About me

Hello everyone! My name is Adaora and I am 17 years old. I live in Germany but I have a migration background and am half Nigerian and half German/Italian. After the summer I will be attending UWC Robert Bosch College.

What is UWC?

United World Colleges (UWC) is a global movement that makes education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future. At UWC, our mission is to inspire young people to put their talents and energy into driving change around the world, no matter which future path they choose. (This definition is taken from the official UWC website) They have 18 colleges around the world including China, Thailand, USA, Germany and Japan.

Why did I apply?

First, I would say that I just really liked the whole movement. I have always loved learning about new cultures and I have always been very passionate about politics. But there is definitely another factor that played into my decision, which was that I wanted to have the opportunity to go to university anywhere in the world. And since the IB is internationally recognised, I saw it as an amazing opportunity.

The Application Process

I went through the German National Comity, so my experience may differ from others. The first step in the process was the written application, which included: a letter of recommendation, school transcripts, and a bunch of short essays. After that I went to the second round, which was a whole weekend where they interviewed you and basically tested you to see if you would be a good fit. For the sake of future applicants, I will not describe that weekend to the fullest, but just know that you cannot prepare for it. I would say that the tests were not even what I remember the most. The people I met and the connections I made were much more memorable. However, I would add that it was not just networking and meeting people, as we were almost constantly in an interview environment and we all knew that half of us were not going to get in. Overall, I would say that the application process was intense but extremely rewarding.

Financial aid

Scholarship opportunities vary from country to country. In the German National Comity, scholarships are need-based, which means you don't really have to worry about the financial side of it when you apply. The tuition fees for the schools also vary, which you do not have to worry about if you are applying through the German National Comity. For me personally this means that I have a very high scholarship that covers most of my tuition and project weeks (so field trips). However, what kind of scholarship you get depends a lot on your NC and your financial need.

Tips for people who want to get into UWC

Especially people from marginalized backgrounds suffer from one thing that most people do not even talk about, which is the lack of information. A lot of amazing people do not know about opportunities like UWC, while there are children who have known since they were five years old that they wanted to attend the school. Do not be discouraged! They are looking for unique and interesting people. There is no one type of person that they are looking for. When I look at all the people who have been accepted, there is only one trait they all have in common, and that is authenticity. Each and every one of these people is one hundred percent unapologetically themselves. That means all you have to do to get accepted is be yourself and also be a little resilient because it is an intense process. I wish everyone who wants to apply the best of luck!