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Aspiring to study Engineering in the USA or Canada: A First-Year High School Student's Guide

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 If you are in form 1 or year/grade 9 and you are dreaming of studying Engineering at a top university in North America then you have an ambitious and exciting goal. For first-year high school students, this dream requires early planning and dedication. The journey to a prestigious engineering school or program starts well before your college or university application. Understanding the Admission Requirements Firstly, it's crucial to understand what top universities in North America are looking for in potential engineering students. Apart from academic excellence, they seek candidates with a strong foundation in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) subjects. These requirements set the stage for your high school academic focus. Academic Excellence Work hard and smart to maintain high grades, particularly in math and the sciences, is paramount. If your school offers Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses, take advantage of these. If no...
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Why You Need to be Active and Committed to Your Extracurricular Activities in and outside of School?

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    To answer the question of why it's essential to be actively involved in extracurricular activities as much as in your curriculum, let's bring to mind the concepts of sampling and discovery. Let’s start with the first concept. Imagine you are at a mall or supermarket, and a salesperson offers you a free sample of a product. Some customers may oblige and test or taste the product or service, while others may outright refuse the invitation. Those who sample may like the product or service and may predict their tendency to purchase it, while others may find it not to their liking, which will likely mean they won’t become paying customers in the future. Keep this analogy in mind. We will circle back to it later. But first, what exactly is an extracurricular activity? We know that a curriculum is a structured learning experience with specific educational or pedagogical goals, normally within a school system (not to forget the homeschoolers, as there is also some structure to...
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Are A-Levels Essential for University Abroad After O-Levels? Exploring the Options

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  In the past two weeks I have had a few parents asked me this question in various ways, but, essentially, they want to know if it is necessary to continue to do the A-levels after they are done with the AS or O levels. They typically ask this in the context of sending their children to do their undergraduate studies in universities abroad (i.e. the US, Canada, the UK and Australia). While my experience in Australian Universities is limited my answer has always to been YES and NO when it comes to most of these destinations. Some of you might think it must be an odd question for a parent to ask because why wouldn’t a parent want their child to finish high school as structured. Well, some of the parents either say it’s expensive to do year 13 and others will say they have found out some universities do not require the A-levels therefore not necessary. These are valid and worth exploring.   So, let’s start with the YES… Widens University Options: Many universities, esp...
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Uncovering Insights: When and Why to Choose Study Abroad for Your Child

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  Yesterday, one of our clients sent a colleague a YouTube video ( https://youtu.be/06o2xyPNZtQ?si=8XGFPy-bhbF1E_y4 )  of a parent passionately talking about "removing the lid" on parents sending their children to study in various destinations in Europe, North America, and Australia at a young age, meaning right from high school or even earlier. While I share and appreciate many of the fears and anxieties raised in the video, I think two important questions are obvious: WHY and WHEN should you send your child to study in a foreign land, and importantly, is it worth it and SAFE? As someone who has assisted students in applying to many universities abroad, either for high school, undergraduate, or graduate programs, I think the simplest answer to both questions is knowing where your child is now (I mean physically, mentally, culturally, and academically) and for a parent, if it is within your means. So, what is needed is knowledge: knowing to ask yourself and understand you...
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Lights, Camera, Action! John Muigai's Road to New York University with AFEX's Support

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  Can you tell us about your journey and decision to pursue film and photography in college? I have been interested in pursuing film from a young age. I am incredibly passionate about theatre, drama and literature and all those interests culminated in an affinity for film. I chose to pursue it at college level because much as one can do it without necessarily having studied at college level, having a degree from a renowned university will set you apart from others in this very competitive industry. Moreover, a lot of colleges offer work placements and exposure opportunities that can really give one a leg-up in their journey into the arts.   What inspired your passion for film and photography, particularly in the context of your experiences in Nairobi? As a young African Filmmaker, I have grown up on Western Media and watched the global cinema scene be engulfed by its influence. I either saw a few African stories that were built on stereotypes, caricatures and Wes...
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