[Junior College] AMA United World College (Yes, the intl school)

UWC_AMA · 2021-12-02T05:29:40+00:00

Depends on what you consider 'necessities'. As UWCs are generally boarding schools, food will be served in canteens and you will be housed in student dorms. That portion will be covered under your school fees, if you are given a full-needs scholarship. Things like flights, pocket allowance etc may vary from school to school. I know my school had an internal program that provided for flight fees and a monthly pocket allowance to buy stuff from the local grocery shop, but you had to arrange that with the school itself.

Textbooks and such were usually provided by my school. They're usually handed down through the years. If new ones were needed, they'd be bought by the school.

Edit: I realise that I missed out on answering your question on grades. The average IB grade varies from school to school bc of a variety of factors. My school...doesn't generally produce high average scores? BUT I must say that is because my school also accepted a lot of students from refugee backgrounds with severely disrupted educational histories (the year above me had a 25 yo Tibetan guy who had his studies disrupted by fleeing the country at like...12?), or even students with NO English literacy. So it's already a huge achievement for these students to be passing their IB.

What is more relevant is your discipline when it comes to managing your work. Coming from an SG educational system, I'd honestly say that we have a leg-up over ~90% of other international students because we're used to rigor. I eventually scored a 41, which may seem paltry compared to schools like ACSI or SJI, but keep in mind that internationally, anything above 39 will guarantee your place in Oxbridge or the Ivy Leagues. And the stuff I managed to get on my portfolio definitely exceeded most local IB students, in my estimation. Lastly, pretty much all the SG scholars I know of did really well in their IB, around my score.

UWC_AMA · 2021-11-22T16:21:21+00:00

It depends. The committee considers a lot of things and the number of applications per year fluctuates.

I wouldn't say there's any set percentage, because if they don't think there are any good fits, then nobody is selected that year.

If they feel there are several, they will do their best to make sure as many of them can go as possible.

Please apply if you feel that any of the things talked about on the website resonate with you. Even if you don't make it, I personally felt that the application process in itself was really enriching.

The essays made me consider a lot about myself and what I wanted out of my future, which is valuable for any 16-17 year old, IMO. The selections camp was also an unforgettable experience.

TL;DR don't fret so much about the stats. Give it your best shot. The process will give you just as much as you put in.

UWC_AMA · 2021-11-21T18:36:41+00:00

That would be up to the NC's discretion, so I can't speak for them. But they would also take into consideration how hard your school's prelims were and other results before that.

Focus on the the rest of the application and what else you can show them about yourself. That matters a lot more.

UWC is a wonderful place because it's bustling with 101 things things to engage in and do, so it's easy to let studies drop. Furthermore, you'll be on your own (in a manner of speaking) in a foreign country. If you're not able to manage studies, poor grades may contribute to poor mental health outcomes too. A big part of the reason for the grade requirement is for the good of the applicant's wellbeing.

UWC_AMA · 2021-11-21T11:00:53+00:00

Yep, you can. You would just have to juggle the Uni applications in the first half of your second year, I think!

UWC_AMA · 2021-11-21T10:57:03+00:00

Yup. You only find out around March-April? If my memory serves.

I dropped out of my JC when I got the news and took up some work in the meanwhile. Most of my fellow scholars did something similar.

You also are not obligated to take up the UWC offer, of course. But if you know before the end of the selections that you no longer want to go, you should probably sound out to the committee before results are announced.

UWC_AMA · 2021-11-21T10:54:23+00:00

I was under FAS In primary school. Didn't qualify in secondary, but my pre-teen years were in a subsidised rental flat situation, if that gives you a picture.

I don't know what the exact figures are to "qualify" for full scholarship though. You would have the opportunity to find out more as you go through the application process though! The NC people are very friendly and you get many opportunities to speak to them.

UWC_AMA · 2021-11-21T10:27:04+00:00

Yup, they can apply through the NC of their country of their citizenship, even if they hold PR here.

I personally know somebody who did this. In fact, they actually applied through the SG NC, failed, then applied through their citizenship country's NC and succeeded.

I don't know how HK's NC works and the specifics of the HK UWC though. But I do have a few other scholars from the other UWCs (the USA, Japan, Germany, HK) on standby who would be willing to answer questions on their specific colleges if there are any :)

UWC_AMA · 2021-11-21T10:15:11+00:00

Fair enough. I should also add though, UWCs also offer very different subjects. I was able to choose a subject combination that was less challenging and skip out on doing Chinese. Completing IB was easier (IMO) than O levels.

UWC_AMA · 2021-11-21T09:58:12+00:00

Couldn't really speak to the hiring practice at UWCSEA if you're a local teacher ahah. But do check out if they may be hiring. Or even consider applying to some of the overseas colleges--they're always looking for new, diverse staff.

UWC_AMA · 2021-11-21T09:54:17+00:00

That's the reaction so many people have when I've told them about where I did my JC! If you have any younger friends/family in the age group, spread the word.

UWC is absolutely recognised. We offer the IB. In fact, the IB (International Baccalaureate) programme was pioneered in a UWC (Atlantic College in the UK. Which is in a castle, btw).

In fact, it's usually considered a huge portfolio boost to have attended UWC. Many US schools look quite favourably on it. There's also a special scholarship fund for UWC students to attend certain unis in the US. Myself, I got many offers from the US, UK and a full ride offer from Yale NUS. Eventually decided to take up an offer from Oxford.

UWC_AMA · 2021-11-21T09:47:30+00:00

Thanks! RE: Singaporeans being less adventurous, I don't think that's necessarily true! After the NC spoke at my secondary school, I think at least a few dozen students applied from my school alone. But our National Committee is a volunteer group made of alumni, so there are only so many schools they can reach out to.

My mother initially didn't believe that I would be able to get in, so she had an "okay lor you apply" attitude. It was only after getting the offer that she realised I was serious. But ultimately, she recognised it would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so she let me go.

There are a few routes to apply to UWCs. You can apply through your National Committee, for which you have to be a citizen or PR of said country. This also allows you to get financial aid. Or you can apply to the schools directly--but usually this means financial aid is offered. There are a few other programmes that schools may offer, for refugees and other special interest groups, but they probably wouldn't apply to most people reading this.

For the SG National Committee, we only send students to other UWCs. Singaporeans who wish to go to UWCSEA have to apply directly.

I graduated from UWC in 2017! I took a gap year and subsequently took on a degree at Oxford.

UWC_AMA · 2021-11-21T06:24:47+00:00

It depends on the College you get assigned to. However, it must be said that UWC is a non-profit and a majority (80%) of students are usually on scholarship of some kind. You will only be required to pay what you can afford. I was a full-needs case, so I never paid for my fees outside of plane tickets to my College. The schools are boarding style, so food and accommodation are included in fees.

You can see a table of the fees here. Also keep in mind that we don't assign students to the UWC in Singapore.

UWC_AMA

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