At the time, China’s international education market was still in its early stages, and the impact of artificial intelligence had not yet become fully visible. Ten years later, that question has not faded and has, in fact, become even more urgent. 

The logic of Ivy League admissions has changed substantially in recent years. The applicant pool is no longer short of high GPAs, perfect standardized test scores, or long activity lists. What is rare is application material that immediately makes readers believe: This student has genuinely spent time developing depth in a specific direction. 

Raymond Carver once asked, “What do we talk about when we talk about love?” Paul Valéry, in his reflections on literature and art, asked with uncertainty: “When we talk about poetry, what exactly are we talking about?” Haruki Murakami also wrote a book inspired by his commitment to running: What I Talk About When I Talk About Running. 

各位好！學期尾聲，先祝各位工作順利。今年，Creato 與香港電腦教育學會（HKACE）再度攜手，隆重推出「2026 全港校際 AI 航空比賽」！為答謝上屆參賽學校的持續支持，我們特別推出專屬早鳥禮遇：凡報名 2 隊，即可獲第 3 隊免費參賽！   📅 比賽詳情：項目： 模擬飛行挑戰賽 x 航空英語運用 (中小學組)、AI 航空路線規劃挑戰賽 (中學組)、AI 航空常識問答挑戰賽 (小學組)日期： 2026年11月22日 (高中和初中) / 11月29日 (高中和初中) / 12月6日 (高小)地點： 聖公會聖馬利亞堂莫慶堯中學對象： 初中組 (中一至中三); 高中組 (中四至中六) ; 高小組 (小四至小六)大獎： 冠軍隊伍將獲贈 台北來回機票 ✈️ (中學組 only)頒獎典禮： 2026年12月13日   💡 活動亮點：1️⃣全免費賽前培訓： 兩大獨家 AI 工具 - Altos - AI Flight Planning Tool (AI 航空路線規劃挑戰賽) 及 Charlie² - AI航空英語會話導師 (配合模擬飛行挑戰)，讓小四至中六學生在國際級舞台上展現科技與數字素養。及由教育心理學家主持的「正向心理學工作坊」（增強團隊協作與抗壓能力）。2️⃣政府撥款資助：學校可利用「我的行動承諾」專項撥款 或 「智啟學教」撥款計劃，申請報名費及培訓開支，實現零成本參與！   👉 名額有限，立即報名：小學組 - https://bit.ly/49VzotN中學組 - https://bit.ly/4nLC9DI   In Partnership With

Every parent wants their child to succeed at school. Good academic performance can open doors to future opportunities, build confidence, and help students develop important life skills.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a globally recognized phonetic system based on the Latin alphabet, used as the standard form of representation for spoken language pronunciation. 

The career landscape is changing rapidly. With advances in artificial intelligence, digital technology, and sustainability, many of the jobs today’s students will eventually work in may look very different from those we know now. Some careers may disappear, while entirely new industries continue to emerge. 

The Harvard Undergraduate Science Olympiad (HUSO) introduces an exceptional opportunity for young learners through the Harvard Undergraduate Science Olympiad (HUSO China) 2026, a 5-day immersive STEM programme designed to inspire curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking. 

Admission Result: Psychology, University of Sydney  Student Portfolio Name: Steve GPA: 3.5/4.0 Test Score: IELTS 6.5 High School: International School in Shanghai Participating Project: Developmental Psychology — Critical Stages: Changes, Adjustments & Influencing Factors I was fortunate to be admitted to the Psychology program at the University of Sydney. The YRI team had a precise understanding of the university's preferences – they knew that Sydney values research potential far beyond mere GPA. In my application essays, they used my disappointing performance with the John Locke Competition as a narrative thread. I showed how I consequently filled the gaps in my academic writing and literature searching skills after enrolling in YRI, learned professional research methods, and completed an empirical research report. They also guided me to highlight the alignment between my research and Sydney’s Psychology program curriculum. During the interview stage, multiple rounds of mock interviews helped me answer questions with confidence. YRI didn't just 'package' my experiences — they truly helped me grow from someone who 'knows specific knowledge' into someone who 'knows how to conduct research.' This lifelong academic ability was the key factor that made me stand out among numerous applicants." 

Admission Result: Computer Science, University of Hong Kong  Student Portfolio Name: Xavier GPA: 3.5/4.0 Test Score: IELTS 7.0 High School: International Program at a Public High School in Guangzhou Research Program: Application of Machine Learning in Medical Data Processing I was incredibly fortunate to find YRI's team for planning and guidance. My GPA of 3.5/4.0 was unremarkable among the many applicants competing for HKU. At one point, I thought I would be lucky just to get into any university. My biggest question was always: how do I stand out in such a homogeneous and competitive applicant pool? That was until I met YRI's study abroad planning team. They helped me build deep, unique academic highlights that impressed the HKU admissions officers. I have always been passionate about the field of computer science, especially the applications of machine learning. But as a high school student, the research resources my school could provide were very limited. I could only learn through scattered online courses with no systematic knowledge framework, nor did I know how to turn my interests into valuable application materials. After learning about my situation, Rina, YRI's research planning advisor, didn't blindly push me toward a popular topic. Instead, she considered HKU's academic strengths in 'AI applications,' communicated deeply with professors, and customised a research project for me titled 'Applications of Machine Learning in Medical Data Processing.' Mr Lance, my GPA advisor, matched me with a Computer Science PhD supervisor from UCLA. My supervisor guided me through every step — from reading academic literature and learning algorithms to experimental design. I remember hitting many walls when I first encountered complex machine learning models. Instead of just feeding me information, my mentor broke down the problems and recommended high-quality resources, guiding me to explore on my own. This 'teach a person to fish' approach not only helped me complete my research project but also helped me build solid academic thinking. It clarified my direction to pursue further studies in computer science and interdisciplinary fields, and this became my core personal brand in my HKU application. My mom said what our family appreciated most about the YRI team was their precise understanding of my target school's admissions preferences and their professional ability to turn research experience into an application advantage. Mr Yan, my application advisor, told me that HKU values 'academic potential + practical application skills.' So, when polishing my essays, we didn't simply list my research steps. Instead, we focused on three core aspects: first, why I chose this topic (from my concern about the healthcare industry to my thinking about technology empowerment); second, the challenges I faced during the research and my corresponding solutions (such as data preprocessing difficulties and model optimization strategies); and third, the practical significance of the project (how it could enable efficient analysis of medical data). This narrative approach transformed my essays from a cold list of experiences into a vivid story of genuine thinking and growth. Meanwhile, Nico, my overseas advisor, guided me to present my research results visually — organising experimental data reports and creating a project presentation slideshow. During interview preparation, we conducted multiple rounds of mock interviews focusing on the technical details and academic extensions that HKU interviewers might ask about. From structuring my essays logically to answering confidently in interviews, every step of the teachers' planning helped align my research experience perfectly with what HKU was looking for. To students who are also from mainland China, don’t have top-tier grades, but have clear interests, I want to say: academic performance is the foundation for applying to top universities, but "unique academic experiences + clear personal positioning" is the core competitive advantage. YRI’s value lies in helping you discover your own strengths and amplifying them in a professional way! Choosing the teachers at YRI was the best decision I made at this crucial stage of my life.

Admission Result: Imperial College London, with the Most Prestigious Scholarship  Student Portfolio Name: Emly GPA: 3.9+/4.0 High School: International School in Tianjin Research Program: Neuroscience Research Program with Professors from Top UK/US Universities To be honest, at the beginning I didn't have a clear expectation of myself. I chose to do research for two reasons: one, like most people, to strengthen my study abroad application, but more importantly, because I truly love neuroscience. Then I discovered this opportunity to work closely with a top researcher. I learned so much from my mentor, and I think that — the learning itself — was the most important part. Also, after going through this process, my writing skills and my ability to find and organize information really did improve. Those are skills that will stay with me for a long time. 

Admission Result: Stanford University Student Portfolio Name: Jack GPA: #1 in High School Test Scores: SAT 1560, TOEFL 116 High School: Public International School in Shanghai Research Program: Computer Vision & Ancient Persian Culture, with Professors from Top UK/US Universities Goal: To combine computer algorithms with linguistics to better preserve ancient human civilisations. For such a niche research topic, finding a qualified mentor is extremely difficult. In the end, thanks to this program, I was able to find a foreign instructor in Ancient Near Eastern History from the University of Chicago. It was my first time participating in humanities research, and the process felt both interesting and challenging. Over a year, I read more than 2,000 pages of text and gained tremendously from the experience. These readings not only improved my English reading speed and deepened my historical knowledge but also taught me how to analyse historical materials. It was precisely this humanities research experience that opened the field of linguistics to me when applying for college. Inspired by the deciphering process of ancient inscriptions like the Rosetta Stone, I hope to combine computer algorithms with linguistics in the future to more efficiently decode ancient texts, support historical and archaeological research, and better protect humanity's ancient civilisations. This is the goal I will continue to pursue.