high grades, or extracurriculars?

While both are important, I would say grades are slightly more important (but definitely not by much). For example, the course load is just as an important factor that universities consider (e.g. how hard your classes were, whether you were taking AP/honors classes, whether you were taking a full course load). With that said, universities look at the applicant as a whole and extracurriculars can help balance out mediocre grades. Personally, my grades were decent but not perfect. However, I think taking AP classes ( if it’s available and if you can) and having a well-rounded extracurricular background helped balance out my grades and made me a more competitive applicant.

What other aspects helped you to stand out in your application?

The essays and personal statements were also definitely important to the applications and helped me a lot. Since there is usually a word count, it forces you to be succinct and choose words with intention. I think talking about diversity and goals (it doesn’t have to be super specific; I talked about how I wanted to give back to my community), and how attending the university can help you achieve those goals helped me stand out. I was able to show the university that I was invested (that I did my research) and how I would use the resources they offered to achieve my goals and benefit the community.

What would you suggest to students planning to apply for similar programs in these universities?

I would encourage students to do their research! Look at the programs offered, what the school is known for, and what resources they can offer. I would also suggest looking at the less academic side, such as the location (is it a place you can see yourself living in for your university years?), size of the school, what the social life is like, etc. While you don’t have to know exactly what you are going to do (and actually, most people end up changing majors from their initial plans), it’s good to have a general idea about what your goals are and what you want to study. There’s definitely time to explore, but doing your research is incredibly important.