General aspect of the fair
The International School (TIS) held its annual University Fair yesterday, attracting some 57 universities, including top institutions in the US, Australia and the UK. This is an increase of 12 participating universities to the previous year.
Held for the seventh time, six local high schools also visited the fair, along with the 70 Grade 12 students from TIS who are set to graduate next year.
TIS Academic Counselor Jody Hubert said that her team has been working with students from Grade 9 to 11 to assist them in catering to their students’ plans for university.
Unlike universities in Hong Kong and Macau, universities across the globe are already accepting applications for the 2018 academic year.
Speaking to the Times, Hubert noted that they have arranged boot camps during the summer for these graduating students.
“For most students, we’ve already got them to start their university applications. We had a boot camp before school starts, and have them undergo the [application] process quite early,” she said.
When questioned which countries are among the top choices for the school’s graduating students, she noted that Australia had seen a marked increase in interest from local applicants.
Ryan Oshinomoto speaking with an university representative
“It’s very interesting for us. This year Australia has the most number of applicants; we’ve never had that number before. Around 40 percent of graduating students are applying to Australia,” said Hubert.
While the UK still remains popular in the minds of graduating students, with some 30 percent of TIS Grade 12 students applying to study there, the school has seen a significant drop of applicants for universities in the US.
Meanwhile, Canada has also seen a significant increase in interest this year, as the school has approximately 20 percent of the graduating class applying to universities in the country.
Most students are seriously considering studying in local universities but are eager to be accepted by top universities abroad.
Ryan Oshimoto, a Grade 12 student from TIS, shared that the fair is helpful for students who are undecided on which career path to pursue.
The student said that the fair opens up options for students like him, adding that meeting university representatives or councilors also assists them to plan for their course options.
“Lots of people arae here to help you find your career choices,” said the student.
“I want to be an architect so here they explain whether I want to pursue science-based engineering or more design process-based. It opens up options,” he added.
The graduating student who has been residing in the city since Grade 1 said that leaving Macau is his first priority, implying that local universities are not an option for him.
Oshimoto aims to get accepted at Cornell University, an Ivy League school [a group of highly prestigious colleges and universities in the eastern US], where he took a six-week summer architecture program this year.
Grade 11 student Kyna Loughlin shared that staying in Macau is also not an option for him as he looks toward studying abroad as a means to experience different cultures.
The student said that the fair gives students an idea of what they can expect of application processes when they reach their final year.
“There are things I wouldn’t know if [the] university fair didn’t happen. Overall it’s useful and I’m glad that other schools, not just TIS, can get to participate in it,” said the student.
“Macau is not an option. I’ve been here for 12 years now. Macau is a small place; there’s not much left to discover. I really want to go to country that is big and experience different cultures,” he added.
Loughlin is also looking at joining summer programs abroad next year.
Local universities including the University of Saint Joseph and the University of Macau also participated in the fair, along with several Hong Kong universities including the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the Baptist University of Hong Kong.
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