Which schools suit what your child loves?

Review Chances to take part in the arts

There were no drama clubs. However, the school does encourage art production as they host a popular festival of creativity once a year, which encourages students to submit artwork and to perform dances. The school also has a strings and band ensemble.

Review Readiness for life after school

I was well prepared for university after high school. In fact, my first year at university felt like a breath of fresh air in comparison to my time at QASMT. For example, at QA, due to the IB, we had to undergo the CAS program. This meant that we were required to have creative hobbies (writing, art etc.), do activity (sports) and service (volunteering, charity work etc.) on top of school. This helped to enhance personal and interpersonal development in all areas rather than just academics, which aided in preparation for university. If you're able to make it through QA's rigorous program, you'll be prepared for life after high school!

Review Subject range and curiosity

QASMT wasn't the best at variety in terms of subject choices. It was very limited, and there was a strict structure for the selection process (for example, everyone had to do a language). Additionally, in my grade at least, the school removed subject options such as the Arts in Grade 11 since there were a low number of students that did it in Grade 10. Those students were then forced to pick up another subject, such as chemistry, instead. To be fair, SMT in QASMT stands for science, maths, and technology. The subjects, therefore, reflect this in offering courses mainly in these areas. There were a lot fewer creative subjects that could be found in the other QA school, QACI (creative industries). Instead, it offered subjects such as ITGS ('information technology in a global society') which would probably not be found commonly elsewhere.

Review Would you recommend it?

QASMT is a school where the experience greatly depends on your character. It is fast-paced, competitive and highly academic-focused. If you thrive in these environments and are disciplined and self-motivated, I would highly recommend QA to you. Not only are you surrounded by like-minded students whose focus is all on achieving good grades, which in turn motivates you to work harder, but the school provides an abundance of academic-based opportunities such as clubs and events to increase your knowledge. On the other hand, if you tend to procrastinate or are not very disciplined, QASMT will likely be more harmful than good. It is incredibly easy to fall behind on studies due to the difficult nature of the IB program, and I, along with many others, were burnt out and sleep-deprived, particularly in the senior years. The IB program demands much more than the ATAR system- we have to write an extended essay, do philosophy (TOK) and undergo the CAS (creativity, activity, service) program on top of the six regular subjects. Additionally, the subjects offered at QA are much more restricting than other schools. Ultimately, whether I recommend QASMT depends on the person. If you work well under high pressure and can stay on top of your studies, then I would recommend it as it provides an environment where you can shine. On the other hand, it is incredibly demanding and stressful, so if you struggle with procrastination or do not care much for academics, then QASMT is not for you (and that's okay!).

Review What had the biggest impact

Teachers had a massive impact on the students, and it was obvious through the students' grades. For example, in Grade 10, one of the science classes had a much higher fail rate than the rest of the other classes for an exam. The difference? The teacher. I had friends from that class improve substantially the following term when their teacher left and a new one came in. Although my experience wasn't as dramatic, teachers were still incredibly important. While some teachers helped me understand the concept immediately, others like my chemistry teacher were confusing and I ended up having to resort to external tutoring to understand. It was also a shame that the school had a high staff turnover rate. I had three different English teachers in Grade 11 because they kept leaving. This was particularly frustrating as personal feedback (e.g. feedback on progress over different exams) is incredibly important in subjective subjects such as English. When new teachers come in, they know nothing about you or your knowledge as a student, and thus their feedback is limited and may not be as helpful as it could be.

Review Year 12 subject choices

Biology (HL), Chemistry (HL), english (SL), economics (HL), japanese ab initio. I always liked the 2 sciences bio and chem and would not change any of my subject selections. Overall, these subjects were not too difficult to learn and score high marks in. Scaling for different subjects also does not exist for IB, so high marks in arts scales the same as in chemistry, which might be a plus for some students. Subject offered at SMT is quite limited.

Review Subject range and curiosity

There was a greater focus on STEM subjects (sciences maths) over arts and other forms of creative subjects. The subjects offered leaned towards the more objective options, tehrefore there was limited opportunities to engage in creativity.

Review School culture

As mentioned previously, QASMT is highly competitive and academics-focused. Students strive for good grades, and this culture is supported by the school itself in the way that award ceremonies are constantly held and students are praised for their achievements. QASMT prides itself in this, additionally expecting students to maintain a high standard of dress and behaviour both in and out of the school with strict rules. Because of this, most students had the same mindset- do well and graduate with a high score. Although it was competitive, it was more the reason for students to band together and support one another. In a program like IB that's incredibly difficult, it was almost impossible for anyone to get through it alone- at least, that was my experience. I found that people were more than happy to help each other, sharing notes and teaching each other concepts. As the IB does not rely on a bell-curve grading system like the ATAR, this means that one person getting a high score does not make it harder for another person to do well. This is one thing that I appreciated- that we competed with ourselves to be constantly better rather than be in competition with others where people would ultimately be more selfish with resources etc. in order to do good.