KUALA LUMPUR, May 24 - Two students vying for top university spots are now receiving the fruits of their labour. Jarell Cheong and S. C. have received offers from their dream institutions despite a year in which acceptance rates were the lowest in history, with Harvard at 3.43%. While a student can be a high achiever in academics, they would still need to focus on other aspects when trying to enter a top university.
“PrepWorks has been invaluable in giving me an insider perspective on top college admissions from my essays to my interview,” said Jarell. “The level of detail my tutors put into their work has certainly formed a big part of my success in my college admissions process both to the US and to the UK.”
Getting into top universities is possible regardless of a student’s educational background. Jarell was in the national school system for his primary and secondary education. It is important to note that finding the most suitable system is still ideal. Some students face greater barriers due to teaching styles and language.
“Having been the only member in the family to attend a Chinese primary school, the language barrier was a huge obstacle I had to overcome myself,” S.C. commented. She swapped over to an international school at the secondary level and discovered her true potential where English was the main language of conduct.
Preparation is paramount when it comes to top university admissions, which is why PrepWorks was established. “After a few people approached me to review their personal statements,” said Tamara Lim, the founder of PrepWorks, “I came to realise that many did not get the help they needed and that an admissions service was key to reaching their university goals.”
Tamara went through the same challenges herself, having graduated from Oxford University and spending her fourth year at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She understood that students needed tutors who have first-hand and up-to-date experiences of getting into highly competitive institutions.
“I wanted to help more Malaysians reach their dreams. What a student needs can vastly differ: some require crucial guidance at the last mile, others need help right from the start, such as selecting suitable subjects for their secondary level exams,” said Tamara. “A small nugget of guidance early on can broaden a student’s options and optimise their chances; discovering a student’s strength and passion plays a huge part in that too.”
PrepWorks believes in equipping students with the means to succeed. To be able to adapt quickly, students need academic, character and skills development. The services PrepWorks provide are all based on that approach, including the 100% Online PrepWorks Academy, which was set up in 2020 to fill the need of providing holistic, interactive education from the comfort and safety of homes during the MCO.
“Where schools are shut and students need to continue their basic education, we have created a comprehensive after-school program to cover most of the UK National Curriculum topics in Maths, English and Science, taught by tutors from top universities,” said Tamara. Providing a positive learning environment boosted a student’s ability to learn and prepared them for other challenges, such as thinking critically or presenting confidently.
While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to learning and improving, the right preparation can boost a student’s chances of entering a top university by four to five times. 100% of PrepWorks students receive offers from top boarding schools and universities, most from their first choice.
“I am so proud of all the students who have succeeded in receiving offers from Harvard, Yale, UC Berkeley, Cambridge, LSE and Imperial College. A true mark of the hard work and dedication from themselves as well as their PrepWorks tutors,” Tamara commented.
This content is provided by PrepWorks Sdn Bhd.
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