Ivy League to Oxford: UAE A-level star pupils head to world's top universities

Thousands have received their exam results and are planning their path for the future

Hibba Ahsan will be heading to study law at Durham University in the UK. Chris Whiteoak / The National

UAE pupils who achieved exceptional A-level results are heading to some of the top universities around the world.

Some UAE schools are celebrating achieving their best results yet after the exam results were released on Thursday.

Arham Rakecha, 18, a pupil at British School Al Khubairat, scored two A*s and an A.

He will be heading to the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, a private Ivy League research institute, to pursue a degree in economics.

“I chose Wharton School because the way the American education system works is very appealing to me. It's a very flexible curriculum,” said Mr Rakecha, who is British.

The pupil also received an offer to study at the University of Cambridge but chose to go to the US instead.

"I'll be able to meet people from around the world, study what I like and explore different [methods of learning],” he said.

Mr Rakecha advised those applying to Ivy League universities to make the most of their high school years and try their hand at different things.

“I was really passionate about my subject so I engaged in research projects but also took up sports," he said. "One of my main activities that I wrote about in my application was rugby."

Pupil received offers from seven US universities

Aryan Saboo, 18, an Indian pupil at Gems Cambridge International School Dubai, received three A* in computer science, chemistry and maths, and an A result in further mathematics, physics and IPQ (a project-based qualification).

His efforts led to offers from seven US universities and he has decided to join Georgia Tech to study maths and computing science.

“I ended up finding out [my results] when I got a call from my school counsellor to congratulate me," he said. "When she told me the news, it was a mix of excitement and relief.

“After all the hard work and long nights, seeing those grades felt like a dream come true.

"I shared the news with my family and we were all over the Moon. It was one of those moments I’ll never forget.

"The secret, if there was one, was really just loving the subjects I chose and wanting to study them."

Despite the workload, the pupil did lots of extracurricular activities and made time for skateboarding and playing guitar.

“I’m really excited about the opportunities ahead,” he said.

“Georgia Tech has an amazing programme and I’m eager to learn from the best and contribute to the field.”

At Jumeirah College Dubai, 14 per cent of the school’s A-level entries were awarded the top A* grade and 80 per cent were awarded A* to B grades.

Nuha Kidwai, 17, a Pakistani-British pupil at Jumeirah College, got 3 A* and an A and will be heading to the University of Oxford to study biochemistry.

“I was quite nervous," she said. "I didn’t know what my grades would be like but I was pleasantly surprised and very happy.

“I’m not too sure what I want to do in the future [post-university]. I’m also really interested in humanities and took English.

“The good thing is that Oxford fosters broad scholarship so I’m keeping my options open.”

Hibba Ahsan, 18, a Pakistani pupil at Gems Wellington Academy in Dubai Silicon Oasis, will be heading to study law at Durham University in the UK after an A* and two As.

“I was really worried all summer but I'm pleasantly surprised,” said the pupil.

"From a very early age, I knew I was very business oriented so I want to branch out into corporate law.”

Many pupils aim to study medicine in UK

Osama El Boraie, 18, an Egyptian pupil at Brighton College Abu Dhabi, got three A*s and an A and will be heading for higher education in medicine at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland.

“I knew I worked very hard so I was expecting to get high grades but when I saw it, I was very surprised,” said Mr El Boraie.

“My hands were trembling and I was really scared when opening the results. It was a very big moment.

“My first reaction was just to call my mum.”

Mariyam Mohamed Ismail, 18, an Indian pupil at Gems Wellington Academy in Dubai Silicon Oasis, got an A* and three As and will be taking a gap year before heading to medical college in the UK next year.

“I'm taking a gap year and I'm applying next year. My grades meet the requirements for the universities that I want to go to,” she said. The 18 year old is aiming to study at the University of Oxford but is planning to get some work experience and earn in the meantime, while preparing for medical college.

Some pupils choose less-trodden paths

Apart from the traditional options of medicine and law, some pupils picked offbeat options such as aerospace engineering or dance.

Lucy Evans, a British pupil at Brighton College Al Ain, has achieved two A*s and an A in maths, physics and history. She will go on to study aerospace engineering at the Univeristy of Nottingham in the UK.

“I'm really interested in Formula One and with an aerospace degree, you learn about aerodynamics,” she said.

“I'm very interested in what makes things go as fast as they possibly can but also interested in space and astronomy."

She wishes to use her degree to work in the space industry in the UK.

Sophie Holt, 18, a Russian-British pupil at Dubai British School Emirates Hills, got an A* in Russian and two As in psychology and French.

She said she was excited as she was moving to London to study dance and musical theatre at Bird College.

“I can definitely say that all of the work that I put into my A-levels has paid off.

“I'm very, very excited but I know it's a very competitive industry, so we'll see where it takes me.”