University Fair 2019

This time of year is the application season, when prospective international students start preparing materials and selecting schools in order to make the final decision to study abroad. In order to give our students a better understanding of overseas institutions and build mutualtrust and cooperation with overseas universities, on October 14th, Dulwich International High School Suzhou and Dulwich College Suzhou jointly held an international university fair. Together, we invited more than 70 universities at home and abroad. Admissions officers set up booths for their universities in the gym and answered questions for parents and students.

Participating schools came from regions of Asia, Europe, Australia and North America, including not only many well-known comprehensive colleges such as York University, Manchester University, Queen's University and Queensland University, but also the international hotel management school Ecole hôtelièrede Lausanne. Also at the fair were the IESEG School of Management, ESCP Business School, world-class business school of Bocconi University, and the art schools of the Art Institute of Chicago and the Savannah College of Art and Design.

The participating schools covered a range of different types of institutions. Nearly 70 admissions officers were on hand to meet students and parents for one-on-one, face-to-face communication. This helps to provide parents and students with a much better understanding of the opportunities available at universities at home and abroad. The admissions officers were well prepared with Chinese and English promotional materials, business cards and WeChat QR codes. The students also registered their contact information with the admission officers at the booths of their favorite schools to facilitate follow-up communication.

Ecole hôtelière de Lausannewas one of the most popular institutions at the fair. Admissions officer Ms.Zhu explained that the questions she was asked mainly related to the location of the school, employment rate, tuition fees, application process and conditions. She disclosed that the School has opened a branch campus in Singapore and will start enrollment in 2020. In terms of application conditions, the language test requirements have been lowered, but this also means that applicants will face more intense competition. This year, Dulwich International High School Suzhou student George Yang was successfully admitted to this school. The Admissions Officer not only expressed her knowledge of Yang, but also expressed her recognition of the caliber of Dulwich students.

For students, this fair is an opportunity for them to developer their understanding and make plans for future applications. Many students said that they found a lot of schools and professions they hadn't noticed before that they found very interesting. A student Zhang told us that he likes science and engineering and especially wants to study computer science. Through this exhibition, he found several schools with good computer science majors, which helped to clarify his future study plans. In addition to students, there were many parents at the show. Luo's son is in the 12th grade this year and is about to apply for further studies. She travelled a long way to attend the exhibition and said that she gained a lot from the experience. She had consulted with seven schools and spoke with the admissions officers at her favorite school. She paid special attention to the employment rate and accommodation conditions of the school and hopes that her children can study in a safe and comfortable environment.

At the fair, a Dulwich alumni Jiawei Zhu also came, together with the admissions officer of her alma mater to answer questions for her juniors. Jiawei graduated in 2014. After successfully applying for and entering the top-ranking business school in the United States, Bentley University, Jiawei now works for Ctrip, a well-known travel agency in China. "I feel very cordial when I return to my high school alma mater," Zhu said. "In the fair, I feel that my juniors have their own opinions about schools in the United Kingdom and the United States. This is really very good."

Dulwich International High School Suzhou and Dulwich College Suzhou began planning this international university fair six months ago. The participating schools were carefully selected by our university counsellors, who have an established and long-term relationship with overseas institutions. Nearly 70 universities and colleges at home and abroad participated in the exhibition, which not only shows recognition of Dulwich International High School by overseas universities, but also demonstrates the influence of the Dulwich reputation. A Dulwich International High School teacher told us that at this exhibition, the admissions officers clearly stated that when looking at the student application materials, they would look at the high school the applicant was from. Putting it simply, if it is Dulwich, it helps the student's application. She also said that in addition to this kind of university exhibition, Dulwich International High School also invites world-renowned college admissions officers to enter the school to give lectures to help students plan their studies and establish contacts with famous schools around the world.