Learn How to Become an Astronaut, Architect or Film Producer…While Still in High School

How would your teen like to complete their first year of university studies while still in high school? At GEMS World Academy (Singapore), they can!

GEMS World Academy (Singapore) may be known as one of the leading international schools in Singapore delivering a rich IB education for students from 24 months to 18 years old, but did you know they’re also the first and only international school in Singapore with specialist graduation routes? There’s even the chance for completion of the first year of university studies while your child is still in high school!

This year, GEMS (Singapore) has signed official partnerships with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) – the world’s leading universities specialising in aviation and the arts, respectively. They are also in a process of advanced discussions with Australian and Swiss institutions to establish partnerships for Business, Sports Business, Sports Science and Hotel & Hospitality Management.

The first thing to note is that the Embry-Riddle and SCAD programmes are not ‘vocational’ programmes, but instead provide a graduation pathway for students who are clear about their ambitions and have strengths in particular areas. By undertaking university credit courses in high school, GEMS students are working (up to) two years ahead of their peers in terms of their academic studies – thus allowing them to complete university a year early (that saves you heaps in tuition fees, mama!).

On top of being ahead of the pack, the benefits of these programmes are plenty:

• Students can choose to specialise in Grade 11, spending up to 80% of their time working in their field of choice
• Students can complete their Bachelor Degree foundation courses in high school, allowing them to jump straight into more interesting, advanced level coursework at university
• With the right scores, students can complete the entirety of their first year of university in high school. This saves them one year and saves their parents up to US$70,000 in fees and living costs (wow!)
• For art and design students, the benefit of receiving so much expert tuition is seen very clearly in their portfolio – the most important aspect of their university application
• For students who continue to study with the partner university, there is usually a ‘preferred’ entry to the degree programme

Deputy Principal and Academic Advisor – Secondary Years, Jonathan Cox, shares:

“Programmes like these are the real future of education. Two years ago, I enrolled a student in Grade 9. During the enrolment interview, the young man told me about his dream. He wanted to apply to an Ivy League college, get an offer, then turn it down and go to a flight school. He wanted to prove to his parents that he was capable of getting a place in the Ivy League, but his true dream is to be an aviator. Two years later I told him about our partnership with Embry-Riddle. The next day the parents came down to the school asking where they could sign up for the course, and they haven’t stopped smiling since. I know that this student will gain so much from this opportunity to develop his passion for aviation over the next two years. With input from Embry Riddle’s world-leading academics, I have no doubt that this programme will allow him to shine.”

Fast-track your child’s career in aviation and arts! Reach out to Mr Cox about the Embry-Riddle and SCAD programmes for more info!

GEMS World Academy (Singapore), 2 Yishun street 42, Singapore 768039, Tel: (+65) 6808 7300, www.gwa.edu.sg, @gems.sg, www.facebook.com/GEMSWorldAcademySingapore