OUR STORY - TOLD BY OUR FOUNDER

Hi everyone! I'm Candice, a graduate student at Oxford.

Around September of last year (2021), I was approached by some of my juniors from my undergraduate university in China for advice on their postgraduate applications. In reading their personal statements, I was shocked at how similar they were, it was as if they followed some sort of online template and had just regurgitated their resume and the programme outline of the school that they were applying for. Their experiences were not fully explored; the content of their writing lacked depth, reflection and critical evaluation; and their motivation was often unclear or lacking in sincerity and believability. It’s a shame because in speaking to these students I found them to be extremely capable and hardworking; however, their personal statements simply didn’t do them justice, and failed to highlight their individuality and ability.

In the process of helping my juniors I noticed two main issues.

  1. Student’s poor writing was largely the result of conflicting information and advice. There is an overabundance of information and advice on postgraduate applications, from university websites, to well-intentioned Youtubers and self-interested consultancies looking to make a quick buck at the expense of another’s future. Students simply don’t know how to go about the process and who to listen to.

  1. Many students were incredibly anxious and viewed the postgraduate applications almost as a form of torture that they wanted to get over with as quickly as possible. Yes, applying to study abroad can be a very stressful and anxious part of one’s life, but it is also a process of exploration and self-discovery, and postgraduate applications are but one element of that process.

In reflecting on these issues an idea was born in my mind, to create a new type of consultancy. A consultancy that is transparent, acts with integrity and makes applying to study abroad easy and manageable. A consultancy that puts the student and their growth first. A consultancy that doesn’t just see the application process as a tedious process but as an opportunity for personal growth and discovery.

As such, in November 2021 with the help of a few of my friends from Oxford, Dream School Studio was born!

Since then, we’ve had the honour of helping many students with their postgraduate applications and the response we’ve received has made founding Dream School Studio one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Students have told us that our assistance helped them gain admissions into their dream school and that we “saved” them from their anxiety and helped them discover their interests and new parts of themselves. They’ve also expressed that they were touched by our sincerity and accountability. As Dream School Studio has expanded, we’ve successfully adding new mentors from prestigious schools within China and abroad, our mentors are diverse and have all kinds of stories and backgrounds. With the addition of these mentors, we’ve also gained a new purpose: to help level the playing field and help hardworking people from ordinary backgrounds achieve their dreams.

Let’s Dream Together!