University Offers: Karnsiree (LingLing) Chen, Yale

Congratulations to LingLing on her offers from University College London, University of Manchester, The University of Pennsylvania where she was accepted into the Vagelos Scholar’s Programme, Johns Hopkins University, Yale University, Northwestern University, University of Southern California, King’s College London, the University of California at Berkeley and UCLA. LingLing plans to study Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology at Yale.

I am currently deciding between attending Yale University for Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology and UCL Medical school.  I decided on Yale in the US to study Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology. The liberal arts curriculum at Yale will give me the freedom to double major and pursue other interests like Biomedical/ Chemical Engineering and Economics while still supporting my passion for applied science (particularly with the establishment of new STEM facilities, easy access to research funding and positions within labs of renowned scientists at the forefronts of their fields).

I’ve always been interesting in Science, particularly in its application to real world problems. Medicine embodies this interest, as doctors use scientific principles to help people, by caring for them both physically and mentally.  I enjoyed the process of designing and completing experiments for the IB, but also enjoyed the journalistic aspects of writing about the process. Being a doctor requires the ability to communicate information effectively, and I found that I liked this part of the profession by writing ‘Student’s Speak’ articles every week. Yale’s active student journalism scene will also allow me to nurture my skills. 

I founded and was the President of Cube Care CAT club which aims to raise funds for specialised health care for rural communities: in the two and a half years since its creation, we are proud to have fulfilled the wishes of two communities in Kanchanaburi and Prachuap Khirikan. We were interviewed and our achievements were published in an article by the IB World Magazine (https://blogs.ibo.org/blog/2020/04/15/dp-students-fulfill-healthcare-needs-of-their-community/). I am also a classically trained tubist and played in the school orchestra, founded and contributed weekly to the Student’s Speak column, was a founding member of Scientia Magazine and was involved as an Art Director for Project Star and Habitat for Humanity. 

Top tip for other students – start early and stay on top of deadlines since they tend to pile up fast