“What Do You Look for in a TGS Student?”

As the Director of Admissions at THINK Global School, I get asked this question almost every day. Often people want to know if there is a secret formula that will guarantee admission to TGS.

Yet part of what makes TGS such a unique place is that there is no secret formula; there is no “perfect” student. Each student brings something completely unique, specific, and special to the school. So while I can’t provide an exact answer to this question, I can tell you what some of the most important qualities are in an applicant that help me know that they might be a great match with TGS.

Adaptability and Resilience

As a traveling high school, TGS is unlike any other school in the world. Our students live and study in four different countries each year, each one requiring the cohort to adapt to a new cultural environment, a new climate, a new cuisine, and a new way of life.

While of course TGS students gain adaptability and resilience throughout their time at TGS, they need to come in with a baseline level of deep excitement around trying new things – and a willingness to change their minds about something. They must be willing to try unfamiliar foods, have difficult conversations with people who may hold different views from their own, and persevere through heat waves or monsoons.

While many students come to us saying they want to travel the world, we want to see that students are truly excited for and ready for the deep immersion that TGS provides. Being able to truly immerse oneself into a new environment each term requires a deep amount of adaptability, as well as the ability to work through things that are challenging.

Curiosity and Awe

TGS’s motto is that we are “A School for the Bravely Curious.” This is much more than a motto; it is what we look for in every member of our TGS community.

In today’s world, a lot of societal advancements are designed to make life more frictionless. AI can provide us instant answers to our most challenging questions. We can click a few buttons, and any package we want will show up at our doorstep. We can check into and board a flight without ever talking to a human being.

But we want students who are curious about the “why” and the “how” behind the things happening in the world around them, never settling for being a passive observer or consumer. We want students who engage with the people around them and who ask the hard questions.

Along with this curiosity comes a deep sense of awe about the world around us. From the beauty of nature to the complexity of technology, and from the intricacy of social structures to the joy of music, we want students to find what awes them in the world and pursue it, asking questions and finding the answers through rigorous study.

Care and Empathy

TGS is more than just a school for individual students. It is a community of global students, faculty, and staff from across the globe who are embarking on a life-changing educational experience together.

A TGS student must be able to think about something bigger than their own individual self; they must bring a high level of empathy, compassion, and care for their communities. They must bring humility and a desire to learn about others. They must be willing to have their beliefs challenged and possibly changed.

We look for students who have demonstrated this care and empathy in their own communities. They do not need to have already traveled the world or done every single extracurricular activity. They do need to have shown us that they care about the people around them and have taken steps to make their community a better place, even in a small way.

Are You Ready for TGS?

If all of this sounds like you, we welcome you to check your eligibility on our website and to submit an inquiry form to get started on your application process!