Students across the kingdom are in the throes of chaos, so to speak, as they complete admission forms, draft essays and apply to universities, all while awaiting their results and riding the emotional rollercoaster of flying the nest.
Several online studies have indicated that varying levels of anxiety and depression are common during this phase. In fact, the pressure of managing admissions and academic expectations is felt not only by children but their parents too.
Bahrain-based experts advise greater synergy between parents and schools to simplify the process for all involved. Additionally, they recommend seeking help from external agencies if needed, with students attesting to the benefits of doing so and enjoying a more seamless application process.
One such platform is Canmore Place – an admissions technology platform designed to streamline the university and foundation pathway application process for students across the Gulf. Set to launch next month, it is founded by Rachel Gibson and developed as both a web platform and Progressive Web App – which means users can access it through their browser and add it directly to their phone home screen for an app-like experience on both Apple and Android devices.
The user-friendly interface and features are guided by Rachel’s 20-year
experience in international education across the GCC, the UK, Asia,
Europe, and Latin America. She has worked with international educational
institutions like London School of Economics (LSE), as well as local
universities like British University of Bahrain and Vatel Bahrain.
Some
of the roles she has played throughout her career include managing
scholarship schemes, school outreach, communications and student
recruitment.
“The platform is designed to simplify the journey
between students, families, counsellors and educational institutions,”
the British expatriate told GulfWeekly.
“Everyone’s in the loop about
where applications are at any one time. So it allows students to
search, compare and apply to schools, universities and pathway providers
through a more structured and transparent process. It also gives
parents and counsellors better visibility throughout the whole journey,”
she added.
The platform is free for students to use and is sustained
through placements into partner schools and universities, according to
the creative entrepreneur.
“Throughout my career, I have seen
students and families facing the same challenges – multiple websites,
multiple application forms, repeated document uploads, different
deadlines… they often lose track of where everything stands, and I felt
there had to be a better way, which is why I created Canmore.”
A
Bahrain resident for 11 years, Rachel grew up in Oman and is familiar
with regional requirements and sensibilities. During this period, she
moved to the UK where she worked at LSE and helped establish its
partnership with the Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance (BIBF) in
2013.
“Bahrain was very different back then, and that’s actually what
drew me here, I saw the students and how committed Bahrain was to
education,” added the Dilmunia resident.
The platform is currently undergoing final testing and onboarding schools and universities across the GCC.
Elaborating
on the interface, Rachel noted how the web app allows students to tag
parents or school counsellors, ensuring they work as a team.
“Canmore
Place tracks every step of the application process so you can log into
your dashboard at any time and see exactly where each application is.
Let us say you have applied to five universities and you are missing
your high school transcript. Your guidance counsellor has that document,
so she will just be able to upload it for you.
“We also have a
‘buddy scheme’, which allows students to see where peers from their
school are going to. This gives parents a bit of reassurance,
particularly when students are going abroad, as we work with UK
foundation providers as well,” she added.
Rachel said the ultimate goal of the platform is to help students make more informed decisions about their future.
“Education
is about people, not paperwork, and if Canmore Place can reduce some of
that administrative burden then that in itself will create more
opportunity for meaningful conversations between students, families and
counsellors – that is where the real value lies,” she said.
The platform is currently undergoing final testing and onboarding schools and universities across the GCC.
Elaborating
on the interface, Rachel noted how the web app allows students to tag
parents or school counsellors, ensuring they work as a team.
“Canmore
Place tracks every step of the application process so you can log into
your dashboard at any time and see exactly where each application is.
Let us say you have applied to five universities and you are missing
your high school transcript. Your guidance counsellor has that document,
so she will just be able to upload it for you.
“We also have a
‘buddy scheme’, which allows students to see where peers from their
school are going to. This gives parents a bit of reassurance,
particularly when students are going abroad, as we work with UK
foundation providers as well,” she added.
Rachel said the ultimate goal of the platform is to help students make more informed decisions about their future.
“Education
is about people, not paperwork, and if Canmore Place can reduce some of
that administrative burden then that in itself will create more
opportunity for meaningful conversations between students, families and
counsellors – that is where the real value lies,” she said.
