Maia Abroad: UWC Waterford

The written application requires three reference letters from several sources. You’re supposed to have two from teachers and one from an adult who knows you outside of school. Thankfully, this is somewhat flexible. When I applied, I had only been at my school for a month and I didn’t feel like there were any teachers that I knew well enough to ask for a letter of recommendation. Instead, I talked to my guidance counselor who was able to help my vice principle write a letter for me. The other letters came from a woman who had been the volunteer coordinator from an orphanage in Mexico that I’d worked with, and from my writing mentor that’s helped me edit several articles that I’ve had published. Mostly, it’s just important to have people that know you well, and know what you’re capable of. If there are specific things you want mentioned, tell them! It’s always good when the letters support your written application. Explain about UWC, and what it is, and why you want them to be the ...

If you’re thinking about applying to UWC, be prepared for stress. The application process changes from country to country, so I’ll be talking about the Canadian application process. I believe applications open in August, and they must be submitted by the end of November. The first year I applied, the application form was about ten pages long, (excluding things like parental consent forms, basic medical information, and contact information). By 2017 the application was about six pages long. The questions included things like, ‘what do you think the most pressing issue facing your part of Canada is, and how would you propose to solve it?’ and ‘what would you be able to bring to UWC?’ There were questions about your day to day activities, volunteer work, and school subjects. It’s a challenging application, but it’s also a really good opportunity to solidify your own thoughts on why you want to attend a UWC. In late January, you find out if you’ve been accepted to the interview stage...

UWC has been my dream since I was eleven. At the time, I was homeschooled as I travelled with my parents, and my mum and I had been discussing options for high school. She was the one that found UWC, but I was the one who decided that this was something I needed to do. Everything I learned about UWC just reinforced my dream. I loved travelling, so the chance to go to a school in a different country was a big draw. A challenging academic program sounded wonderful. And even the thought of a boarding school was exciting. Of course, what really drew me to UWC was the philosophy behind it.  UWC was founded during the Cold War, by a group of Noble laureates who were intent on using education as a force for change and for peace. If they could unite a group of promising young people, maybe they could bridge the gaps between various cultures and religions, creating the next generation of change-makers. That philosophy has persisted over decades.   My own journey to UWC has ...