“The best thing about Sekolah Ciputra is the teachers; very knowledgeable and able to answer curious questions beyond the syllabus.”
DHARMA TIZIAN ENGELER
GRADUATED: 2022
1. After graduating from Sekolah Ciputra, where do you study? What is your major?
After graduating from Sekolah Ciputra, I took a gap year. Now, in 2023, I will be studying Chemistry and Technology at the University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, starting 8th September 2023.
2. Can you please share your experience applying to university?
I applied to the University of Chemistry and Technology Prague via their online application form. I had the opportunity to visit the university personally and speak directly with the admission officer and get their contact and they helped me greatly with my application process. When I was asked to produce a proof of English proficiency rather than having to spend time and money taking an IELTS and TOEFL exam, I simply asked Sekolah Ciputra to provide me with a letter confirming that the lingua franca in Sekolah Ciputra is English.
3. What is your current activity? Please share an overview
I’m a chemistry teaching assistant at Sekolah Ciputra. The reason why I wanted to be a teaching assistant in Sekolah Ciputra is because the class of 2022 had mostly online learning due to the effects of COVID-19. As a result I had little experience working in a lab. I chose Sekolah Ciputra specifically because I very much enjoyed the time I spent in Sekolah Ciputra despite the online learning and found the teachers to be very supportive and helpful and the lab resources are very complete.
4. In what way did Sekolah Ciputra contribute to who you are right now?
Sekolah Ciputra helped me to get used to managing my time properly thanks to their additional requirements, such as the EE and CAS; beyond the regular subjects. Sekolah Ciputra also taught me to take a proactive approach to study, research, and taking the opportunity of extra classes in subjects that I wanted to improve in. My experience with TOK and psychology classes assists me to this day in my critical thinking in academic subjects such as evaluating research papers to decide whether or not they are appropriate to cite.
5. What was the best thing about Sekolah Ciputra?
In my opinion the best thing about Sekolah Ciputra is the teachers. I found each and every one of the teachers I had to be very knowledgeable in their subjects and were able to answer curious questions beyond the syllabus. Most of the teachers’ strictness are on an appropriate level; none were too strict. This allowed for a relaxed environment where we could have a friendly exchange with the teachers, assuming we weren’t too busy with anything.
6. What advice would you give to a graduating student?
It may be cliché but study what you love. You don’t need to know what you want to do or be by the time you finish high school but if you study what you love, you’ll eventually find something related to it that you can work on in the future.
7. Would you recommend Sekolah Ciputra to others? If yes, what would you say about it?
From my experience the Sekolah Ciputra IB DP is very difficult, stressful and at times overwhelming. I wouldn’t recommend it to someone who isn’t willing or able to put in the time and effort or already has a lot of anxiety in their life. But to the hard working dedicated learners with adequate support from their family I could think of none better; in terms of quality of lessons, diversity in classes, resources and educators.
