My Background

I’m Hasmik, and I’m from Argavand, a small village near Yerevan, the capital city of Armenia. I study at the Argavand Secondary School, which also offers high school grades. It’s an average public school. Currently, I am in 10th grade.

While my school gave me a starting point, over time, I became more curious about what’s out there. That curiosity led me to explore different programs and opportunities beyond my usual environment. I didn’t plan it all from the beginning—it just grew from a simple interest in learning and doing more.

How Did I Learn About UWC?

The first time I knew about UWC was from an actual student of UWC, who was one of my friends. Actually, he told me about the school. At first, I didn’t imagine UWC as something like the actual program. I thought of it as some international program where all students from all over the world come together and study, but I didn’t understand the core values of UWC. But in summer, I started to do some kind of research because I was so passionate to apply for so many programs. During the summer, I applied for many programs. And when I actually started to fill out the application for UWC the first time, I wasn’t so passionate, at least not as much as after submitting the first stage application.

The Decision to Apply to UWC

During the application of UWC, I started to do research about it and to understand its values better. So it came to a point in my life that I understood this is the stage that I need in my life for the future. I understood that I love the core ideas of UWC. They combine people from all over the world who have very different worldviews. They’re going to live together, build some peace together, and everything. Let’s look at all the values of it, both culturally and intellectually. Everything was perfect for me. So I thought that it’s going to be my next change, whatever.

Application Stage

The first application was filling in approximately 20 questions. Most of them were personal questions. It was also asked to add some certificates of your achievements/extracurricular activities. Honestly, it was easy for me to write all those questions because before UWC, again, I applied to many programs. But all those programs have main ideas—questions that are personal and you need to answer with examples to make it better. For example, I also applied to the FLEX program, which I really wanted, but in the end, I chose UWC because I felt its values could shape me more deeply. One thing that was completely different from others' applications was the long essay that we had at the end of the application. Honestly, from all over the application, that part was the hardest for me because I didn’t know which topic to choose from the suggested topics. Later, I chose the topic about income inequalities, which was so related to my village, to the place I live, and to the things that I saw in my life. That helped me greatly to write the essay.

Test Phase + My Stats

My GPA was 9 out of 10. It is actually high for my secondary school. When it comes to the math test, everyone tends to worry about it, but in reality, it felt more like an intellectual test than a traditional exam. Just stay confident, keep calm, and go ahead — you’ll be fine. Because when I opened that test, I wasn’t worried about it. UWC looks at many things, but academic skills, especially through the math test, are definitely part of the process. They check your stress tolerance by giving you a limited time for a bunch of questions. What about the actual math knowledge and skills you should have to write this test? It wasn’t so hard. It was doable. The only thing that we did to check our academic knowledge was the math test. The rest was more about general thinking, personality, and how you approach different situations.

Interview Stage

The interview for the second stage reflected what you wrote in your application — what life experience did you have, what activities do you do? My interview was more about the place that I work in — about WWF. What I do, the techniques I use, what is my motivation, etc. But they tried hard to ask tricky questions. Yeah, maybe they were tricky. I don’t want to say it bluntly, but they try to pressure and see how you react in that situation. But I actually didn’t give up. I was confident, and that is very important for all those interviews. You need to be so confident and show that nothing can make you feel insecure or bad, no matter what they say. They try to challenge you and see how you react under pressure. In your life, you will have so many experiences that are going to be challenging, and they want to see how you’re going to deal with them.

Last Round: Group Activity

The final round wasn’t just about interviews—it included a group activity, a psychological test, and more. The group activities were really fun. At first, they seemed hard, but looking back, I realize they were enjoyable and important. You work with a team, you interact with others, and all you really need to do is show who you are. You don’t have to pretend to be someone else.

A lot of people prepare for this part by watching videos or reading about it online, but you can never predict the exact questions or tasks. Sometimes the conversation is totally casual, like someone asking, “Do you have Instagram?” or “Do you use TikTok?” From there, it can lead to totally different questions. So the best advice is to stay relaxed and be ready for anything.

Most importantly, speak up. Don’t be afraid to share your opinion, even if it’s different from someone else’s. I had moments where I disagreed with the interviewer, and I confidently said, “I’m sorry, I don’t think that way—I believe this way is better.” That wasn’t a bad thing. UWC is looking for changemakers, and changemakers speak up. Being different is not only okay—it’s welcomed. Confidence and honesty are what matter most.

Extracurricular Activities. What Have I Done Before?

The biggest part that helped me a lot — and what most of my conversations were about — was my experience with WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature). I worked there as a fundraising team lead for two years, which gave me leadership experience and many stories to share. It wasn’t just volunteering — it carried real responsibility. I often got asked what the hardest part of being a leader was, and I had many examples to talk about. WWF shaped me as a person. I’m grateful for the opportunity to be part of a global organization making positive changes in our country and the world.

I also talked about my interest in technology, computer science, IT, and programming. I’m currently a student at Samsung Innovation Campus at UWC Dilijan, and before that, I studied at the IT Center for Innovators. I built projects like an app for the Japanese Embassy and participated in several tech programs.

Another important experience was starting a Leaders Club in my village, which reflected my leadership skills. Jury feedback later confirmed that leadership was one of my strengths.

Even though I had many extracurriculars, I want to emphasize that it’s not about quantity. Some students with just one or two activities also got accepted. What matters most is what you learned and how you reflect that in your application. And it’s never too late to start.

Choosing College: Why UWC Dilijan?

My top and first choice was UWC Dilijan. Honestly, I don’t remember doing very deep research for Dilijan, but I really focused on my top three choices. UWC Dilijan excited me because of the programs, the cultural evenings, and all the activities they do. Besides that, UWC offers so many subjects, especially in STEM, that are more diverse and sometimes more advanced than other schools.

I also appreciated that UWC Dilijan is an eco-friendly campus. That was important to me, and I tried to rank schools based on such values. My second choice was Atlantic College, and my third was UWC USA. For each, I had specific reasons — like community projects or the balance between tradition and innovation.

Looking back, I might change my rankings now, but Dilijan would still be my first choice. I’m so thankful I got in. Rankings aren’t everything — UWC ultimately places students where they think they will thrive based on financial aid, subjects, and community fit. So even if you rank a school low, they might still place you there for the right reasons. But do your rankings thoughtfully, because I was asked about mine in both the interview and final day.

Financial Aid & Scholarship

I wasn’t worried about financial aid because I knew the National Committee supports students. You have two options: applying through the National Committee or globally. Global applicants can’t receive scholarships, but the process is easier due to fewer applicants. National Committee applicants can get scholarships, and they evaluate your finances carefully to offer what you can actually afford.

They really do help you, so you don’t need to stress about the money. Focus on the other parts of the application. We can’t say exactly how much we got for a scholarship, but I got a high amount of it.

Plans for IB & CAS

I have some ideas about what subjects and CAS activities I want to do, but nothing is set in stone. I know IB is hard — maybe the hardest school program — but it’s also new and exciting for me. I definitely want to take computer science and math for HL (High Level Subjects - you are going to learn them more deeply than the Standard Level ones). For the Standard Level, I might try economics or a new language like Spanish. I want to explore new subjects I didn’t have the chance to study before.

As for CAS, I’m excited about the creativity, activity, and service parts. I think I’ll be more involved in the activity side — like sports — and from the service options, I’m sure I’ll choose TEDx because I’ve worked with TEDx before and want to continue that. Even if you didn’t have many extracurriculars before, CAS is a great opportunity to try many things while living on campus.

Also, I’m really looking forward to the cultural events. They happen twice a year and make you feel like UWC is not just an IB school — it’s something much bigger.

And What After Graduation?

Right now, I think I’ll study something in tech. Most likely, it’ll be computer science — but who knows, UWC might change my perspective. I’m open to exploring, and I know that’s okay.

As for universities, I’ve done some research. Of course, I’d love to apply to top universities, even the Ivy League. But I know I need to work hard for that, and during UWC I’ll get more help from mentors and advisors. One thing I’m sure of is that I want to study in the USA. The education system there — and later the career opportunities — are what I’m aiming for.

Advice to UWC Applicants

Okay, maybe this will sound a bit cliché, but people always say: “Be honest with yourself. Don’t pretend to be someone else.” I heard this a lot and didn’t really believe it — until I started the application. Then I realized it’s absolutely true.

Be honest, specific, and unique. And most importantly: don’t be afraid to speak up. If you want to be a changemaker, you have to be confident in your voice. Don’t be scared to say your opinion. Don’t be afraid to be different. That’s absolutely okay.

One of UWC’s values is celebrating diversity. So don’t be afraid to be who you are — and be confident, not only during UWC, but in all your future programs and in life. It will help you so much.