"UWC has given me a wonderful and great opportunity to grow and think further than I did before. Everyone I have met in the different colleges are amazing. After three months, I cannot imagine living my old life; UWC Changshu has become my second home and the people around me are my second family. The day on which the committee called my mom and congratulated me that I got accepted into UWC Changshu China was incredibly overwhelming and indescribably happy. A week before leaving Luxembourg for this great adventure, I realised — wow my life is going to change completely — and it completely did.

My perception of the world has changed and my new friends are from all over the world. I am learning so much about different cultures and perceptions of the world, which has been extremely interesting and fun."

"The alarm rings. It is early, too early, and the view after the sun has just risen is too beautiful. I do yoga, stretch, breathe and stretch, because this is what you do if you are a foreigner in India. I eat breakfast in a rush and run for class. Classes are interesting, challenging, but in a nice, sometimes frustrating way. After they finish it is time for lunch. It’s incredible how fast you can get used to spicy food! Then our 'trivenis' or the activities that are meant to make us into something more than an academic library. Who knew that I could dance, or do theatre with the locals with whom I don’t share any language and farm beans at the same time. The afternoon is dynamic, full and always different. In the evening we watch the stars or the frogs that jump around everywhere, we have deep conversations about life, we laugh about this and that and we curse the mosquitos who try to eat us alive. Then I go sleep with a smile on my face, because I suppose this is my typical day now, although nothing here could be described as typical, and it couldn’t feel better.

Three months in UWC, three months in India and it feels like years have passed. I leaned more about the world and myself in this ridiculously short time, than in the past 5 years. My safe bubble has popped and the world outside it couldn’t be more interesting and richer. Now all I want to do is just dive deep into its wonders and learn, explore and enjoy. UWC is indeed an incredible experience, not perfect but unique, and it’s what you make out of it. And I realised what that means while I was sitting in a packed Indian train, travelling across the country, with someone screamingly offering me chai, because in all it’s simplicity and absurdity, this moment was all I could ever whish for. So please, apply and don’t worry what will happen, because regardless of the outcome, you can have this experience if you just open your eyes."

"Although I originally come from Sweden, I was born and raised in Luxembourg and was a student of the European School 1 Kirchberg, until I applied to UWC. Now, I find myself living in Montezuma, New Mexico (a really cool place by the way). Going to a UWC is truly one of the most incredible opportunities you could come across, and you’ll grow so much as a person, more than you ever could in a comfortable environment like your home. Meeting, talking and becoming friends with people from all over the world is one of the most enriching experiences, and it teaches you so much about how to be respectful to other people, cultures and general ways of thinking. I know that applying to go off to a UWC somewhere, possibly on the other side of the world, might seem scary or intimidating – I was in your situation too. As much as it’s not always comfortable, at the end of the day, it truly is worth it. This is one of the most unique and rewarding opportunities you will come across in your life - take it." 

"Looking back at those two years I have spent at UWC in China, I cannot believe how much I have grown in such a small amount of time. Moving away from home at a young age and being catapulted into a utopia, bubble-like environment with peers my age from over 100 nations, open to sharing their different cultures, traditions, and religions has not only forced me to get out of my comfort zone, but has also taught me how to adapt and find a new comfort zone in a country so different and far from mine.

From teaching children English in rural areas on the island Hainan, to learning about Daoism in a Kung-Fu Academy or even learning crucial skills like coding and kayaking, these are the experiences that have shaped the way I perceive learning and education. Learning beyond the classroom in my opinion is one of the most valuable skills the youth of today needs in order to become the change makers of tomorrow. Simply discussing for hours over a meal with my friends and classmates the political, racial, religious and environmental issues they experience back home opened my eyes  and made me realize that I need to go beyond the bias presented on the news in order to truly deepen my understanding of different regions and global conflicts. 

My time at UWC has allowed me to see the world from multiple perspectives and to grow in an inclusive, academic and cosmopolitan environment. The many personal and intellectual ups and downs that I experienced thus far have not only made me more resilient in the face of future challenges, but have also taught me how to take different and new approaches to problems, which I believe is a crucial part of growing up. I find myself to be part of a powerful movement, which has transformed my peers and me into true global citizens and I will forever be grateful for the opportunity I was granted to study at a UWC."

"An engem UWC ze sinn huet mer iwwert d’Zäit vill Liewenserfarung matt ginn, déi ech aanescht nie krut hätt. Ech hunn international Konflikter an Themen diskutéiert, matt Leit vun diverse kulturelle, finanzielle a religiéise Hannergrënn, déi Perspektive ginn hunn, déi ech soss nie héieren hätt. Doduerch sinn ech elo méi informéiert an hu mer nei Meenunge kënne bilden iwwer lauter Sujeten vun Identitéit, Immigratioun an d’Ëmwelt, bis hin zu Geschlecht, Sex a Rassismus. 

Ech hu Frëndschafte matt Schüler aus der ganzer Welt gema, an doduerch dass ech alleng hei matt deene Leit liewen, sinn ech méi responsabel, autonom an oppe ginn.

UWC huet mer d’Méiglechkeet ginn, en internationalen Ofschloss ze maachen, an engem Land an deem ech nie geduecht hätt dass ech mol eng Kéier liewe géing, wouduerch ech mech selwer nei kenne geléiert, an nei Hobbien a Leidenschaften entdeckt hunn.

Och wann et definitiv net ëmmer einfach ass, et vill Courage a Standfestegkeet brauch fir duerch sou eng Experience ze goen, an UWC net ëmmer dat ass wat een sech firgestallt huet, ass et defintiv eng Erfarung déi ee verännert, a fir d’Liewe prägt."

"I applied to UWC with a curiosity and desire to explore the world and its cultures. Now, as an alumni, I feel that my desire has only grown, and I have so much more to learn.

UWC taught me to appreciate our world and its many nations and cultures, whether this was while talking to your roommate from the other side of the world or having fascinating conversations at the dinner table. I made life-long friendships and unforgettable memories, all of which shaped me to the person I am today and I am happy to say to be part of UWC community.“

"I'm Aurélie Haeck and graduated from the Mahindra United World College of India in 2017. I am currently studying Business and Management at the University of Kent. 

My experience at UWC has deeply impacted my way of thinking about the world. I've had so many amazing experiences travelling around with friends, participating in extra-curricular activities and studying in a completely new environment."

"I was always interested in science, but was never sure of what to do until I went to UWC. During my two years in the desert of New Mexico, I learned of the importance of environmentalism and how to live more sustainably.

I am now studying Geology at Freie University in Berlin and I am hoping to apply my scientific knowledge to help solve the problems of climate change and pollution."

"After leaving UWC, I felt inspired to delve further into the inner workings of (international) politics and hence started studying Politics, Administration and International Relations at Zeppelin University in Friedrichshafen, Germany. Since then I have developed a passion for rhetoric, political theory and gender studies and interned at 'Women Speaker Foundation' in Munich and the 'Cercle de Coopération des ONG de développement' in Luxembourg-City. UWC fostered my curiosity for and my awareness of societal and political phenomena, and taught me how to constructively communicate and made me appreciate difference."

"Besides all the lifelong friendships I made during my time at UWC-USA, I really loved the mentorship and advice I got from my teachers. In particular, I had an economics teacher with whom I’d always discuss current events and try to link them to the things we learned in class. We’d often disagree, but down the line, it helped me develop a critical mindset. In the world we live in, I think it’s really important to be able to form one’s own opinions, as opposed to simply reciting what’s on the front page of your favourite newspaper.  Being in school with 200 students from all over the world is a unique opportunity to, every day, learn something new and later use this knowledge to contribute making the world a better place."