At SSIS, we take pride in our students’ achievements and the world-class opportunities they secure. One such success story is Vani Gunjan TARIKA, who has received an offer from the University of Hong Kong (HKU) along with an impressive HKD 198,000 annual scholarship. Her journey at SSIS has been one of growth, resilience, and excellence, shaping her into a globally minded individual ready to take on future challenges.
Can you share with us your journey at SSIS?
“I have been studying at SSIS since K1. I started my journey at Xuhui campus when I was 4 yrs old, where I completed kindergarten and primary school. I shifted to the Minhang campus in grade 7. Moving from the small Xuhui campus to a huge campus with so many seniors was overwhelming at first. But the warm and welcoming environment made the transition easy. The journey thereon was full of self-discovery and growth. I was challenged and encouraged to find my strengths and weaknesses and come out of my shell to speak up and take initiative.”
What do you think is your biggest takeaway from SSIS?
“My biggest takeaway is my lifelong friendships with my classmates and teachers coming from different parts of the world. I truly value the connections and bonds I’ve made in the last 14 years. The SSIS experience has shaped me to be a culturally sensitive person, who is flexible and open to differences in perspectives and beliefs.”
What’s the most important or unforgettable thing that SSIS has taught you?
“SSIS has taught me to be resilient and persistent. The constant support and encouragement from all my teachers have helped me to continually discover myself and push my limits. I’ve learned to never give up and keep working hard and smart to improve my performance and achieve my goals, whether it be academic or personal.”
What was most challenging during the University Application process? And how did our SSIS counsellors helped you?
“The most challenging part of the application process is writing personal statements and essays. These should truly reflect me, my story, and future aspirations. Ms. Rana, our school counselor, thoroughly checked every piece of writing and gave constructive and detailed feedback on each. Wherever I got confused, she showed me the right way to approach a particular question. It was evident that all her suggestions were based on detailed research of each university. She made sure that all essays flowed smoothly and were engaging for the admissions officers. The school’s university guidance team also worked very hard to ensure that there were no mistakes in my applications and that everything was completed within the deadline.”
Getting an offer from the University of Hong Kong is already a significant achievement, let alone securing a scholarship. Could you share the process you went through to achieve this? Do you have any tips or advice for students aiming for similar success?
“While filling out my applications for Hong Kong universities, I took care that I used all the sections of their portal to my advantage. It is important to reflect your personality and passions, academic achievements and extracurricular activities, your major-related future goals, and what you’ve done so far to achieve these goals.
For most applications, you can upload a maximum of 10 achievements and activities, so be very selective when choosing these to showcase a well-rounded personality. I researched each university thoroughly to illustrate how their education will help me achieve my dreams and how I can positively contribute to their college community. Although grades are a crucial aspect of the application, your story, future aspirations and commitment to achieving these goals, play an important role too.”
What’s your future aspirations?
“My dream is to launch a social enterprise that champions animal welfare. So I hope to pursue a Business major and explore entreprenuership, sustainability, business ethics and the various aspects of starting and growing a business.
We look forward to seeing Vani make a meaningful impact in the world!
Stay tuned—more impressive university offers are on the way!”
