<p>Hey!
I'm planning on applying to the United World Colleges next year and i was wondering if anyone around here is going there or has been admitted before.
I was wondering if you could basically tell me about the expierence and how the whole thing is, also i'm very curious to know about your application process, what do you usally get asked for during the interviews, and if you went to the camps they do what activities did you do?, and how does the whole giving scholarships and sending you to one college works.
I'm also thinking about what's good for curriculum, right now for my community service i'm working with a recycling program, i'm getting work at a library, with a social worker getting food for needed people, and a program protecting turtles, and maybe helping out at an orphanage, so i was just wondering if that sounded any good, and maybe if you could help me out with some tips, suggestions, and maybe ideas to give my application and curriculum the edge i need. I trully am working hard for this because right now it means the world.
And you have no idea how much i would love your help!
Nicole</p>
<p>Is this a college?</p>
<p>Nah, more like a sixth form school. Very good, actually.</p>
<p>I think there may be a thread about the UWC in the study abroad forum. If you do a search on the site, you may be able to find some information.</p>
<p>Nicole I attended the UWC in New Mexico and it was the best choice of my entire life. </p>
<p>They look for motivated studetns who want to learn from others but share with others too. Good grades and strong extracurriculars of course help but they have to be genuine. An interest in current affairs will also help as sometiems in the interviews they will ask about it. </p>
<p>you need to know not only why you want to go and what the school will do for you, but what you will do for the school and the movement. </p>
<p>If you want any further explanations I will be happy to reply to any messages.</p>
<p>But I would say definitely go for it and apply.</p>
<p>I attended the UWC in Wales and I would say the same thing as ssl332. It was, at risk of sounding clich</p>
<p>Nicole,</p>
<p>I graduated from the UWC in New Mexico back in 2001 and I look back at the experience now as probably the best experience of my life. The aspect of the college I enjoyed the most was the true absence on any cultural norms on campus. Everyone was free to really develop a self of self alongside some of the most talented people I’ve ever met.</p>
<p>Feel free to send me an email if you have any specific questions. Best of luck with your application process.</p>
<p>Mike</p>
<p>With all of the study abroad opportunities that turn out to be junk mail, it’s nice to hear that UWC is actually legitimate! I’m really considering applying.*</p>
<p>To those who have attended, I’m wondering how selective you’d say the application process is. Were you guys top of your class in high school? What sorts of standardized test scores did you have? And lastly, I’m wondering how much of UWC’s admittance decision is based on community service. I enjoy volunteering, but in these past few years I haven’t found any volunteer work that I’m as passionate about as working to establish peace between cultures. And I’ve never been quite sure how to go about doing that.</p>
<p>Any advice would be extremely helpful.
Thanks!*</p>
<p>For US students, it’s quite selective. If I have the figures right, I was one of ~400 students that applied in my year. Of those 400, 100 were chosen for the interviews. Of those 100, 50 were chosen to attend the various UWCs.</p>
<p>Justin</p>
<p>Justin,</p>
<p>My impression is that UWC-USA is a great school and stands apart from all other boarding schools in some very interesting ways. I imagine it’s a terrific fit for certain kids.</p>
<p>On the other hand, my sense is that there is not a well developed athletic program. I think there may be some club soccer and perhaps a smattering of low key athletic activity, but I think that’s about it? Since you have direct knowledge, interested to know your characterization of sports at UWC.</p>
<p>Hi! How are you?
So, basically, I heard about UWC through - well, I can’t quite remember - but I was instantly hooked on the idea of attending. Fortunately one of my cousin’s friends had attended a UWC so I got onto email with her, and practically griller her with ridiculous questions! I’d love to go, especially to the one in Victoria as I have family based nearby in Vancouver and Washington State and although part of the experience is living alone, I do believe that I need family support!</p>
<p>Anyhow, that was irrelevant, I was just wondering a few things and was hoping that maybe someone who has already attended could clue me in! </p>
<p>Well, I’m 14 and in ninth grade at an MYP/IB international school - will this lower my chance of being accepted?
I’m not THE smartest teen in my grade but I current have a grade average of 6.375/7.0 (MYP grading system) - that’s actually pretty good, I’d say! You could do a lot worse! </p>
<p>Do they accept applicants based solely on school grades because I was also on the soccer team, am currently on the basketball team, I am my Homeroom representative for Student Council and I’ve climbed a mountain and am an alternate for this years climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, hopefully will be able to go next year! I really want to go because I love the idea of living with people from all around the world and hearing their opinions on everything that’s currently happening in the world today - oh okay, I read the newspaper!! </p>
<p>Anyway, I also wanted to know what life at UWC is like. I’m a bit obsessed so I’ve stalked the entire Lester B. Pearson UWC website, but am eager to know more and hear from someone who’s had first hand experience! Is it worth it? What’s life like there? Do you get homesick? What’s up with the rooming situation? </p>
<p>I get excited just thinking of the idea of attending UWC - yep, I think I’m crazy! </p>
<p>I’d really appreciate it if you could take just a tad bit of time to reply to this post!! </p>
<p>Thank you so much :)</p>
<p>PS: Please don’t just say that it was an amazing experience, blahdy blah - I’ve actually heard that a million times. If you do say that please can you explain WHY it was an amazing experiencee! Thanks a billion!!</p>
<p>Tristan2: Sorry it’s taken me so long to get back to you. I don’t really check the forums often.</p>
<p>Sports at Atlantic College wasn’t really all that intense. A physical activity of some sort was required for one or two terms (a term being the equivalent of a semester), but it wasn’t really entirely serious. I did a sort of conditioning activity in third term for my physical and stopped going after a few weeks. No one ever said anything to me about it, including my teacher who was one of the activity leaders.</p>
<p>While there’s the opportunity to engage in student and staff-lead sports/fitness activities and keep up physical fitness if that’s important to you, I wouldn’t recommend you attend a UWC if sports is your thing, at least not AC.</p>
<p>collegecrazy:): Your grades and activities sound good. The only thing I’d suggest, if you don’t already, is to participate in some sort of community service where you live. A big part of the UWCs is service to the local community.</p>
<p>I don’t think that attending an IB school prior to applying to a UWC will affect your application either way.</p>
<p>Grades are important but your ECs are also important. It’s also important that you demonstrate a strong desire to study abroad.</p>
<p>As for your other questions, the answers will depend entirely on the individual. This is partly because the experience at any UWC is largely what you make of it.</p>
<p>If I had to give general answers based on personal experience, though, I would say that it’s definitely “worth it” and was a character-defining part of my life.</p>
<p>While I was at AC (and this isn’t necessarily the case any longer as the new administration is playing around with the schedule) there were classes from 0800 to 1315 from Monday through Friday, along with an evening code of one hour on Mondays and Fridays. Students don’t attend all codes and I had at least one free code every day. After class was lunch and then service from 1400 to 1600. Then dinner, possibly an activity, depending on the day, and free time unless there’s a student or school organized activity that night. I didn’t find the schedule to be that intense, but I also wasn’t taking the most rigorous classes and my service was pretty easy.</p>
<p>I don’t know how it is at other UWCs, but at AC there are 7 residential houses, each with about 50 students and a house parent couple. The houses are split into male and female corridors, with a quiet/study room or two and a communal kitchen/living room. Each room has 4-5 students in it, each of which has a closet, bed, shelves and small nightstand/dresser. It’s not a lot, but it’s enough. You don’t really spend much time in your room anyway. I hardly spent any time in my room apart from when I was sleeping.</p>
<p>As for getting homesick, I can’t answer that question for you. If you are very attached to your parents, friends and home then it’s likely you’ll get homesick. However, it’s natural and shouldn’t dissuade you from wanting to attend a UWC. Personally, I didn’t get homesick at all but I know quite a few students did. They got into academics and college life and got over it.</p>
<p>If you have any other questions please PM me and I’ll do my best to answer.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Justin</p>
<p>after i found out UWCs existence, it become my dream too =D unfortunately, in my country there are like 300 kids applying for 7 scholarships 
our process is a bit different, and unfortunately more competitive too. good luck for everyone applying!</p>
<p>Attending UWC is my biggest dream! Since the applications will soon be online, what are some things that are good to include? Also, what kind of questions are on the application? Do they take into consideration which college(s) you would rather attend? My top 1 is AC, put people say that weather in Whales is very rainy/cloudy/not a whole lot of sun. Is it true and if it is, (for those who attended AC) does it change anything to your mood or lifestyle? Thanks!
ee1926p :)</p>
<p>@ee1926p hey! I’m in the same boat as you currently, and I don’t really have answers, but I wanted to point you towards this thread:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/study-abroad/1369750-uwc-applicants-2013-school-year.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/study-abroad/1369750-uwc-applicants-2013-school-year.html</a>
it’s new for this year and I don’t think I’ve seen you there. anyway, it’s where most of the current UWC discussion is going on. I’m really really hoping the app is up when it says it will be! one more day, at most!</p>
<p>I am going to apply for UWC-USA this year and I was wondering what they are really looking for. I have heard that only extremely intellectual people get in and people have a very small chance of getting in, but I don’t know how competitive people from US are about UWC. SO could you please let me know how I should prepare. Thank you!</p>
<p>I applied but was rejected. Whatever- go DA!</p>
<p>Hi! I’m 13 years old and in 8th Grade at an IB school. My awesome science teacher last year recommended me to think about going to a UWC somewhere because he said it would be better for me to study and hang out with others on my level of thinking. My school is attended by…well, you could say not the brightest people around and my peers tend to be rather childish and I sometimes feel frustrated. Since I live as an expat child in the Middle East, my parents would like me to go to the UWC in Singapore. Do UWCs offer scholarships to students as young as me? Thanks.</p>
<p>I’m from Taiwan.I’m planning to apply uwc but there is no uwc national committee here.What am I supposed to do?</p>