In the post-pandemic era, studying abroad is back on the radar for many families. At the same time, CCTV clearly indicated that the number of international students in China will reach a new record in 2023. That means an even harsher challenge; the new generation of Chinese students will not only have to compete directly with local students but also face a number of challenges from their compatriots.
Therefore, in order to stand out in such a competitive university application process, children should not only achieve excellent academic results in high school, but also have a clear grasp of the key factor that is regarded as important by admissions officers of top universities - Enrichment.
Enrichment is a purposeful decision by students to participate in a wide range of activities that can enhance their skillset and understanding and develop positive character traits – all of which are transferable for use in university and career. Ardingly College, Zhongshan (ACZS) focuses on 3 important aspects of enrichment which are Academic Activities (AA), Co-Curricular Activities (CCA), and Supra Curricular Activities (SCA).
It is advisable for ACZS students to participate fully in academics activities; take advantage of the opportunity to pursue university major and career related co-curricular activities in school; and devote personal time and effort to exploring Supra-curricular activities outside school to ensure that their university application stands out among those of their peers.
As a high-quality school, teachers at ACZS ensure a wide range of academic activities are imbedded into their subject syllabus calendar to support students’ learning and provide them with opportunities to apply their knowledge and skills throughout the school year. Taking science as an example, students could engage in individual or group research projects, national and international scholarly competitions, science lectures, university laboratory visits, or industry fields trips.
Part of ACZS’s inquiry-based approach to learning is to provide students an environment whereby they can put into practice what has been learned in the classroom. This means giving every student the chance to apply textbook theory and/or skills developed in the classroom to real life, practical situations from which their understanding of what has been learned becomes deeper and their newly found skills more acute.
By incorporating academic activities into the syllabus on a regular basis, it compliments and supports the students’ ability to not only acquire knowledge, but also and equally important, it enhances the individual’s capability to apply what has been learned to circumstances and challenges beyond the classroom.
At ACZS International High School, these are activities that begin immediately after the academic school day ends and may last for one or two periods depending on the activity.
CCAs are activities that include but are not limited to school clubs, sports teams, competitions, discussion groups, community activity, volunteering and more. These can be categorised as being activities either offered by the school and staff, or those created and run by students either independently or with support from the school. Take a school magazine as an example. This could be a club offered by the school or one that is established by the students themselves with the latter supported in terms of resources provided by the school.
The reason all students should engage in CCAs is that they provide them with several benefits ranging from developing much sort-after ‘soft skills’ such as collaboration, creativity, and communication to discovering new talents and areas of interest to be further explored.
It is important, however, for students and parents to understand that universities do not want to read a lengthy ‘shopping list’ of CCAs in a student’s application to university. Instead, admissions officers look for specific activities that provide opportunities to develop understanding and skills that are transferable and will support the student’s study in their intended major in university.
For example, if a student wants to major in economics in university, participating in CCA economic discussion groups and ASDAN competitions will provide them with skills and understanding that will enhance their personal portfolio and application to university. Hence, students should carefully select and participate in specific CCAs throughout their time in high school that provide increased understanding and skills to be used in their intended major and career.
Supra-curricular (SCAs) are different in type and purpose from CCAs, but they are equally important in enhancing students’ application to university. These are activities that students would generally pursue in their own time, which could be after school, at the weekend, or during a holiday period.
So, what are supra-curricular activities? SCAs are activities that go beyond the classroom and school day. They included but are not limited to wider and deeper subject reading, independent subject research, attending subject lectures, participating in additional subject courses, conducting subject experiments and more.
All high school students should engage in SCAs as they demonstrate a deeper commitment to and understanding of a particular major to university admission’s officers; provide a wealth of knowledge for university admission interviews; and offer the chance for students to discover new areas of genuine interest within their favoured discipline.
Similar to CCA choices, students should look to engage in specific SCAs that focus only on their intended major or career. This is important because time allocated to such activities will likely be relatively longer compared to a CCA, so choosing SCAs carefully will ensure students spend their valuable free time efficiently on activities that will enhance their profile and ultimately strengthen their application to university.
Achieving top academic grades in high school is certainly an important and necessary component in the university application process, however, engaging in enrichment activities during high school is equally important.
Thus, it is advisable for students to participate fully in academics activities; take advantage of the opportunity to pursue university major and career related co-curricular activities in school; and devote personal time and effort to exploring supra-curricular activities outside school to ensure that their university application stands out among those of their peers!
