#GraduateStory | Sincere Advice from the Class of 2026
Among the more than 80 students in BAID's Class of 2026 who applied to universities overseas, preliminary figures as of April 3 show a total of 587 offers of admission from 146 universities across 12 countries and regions.
Among students applying to U.S. national universities and liberal arts colleges, 48.9% were admitted to a U.S. News Top 30 institution, based on the 2026 U.S. News rankings and counting each student only once regardless of the number of offers received. The result continues BAID's strong record of admissions to leading U.S. universities over recent years.
For the United Kingdom, as of April 3, 48.8% of applicants had received an offer from a G5 university, while 100% had received an offer from a Russell Group university. Students received offers from institutions including the University of Oxford, Imperial College London, the London School of Economics and Political Science, and University College London.
A total of 29 students applied to universities in Hong Kong SAR China. Seven students received eight offers from Hong Kong SAR China's three leading universities — The University of Hong Kong, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and The Chinese University of Hong Kong — representing 24% of applicants.
Students applying to universities in other countries also received offers from leading institutions in their respective destinations. Those applying in the arts were admitted to highly ranked specialist institutions and received substantial scholarships.
The Class of 2026 is Beijing Academy's seventh graduating class and the third graduating cohort since the AP courses began admitting students externally. Their growth has been deeply rooted in the qualities that have long defined the school: strong individualized research opportunities, close relationships between students and teachers, sustained collaboration between families and the school, and a faculty whose commitment to education has only deepened over time.
Looking back, the development of Beijing Academy's AP courses from their earliest stages has been a demanding journey. Over the past nine years, faculty and staff have continued to pursue high standards in international education, develop the program with clear structures, bring together high-quality educational resources from around the world, and support students in growing creatively. Beijing Academy has long been known for close family-school partnerships, strong student-teacher relationships, and an environment in which students are given room to explore without artificial ceilings. The school's teaching philosophy of "Trust, Discover, Support, Guide," together with the care teachers devote to every student, has created a close-knit and energetic community.
Since the first graduating class in 2020, BAID has consistently seen a high volume of offers, strong admissions outcomes at leading universities, and outstanding individual student achievements. Each graduating class has included students admitted to an Ivy League university or a U.S. News Top 10 university. This year also brought notable gains across several areas, including admissions to U.S. Top 10 and Top 20 institutions, the G5 admission rate in the United Kingdom, and the proportion of students receiving offers from Hong Kong SAR China's top three universities, continuing the story of international education at Beijing Academy.
Sincere Advice
Ryan Li
- University: Carleton College
- Major: Environmental Science & Chemistry
International education is a process of discovering what genuinely interests you. To younger students, I would say: do not worry too much about how other people see you. If there is something you want to try, go and try it. Keep doing what you truly enjoy, and many things will fall into place naturally.
Amanda Zhu
- University: University of California, Irvine
- Major: Social Policy and Public Service
Outside of studying, I like watching films and television series to relax. One Japanese drama that stayed with me recently was Brush Up Life. It asks a question: if you were given the chance to live your life again, what would you do differently?
I really like the answer given by the protagonist. We do not necessarily need to change the world or save humanity. Sometimes, the most precious things are already beside us: a sincere friendship, a warm relationship with family. In the end, perhaps an ordinary and peaceful life is where its truest meaning lies.
Stellar He
- University: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Major: Physics
I would recommend Inside Out 2 to younger students. Compared with the first film, which focuses more directly on emotions themselves, the sequel explores the internal changes that adolescents experience when facing pressure.
I watched it during the summer between Grade 10 and Grade 11, when I was studying intensively for the TOEFL. I was demanding a great deal from myself and could easily become anxious after a disappointing result. Seeing the protagonist experience similar struggles while training for ice hockey resonated strongly with me.
The film changed the way I understood the idea of "becoming better." I began learning to live alongside all kinds of emotions and, through accepting them more openly, to accept a more complete and authentic version of myself.
Arthur Jiang
- University: Reed College
- Major: Undecided
I would recommend Romain Rolland's Jean-Christophe. One of its central themes is resistance — the courage to keep moving forward and rise again after setbacks.
I began reading it in November 2025 and have reached the sections covering Jean-Christophe's youth and middle age. Even without having finished the book, I have already drawn a great deal of strength from it. It has encouraged me to keep trying, to be less afraid of making mistakes, and, while writing my college essays, to keep holding on to my own voice.
Sunny Liu
- University: University of California, Berkeley
- Major: Genetics & Plant Biology
I would like to recommend a song called Прекрасное далёко (The Beautiful Far Away), the theme song of the 1985 Soviet science-fiction television series Guest from the Future.
May we begin again from zero and keep moving toward that beautiful future, however long the road may be.
Emily Zhao
- University: Parsons School of Design
- Major: Fashion Design
I would like to recommend the animated series My Little Pony. I loved it when I was younger, and the character who fascinated me most was Rarity, a pony who is also a designer.
As a child, I was captivated by her elegance, confidence, and unmistakable presence. She could use her magic to help the ponies around her feel more beautiful and self-assured. Something about Rarity stayed with me. She made me want to become someone like her, and over time, that influence became part of what led me toward fashion design.
To younger students, I would say this: trust the voice inside you. Only a genuine love for what you do can carry you through the challenges of application season and continue supporting you long afterward.
When I first entered high school, I was uncertain about the future, just as many students are. As I grew, I gradually realized that finding a field that truly fits you is far more important than following someone else's expectations. I love using fabric, needle, and thread to tell stories. That interest was clear to me from the beginning, and it only deepened throughout my three years of high school. Through repeated experimentation and many conversations with my teachers, I became increasingly certain of one thing: every field of study deserves to be chosen out of genuine passion.
Jiaxu Shen
- University: The University of Hong Kong
- Major: Science A
There is one song that accompanied me through many difficult moments: Chasing Dreams with a Childlike Heart. Its melody is energizing, and its lyrics carry a spirit of perseverance and refusing to give up.
Whenever I faced failure, or simply became exhausted by repetitive practice and problem sets, the song helped me recover my motivation. Its message reminds me to keep moving forward and to focus on the work itself rather than constantly asking what reward will come from it.
This AI translation is provided for reference only. Please verify with original Chinese version.