It is the time of year when many students and their families are talking about one hot topic in particular: university acceptances. In this period, offers from universities around the world begin rolling in for Year 13 students. Most people know about the Ivy League institutions in the United States, however, there are many more groups of prestigious universities in countries and regions globally that students wish to attend. Here, we take a look at some examples of these and what makes them appealing to students.

The United States

In the United States, there are plenty of world-leading institutions in the country that are famous for academic rigour, sports, and research. The so-called ‘Ivy Plus’ is an unofficial list that includes the Ivy League names along with America’s number one Stanford University, plus Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the University of Chicago, and more. The ‘Public Ivies’ includes universities such as the University of California, Los Angeles and the University of California, Berkley. YCIS Shanghai students love what the United States offers, including its diverse culture, food, climate, and access to its outstandingly beautiful scenery.

YCIS Shanghai students have received offers from Ivy League, Ivy Plus, Public Ivies, and many other excellent US universities in recent years.

Canada

North of the border in Canada, the outstanding education continues with universities such as the University of Toronto, University of British Columbia, McGill University, and McMaster University. These all feature in the world’s top 100 universities and have recently offered places to YCIS Shanghai students. Canada is a warm and welcoming environment for international students and its proximity to the United States, and Central and South America make it very appealing.

In the last five years, YCIS Shanghai students have received offers for 7 out of the top 10 universities in Canada.

The United Kingdom

The United Kingdom might be famous for its rainy weather, but this does not deter thousands of international students from studying there each year. As well as being close to mainland Europe, the UK has much to offer when it comes to culture and premium education. It is home to the current world number one university – the University of Oxford – and the renowned University of Cambridge, both of which have offered places to YCIS Shanghai students in the past two years. The ‘Russell Group’ is made up of 24 universities, including Oxford and Cambridge, Imperial College London, University College London (UCL), University of Edinburgh, University of Manchester, and London School of Economics (LSE).

In recent years, all 10 of the UK’s top universities have offered places to YCIS Shanghai students.    

Asia

Although the length of stay varies, for our students, Shanghai is one place they call home. They spend a significant part of their childhood in China, and many of them come from neighbouring Asian countries, such as Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, and South Korea. Those students who wish to benefit from studying closer to home, nearer their families, and speaking their mother tongues, have excellent choices in the region. 

Japan

In Japan, the prestigious ‘Imperial Universities’, including University of Tokyo, Nagoya University, Osaka University, and Kyushu University, offer some of the best education in the country.

Singapore

Despite its relatively small size, Singapore packs a strong academic punch and is home to the world-leading National University of Singapore (NUS), Yale-NUS, and Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

South Korea 

In South Korea, 'SKY’ refers to the country’s three most reputable universities: Seoul National University, Korea University, and Yonsei University.

Mainland China and Hong Kong S.A.R.

In China, the 'C9 League’ includes the top nine mainland universities, such as Tsinghua University and Peking University, Fudan University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and more.

Universities in Hong Kong such as The University of Hong Kong, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and the Chinese University of Hong Kong consistently place in Asia’s top ten and top 100 worldwide.    

YCIS Shanghai students regularly receive offers from and choose to study at top institutions in Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Mainland China, and Hong Kong S.A.R., including 9 out of the top 10 Asian universities.

Australia

The 'Land Down Under’ is not only known for its incredible weather. As well as its beautiful surroundings, international students such as those from YCIS Shanghai love immersing themselves in a native-English-speaking culture that values academic excellence.

Both international and native Australian YCIS Shanghai students have been accepted at 5 of the 10 leading Australian universities, including the country’s top two universities, the University of Melbourne and the University of Sydney.   

Specialist Universities & Programmes

Sometimes, one needs to look beyond the league tables to find universities and colleges that excel in specific programmes or fields. Many students wish to pursue specialist subjects to enable their career goals in the Arts, Sciences, and beyond.

Students from YCIS Shanghai have enrolled in music courses at Berklee College of Music (US), fashion and design at Parsons, The New School For Design and Pratt Institute (both US), business at the University of Warwick (UK), veterinary science at the Royal Veterinary College (UK), and hospitality management at the École hôtelière de Lausanne (Switzerland). 

No matter where our students decide to go after YCIS Shanghai, there is no doubt that the school’s global educational environment enables them to pursue what they are passionate about and continue their studies in a world without borders, wherever that may be. The offers our students receive exemplifies YCIS Shanghai’s commitment to global education, and we cannot wait to see where our Class of 2021 will end up next. Stay tuned for more exciting news about university offers in the coming weeks.