LIFE & FAMILY

68 JULY 2019

A good

Forget AP credits

or “testing out” of

a university class. Today, high

schools are partnering with

universities to offer students

the opportunity to earn up to

a full year of university credits

before ever stepping foot on a

college campus.

One such school is GEMS World Academy

(Singapore), whose Deputy Principal and Academic

Advisor for Secondary Years, JONATHAN COX, has

set up two partnerships: one with Savannah College

of Art and Design (SCAD) and, most recently,

with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

“We believe strongly that a disruption of the

traditional continuum from primary to secondary

to tertiary education is very much the future of

education,” says Jonathan. “By blurring the lines

between school and universities, we give our

students an opportunity to propel themselves

ahead, build their passions and complete university

a year early. For parents, that’s a huge saving.”

Jonathan says that the school emphasises

arts and sports equally with academics, so it

was natural to seek its first partnership with

a creative institution. SCAD was an “obvious

choice” because it combines first-class art and

design education with an intense focus on career

preparation. He says setting up the partnerships is

a smooth process because there are no downsides

to the project. “It makes perfect sense for us, the

universities, our students and their families.”

So, who exactly do these partnerships benefit?

For starters, students should have a clear

understanding of their interests and personal

strengths. They also need to have the ambition

to begin university work early. For students who

Students can:

• earn enough credits to complete their first university year – in an American context, that
  could amount to savings of up to US$70,000 in fees and living costs;


• complete foundation college courses in high school, allowing them to jump into more
  interesting courses at university;


• build a portfolio of work for university and internship applications;


• enjoy a “preferred entry” to the partnership university.

2 Yishun Street 42

6808 7300 | gwa.edu.sg

BY MONICA PITRELLI

Is Starting Uni

THE BENEFITS OF

Starting Uni Early

in High School

struggle with academic confidence, these

partnerships can demystify the university

experience, allowing them to engage in

collegiate level work in a familiar environment.

GEMS (Singapore) is actively adding

new partnerships to cater to the interests

of its students. The school is in advanced

discussions with Australian and Swiss

institutions to establish partnerships for

Business, Sports Business, Sports Science,

and Hotel and Hospitality Management. By

the end of the academic year, it hopes to have

five partnerships in place.

Jonathan recalls one Grade 9 student

whose dream was to be offered a spot at an

Ivy League college but he chose to go to flight

school instead.

“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. When I told him about our new

partnership with Embry-Riddle, he and his

parents came to school the next day to sign

him up,” says Jonathan. “Seeing responses like

this makes me even more certain that these

programmes are the real future of education.”

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