Board for all-round broader experience

High school is a big step in a student's formative years. Going to an international boarding school undoubtedly can be a life-changing decision.

EF Academy International boarding school is an option for students who want an alternative path aside from the traditional education system.

With its three campuses in New York, California, and Oxford, it provides programs for A-Levels, International Baccalaureate Diploma, and American high school diploma for students who want to get into UK or US universities.

Over the course of its 50-year history, the institution has attracted over 5,000 students hailing from more than 60 different nationalities.

"We're open to students who are not satisfied with the traditional education path and want to challenge themselves," said Hyman Kwan, head of enrollments at EF Academy.

Ashley Chan-Lam is one of those who wanted a different and challenging academic path.

She joined the EF international boarding school in 2014, after she got her results from a DSE mock exam, and was informed by her teacher that she "would never get into a good university."

"I don't know what triggered me, but I just thought I would go through that way."

So later that day, she searched online, found some information on EF international boarding school, and told her parents that she wanted to go there.

After talking with the admission office, she decided to go to the campus in New York, where she spent two years gaining her IB diploma.

Being a shy and quiet child before high school, Chan said the experience at the international boarding school really broadened her horizon and changed her perspective.

"One thing I love at the boarding school is that I was meeting people from all parts of the world, so I learned a lot of different cultures and learned how to be more open-minded."

The teaching methods at EF international boarding school were also a lot different from traditional methods.

While the traditional education system still relies heavily on memorizing the "right answer," the EF international boarding school focuses more on helping students understand the logic behind any theory or concept.

"When I was doing Form Four in Hong Kong, I had to remember the keywords to get the marks in an exam," said Chan. "But the boarding school cares more about you understanding the theory."

After taking a wide range of courses, she decided to study sociology major for university with the help of the school's counselor.

"Since young I'm always the type of person that really wonders why are people like this, and why is the world working like this," she said.

"While meeting so many different people at EF international boarding school, I was also intrigued by the concept of culture, and how culture could influence one's personality."

After talking with the school's one-on-one counselor about university application, she decided to apply for a sociology major in the UK. In 2016, she was admitted into the sociology major at Lancaster University.

Chan is now working as a freelance social media consultant and a graphic designer, helping a couple of clients with social media strategy, social media content creation, email marketing, and online advertisements.

Chan said the networking and confidence she built during her time at the EF international boarding school have surely helped with her marketing career.

To apply for an international boarding school, students would need to provide two years' academic records, a teacher's recommendation, achievements letter, and go through an internal test and an interview.

Kwan emphasized that EF Academy's boarding school does not have strict grade requirements for admission: "We have students with different grades coming in, and you'll be surprised by their growth."

"Last year, we saw over 200 of our students got admitted into the world's top 100 universities."

The EF Academy international boarding school is open to students aged 16 to 18 for the Oxford campus, and students above 14 for the New York and California campuses.

The application needs to be submitted before students complete their Form Six studies.

disu.dang@singtaonewscorp.com