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| WAB's Class of 2008 |
It is May and our Grade 12 students are in the midst of taking their final exams and preparing for graduation, as well as for their lives after WAB. Our 72 graduating students have a broad range of plans for next year. Some are taking a gap year to study Chinese in Beijing, while others are traveling or volunteering with NGO’s. Whether they are going directly to tertiary education or taking a gap year, the majority of students from the Class of 2008 submitted college applications.
WAB hosted a large number of visits from college representatives during the 2007/2008 school year. The admissions people were seeking to meet with our students and gain a firsthand understanding of our programs and our school community. The predominant number of visitors were from North American colleges, which traditionally visit campuses in order to make connections with students and schools. A total of 26 students have been accepted in US colleges, and eight students have received offers from Canadian schools.
Direct visits are not common practice for UK and European universities. Our students, however, were well prepared for the application process in both the UK and Europe. They received 49 offers from UK universities thus far, and eight from European colleges.
Also this year a WAB HS counselor visited several universities in Korea, and, in return, representatives from prestigious Korean universities visited WAB. The college system in Korea is now acknowledging the IB Diploma as a bona fide credential for acceptance into fine universities. While the application cycle in Korea has not quite begun for the class of 2008, five students have received offers already.
Students submitted applications to colleges and universities in 19 different countries around the world, according to the following percentages:
Region Percentage of Grade 12 Students who applied to universities in the region
US 41%
UK 23%
Canada 16%
Australia .09 % (at this point)
Other 7%
WAB students’ applications were well received, with Grade 12 students being offered an impressive number of acceptances from colleges and universities:
Region Number of Offers Made Number of Students receiving offers
US 57 26
UK 49 11
Canada 15 8
Europe 8 8
Australia* 1 1
*Australia, like Korea, has an application cycle timed to the southern hemisphere.
These figures are even more impressive considering the following:
• 70% of students who submitted applications were accepted by their first choice school
• Some students were accepted to over 6 universities each
• Every student was accepted by a university of his or her choice
• WAB students received scholarship offers from 19 North American colleges, ranging from $2,000 (USD) to $64,000 (USD)
• WAB also has our first College Board Merit Scholar
For students who submitted applications to colleges in the northern hemisphere, the long waiting time has finally passed. The majority of students, with the guidance of their parents, have made their decisions. Student choices range from the London School of Economics to St. Andrews (UK); Northwestern to Princeton (US); Ecole Hotelier to Vesalius College (Europe); and University of British Columbia to Carleton (Canada).
Our goal is to prepare students for the universities that meet their needs, offer the programs they want to pursue, and provide continued educational growth. It is a tribute to outstanding teacher effort, continual family support, and true commitment by our wonderful students that this goal has been realized to such an extent this year.
Our graduating Class of 2008 has contributed so very much to the tapestry of WAB. They leave as their legacy a vibrant commitment to social justice, the environment and the global society. How very significant that they chose to leave as their class gift the financial support for a local student to complete her three final years of high school. What a tribute to our own wonderful students and their understanding of priorities. They have struggled, they have learned, they have contributed, they have achieved.
We are very, very proud of our second graduating class, students in the Class of 2008.
Kudos to all!
Rena P. Mirkin
HS Principal