Imperial College London Conditional Offers for Two Grade 12 Students

Congratulations to Maxine and Olivia for their conditional offers from Imperial College London. The Grade 12 students are thrilled they are one step closer to being admitted into their top university choice. Olivia has two other conditional offers from King’s College London and the University of Warwick. Maxine also has two other conditional offers from the University of Bath and Loughborough University. Both say that Imperial College London is their top pick for post-secondary school education. We chatted with both of the Diploma Programme students about their time at AIS.

Olivia is Belgian Dutch and joined AIS in Grade 9. She is interested in studying Biochemistry at university. Earlier this school year, she was presented with a prestigious award from the Royal Society of Chemistry. She took home first place in one of three sections of the Belgium Chemistry Challenge. Olivia said, “I like both Biology and Chemistry and I also want to do something in the future with pharmaceuticals. I think Biochemistry is a good start because you can go everywhere with it because it’s not just a niche topic.”

She is already planning for a Master’s Degree and had this to say about extending her education: “I like that there are always new things to discover. There’s so much to learn about. So much to know and so many different areas you can go into and I find that really exciting and interesting.”

Olivia has loved working in the STEMzone at AIS and likes having the labs directly in the classroom. “The Chemistry lab is my favourite lab to be in. It’s really nice. It’s open, you can talk to everyone if there are others also working there. I also like the STEMzone in general just to do work. You can see a lot of people just working during their free time. It’s quiet, open and I love the natural lighting. For me, to work, I really need to be in a comfortable space and somewhere with a lot of room,” Olivia explained.  

She credits her Biology teacher Ms Navarro and Chemistry teacher Mr Fifield for helping her decide what she wants to study at university. Both have been her teachers since Grade 10. Olivia said, “They’re interesting people and really good teachers. They make me really excited about the subjects because they both really have a passion for them. They’re both excellent teachers and that’s what made me interested in the subjects because a good teacher really makes the subject.”

Following graduation, Olivia says she will miss being a Griffin. “I will miss sports the most. I’ve always played them with friends which is so nice. When you go away for NECIS tournaments, it’s so much fun. Everyone was so passionate about basketball. It was really nice. It was also really nice to get to know people from the grades above and below me through the sports. I am really going to miss that the most,” she concluded.  

As mentioned, Olivia has two other conditional offers from King’s College London and the University of Warwick but says Imperial College London is her top choice.

Maxine is Belgian Croatian and has been a student at AIS since Grade 1. She too has a conditional offer to attend Imperial College London. While that is her top choice, she also has offers from the University of Bath and Loughborough University.

Maxine is also interested in a STEM career and wants to study Biological Sciences, specifically general research. “At the moment I am very interested in DNA and molecular biology as well. I would like to go into research later because I love laboratory work as well. Biology fascinates me because it kind of explains everything, everything to do with people, everything to do with life. I always found it interesting. I grew up also in a very scientific family, so from a young age I was exposed to this and then as I grew up I realised that I loved it as well. So I just want to pursue it,” Maxine explained.

Maxine will also miss being a Griffin. She has played football, volleyball and basketball at AIS and has been part of teams that won NECIS Championships three times. “One thing I’ve always loved about AIS is sports and the sports culture here. I joined my first football team when I was in the fourth grade. I was the youngest player on the team and the team was so welcoming. I loved it so much,” Maxine said. 

Maxine has fond memories of travelling across Europe for tournaments and other school trips too. “I’ve been on a lot of residential field trips. Everything from going to the beach to hiking to taking a boat trip. I really enjoyed them all,” Maxine said.

After graduation, Maxine says she will miss the AIS community, her friends and socialising at school. “I really liked growing up in an international community. For me, it exposed so many new things and I loved to travel and visit new places. I knew that there was more out there because of this community and not that I was in a Belgian bubble. I love the exposure it gave me and the opportunities that it gave me,” Maxine added.

When it comes to the STEMzone, Maxine says she likes learning in the labs because they give you a good introduction to working in an actual lab. “I like the STEMzone. I think it’s a great addition to the school. The improvements in the classrooms, the labs, make them a lot more functional than before,” she shared.

The next step for Maxine and Olivia is to take their International Baccalaureate Diploma exams and meet the admissions requirements set by Imperial College London. We wish the very best to both!