A Level Colleges! Help Please!

[lololol]

Hi I'm a student from Karachi and currently in my second year of O levels, and as you may know the College Rush has started. And many of my friends have applied to Nixor. and I'm just so incredibly confused. I know that the top colleges in Khi are KGS,Lyceum and Nixor. I'm kinda tilting towards Lyceum now because I've been told that the faculty is great, but I've also heard that it's quite expensive and donot really offer scholarships(If anyone knows about the actual fees it would be really helpful). I want to pursue medical so I want to do have the science subjects in A levels. Can you guys advise me on which colleges have a better science faculty? and does Lyceum have A parhaakoo atmosphere because I'm a nerd and what should be my other options if I don't get admission in Lyceum.
Thaanks in Advance :''')

 

[Tultras]

Hi I'm a student from Karachi and currently in my second year of O levels, and as you may know the College Rush has started. And many of my friends have applied to Nixor. and I'm just so incredibly confused. I know that the top colleges in Khi are KGS,Lyceum and Nixor. I'm kinda tilting towards Lyceum now because I've been told that the faculty is great, but I've also heard that it's quite expensive and donot really offer scholarships(If anyone knows about the actual fees it would be really helpful). I want to pursue medical so I want to do have the science subjects in A levels. Can you guys advise me on which colleges have a better science faculty? and does Lyceum have A parhaakoo atmosphere because I'm a nerd and what should be my other options if I don't get admission in Lyceum.
Thaanks in Advance :''')

It doesn't matter. At all.

Go for PAF if you're getting a scholarship in my opinion.

 

[shahzadfootball]

PAF would be my first choice ,I'm currently enrolled at BSS and my first choice was to get into PAF but I got into BSS since it was closer to my house . But ,I was glad to hear that the teachers who taught me were also in PAF . For Lyceium [MENTION=32988]Xerolt9[/MENTION] and @mohammadyahya can guide you .according to my chem teacher ,(i'm just stating what he said so don't bash on me for what I'm about to say) ,our branch and north=nazimabad branch are the ones which actually bring good results from BSS campus in Karachi . I'd suggest to avoid bahria ,I went there and people have such nakhras I swear I was thankful I didn't get an admission there (I didn't get it because I wanted admission in A2 since I already finished my As from China but they don't admit anyone in A2).

 

[EnergyDan]

KGS is the top dog when it comes to A level colleges. It has an excellent chemistry and physics department, dont know about bio though. Do apply there as well.

 

[namsu99]

I agree with [MENTION=37790]Tultras[/MENTION]. They don't really matter.
I studied from FPS and I had a physics teacher who also taught at Lyceum and St. Pats and a math teacher who also taught at Nixor.
But don't go to FPS - only because the imbeciles don't give full scholarships in A2.

 

[shahzadfootball]

KGS is the top dog when it comes to A level colleges. It has an excellent chemistry and physics department, dont know about bio though. Do apply there as well.

according to my chem teacher ,he said that KGS's reputation is held up by prominent students .

 

[Xerolt9]

[MENTION=128636]lololol[/MENTION]

I'm studying in Lyceum. They will not offer you a scholarship, they never do. Fees is about 30k/2 months. Maybe more if you have Bio.

Pros:
+ Good alumni network. This will help you out in the future when you're starting your career.
+ Great college counselling. I received a lot of good help.

Cons:
+ Physics and Chemistry teachers are weak. My AS Physics teacher was horrible. We didn't study the Waves chapter (which is very important and quite big) until a day before the exam. And the Chemistry teacher I've had in both AS and A2 focuses more on notes than actual learning. Asking him a question will result in you getting insulted and laughed at. Just eat up the notes and vomit them out during your exam. I personally dislike this approach. I've heard good things about the Social Science teachers though.
+ Extra curricular activities are either non-existent or very weak. Apart from maybe two good events this year, everything else was poorly managed.
+ It's very small. Assemblies are a sweat fest, especially.

I know a lot of people say that Lyceum has a lot of studious students. This is not true. You'll meet all sorts of students there. The only reason people assume Lyceum to play host to smart individuals is because the CIE results turn out well and they kick out those who get a low grade, hence boosting their average.

At this point, you're probably saying to yourself "Oh wow, I should just avoid Lyceum". But let me tell you this: If you're actually serious about A levels, you'll study well no matter where you go. That was how it was for me.
Also, I feel like I've evolved as a human being after coming to Lyceum. They sort of instill some morals and ethics in you through whatever they do. You'll probably see things with a new perspective after coming here.

---

If you want a scholarship, check out BCCD. Many of my friends got a 100% scholarship there. The teachers are good and they have lots of activities and fun stuff going on all year. However, I've heard some pretty negative things about their environment. If you're more into studying than goofing around and getting into all sorts of weird and unethical (imo) stuff, maybe that isn't the place for you.

Nixor has an 'okay' faculty (they boast about it wayyyy too much) and great activities. If you want to be a more confident individual, you should check it out. I knew a guy who was really shy and timid. Then he went to Nixor and now I can imagine him being a future leader. However, be prepared to work extra hard. It's hard to juggle science subjects with extra curriculars.

I agree with [MENTION=23281]shahzadfootball[/MENTION]. KGS's reputation is held up my prominent students. It's really not that good. The students who go there have 9A*s minimum, so they're pretty hard working already. They just keep their hard work up and maintain their grades, regardless of how bad their teachers are. It's all about the students (it's kinda the same in Lyceum to some extent). I don't know too much about KGS, but it's reputation extends beyond Pakistan. If you're aiming for the top universities abroad (Ivy leagues for example), KGS will boost your chances significantly. I thought this was just an opinion, but according to several college counsellors, it's true. Ivy Leagues favor KGS #fact .

---

Just remember, wherever you go, you need to work hard. Don't rely on the faculty. And if you don't make LOTS of friends quick, you'll have a bad time. Don't make the same mistake I did by avoiding people in AS.

Good luck!

 

[shahzadfootball]

@OP ,if you're in interested in Scholarship ,BSS GAL branch also offers it .You only have to pay 6.5k if u get 3As ,that is their "100% scholarship" . at 2As and 1B you get 50% scholarship and on 2As and 1C you get 25% scholarship . But mind it ,in As and alevels,especially by CIE,it is a total Abuses will lead to ban to get As . You have to aim at like 90% to get As,I'm not wrong . What I did wrong was that I looked at the Grade thresholds and got happy that As were quite low for Chem and Phy . I studied accordingly ,what I did was not wrong but I did not foresee what CIE does. They have this "Adjusted marks" rule where you may get more marks than your raw marks or might get lose marks than your raw marks . According to my raw marks,I had A in physics and maths but they adjusted my marks and Got B .I was availaing a 100% scholarship in my school but just some stupid rule by CIE and I lost it .

 

[lololol]

Thanks for the detailed reply.
Buuut, I swear I'm confused as hell ._. Nevertheless, I'm applying for Lyceum. Let's see if I get in
Also, I wanted to ask, if I can change the subject combinations they've provided on the website? I want Maths instead of Physics in the Science combination.

 

[shahzadfootball]

Thanks for the detailed reply.
Buuut, I swear I'm confused as hell ._. Nevertheless, I'm applying for Lyceum. Let's see if I get in 
Also, I wanted to ask, if I can change the subject combinations they've provided on the website? I want Maths instead of Physics in the Science combination.

You should have atleast 3 subjects regardless of combination I believe.

 

[EnergyDan]

according to my chem teacher ,he said that KGS's reputation is held up by prominent students .

Ofcourse it is. Where does a school get its reputation from? Students. There are many things wrong with KGS, i.e. some of its age-old and rigid policies BUT if OP wants an ambitious environment and a brand name to go with it, then he should consider it imo.

 

[shahzadfootball]

Ofcourse it is. Where does a school get its reputation from? Students. There are many things wrong with KGS, i.e. some of its age-old and rigid policies BUT if OP wants an ambitious environment and a brand name to go with it, then he should consider it imo.

Well,not every student is gifted .There are more students who have the potential to bring good grades than there are who are gifted . A school should help such students by providing teachers who can help the students to achieve high grades . KGS is just trying to maintain their rep instead of actually teaching the kids :v

 

[EnergyDan]

Well, not every student is gifted .There are more students who have .the potential to bring good grades than there are who are gifted . A school should help such students by providing teachers who can help the students to achieve high grades . KGS is just trying to maintain their rep instead of actually teaching the kids :v

You cant assume that unless you've studied there, kgs is hardly a place full of straight-A agents. :s. Some of the teachers are great, and really want you to understand the subject instead of stuffing notes down your throat. I think you're tackling a broader issue here. The A level system (atleast in Pak) is generally is focused around getting the highest grades instead of actually learning. IB system is much better. Anyways, lets not hijack OPs wonderful thread. :3

 

[shahzadfootball]

You cant assume that unless you've studied there, kgs is hardly a place full of straight-A agents. :s. Some of the teachers are great, and really want you to understand the subject instead of stuffing notes down your throat. I think you're tackling a broader issue here. The A level system (atleast in Pak) is generally is focused around getting the highest grades instead of actually learning. IB system is much better. Anyways, lets not hijack OPs wonderful thread. :3

It's not teh A level system :v it's the brown parents on the whole who wants their kids to get good grades rather than letting their kids learn stuff :v

 

[Xerolt9]

^Not really. Well, I mean, to an extent, but it's also the kids who have no interest in learning. To be quite honest, I'm quite satisfied with having Chemistry notes shoved down my throat. I absolutely hate the subject. However, I wish my teacher could teach Physics instead of telling us what to write in the exam.

 

[shahzadfootball]

^Not really. Well, I mean, to an extent, but it's also the kids who have no interest in learning. To be quite honest, I'm quite satisfied with having Chemistry notes shoved down my throat. I absolutely hate the subject. However, I wish my teacher could teach Physics instead of telling us what to write in the exam.

we can't blame the teachers,their aim is to give school best grades .

 

[Xerolt9]

we can't blame the teachers,their aim is to give school best grades .

So we blame the teachers, and so the school, and thus the system.

The A level system is honestly quite basic and stupid. One could just go through a bunch of past papers without studying anything properly and still get an A.

 

[shahzadfootball]

So we blame the teachers, and so the school, and thus the system.

The A level system is honestly quite basic and stupid. One could just go through a bunch of past papers without studying anything properly and still get an A.

well yea ,practice makes perfect.

 

[mohammadyahya]

[MENTION=128636]lololol[/MENTION]
I was in the same situation as yours last year. I know the stress [emoji14]
So I would suggest you to apply to both Nixor and Lyceum immediately. IMMEDIATELY!
The sooner you apply, the better chances you have for getting in. Both are really good schools with awesome faculty.

I'm studying in Lyceum right now and in case of studies, its awesome. I'm a commerce student but have a lot of friends with Science subjects and they tell me their teachers are awesome, which is also reflected by their grades. I agree with [MENTION=32988]Xerolt9[/MENTION] that not all teachers are good, but here are some great teachers for your subjects:
Physics - Sir Yawar Abbas and Sir Hussham Arshad
Chemistry & Bio - Sir Hussham Arshad
Maths - Sir Shamsuddin Lalani, Sir Shahab Yaqoob and Sir Rafay Shaikh

When you get into Lyceum you may or may not be in the classes of one of these teachers. If you're not, I'd strongly recommend you to change your teachers to these by requesting the management.

The school is small, so sports activities are carried out in a Park outside the school. You will need good grades, a good interview and a good essay in your registration form to increase your chances of getting in. If you apply early, you will have greater chances of getting an unconditional offer.

You can change subjects as the registration form can be edited before a particular date. If you wish to change subjects after getting an admission you can e-mail them your request.

 

[Azi29]

Okay so i am in the same position.Replies from the people who study lyceum were really helpful. Now suggest me, i am a student from st.michaels! i want to go for medical too but the issue with me is, k i want partying with studies aswell. i get good grades but like relaxing ka time bhi ho. i cant be a book worm. I got an unconditional from nixor, and i applied in lyceum too. There is cedar tooo offering liberal arts nd language courses but no campus yet.
Nixor: Physics,naushad bio:dr.hasnain chem: saqib Allahuddin and psycology ki its kanwal qadeer
Lyceum: dont know :3 hussham arshad switched to cedar nd khadija masood too
Cedar: roque,physics chem,bilal hammed Bio,khadija masood and hussham psycology, i dont remember abii
If u take the fees, idk about lyceum so pls temme. Nixor ki its 156000 if i take science with an extra or without its 136000 4 months ki
cedar ki its 136000 for 4 months with an extra. but no campus yet. mid of aug complete hoga otherwise kahi or thats what they said in their open house. please help me. :|