Upon graduation on 24thMay 2014, students from Aga Khan Academy (AKA) Hyderabad will continue their educational journeys at some of the world’s most reputed post-secondary institutions. Members of this year’s graduating class have received offers from top-ranked universities in Canada, India, the United Kingdom and the United States. McGill University and the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Canada, and New York University (NYU), the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and Purdue University in the United States, as well as the universities of Warwick and Southampton in the United Kingdom are amongst the many that have offered admission to members of this year’s graduating class.
“The well-led society of the future, in my view, will be a meritocracy – where leadership roles are based on personal and intellectual excellence. Our goal, then, is not to provide special education for a privileged elite – but to provide an exceptional education for the truly exceptional.” – His Highness the Aga Khan at the Foundation Stone-Laying Ceremony of the Aga Khan Academy, Hyderabad in September 2006.
Adding to this success, students were offeredupwards of US$1.5M in scholarship funding to attend. Aga Khan Academy, Hyderabad students have been offered scholarships from such institutions as the University of Southern California (USC) as well ashighly competitivescholarships such as the Trent Global Citizenship Award, the International Leader of Tomorrow Award (ILOT) given by UBC and the Aga Khan Academy International Entrance Scholarship awarded by the University of Victoria (UVIC).
“We are delighted at the support our first graduates from the Academy in Hyderabad are receiving from these universities,” said Salim Bhatia, Director of Academies. “A number of these universities have already experienced the quality of our graduates from the Aga Khan Academy, Mombasa.”
“All of the students that I’ve had any dealings with from the Aga Khan Academy have been the most bright and capable students, but also incredibly hard working. I would be very happy to see more students from the Aga Khan Academies coming through to the University whether it be on the scholarships or under their own steam,” remarks Beth Reed, Regional Manager for the Middle East and Africa at the University of Reading. “Again, because they are very high quality students, they work incredibly hard, they don’t just do the school work but also get involved in external activities.”
“I particularly valuethe scholarships reserved exclusively for AKA students,”notesImtiyazHariyani, a member Aga Khan Academy, Hyderabad’s graduating cohort and one of the three recipients of UVIC’s Aga Khan Academy International Entrance Scholarship.Available only to AKA students, Mombasa and Hyderabad,the award is worth $90,000 CDN, payable over four years. Recipients are selected on the basis of academic excellence, community service, school involvement and leadership. Imtiyaz, interested in genetic engineering, will commence his Bachelor of Science at UVIC this coming September. Similar is the Global Citizenship Scholarship awarded by the University of Alberta. Reserved for students of AKA, Mombasa and Hyderabad, the fully funded scholarship provides for tuition and an additional $16,000 CDN up to a maximum of $40,000 CDN, per year for four years of undergraduate study.The entrance scholarship is awarded to a student who demonstrates both superior academic standing, and a capacity for leadership.
UBC’s ILOT Award recognizes international undergraduate students with high academic achievement, leadership skills, involvement in community service, and achievement in various fields of endeavor including but not limited to the performing arts, sports, and debating. It has been won 10 times previously by AKA, Mombasa students, and now for the first time by AKA, Hyderabad graduate Raeesa Rane. Raeesa, who hopes to pursue a career in media management, received a competitive offer from NYU’s Stern School of Businesswhich she finally decided to select. Behind every student is a dedicated team of counsellors and teachers. Raeesa points to the efforts of the Academy in making these achievements possible: “It is a great mark of merit not just for the students but for the teachers.”
The university counseling department at AKA, Hyderabad has worked hard to ensure students are provided the support they require during the application process.Students at an early stage were encouraged to attend both group and individual counseling sessions. Imtiyaz, on looking back at his application process, reflects, “The Academy played an important roleeven during the application process. I was assisted with SAT preparation, the intricacies of personal statement writing, selecting referees and requesting the reference letter.”
AKA Hyderabad alsohosted or attended presentationsin which twelve institutionsfrom countries around the world, including Spain, Singapore, USA, Canada and the UK, participated. These give students the opportunity both to learn more about the universities to which they intend to apply and to clarify their concerns directly with appropriate university admissions representatives. The devoted Academy faculty, coupled with strong student performance,has allowed for acceptances to leading undergraduate programmes across a wide range of disciplines including biochemistry, biology, economics, engineering, the fine arts, the humanities, law and social science.
The Academies seek to nurture in their students a spirit of excellence, not just in academic achievement but also in every endeavour they undertake. A strong financial support programme built upon a meritocratic ethic ensures that deserving students are provided with the highest standard of international education. As the first graduating class of AKA, Hyderabad prepares to commence their undergraduate studies, it is this spirit of excellence that they will continue to nurture. And this same spirit will give rise to exceptional young men and women who will have the skills to succeed in their fields of endeavour as well as the desire, motivation and ability to help strengthen their home countries and societies.