As testament to the hard work, dedication and determination of our GIS sixth formers, many of them have received some incredible offers from some of the world’s best universities.
As such, we continue to celebrate these achievements by hearing from some of the students themselves. We caught up with some more of our Year 13 students to find out more about their passions, their offers and the exciting university paths that lie ahead.
Alisa Avdic
What are you passionate about?
Expressing individuality through fashion while remaining sustainably conscious is a great passion of mine. I enjoy the creativity that comes with styling outfits, but the health of our planet is equally important to me so upcycling clothes and finding sustainable businesses to support have become a big part of my life.
What do you aspire to do in the future?
I’d love to contribute to the sustainable fashion scene from a technological aspect. I see myself developing and using AI-enhanced technology to encourage the innovation of fashion designers without sacrificing the health of our planet but instead uniting them in such a way where both can flourish and be achieved.
What offers have you received?
I was offered a full scholarship to Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) to study BSc Risk Management and Business Intelligence, but instead have accepted an offer for VU Amsterdam to study BSc Artificial Intelligence
Describe GIS in three words
Student-focused, forward-thinking and nurturing.
Sonny Ku
What are you passionate about?
I love to explore and carry out independent research on various topics in Astrophysics & Astronomy. I also love problem-solving, whether it be through competitive programming or small coding projects!
What offers have you received?
I’ve received offers from University of Manchester (BEng Computer Science), Northeastern University with a Dean’s Scholarship of $64,000 (B.S. Computer Science and University of Massachusetts Amherst with Chancellor’s Award of $64,000 (B.S. Computer Science). I also have an interview at Imperial (MEng Computer Science with Software Engineering)
How has GIS brought out the best in you?
GIS has a lot of CCAs ranging from sports to academic clubs. I’m able to diversify my time here at GIS and get a balance of all the essentials – entertainment, academic rigour and mental/physical wellbeing. In addition, you can even start your own clubs here! My peers and I started an academic club called the Science Society where we host weekly sessions on various topics in the three Sciences. Doing this has allowed me to explore my subjects beyond the curriculum, and to share my passion with other students from different year groups!
I’d like to shout out to the Maths department at GIS for being super dedicated! Thanks to them, I’ve been able to participate in competitions (UKMT, KMC, SEAMC, etc.), Senior/Turbo Maths Club and other fun events!
Lastly, the amazing support system for Higher Education guidance has definitely taken a lot of stress and pressure off my shoulders. I’d like to thank my HE guidance counsellor (Mrs Phillips), form tutor (Mr Henderson), Head of Sixth Form (Dr Browning) and Head of Year 13 (Mr Robinson) for assisting me with the questions I’ve had about the entire university applications process
Sahana Kaur
Where do your interests lie?
I’m really interested in politics, human rights, and climate action — and more specifically, how policy can be used to institutionalise human rights and sustainability.
What university offers have you received?
I’ve been offered the Pogue Scholarship at UNC- Chapel Hill and the Chancellor’s Scholarship for Vanderbilt University. In addition, I have an offer from University of Michigan and have interviewed at Yale, Columbia, Stanford, Duke, UPenn, Cornell and Georgetown.
How would you describe GIS?
GIS provides a holistic education — there are so many opportunities to engage in applied academics, leadership, and projects, and this is what makes it so special.
Avantika Gupta
What are you passionate about?
My main passion lies in computer science, and I’m interested in fields such as neural computation and machine learning, particularly the creation and applications of artificial neural networks. I also like learning about innovative ways technology can be used for environmental protection and sustainability, something I am keen to continue exploring at university.
What university offers have you received?
I have offers to study Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Purdue University (in the Honors College), the University of Michigan, and the University of Toronto (with a $100k scholarship). I also just received an offer from University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign, for Computer Science.
What has been the best thing about studying at GIS?
The support system created within the GIS community, between peers, teachers, form tutors, counsellors, HE advisors, and more, who are always willing to help students with everything from the intricacies of university applications to the challenges of A-levels. A lot of time and effort is dedicated to hosting positive education sessions for students, ranging from topics like mental wellbeing to revision techniques, and a lot of teachers go above and beyond to mentor and motivate students.
Beatrice Khor
What are you passionate about?
My passion is music; in particular, classical and jazz piano. Playing the piano is far more than an activity for me. I make music everyday purely for the bliss of it, as well as the intellectual stimulation it invokes in me. It is incredibly rewarding that I am able to explore the complex, multifaceted masterpieces constructed by composers like Chopin and Beethoven that I’ve always wanted to learn. When I want to entertain my family and friends, it is really cool that I can do this by playing the Tik Tok songs, movie soundtracks, and oldies that everyone can understand and relate to.
What university offers have you received?
For the US, I’ve received an offer from the Berklee School of Music in Boston; as for the UK, Bristol and Glasgow have also offered me a place!
What is the best part of being at GIS?
I truly enjoy school life at GIS; the support I receive from my teachers, classmates and friends is incomparable. Every day is an opportunity to learn something new and to connect with people- something that is really special to me.
Alisa Avdic
What are you passionate about?
Expressing individuality through fashion while remaining sustainably conscious is a great passion of mine. I enjoy the creativity that comes with styling outfits, but the health of our planet is equally important to me so upcycling clothes and finding sustainable businesses to support have become a big part of my life.
What do you aspire to do in the future?
I’d love to contribute to the sustainable fashion scene from a technological aspect. I see myself developing and using AI-enhanced technology to encourage the innovation of fashion designers without sacrificing the health of our planet but instead uniting them in such a way where both can flourish and be achieved.
What offers have you received?
I was offered a full scholarship to Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) to study BSc Risk Management and Business Intelligence, but instead have accepted an offer for VU Amsterdam to study BSc Artificial Intelligence
Describe GIS in three words
Student-focused, forward-thinking and nurturing.
Sonny Ku
What are you passionate about?
I love to explore and carry out independent research on various topics in Astrophysics & Astronomy. I also love problem-solving, whether it be through competitive programming or small coding projects!
What offers have you received?
I’ve received offers from University of Manchester (BEng Computer Science), Northeastern University with a Dean’s Scholarship of $64,000 (B.S. Computer Science and University of Massachusetts Amherst with Chancellor’s Award of $64,000 (B.S. Computer Science). I also have an interview at Imperial (MEng Computer Science with Software Engineering)
How has GIS brought out the best in you?
GIS has a lot of CCAs ranging from sports to academic clubs. I’m able to diversify my time here at GIS and get a balance of all the essentials – entertainment, academic rigour and mental/physical wellbeing. In addition, you can even start your own clubs here! My peers and I started an academic club called the Science Society where we host weekly sessions on various topics in the three Sciences. Doing this has allowed me to explore my subjects beyond the curriculum, and to share my passion with other students from different year groups!
I’d like to shout out to the Maths department at GIS for being super dedicated! Thanks to them, I’ve been able to participate in competitions (UKMT, KMC, SEAMC, etc.), Senior/Turbo Maths Club and other fun events!
Lastly, the amazing support system for Higher Education guidance has definitely taken a lot of stress and pressure off my shoulders. I’d like to thank my HE guidance counsellor (Mrs Phillips), form tutor (Mr Henderson), Head of Sixth Form (Dr Browning) and Head of Year 13 (Mr Robinson) for assisting me with the questions I’ve had about the entire university applications process
Sahana Kaur
Where do your interests lie?
I’m really interested in politics, human rights, and climate action — and more specifically, how policy can be used to institutionalise human rights and sustainability.
What university offers have you received?
I’ve been offered the Pogue Scholarship at UNC- Chapel Hill and the Chancellor’s Scholarship for Vanderbilt University. In addition, I have an offer from University of Michigan and have interviewed at Yale, Columbia. Stanford, Duke, UPenn, Cornell and Georgetown.
How would you describe GIS?
GIS provides a holistic education — there are so many opportunities to engage in applied academics, leadership, and projects, and this is what makes it so special.
Avantika Gupta
What are you passionate about?
My main passion lies in computer science, and I’m interested in fields such as neural computation and machine learning, particularly the creation and applications of artificial neural networks. I also like learning about innovative ways technology can be used for environmental protection and sustainability, something I am keen to continue exploring at university.
What university offers have you received?
I have offers to study Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Purdue University (in the Honors College), the University of Michigan, and the University of Toronto (with a $100k scholarship). I also just received an offer from University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign, for Computer Science.
What has been the best thing about studying at GIS?
The support system created within the GIS community, between peers, teachers, form tutors, counsellors, HE advisors, and more, who are always willing to help students with everything from the intricacies of university applications to the challenges of A-levels. A lot of time and effort is dedicated to hosting positive education sessions for students, ranging from topics like mental wellbeing to revision techniques, and a lot of teachers go above and beyond to mentor and motivate students.
Beatrice Khor
What are you passionate about?
My passion is music; in particular, classical and jazz piano. Playing the piano is far more than an activity for me. I make music everyday purely for the bliss of it, as well as the intellectual stimulation it invokes in me. It is incredibly rewarding that I am able to explore the complex, multifaceted masterpieces constructed by composers like Chopin and Beethoven that I’ve always wanted to learn. When I want to entertain my family and friends, it is really cool that I can do this by playing the Tik Tok songs, movie soundtracks, and oldies that everyone can understand and relate to.
What university offers have you received?
For the US, I’ve received an offer from the Berklee School of Music in Boston; as for the UK, Bristol and Glasgow have also offered me a place!
What is the best part of being at GIS?
I truly enjoy school life at GIS; the support I receive from my teachers, classmates and friends is incomparable. Every day is an opportunity to learn something new and to connect with people- something that is really special to me.
Thank you to all of the students featured here- we can’t wait to follow more of your journeys over the coming months. We are incredibly proud of the journeys of all of our Year 13 students and look forward to hearing more about their achievements.
Discover our Sixth Form offers >>
Top University Offers to GIS Students! Read HERE >>
Class of 2022 – Outstanding University Offers. Read HERE >>
