Key Facts
The UWC Movement
The first UWC college, UWC Atlantic College, opened in 1962 in Wales, UK. Today there
are 15 UWC schools and colleges around the world. (UWC Changshu China is the
newest addition in 2015).
UWC is represented in 140+ countries and students are selected through a robust
system of National Committees. In India and for eligible Indian diaspora, selections for
the 15 colleges are run by the UWC Committee of India.
As a student you apply to the movement and not to individual colleges. More than
50,000 students from more than 180 countries have studied at UWC schools, colleges
and programmes through National Committee selections.
The UWC Committee of India will select between 40 60 Indian or Indianorigin students
per year for the IB Diploma Programme (11th & 12th standard equivalent) across the 15
UWCs.
For the previous selections cycle 15% of applicants were offered a place at a UWC with
78% receiving scholarship support.
The UWC Educational Model
Read more about the Guiding Principles of a UWC Education
Academic rigor via the International Baccalaureate Programme
Focus on Community Engagement and Service Learning
Transformative Community Living residential programmes
Socialimpact Oriented Learning
The UWC Student
Our students are selected based on their potential to build a better world. We look for merit
based achievements in the context of How has this applicant best made use of the
opportunities available to them?. While a certain level of academic achievement and a
working fluency in English is mandatory, we place equal emphasis on the following core UWC
qualities:
Intellectual curiosity and motivation: A genuine urge to learn about the world around
oneself and the ability to recognise the details and grasp the breadth of issues (for
example global and local concerns) involved in any given topic and to analyse them
thoroughly
Active commitment: The ability to develop and readiness to reflect, question and confront
ones own values, to measure ones behaviour within family and community against
ones values, and to act on ones own beliefs accordingly and responsibly
Social competence: The ability and readiness to make contact with other people, to
interact respectfully with them, to work together with them in a team and to achieve
solutions the ability to express oneself adequately in different situations and to different
people
Resilience, personal responsibility and integrity: The ability to look after oneself
physically and emotionally during the challenging and transforming experience that a
UWC offers the personal motivation to adhere to UWCs common moral and ethical
principles, a sense of humility and an ability to listen and value another persons opinion
and experience
Motivation for UWC: Passion, ability and serious incentive to contribute to and actively
promote UWCs values
Emphasis on Diversity
The UWC movement has succeeded in bringing together a diversity of races and nations in its
schools and colleges. The next challenges we must face are linked to our vision of selecting
students based on their own merit and potential, without regard for their ability to pay. We wish
to be selecting the most deserving and determined youngsters in the country from a diversity of
socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, linguistic and other backgrounds. We are looking for students
who use their backgrounds to tell compelling stories about where they are from and what they
aspire to.
Scholarships and Fees
We believe that the best and the brightest students should be able to attend UWC irrespective
of their familys ability to pay. UWCs are amongst the premier residential educational schools in
the world and fees range from 10 lakhs per annum to 35 lakhs per annum (approximation
subject to change), depending on the college and prevailing currency exchange rates. Most of
our selected students receive scholarship support, which is largely needsbased and takes into
account the financial position of the family based on a meanstesting at the time of interviews.
UWC India receives funding from a variety of sources in order to provide these scholarships,
including individual UWC schools and colleges, interest from endowments, and much
appreciated donations from UWC alumni and other generous individuals/corporates.
Unfortunately, these sources cannot cover all costs, and some scholarships will require the
candidate and their family to contribute part of the cost, as determined through
financialassessments.
Eligibility
To apply to the UWC Committee of India students must be Indian Nationals or PIO/OCI Card
holders. Students must also currently be in Grade X or XI and must be between 16 and 18
years on September 1st of the year they matriculate at a UWC College. (For 2016 entry this
means students must be born between 1st September 1998 and 1st September 2000).
Selections Process
Our selection process is unique to the UWC movement. All students apply through UWCs
National Committee system. There are national committees and selection contacts in over 140+
countries.
Students applying from India would apply to the UWC Committee for India for selection to the 15
UWCs across the world as per the process detailed on the website. Application fee waivers
are available for students showing demonstrable need (see fee waiver process here).
Selections Timeline (for 2016 Entry)
6th July 2015
Applications available via UWC Committee of India
21st September 2015
Applications close at 11:59PM
19th 22nd November
2015
UWC India Selection Interviews at UWC Mahindra College
(multiple groups, 24hour overnight visit for shortlisted applicant)
Selections Guidelines
UWCs have a strict honesty policy and students must fill the application form by themselves.
Prospective students are expected to have a working fluency of the English language but may
be allowed to speak in their regional language to answer questions during the interview process.
We expect students to do some research on the UWCs and be able to articulate what this
opportunity would mean to them. For this we recommend pursuing the college websites, social
media & YouTube accounts.
Your Contact Points
UWC Committee of India (applications@[Link])
Telephone: (+91) 8411974040 (Mon Fri, 9am 5pm)
Website: [Link]
Facebook: [Link]
