“10 Years at CIS, On My Way to NYU”
Canadian International School of Guangzhou
2023-03-17
Talking to our Grade 12 student Ryan, sometimes it’s hard to believe that this young man is so mature and responsible, even though he just turned 18 this month. As one of the founding students of CIS, Ryan has spent the past 10 years growing alongside CIS. This year upon graduation, he has made CIS history by receiving his dream offer — and CIS’ first offer — from the prestigious New York University.
We took some time to sit down with Ryan as he walked us though his journey here at CIS.
The Key to Dream University: Academic Excellence
Our first part of conversation, without doubt, is about his NYU offer. Ranked No.25 in US NEWS, NYU is the dream school of many students, and it is renowned for its diverse educational opportunities in one of the most attractive cities in the world. Ryan’s acceptance comes from the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development, which is among the top in the US of all 17 faculties at NYU.
In recent years, NYU’s acceptance rate has gone from over 30% in 2017, to nearly 12% in 2022, making it more challenging for international applicants. Despite the intense competition, the key to Ryan’s success remains quite simple: A flawless GPA and a brilliant, unwavering work ethic.
Starting from Grade 10, Ryan has averaged over 95% in all his subjects.
With his powerful academic record, he also attended a summer program at Columbia University last summer about “Understanding Human Behaviour”, further demonstrating his research skills and thinking about Psychology.
“Along with other group members, I designed an online intervention questionnaire that aimed to reduce implicit racial bias via showing the questionnaire participants videos that would evoke empathy and imply racial equality. By comparing the control group and the experimental group, we found that the intervention significantly reduced the participants' implicit racial bias, which was measured by the Harvard IAT (lmplicit Association Test). Moreover, statistical analysis corroborated the validity of our results.”
The Key to Academic Excellence: The Right Competition
At CIS, our pursuit of academic excellence is based on our profound understanding of the uniqueness of each student.
Back in his Junior High days, Ryan, like many teenagers, had the same hesitation with all the opportunities and uncertainties ahead of him. But with the right motivation from his teachers, he gained a sense of accomplishment every single time he outperformed himself (or his friends). Just like one of his classmates said: ‘Being friends with Ryan makes you want to work even harder.’ This friendly and positive competition propelled Ryan to thrive for excellence every day in his projects, class assignments, exams, and ultimately, his application to universities.
Ryan in Biology-30 class doing brain dissection.
“Ryan is very mature for his age and approaches his studies with great seriousness. He is eager, hardworking, and truly invested in his education and learning for the sake of knowledge, not simply grades. He is very often an advocate for his peers and a strong leader not only in his cohort but in the wider school community. His strong work ethic, tenacity, and desire to learn new things prepare him ideally for taking the next steps into post-secondary studies.”
—— Ms. Ross, Ryan’s HS teacher
Out of the Comfort Zone, Into the Global Society
Ryan has witnessed CIS expand from just a couple of students in one classroom to a fully-established K-12 Alberta Accredited International School. Things have changed a lot over the last few years, and as a student, he felt that deeply, especially given the ever-changing nature of our learning and teaching community. “Changes are inevitable and often it means growth. This is when I know I need to learn to adapt and be independent,” Ryan said. These core competencies are exactly what CIS students need to learn to lead in a global society.
Ryan co-hosting the annual CIS Winter Festival with his classmate and teachers.
Another advantage of studying at an international school like CIS also includes the opportunity to meet people from all over the world at such a young age! Being friends with peers from over 40 nationalities develops CIS students’ international mindset and helps us understand that every single person is a unique puzzle composed of pieces of language, personality, life experiences, knowledge, and emotions. “My English has gotten better by just talking to friends and teachers,” Ryan said. Change is challenging for sure, but by stepping out of the comfort zone, our students acquire cultural know-how and self-confidence, helping them fit into a rapidly changing global society with an independent and inclusive mind.
Ryan’s holistic success at CIS has positively shaped his perspectives and aspirations about his upcoming journey to NYU. Even though he is still very busy with Grade 12 Diploma courses, he is already preparing for NYU this autumn.
Ryan’s independence, ambition and curiosity about diversity and culture has truly paved the path for him to study Psychology. It also goes without saying that he truly embodies the CIS motto “Learn Today, Lead Tomorrow”.
Thank you, Ryan, for your insights. We wish you all the best in New York, and CIS will always cheer for you as you embark on your journey to make the world a better place. #GrizzlyForLife #CISForever
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