Iris L. The UC Berkeley Economist
On Wednesday 30th March 2022, we had the pleasure of a short interview with Iris L, a Year 13 Student at Dulwich International High School Suzhou, who has recently been awarded a place at UC Berkeley to study Economics! Considering how highly ranked UC Berkeley is, and how difficult it is to get a place there, this represents an incredible achievement.
Berkeley University of California (widely known as UC Berkeley) is an incredibly prestigious university in a highly desirable location. Established in 1868 as the University of California, its fourteen colleges and schools offer over 350 different degree programs and annually enroll 31,000 undergraduate and 12,000 graduate students. To say that Berkeley is highly ranked among the world's top universities is something of an understatement. The Economics Department at UC Berkeley is a globally acclaimed department with a powerful faculty contingent well-known for its creativity in the field.
UC Berkeley Rankings: Better than Oxford.
UC Berkeley retains its standing as the world's No. 1 public and fourth-best university overall in U.S. News & World Report's latest global rankings. Harvard, MIT, and Stanford claimed the top three spots, with the UK's University of Oxford trailing behind UC Berkeley in fifth place.
A Genuine Passion for Environmental Economics and Policy
It was clear throughout the interview with Iris L, that she had a genuine passion for Economics. This is a key requirement for a student to get a place at one of the best universities in the world. Iris told us that she had to explain her passion for economics in one of her UC Berkeley application essays:
“In one of my UC application essays, I wrote my story about how I decided what to study. Initially, my parents wanted me to study economics/ finance since they thought I could work in investment banks. I appreciated the opportunity I was given when my parents sent me to Dulwich International High School Suzhou. In my hometown, very few students know about international schools or plan to study abroad. I owe many thanks to Ms. Law (I used to be her student for two years). She didn’t only help me to lay a good foundation (I got 9 in Edexcel Economics), but we also became good friends. We shared experiences, and we always discussed international news about the environment and economics. She first introduced welfare economics to me, and my counselor Mark Coyle suggested I study public policy. After finishing my internship at the Environmental Protection Bureau and publishing a paper about educational policy, I found that I love studying those two areas, so we decided together to choose Environmental economics and policy for UCB. (Two are combined) “
It’s always fascinating to find out what motivates our students to apply to specific universities. Choosing a university is, of course, a massive choice to make that can have a profound effect on future life and career development. When we asked Iris how she choose to apply to UC Berkeley she explained that:
“Initially, I never thought about UCB. There is a perception that it is too difficult to get into since no student has ever applied for UCB successfully at our school before. “
The Role of CCA’s in University Applications
One of the goals of the Dulwich International High School Suzhou CCA program, is to help our students discover their passions, and develop lifelong hobbies and interests. Our CCA program is wide and diverse offering a huge range of different activities for our students to experience and enjoy.
Iris explained the impact of our schools CCA’s Programme in the following terms:
“When applying, I mentioned two CCAs; I attended the Spanish club and Zumba club for two years. I also participated in the Dulwich Business league (Economics related). I chose Spanish during IGCSE, and I think Spanish may be helpful because Environmental economics and policy require students to learn a foreign language. “
Feeding Stray Cats
In terms of hobbies and interests outside of school, Iris told us that there is nothing that she enjoys more than looking after cats, both her family cat and stray ones:
“I like small animals, we have a cat in our family, and we always feed stray cats in our community. I am also a small animal protection association member in our hometown. My counselor told me UC schools like applicants who are aware of their communities, one of my UC essays is about my experiences of feeding stray cats. “
Iris explained that she is a movie buff who enjoys watching all types of films, but is particularly fond of the science fiction genre:
“I like watching all kinds of films, especially science fiction films like Interstellar. I like everything about exploring space, aliens, and so on. “
Interstellar is a 2014 science fiction epic co-written, directed, and produced by Christopher Nolan. Interstellar is set in a dystopian future where humanity is struggling to survive. The film follows a group of astronauts who travel through a wormhole near Saturn in search of a new home for mankind.
How Dulwich Helped her become a better University Applicant
Iris was very clear when it came to explaining the value that being a student at Dulwich had had on her application to UC Berkeley. She told us that….
“At Dulwich International High School Suzhou, classes are relaxed and casual, and the teachers are friendly. They are supportive and professional. Students are welcome to ask questions. It's an opportunity to build good relationships with teachers. I became a good friend of Ms. Law, and we always chatted after school. She gave me a lot of suggestions about my major and essays. As a border, I had plenty of time to make friends and study by myself. I think I have become more independent and self-controlled as a result. “
How did the Counselling department support Iris?
One of the great strengths of our school is the counselling team that work together to support our students and ensure that they find the “best fit” universities for their unique and individual needs. Iris was full of praise for her university counsellor (Mr. Coyle) and the counselling department in general. She told us that:
“My counselor is very professional and responsible. When doing ED, he helped me revise my essays word by word. No matter RDs or EDs, he still has the same serious attitude. I could easily reach other counselors during the counseling class to help, so feel free to ask them questions, even if you are not their assigned student. “
What advice do you have for younger students at Dulwich?
One of the nice things about interviews with Y13 students is that they are always more than happy to share the benefits of their experience at Dulwich, and some of the wisdom they have gained over the years that they have been at our school. This was the advice that Iris has for younger students:
“Don't waste your time! Find and develop your hobbies. It's better to stick to specific CCAs and activities, so you can show the Admissions Officer your persistence. Be independent, both in your studies and in life. Try and develop good relationships with teachers; they will give you valuable suggestions. Feel free to talk to your teachers! They are always here to help! “
It was great talking to Iris, and it’s always encouraging to hear from such passionate and focused students. We can’t wait to see how Iris gets on at UC Berkely and we wish her all the best for the future!
