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Alyssa Spaeth '16 – Haverford College
Alyssa: TASIS prepared me well academically, especially in my writing abilities. I had always heard that there would be a giant leap from the academics in high school to college, and so I was mentally preparing myself for it to be very difficult. While it is very challenging, I feel that TASIS’ rigorous academics prepared me for college more than I thought.
Gabriela de Remedios '16 – IE University, Madrid
Gabriela: TASIS England has prepared me in many ways and this is why the transition was very smooth. Of course there are many differences between high school and univesity, however I was prepared academically.
Trent Davidson '16 – Georgia Institute of Technology
Trent: I think being a boarder definitely helped me make that transition to college because I already knew how to take care of myself and do all of the basic things that other students were just learning when they first arrived. I know a lot of kids who came straight from their parents' house, and had never lived anywhere else, so that definitely helped.
Francesca Franke '16 – University College London
Francesca: I think coming from international school, and especially doing the IB, prepared me well for university. There is a misconception that it will be easy after that. It won’t. But I can definitely see how I have not just been prepared educationally – by properly learning how to write essays and reports, how to compose formal emails, or how to express myself during a presentation – but I also feel socially prepared. My university calls itself a “global university,” which is truly visible by the many many different nationalities represented. Being at TASIS England before arriving at university allowed me to get a good understanding of how to deal with that. It taught me to respect cultural differences and also to appreciate them. Furthermore, I can clearly see how living by myself is much easier for me now after having lived away from home for the past two years, compared to other students who have always lived with their parents up to this point, have enjoyed the luxuries of home, and have been mainly exposed to people from their own nationality.
Brenda Andrea '16 – University of Edinburgh
Brenda: TASIS England, and more specifically the IB Programme, definitely inspired me to work hard and think outside the box. I definitely wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for my supportive teachers and friends that I met during my time in TASIS England.
Philip Severino '16 – New York University
Philip: TASIS England prepared me well, especially for my classes in the first semester. A lot of my classes were writing-based so I was writing a lot of essays. TASIS England did a really good job of preparing me academically for that. TASIS has a really close community. Having that base made me want to find that sense of community at NYU, which helped me to go out of my way to meet people.
Manae Kono '16 – Middlesex University London
Manae: In terms of speaking the English language, the English-as-a-Second Language and English Departments prepared me well.
Thomas Priest '16 – Indiana University
Thomas: I feel that academically it prepared me well. I attended two other high schools, but TASIS was the first high school I went to where the teachers put more responsibility on the students to learn for themselves. This has definitely helped me for college because, if you don’t have a very good professor or you are being taught by a TA (teaching assistant), you have to know or learn how to find and use alternative resources to figure things out for yourself.
Manae: My university was my top choice. I attended many open days. The levels of dance fit me well and people there are so nice. The teachers are supportive and the circumstances are very good.
Francesca: Although I wasn’t 100% happy with my course in the beginning, I really am now. I feel more challenged and interested in the modules I have this term and I have made great friends in my course. I am really happy with how everything is going now.
Philip: Yes. When I toured NYU over the summer between junior and senior year I wasn’t thinking, "Oh, this is the place I will end up," but I really liked it. I didn’t realize how much I liked it until I saw it in person. Visiting the places you are considering especially plays a big part in deciding.
Alyssa: I think that I chose a school that gave me a great introduction to college life and academics. I’m lucky because they have a huge support system which aided in the transition. It also helped me realize what I really wanted to study. Although I was exposed to a wide variety of subjects, I realized that the whole time I really just loved the visual arts more than anything. I think that in the future, I will end up in a different place to pursue this plan of study, but where I am now definitely helped me come to a realization about what I want out of university.
Gabriela: I have definitely landed in the right place. Studying at TASIS England was thanks to my parents, but I know it was the right place thanks to my teachers, my peers, and the long lasting relationships I created. Landing at IE University has been thanks to not only my parents but also to my teachers, my college counselors, and my friends who believed in me.
Brenda: Yes, I absolutely believe so! TASIS England prepared me very well, and I owe my success before and in university to those who supported me.