Lily Poised for International Success

For recent International Baccalaureate Diploma graduate, Lily Macliver, the dream of attending a university in Europe was the driving force behind choosing a PLC education and the International Baccalaureate pathway.

Lily’s impressive IB score of 44 (ATAR equivalent of 99.8) was a direct correlation to her incredible drive and ambition to achieve highly in everything she sets her mind to.

From her dedication to learning the French language, her standing ovation-worthy performances in the Performing Arts, to the way she nurtured her close relationships with her fellow IB students – Lily does nothing by halves and her successful year in 2021 has set her up for international success.

Lily was drawn to the IB for three main reasons; first of all, she wanted to study overseas and the IB’s status as an internationally accredited course was her ticket to doing this directly out of high school. Secondly, she was drawn to the programme by the way in which it prepares students for university.

“The IB teaches you skills and ways of learning that will set you up to do well. You learn how to write university style essays, reference correctly, conduct independent research and develop effective study and time-management skills, all of which are invaluable,” Lily said.

“Thirdly, the style of learning really appealed to me. I had a curiosity for learning and so the focus on one’s ability to understand knowledge and how theories are applied rather than memorise facts and theories fascinated me. I was also really intrigued by the critical thinking aspect of the learning style, where students are taught to consider different perspectives and think outside the box,” Lily said.

Lily has achieved her goal and has been accepted into ESCP Business School where she will spend each year of her Bachelor in Management (BSc) course in London, Paris, and Berlin respectively.

“The course has a large focus on languages, allowing you to pick up an additional two languages at a high level. I’m excited for this amazing opportunity and to meet people around the world!” Lily said.

While her exceptional achievements were undeniably a testament to her character and tenacity, Lily reflected that she was never alone on this journey.

“I think I can speak for the rest of my IB cohort when I say that our teachers were our lifelines, especially Ms Garbenis and Mrs Jones. They supported us both academically and emotionally and helped us through any challenges we faced in Years 11 and 12.”

“We also had the opportunity to form some amazing friendships with our teachers which I will cherish forever. One teacher in particular, Madame Saunders, was incredibly supportive throughout my Extended Essay journey and has been a major help with applying to universities in France. I am so grateful for all the support from these people,” Lily said.