“Inspiring Excellence.” It’s more than just a hashtag, or a couple of buzzwords paired together just so we can describe our mission. Challenging our students to be the best they can be is woven into the very fabric of our principles.
Part of inspiring excellence is recognizing it wherever it appears in a student, and rewarding them to encourage continued performance. This is the essence of Swiss International School in Dubai’s DP Scholarship Programme.
Scholarship At SISD
The DP Scholarship Programme, as its name suggests, applies to students who are enrolling in our International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, Grade 11 and 12. Students who qualify for the Programme are entitled to receive up to a 50% reduction in the cost of their school fees.
Once a student has received the DP Scholarship, it will continue throughout their stay at SISD, as long as they maintain an excellent academic and disciplinary record which will be reviewed at the end of the first semester.
Who Is Eligible For The Scholarship?
As the DP Scholarship Programme rewards academic excellence, its terms necessitate a review of a student’s academic record. While the ultimate decision to award the scholarship is not automatic and remains with SISD’s advisory board, there are certain minimum requirements involved.
First, in order to be eligible, a student must show that they have had excellent academic performance for the past three years. They also need an absolutely perfect academic honesty record with no evidence of incidents such as cheating or plagiarism.
The eligibility criteria are a guide as to the minimum expected requirements. The award of the scholarship is at the sole discretion of the school. How Does One Apply?
Applicants must provide the following requirements:
- Academic reports for the last three years, including GCSE, IGCSE or MYP eAssessment results
- 3 References, 2 from Teachers and 1 from Head of School / or Deputy Head (for SISD students)
- English language certificate
- Motivation letter from the student
- Other supporting documents as listed in this document
- Candidates for the merit scholarship must complete their application for admission to SISD by the regular deadline of May 2020 for entry in September 2020.
- Candidates must attend Merit Scholarship entrance assessment and interview.
Once these requirements have been fulfilled, they must complete the Merit Scholarship entrance assessment and interview. This is where the discretion of SISD to award the scholarship comes into play – even if a student passes all the minimum requirements, they may or may not pass this stage.
What Is The Ideal Scholar?
The select few who pass the assessment and interview become shining examples of SISD’s student body, and must continue to represent the school and its values in their actions.
Each scholar must, at minimum, maintain their academic excellence for the remainder of their stay in the school. They’re also expected to become leaders and role models, as well as participate and collaborate with their peers in projects.
In addition, scholars must be committed to serving the community, and upholding the values of SISD and the IB Learner Profile.
Conclusion
Our scholarship programme is only one of the many drives we uphold in pursuit of Inspiring Excellence. Just because a student isn’t eligible for one of the limited Scholarships, it doesn’t reflect that they’re somehow lesser. Every student is encouraged and pushed to do better, and rewarded in their own unique ways.
