https://thinkcollegelevel.com/ Honest guides to the IB Diploma and UK, US & Hong Kong university admissions, by an incoming Cambridge HSPS student. en Thu, 04 Jun 2026 10:44:17 GMT https://thinkcollegelevel.com/guides/how-to-get-a-45-in-the-ib/ https://thinkcollegelevel.com/guides/how-to-get-a-45-in-the-ib/ Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Achieving a perfect IB 45 isn't luck. Howard Chan, an incoming Cambridge HSPS student, shares his actionable strategies for every subject and exam, from Tokyo. https://thinkcollegelevel.com/guides/ib-vs-a-levels-for-university/ https://thinkcollegelevel.com/guides/ib-vs-a-levels-for-university/ Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Howard Chan (IB 45, Cambridge HSPS) shares an honest comparison of IB vs. A-Levels for university admissions. Discover which curriculum suits your goals for UK, US, and HK universities. https://thinkcollegelevel.com/guides/apply-to-uk-universities-from-asia/ https://thinkcollegelevel.com/guides/apply-to-uk-universities-from-asia/ Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Howard Chan (IB 45, Cambridge HSPS) shares his specific, honest advice for Asian international students applying to UK universities, covering UCAS, personal statements, and timelines. https://thinkcollegelevel.com/guides/cambridge-personal-statement-guide/ https://thinkcollegelevel.com/guides/cambridge-personal-statement-guide/ Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT From an IB 45 student admitted to Cambridge HSPS, HKU, & HKUST: learn how to craft a compelling Cambridge Personal Statement with real examples and timelines. https://thinkcollegelevel.com/guides/get-into-oxbridge-from-international-school/ https://thinkcollegelevel.com/guides/get-into-oxbridge-from-international-school/ Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Howard Chan (IB 45, Cambridge HSPS) shares specific, actionable advice for international students aiming for Oxbridge, covering exams, essays, and interviews. https://thinkcollegelevel.com/guides/choosing-ib-subjects-for-your-degree/ https://thinkcollegelevel.com/guides/choosing-ib-subjects-for-your-degree/ Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT IB 45 scorer and Cambridge offer-holder Howard Chan shares his strategy for selecting IB subjects tailored for UK, US, and HK university applications. Avoid common pitfalls and optimize your choices. https://thinkcollegelevel.com/guides/sat-1550-study-plan/ https://thinkcollegelevel.com/guides/sat-1550-study-plan/ Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Achieve 1550+ on the SAT with my proven study plan. From an IB 45 student admitted to Cambridge, HKU, and HKUST, learn real strategies for international students. https://thinkcollegelevel.com/guides/supercurriculars-for-oxbridge/ https://thinkcollegelevel.com/guides/supercurriculars-for-oxbridge/ Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Discover what genuinely impresses Oxbridge admissions for HSPS, straight from an IB 45 Cambridge offer holder. Concrete examples, timelines, and strategies for international students. https://thinkcollegelevel.com/guides/cambridge-hsps-interview-guide/ https://thinkcollegelevel.com/guides/cambridge-hsps-interview-guide/ Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT From Tokyo to Cambridge: Howard Chan (IB 45, Peterhouse HSPS) shares specific, actionable advice for acing the Cambridge Human, Social, and Political Sciences interview. Learn real strategies. https://thinkcollegelevel.com/guides/get-into-hku-and-hkust/ https://thinkcollegelevel.com/guides/get-into-hku-and-hkust/ Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Howard Chan, IB 45 and Cambridge offer holder, shares a concrete guide to applying to HKU and HKUST. Learn about grades, essays, interviews, and timelines for international students. https://thinkcollegelevel.com/guides/ib-extended-essay-guide/ https://thinkcollegelevel.com/guides/ib-extended-essay-guide/ Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Howard Chan (IB 45, Cambridge HSPS) shares his concrete, non-generic guide to writing a top-mark IB Extended Essay. Learn real strategies for success. https://thinkcollegelevel.com/guides/ib-tok-essay-guide/ https://thinkcollegelevel.com/guides/ib-tok-essay-guide/ Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT From an IB 45 scorer and Cambridge admit, Howard Chan shares his concrete strategy for writing a top-scoring IB TOK essay. Learn how to pick prompts, structure arguments, and avoid common pitfalls for UK, US, HK applicants. https://thinkcollegelevel.com/guides/ucas-timeline-international-students/ https://thinkcollegelevel.com/guides/ucas-timeline-international-students/ Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Demystify the UCAS application timeline for international students. Howard Chan, an IB 45 Cambridge admit, shares concrete steps, deadlines, and tips for UK, US, and HK applicants. https://thinkcollegelevel.com/guides/get-published-as-a-high-school-researcher/ https://thinkcollegelevel.com/guides/get-published-as-a-high-school-researcher/ Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Howard Chan (IB 45, Cambridge HSPS) shares his honest guide on getting published as a high school researcher. Concrete steps for UK, US, HK applications. https://thinkcollegelevel.com/guides/lumiere-polygence-worth-it/ https://thinkcollegelevel.com/guides/lumiere-polygence-worth-it/ Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT As an IB 45 student admitted to Cambridge, HKU, and HKUST, I break down whether Lumiere and Polygence are worth the investment for international students targeting top universities. Get concrete insights, not fluff. https://thinkcollegelevel.com/guides/ace-your-ib-internal-assessments/ https://thinkcollegelevel.com/guides/ace-your-ib-internal-assessments/ Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Howard Chan, an IB 45-point scorer and Cambridge HSPS admit, shares his specific, actionable strategies for acing IB Internal Assessments (IAs) for UK, US, and HK university applications. https://thinkcollegelevel.com/guides/uk-vs-us-vs-hong-kong-universities/ https://thinkcollegelevel.com/guides/uk-vs-us-vs-hong-kong-universities/ Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Howard Chan, IB 45, shares his insights on choosing between UK, US, and Hong Kong universities. Get practical advice on applications, costs, and student life. https://thinkcollegelevel.com/guides/cambridge-vs-oxford-which-to-apply/ https://thinkcollegelevel.com/guides/cambridge-vs-oxford-which-to-apply/ Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Cambridge or Oxford? An IB 45 student from Tokyo shares insights on choosing between Oxbridge, covering courses, colleges, interviews, and more for international applicants. https://thinkcollegelevel.com/guides/stand-out-in-university-applications/ https://thinkcollegelevel.com/guides/stand-out-in-university-applications/ Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Howard Chan (IB 45, Cambridge HSPS) shares concrete strategies for international students to stand out in competitive university applications to the UK, US, and Hong Kong. Learn how to craft unique essays, build a strong extracurricular profile, and ace interviews. https://thinkcollegelevel.com/guides/how-ib-scores-convert-to-offers/ https://thinkcollegelevel.com/guides/how-ib-scores-convert-to-offers/ Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Demystify how your IB score translates to university offers in the UK, US, and Hong Kong. Howard Chan (IB 45, Cambridge HSPS) shares real timelines and offer specifics. https://thinkcollegelevel.com/guides/study-schedule-for-ib-students/ https://thinkcollegelevel.com/guides/study-schedule-for-ib-students/ Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Howard Chan shares his exact IB study schedule, leading to a predicted 45 and Cambridge HSPS. Learn concrete strategies for international students applying to top UK/US/HK universities. https://thinkcollegelevel.com/guides/common-app-essay-guide/ https://thinkcollegelevel.com/guides/common-app-essay-guide/ Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT From an IB 45 Cambridge admit: Learn how to craft a Common App essay that genuinely reflects your unique voice and experiences for top universities. https://thinkcollegelevel.com/guides/best-free-resources-for-ib-students/ https://thinkcollegelevel.com/guides/best-free-resources-for-ib-students/ Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT From an IB 45 scorer heading to Cambridge: discover the best free resources for IB students, covering past papers, notes, and exam strategies. https://thinkcollegelevel.com/guides/get-strong-recommendation-letters/ https://thinkcollegelevel.com/guides/get-strong-recommendation-letters/ Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Howard Chan shares how to secure impactful recommendation letters for UK, US, & HK university applications. Real advice from an IB 45 Cambridge admit. https://thinkcollegelevel.com/guides/gap-year-vs-direct-entry/ https://thinkcollegelevel.com/guides/gap-year-vs-direct-entry/ Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Howard Chan (IB 45, Cambridge HSPS) shares insights on gap years vs. direct university entry for international students applying to the UK, US, and Hong Kong. Concrete advice.