Student 1:
I had a little bit of a misconception going into the school that it'd be very academic, bit of a pressured environment and I thought that I would have to always just be studying and try to outcompete the people around me, but it's definitely not like that. I think it is just like any other high school.
Student 2:
Getting it selected on academic merit can often lead to myths of excessive academic competition or some sort of toxicity, but that really couldn't be further from the truth.
Student 3:
The whole nature of going into these select entry programmes is that you've got a lot of brilliant individuals, a lot of brilliant minds that you can share ideas with, on the same page with. The sort of environment that a school like that can create is unmatched.
Student 4:
Having people around you that wanted to do the same things as you, could support you in your journey to do it and give you that push as well, really made it much easier for me.
Student 2:
My favourite thing about going to MacRob was for sure the people there. The amount of support that I got from these people who inspired me, uplifted me, and motivated me to achieve my goals was something so special and definitely my favourite thing and something that I continue to carry into my world after high school.
Student 1:
I think Nossal really gives you a lot of opportunities to explore the things that you're interested in, which university does as well in abundance. So I think the amount of confidence that you get given as well as independence to take control of your own learning and do the things that you want to do.
Student 5:
Being around a group of such a high-performing cohort has really set me up to level myself up. Being in a new community around people that you haven't met, starting out fresh, having to navigate that social landscape, I guess, if you will, that's very common in pretty much every single career path you might want to go down.
Student 7:
The environment pushed me towards being a better version of myself in a way that was productive and positive. Everyone was supporting each other and pushed me to be better and work harder for me to get into the chosen pathway that I am in now, and I'm very grateful for that.
Student 6:
One of my favourite things about Suzanne Cory High School would be, honestly, the teachers there. The teachers were all very supportive and had so much life experience to talk to our students about. They were just so supportive during such a stressful time like VCE. Really, the best thing and it really made my experience there just so great and so positive.
Student 3:
My school placed a lot of emphasis on the student being a lot more than just academically-focused. Remember, there was so much incentivisation, encouragement to get involved with the orchestra, with the sports, with just the community in general, leadership positions, wherever you can.
Student 6:
We were very much encouraged to pursue what we were passionate about and it didn't need to be science, it didn't need to be maths, it didn't need to be any STEM. It could be in humanities, it could be in music, it could be in languages, and we were really encouraged to take those on to have a balance of subjects during VCE.
Student 7:
When I initially joined Suzanne Cory, I didn't know what I wanted to do. It was over the course of my journey there that the experiences that I had with the subjects that I took and the teachers that supported me throughout this journey, helped me understand myself better, understand my skills better.
Student 6:
I knew my passion beforehand. I really wanted to do science, I wanted to be part of the scientific community. The teachers at Suzanne Corey really pushed me and guided me into what field I wanted to go to. Learning from their experience, it pushed me towards different fields, really learning about, oh, what's it like in the health industry? What is it like in the research industry? And just having those small chats with them reinforced, yeah, my field and my passion for science.
Student 4:
Going to a select entry high school really set me up for what I wanted to do in life, which was engineering, or surrounded by people that had the same ambitions and lifelong aspirations as me.
Student 2:
The selective entry school that I went to equipped me with a mindset to face adversity with. I was able to develop that confidence to meet people and to explore different avenues and different opportunities.
Student 3:
I think if it wasn't for the moments and experiences that I had, it wouldn't have set me up as well as I have been for a position where I'm today.
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