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College guidance plays crucial role at SUIS Wan Yuan
February 27, 2013, Wednesday
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IT is the first day of the second semester at Shanghai United International School's Wan Yuan US High School campus (SUIS Wan Yuan), which opened its doors to students in August 2012. It is a cold, grey afternoon, with the morning's blanket of snow just beginning to melt, but the new class of 9th grade students is deeply engaged getting to know each other in their Global Studies class, and nervous excitement is palpable in the air.
The students work in pairs, interviewing one another then introducing their partners' backgrounds, hobbies and hopes for their education at SUIS. Two teachers are present, as is Richard Eaton, one of Wan Yuan's co-principals. One young student shares that her partner is "worried about (his) future," and this reminds the adults and students of the importance and challenges of college guidance.
Thankfully, SUIS Wan Yuan has just welcomed its new College and University Guidance Officer, Nancy Ku, who also teaches Social Studies. Ku is a native of Taiwan, but was raised in Shanghai, first attending Yew Chung International School, and then completing grades 6 through 12 at Shanghai American School's Puxi campus. Ku went on to earn an undergraduate degree from Brown University and a Master of Education from Harvard University. She joins a leadership team that includes Eaton, who also attended an international school growing up in the Netherlands, and Assistant Principal, Raina Lin, who along with Eaton is a graduate of the University of Michigan. As a truly "East meets West" team and graduates of top American universities, as well as being international school alumni, they are in a unique position to understand and support the needs of students at SUIS Wan Yuan.
While building the college guidance program, Ku and her colleagues will take a developmental approach, not only a results-oriented one. They will encourage students to make the best use of their high school years to reach their full potential - to grow as intellectually curious scholars, individuals passionate about their extracurricular interests, leaders deeply engaged with their school and local communities, and finally, human beings with an international perspective, who respect others and are truly committed to making a positive impact on the world.
"Of course, these are the qualities that top US colleges and universities also seek in their students, but kids must develop themselves because doing so has intrinsic value, not because it is a means to the ends," says Ku.
Grounded in the above educational philosophy, the Wan Yuan team, spearheaded by Ku, will provide important information and relevant activities for college admissions to the students, parents and teachers who may not already be familiar with the process.
SUIS Wan Yuan offers Chinese and international students an American high school education with a global perspective, and prides itself on its "East-Meets-West" model where the mixed Chinese and Western faculty cooperate to provide cohesive support for students. This can be seen throughout Wan Yuan - from the leadership team to the structure of the aforementioned Global Studies class, where a student's concern about his future led to a brief discussion about the school's college guidance resources.
As Eaton points out, "The College and University Guidance Program will not only provide one-on-one college advising for students, but also work closely with subject teachers, homeroom teachers, the pastoral leaders, principals and most saliently parents to ensure that students hear a consistent message regarding the importance of excelling in both academics and extra-curricular activities."
"There is a plethora of Chinese students applying to college with amazing grades; consequently, our job becomes helping them stand out, if not excel in other areas, which has advantages that extend beyond the college application process," says Ku.
"Ultimately, college admissions ... is about finding an institution where the student will spend four happy and successful years, then graduate as a stronger, wiser and morecapable human being."
The students work in pairs, interviewing one another then introducing their partners' backgrounds, hobbies and hopes for their education at SUIS. Two teachers are present, as is Richard Eaton, one of Wan Yuan's co-principals. One young student shares that her partner is "worried about (his) future," and this reminds the adults and students of the importance and challenges of college guidance.
Thankfully, SUIS Wan Yuan has just welcomed its new College and University Guidance Officer, Nancy Ku, who also teaches Social Studies. Ku is a native of Taiwan, but was raised in Shanghai, first attending Yew Chung International School, and then completing grades 6 through 12 at Shanghai American School's Puxi campus. Ku went on to earn an undergraduate degree from Brown University and a Master of Education from Harvard University. She joins a leadership team that includes Eaton, who also attended an international school growing up in the Netherlands, and Assistant Principal, Raina Lin, who along with Eaton is a graduate of the University of Michigan. As a truly "East meets West" team and graduates of top American universities, as well as being international school alumni, they are in a unique position to understand and support the needs of students at SUIS Wan Yuan.
While building the college guidance program, Ku and her colleagues will take a developmental approach, not only a results-oriented one. They will encourage students to make the best use of their high school years to reach their full potential - to grow as intellectually curious scholars, individuals passionate about their extracurricular interests, leaders deeply engaged with their school and local communities, and finally, human beings with an international perspective, who respect others and are truly committed to making a positive impact on the world.
"Of course, these are the qualities that top US colleges and universities also seek in their students, but kids must develop themselves because doing so has intrinsic value, not because it is a means to the ends," says Ku.
Grounded in the above educational philosophy, the Wan Yuan team, spearheaded by Ku, will provide important information and relevant activities for college admissions to the students, parents and teachers who may not already be familiar with the process.
SUIS Wan Yuan offers Chinese and international students an American high school education with a global perspective, and prides itself on its "East-Meets-West" model where the mixed Chinese and Western faculty cooperate to provide cohesive support for students. This can be seen throughout Wan Yuan - from the leadership team to the structure of the aforementioned Global Studies class, where a student's concern about his future led to a brief discussion about the school's college guidance resources.
As Eaton points out, "The College and University Guidance Program will not only provide one-on-one college advising for students, but also work closely with subject teachers, homeroom teachers, the pastoral leaders, principals and most saliently parents to ensure that students hear a consistent message regarding the importance of excelling in both academics and extra-curricular activities."
"There is a plethora of Chinese students applying to college with amazing grades; consequently, our job becomes helping them stand out, if not excel in other areas, which has advantages that extend beyond the college application process," says Ku.
"Ultimately, college admissions ... is about finding an institution where the student will spend four happy and successful years, then graduate as a stronger, wiser and morecapable human being."
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