Everything went as if it was being performed according to the script timeline, exactly like the application route recommended by Mr. Wang from the Study Abroad Planning Department whom I first met several years ago: I attended an interview held by Imperial College London in November, the result of which was satisfactory, and as a result, I secured the offer.

Until receiving the offer from her dream school, Yaohan felt incredibly excited and relieved, as it was a recognition and reward for her hard work and perseverance. When asked about how she embarked on her journey at Imperial College London and how she prepared, Yao Han answered without hesitation: "My path to Imperial College London, to be precise, started with a choice, and before that I had no idea about applying to the universities in UK.”

When first deciding transition from the public school to the international school, Yaohan's thoughts about school selection and examination orientation were still influenced by the mindset formed in the public school, tending towards holistic education and pursuing average scores, and finally choosing large-scale international high schools with a large number of students but unable to provide personalized customization. However, as time passed and with a deeper understanding of the international track, both Yaohan and his parents began to doubt the correctness of this direction.

Unlike the emphasis on collective teaching and improvement in public school, international tracks tend to provide a free and suitable environment for the development of each individual. Her own goal is to be admitted to one of the UK's G5 universities, but the international high school she once chose generally has some students that aim to study in the United States regardless of the world rankings, and some others plan to go to King’s College London, the University of Manchester, the University of Edinburgh or the University of Warwick in the UK. She herself desired to enter UCL or Imperial College London and therefore, it was difficult to find a kindred spirit at the original international high school. This was the first time she had started to act like every true international student, moving from blindly choosing schools at the beginning to seriously considering her desired future and the partners, teachers and environment needed to achieve this future.

It was also a matter of chance that Yaohan, through her connections with alumni at Imperial College London, first set his sights on NBCK, a small yet beautiful learning environment that emphasizes individual development and effective management patterns. After further understanding the strict teaching methods of the G5 Department and the data showing that NBCK's G5 rate exceeds that of the average of many top-tier international high school , Yaohan resolutely chose this small but highly specialized soil for nurturing G5 alumni.

"When I was in public school, I never had so much time to talk to teachers over and over again, but at NBCK, the office where I spent the most time should be the Guidance Office." During the sharing session when confirming the application direction in Imperial College London, Yaohan half complained and half laughed about the experience of battle of wits with teachers. When I first entered school, the first person to talk to me was Mr. Wang, the director of Guidance Office, who said, 'you can't do without direction, ' and ‘you can't do without planning.' Finally, I sat down firmly in that chair and began planning and contemplating my future.”

It was from that moment on, Yaohan began to harbor expectations and aspirations for her future, gaining a deeper understanding of her potential and a clearer grasp of her direction. This conversation, more like an enlightenment lesson, ignited a fierce ambition within her, making her yearn to achieve more, to secure offers from the top ten universities in the world, and to pursue higher goals.

"The vast sea leaps by fish and the sky is high enough for birds to fly" vividly describes Yaohan's academic freedom and boundless possibilities. For her, the continuous verification and affirmation of her academic abilities, the growing confidence, along with a large number of application data and reports from senior students about world-renowned universities, all paved the way for her to Imperial College London. These resources not only provided her with more opportunities and possibilities but also made her clearer about her goals and direction. Therefore, Yaohan charged towards her dream school. She no longer hesitated or feared, but moved forward resolutely toward her goal.

Yaohan, through her continuous hard work and diligent study, achieved an A+ in every subject after two semesters, and the guidance teachers, together with the NBCK advisory teachers, immediately finalized her G5 university application plan. After the plan was confirmed, the personalized application materials throughout the process, from academic background, activity experiences, and interests, including personal statements, recommendation letters to interview preparation and every resume all were the results of multiple rounds of face-to-face discussions and consultations by the guidance teachers from NBCK, complemented by precise college counseling. Especially during the interview phase, Yaohan received comprehensive support from both Chinese and British teams of NBCK, and she shared her journey during the interview.

One of the reasons why applying brings me low levels of anxiety is that the entire process, as mentioned by my mentor, is not bad at all. Especially after submitting the UCAS at the beginning of the semester, there was no significant discrepancy in estimating the interview invitation time and offer results.＂

After confirming the interview invitation from Imperial College London, the guidance teacher conducted multiple simulations of interview training for Yaohan, helping her become familiar with the interview equipment, procedures, and question types, enhancing her adaptability and expression skills.

Additionally, the guidance teacher discussed and anticipated possible directions and questions of interviews with Yaohan, enabling her to be more confident and composed in the actual interview.

She couldn't remember how many sleepless nights she spent alone on the second floor in the Guidance Office, adjusting her tone and practicing every academic interview question. With a positive attitude and countless rounds of practice, Yaohan demonstrated her professional knowledge and unique insights during the interview, able to articulate her viewpoints and ideas clearly by integrating her understanding and research in the field of her application from the interview course. After several rounds of simulations, she had already shown her independent thinking and problem-solving abilities which Imperial College London highly values. Yaohan's confidence, composure, and professionalism earned her the recognition and praise of the interviewers, and she successfully received an offer from Imperial College London just two days after the interview.

The above is the review of Hu Yaohan's successful first-round admission offer from Imperial College London. I believe everyone can gain valuable insights from this preparation experience, wishing those who are about to enter or are already in the application process to soon step into the gates of their ideal dream schools and achieve their ideal lives!