“Forged in the Hottest of Fires”: Keystone’s Sixth Graduating Cohort Celebrates Offers from Prestigious Schools Worldwide
Like their peers worldwide, the Keystone Academy Class of 2023 began and would conclude their high school years in a “normal semester”. Everything between that period was marked by adversity in many forms. They emerged from the challenges with a stronger resolve to explore the world and give back to others.
With 108 students, Keystone’s Class of 2023 is the largest cohort since the school’s establishment. The soon-to-be Keystone graduates have collectively received more than 146 admission offers from universities and colleges in four countries and regions. Nearly three out of four students participated in the early application rounds, and approximately a third of them received early admission offers, including from the Ivy League institutions in the United States and the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge in the United Kingdom. The trend continued in the regular application rounds, where Keystone students received outstanding admission offers from highly selective liberal arts colleges, top-notch scientific research institutions, premier design and art schools, and other educational establishments worldwide where earlier cohorts of Keystone graduates have already enrolled.
“The recent college and university admission results allow us to see more possibilities for Keystone students,” Keystone Office of College Counseling Director Percy Jiang said. “Previously, many parents worried about the fierce competition among students applying for the same universities. But this year’s results tell us that as long as you are good and capable, you will be recognized.”
Amid difficulties, the excellent admission results achieved by the Keystone Class of 2023 again attest to the strength of a Keystone education. Its inspirational philosophy, engaging curriculum, and rich campus provisions give students a defining life experience life that will guide them in their upcoming academic and professional journeys around the world.
Highlights of Keystone Class of 2023 University and College Admission Offers
Keystone’s sixth graduating cohort has continued the school’s encouraging trend of receiving admission offers from Yale University, Princeton University, Brown University, Duke University, the University of Chicago, Johns Hopkins University, the University of Cambridge, the University of Oxford, and more highly selective institutions globally.
In the choice of study destinations, nine out of ten students applied to American universities. In addition, the United Kingdom and Canada are the first choices of study-abroad destinations for some Class of 2023 members. The cohort has also shown diversified interests in terms of majors. In addition to the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and computer science degrees, Keystone students also explore majors in business, economics, art, design, literature, psychology, philosophy, and more.
Beyond the overall results for the Class of 2023, it is important to note that most cohort members have applied and received admission to their ideal colleges and universities.
Mr. Jiang said his Keystone College Counseling team has consistently supported high school students and their parents during the university and college application process throughout the past three pandemic years. Their efforts, Mr. Jiang continued, were bolstered by the Keystone values and mission to provide the best support amid the difficulties of remote learning and teaching.
“Students have actively overcome difficulties and consistently delivered outstanding work. As long as the students, parents, faculty, and staff are on the same page, put in the effort, and stick to the ideals of education, we will naturally get encouraging results no matter the challenge,” Mr. Jiang added.
Keystone college counselor Bill Russo found the cohort to be “broad-minded in terms of what and where they want to study”. As a former admissions counselor, Mr. Russo said Keystone’s recent college admission results demonstrate that “universities around the world continue and respect the rigor of the IB”. He further added:
“Keystone’s melding of Chinese and international curriculum is also attractive as it means these universities are getting international students who are better ready to work with other students in a global context. Finally, universities have proven to be adaptive to the changing times by offering interviews and summer classes online, making tests such as the SAT optional, and understanding how the pandemic has made certain extracurricular activities more challenging to complete than in the past.”
For Keystone college counselor Sonja Song, this cohort’s most distinct feature is their “strong adaptability” developed from learning in uncertain times.
“These students have spent their three years in high school in a state of uncertainty,” Ms. Song said. “Whether it was taking standardized tests or taking on projects, they learned to plan ahead and think of several alternative routes. But this situation also developed their ability to solve problems.”
Several Class of 2023 members like Frank Du, Linda Cui, and Alex Chalyi spoke about how they managed the challenges alongside preparing for exams and college applications.
“Keystone has created a platform for students to share resources and knowledge and healthy competition,” Frank said. In February 2023, he wrote a book on managing time, inspired by his experiences of studying during the pandemic. “It is not a school that forces students to get the job done. Rather, its educational philosophy is inspirational for us students. I discovered the importance of motivation and used it to practice good time management to develop myself. Keystone’s educational philosophy has also taken me to many areas that I would otherwise not explore.”
“Many of Keystone’s courses and assignments are long-term projects, which have significantly improved my abilities and made me more resilient,” Linda shared, adding that this style of education has encouraged her to improve gradually. Linda has eight standing offers from universities in the United States and the United Kingdom. “The IDU curriculum in our MYP was also impressive. In Grade 9, we explored climate change from different angles in our Science and World Civilization classes. I learned knowledge from the perspectives of various disciplines. This opportunity to make sense of real-world problems through various subjects helped me grasp the meaning and value of learning and became a constant reminder that as global citizens, we should take responsibility and solve problems with an open mind.”
Alex Chalyi, who is living in his hometown in east Ukraine, was admitted to Brandeis University with a full scholarship. Although he has been studying remotely for the past two years, his persistence and hard work have paid off.
“I had campus tours a few times from my classmates over Teams calls [and] the teachers have given the support in class meetings,” Alex shared. “It was hard [studying remotely], especially with everything happening in Ukraine. But my classmates and teachers have given me a lot of support over the last two years, and I appreciate that.”
Knowing Keystone by Heart: Class of 2023 members share stories of their Keystone experience
Several members of the Keystone Class of 2023 are the Academy’s founding students who joined in primary school. They have grown with Keystone and know the school’s five shared values and three keystones by heart.
Melissa Gao joined Keystone in the fourth grade. She has received offers from six American colleges and received a full scholarship. Reflecting on her nine-year stay at Keystone, Melissa said she has made fantastic memories, especially the school has “accompanied [her] through childhood”.
“Keystone has inspired and exposed me to many interests, like swimming, Chinese martial arts, dance, and even band performance,” Melissa added. “The residential program has impacted me a lot. Since becoming a boarding student, I have learned to embrace my emotions and become calmer. In addition, being with students in the residential towers has expanded my social circle, which helped me form friendships across grades and integrate better into the Keystone community. I saw Keystone every spring; it witnessed my growth. Keystone has deeply shaped my character, values, friendships, and ways of dealing with people. It is an irreplaceable existence in my heart.”
Mily Liang, who entered Keystone in Grade 7, plans to study psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. During her years at the Academy, Mily has been among the many students who participated in various service learning activities.
“When organizing events for Light and Love, I realized that help goes beyond just material support; empathy and insight are also important in community service,” Mily said. She has been an active supporter of the Light and Love KAP (Keystone Activities Program), a student-led club that has dedicated weekend activities to support the eponymous school for migrant children living in the northeastern outskirts of Beijing.
“I also realized that the purpose of community service is not only to help but also to solve problems. I also like the Keystone Poetry Club, which I joined in the eighth grade. The club has intensified my love for poetry and allowed me to meet many students with the same passion.”
Meanwhile, Sonic Liu, who has been with Keystone since Grade 6, has received offers from five American colleges, including Berklee College of Music and Bard College. For him, music is an irreplaceable part of his life; he and his classmates formed Keystone’s first group of student rock bands, which are still rocking on to this day. Sonic will pursue music studies and psychology in college. Besides music, Sonic also makes waves in different fields. He is the outgoing vice chair of the Dorm Council and the leader of the House of Lu Xun in Literature Playhouse. He is also a member of the Keystone men’s basketball team, whose “spirit of legacy” awes and inspires him in many ways.
“For someone who joined the team three years ago, I thought I would not succeed because the team already had solid players. But over those years, I developed myself and became a qualified player with the help of my seniors Zhuoyang Wu [from the Keystone Class of 2021], Jack He and Ethan Han [‘22], and many others. They tried to grab every rebound in every training. In the chats after the games, they taught me basketball strategies. This kind of help and encouragement is immeasurable. For me, the Keystone basketball team is enveloped in a special kind of care, and each student from different classes is linked like a chain. I feel a strong sense of belonging at Keystone because of the strong bond formed in our basketball team.”
Keystone college counselor Yanni Liu highlighted the importance of a nurturing environment that expands the possibilities for many young people, not just in academics but also in other aspects of student life.
“Keystone’s campus environment allows students from different grades to get to know, influence, and support each other,” Ms. Liu added. “The school’s residential program develops and nourishes students’ spirit and character. As I talk to students, I feel their attachment to Keystone and a bit of reluctance to leave a place that means a lot to them. Despite that, they express gratitude for being part of such a caring community.”
“Forged in the Hottest of Fires”: Graduation message from Executive Head of School Dr. Emily McCarren
The pandemic has become a pivot for many people globally to develop ideas and rethink strategies amid a constant barrage of unpredictability and setbacks. Young students, including the Keystone Class of 2023, show and prove that a positive outlook, optimistic energy, and firm resolve are among the ways to tackle adversity.
Keystone Executive Head of School Dr. Emily McCarren said few children around the world were spared the challenges of the pandemic, and that from a college standpoint, “there wasn’t any one group that was more disadvantaged than others”. She believes that the Keystone Class of 2023 did well because “this was all they knew— they haven’t had to adapt, they entered high school and are leaving it in the most complicated of times, and they have made us believe what they will continue to teach us, that anything is possible.” Dr. McCarren said further:
The Keystone Class of 2023 is forged—like iron in the hottest of fires. They have been through what many adults will remember as some of the most difficult years of their lives, and they are strong and capable of doing hard things. They have shown us that they can do the hardest of things and keep their hearts full of purpose, and goodness.
And we celebrate the accomplishments of the incredible Class of 2023—a group of Keystone graduates who lived their ninth- through welfth-grade years in the pandemic context—showing us all how to do hard things in the toughest of times, and still stay true to our values of ren, yi, li, shi, and xin at every turn.
As they head off, I hope they remember the honor that they will always carry as the class that graduated in Keystone’s ninth school year, an auspicious year for many reasons. They represent so much about our hope for the future and the pure goodness that will come from difficult times.
Special thanks to the Keystone Office of College Counseling for providing data for this article.
