About the Event
UniGlo’s Student Conference strives to inform students and parents of the realities of the application process, dispel misinformation and stereotypes, and provide a better idea of what’s to come during the final years of high school. This is a student-run event providing Bangkok's recent college admits with a platform to share their application journeys. Founded in 2017 as the first event of its kind to be held in Thailand, the 4th annual conference will feature more perspectives and sessions than ever before. You can check out our 2019 event recap video here!
“We are excited to provide a platform for students to share stories about their experiences throughout their application processes across various countries, discuss their challenges and key takeaways, as well as facilitate a session on financial aid and a dedicated parent Q&A.
See you on Zoom!” - UniGlo Team 2021/21
RSVP NOW!
Support Us
We are fortunate enough to have had incredible support from sponsors, donors, friends, and family to run UniGlo as a charitable foundation today. We hope to continue supporting students in their university application journeys through our free events, resources, and network. To do so, we would appreciate any financial or resource support you can provide us with and are always happy to share more information.
Feel free reach out to us at info@uni-glo.org with any queries at any time.
If you are interested in and able to donate to UniGlo please use this form!
Event Schedule
This year's conference will run from July 17th - 22nd 2021, with a series of evening sessions spread across the week. We encourage you to join us at the opening and at as many sessions as interest you. You can also follow up with any of our speakers at the closing reception!
All times are listed in Bangkok local time, GMT+7.
July 2021
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Add to your own Google Calendar or iCal
Click on the title of each session for a brief description of the panel!
Day 1: Saturday, July 17th
↓ 5:00 - 6:00 pm | Opening
What really is the Student Conference and how can you make the most of it? Where do high school students stand in the current application landscape—post-COVID, for the 2021-2022 academic cycle? We’ll kick off the conference with thoughts and insights from the UniGlo Team and Mike Hock of Team Ace Community-Based Organization (CBO).
↓ 6:00 - 7:30 pm | Where Do I Start?
Gather the facts of what needs to happen, and build your toolkit to get cracking!
It goes without saying that the university application process can be…a lot. Its overwhelmingness is pretty much why UniGlo exists in the first place! Fresh, Dow, Dini and Am will break down—for world-class procrastinators and curious students alike—what it really means to get your stuff together. Lovingly dubbed “I have no f*cking clue what to do” by our team, this session aims to dispel common myths and share reflections on planning & researching, wellbeing, and the big picture.
Day 2: Sunday, July 18th
↓ 3:30 - 5:00 pm | Making the Most of Your Time(line)
Reflections & Insights: the unspoken benefits of applying early and managing apps to multiple countries/systems
Let’s talk strategy. How might you leverage the options you have—both in terms of application deadlines and application systems/regions—to make your application journey as manageable as possible? Kate, Thien, Pam, Tata, Sasha, and Petra will discuss 1) their experiences with applying early or on accelerated deadlines (EA/ED/ED II/REA/UCs/Oxbridge/Merit Scholarships); 2) how they navigated applying to multiple systems/countries; and 3) how either (or both) helped or hurt their journey.
→ Moderated by Dini and Am
↓ 5:00 - 6:00 pm | Financial Aid in the US
Mike Hock and recently graduated students will discuss the practical realities and processes of applying for need-based financial aid in the United States.
↓ 7:00 - 8:00 pm | Sunday Sangrias: Parent Session (Parent Only)
What actually is my role in my child’s university application journey?
This session is open to parents only. Join us (with a Sangria or drink-of-choice in hand!) to field your wonderings, worries, and wisdom regarding the university application journey, and in particular, what it means for you as a parent. From ‘What even is a liberal arts college?’ to ‘How can I be the most supportive possible parent (while ensuring my child actually has a safe, secure, and fruitful future)?’; Am, Dini, and Mike will get into all of it.
Mike Hock, of Team Ace Community-Based Organization (CBO), is experienced in working with Thai and international families of various backgrounds to make considered college application decisions. Dini and Am, seasoned veterans in being children of loving yet concerned guardians, have many-a-reflection to share regarding the support they received during their own application journeys.
Day 3: Monday, July 19th
↓ 5:00 - 6:00 pm | Applying to Art & Design Schools (Visual Arts, Music, Theatre, Architecture, Product Design)
Prim, David, Daisy, and Bhu will break down what their arts-leaning applications involved—from portfolios and music composition samples to visual assignments and interviews—and what that meant for their application journeys.
→ Moderated by Em (CSM Product Design ’23).
↓ 5:00 - 6:00 pm | Applying to Med School in Thailand
Prompt, Ploy, Minnie, and Unun will share the ins and outs of their experiences in applying to medical school in Thailand. From decision-making to planning, they’ll cover ways they navigated challenges, expectations, and what they wish they knew before the process.
→ Moderated by Marisa (Thammasat Medicine ‘23)
↓ 6:30 - 8:00pm | Applying to the US - Panel 1
Speakers reflect upon their experience with undergoing the CommonApp and other US application processes and that of the particular schools they chose to apply to. Panels cover decision-making (researching and shortlisting schools), application content choices and approaches, challenges (from time management to articulating who you are while having an existential crisis), personal reflections, and more. Speakers share their stories, highlighting their experience as a whole applicant, not exclusively as an admit to their future academic home.
→ Moderated by Arisht (University of Pennsylvania '24)
↓ 9:00 - 10:00 pm | College Alumni Panel: Insights from Recent Grads
Fresh university graduates and UniGlo alumni Kengo, Mimi, Chie, Calvin, Carina, and Ken give the no-BS lay-down of often neglected considerations when it comes to actually attending university—insights that can only be gained after actually going through it (and coming out the other side!). Discussion topics range from assessment models (and how that materially affects your day-to-day college experience) to attending a large public university versus a small private institution and more.
→ Moderated by Kengo
Day 4: Tuesday, July 20th
↓ 5:00 - 6:00 pm | Applying to Canada
Speakers reflect upon their experience with undergoing the Canadian application processes and that of the particular schools they chose to apply to. Panels cover decision-making (researching and shortlisting schools), application content choices and approaches, challenges (from time management to articulating who you are while having an existential crisis), personal reflections, and more. Speakers share their stories, highlighting their experience as a whole applicant, not exclusively as an admit to their future academic home.
→ Moderated by Mars (University of Toronto '24)
↓ 6:30 - 8:00 pm | Applying to the US - Panel 2
Speakers reflect upon their experience with undergoing the CommonApp and other US application processes and that of the particular schools they chose to apply to. Panels cover decision-making (researching and shortlisting schools), application content choices and approaches, challenges (from time management to articulating who you are while having an existential crisis), personal reflections, and more. Speakers share their stories, highlighting their experience as a whole applicant, not exclusively as an admit to their future academic home.
→ Modereated by Petra (Universty of Oxford '24)
Day 5: Wednesday, July 21st
↓ 5:00 - 6:00 pm | Applying to the Netherlands
Speakers reflect upon their experience with undergoing the Netherlands’ application process and that of the particular schools they chose to apply to. Panels cover decision-making (researching and shortlisting schools), application content choices and approaches, challenges (from time management to articulating who you are while having an existential crisis), personal reflections, and more. Speakers share their stories, highlighting their experience as a whole applicant, not exclusively as an admit to their future academic home.
→ Moderated by Ankita (Amsterdam University College '23)
↓ 6:30 - 8:00 pm | Applying to the UK
Speakers reflect upon their experience with undergoing the UK application process, including UCAS and Oxbridge, and that of the particular schools they chose to apply to. Panels cover decision-making (researching and shortlisting schools), application content choices and approaches, challenges (from time management to articulating who you are while having an existential crisis), personal reflections, and more. Speakers share their stories, highlighting their experience as a whole applicant, not exclusively as an admit to their future academic home.
Moderated By Dillon (University College London '24)
Day 6: Thursday, July 22nd
↓ 5:00 - 6:00 pm | Applying in Asia (Thailand, Singapore, Japan, Korea)
Speakers reflect upon their experience with undergoing each of the vastly different application processes within Asia, and that of the particular schools they chose to apply to. Panels cover decision-making (researching and shortlisting schools), application content choices and approaches, challenges (from time management to articulating who you are while having an existential crisis), personal reflections, and more. Speakers share their stories, highlighting their experience as a whole applicant, not exclusively as an admit to their future academic home.
→ Moderated by Min (Korea University '24)
↓ 6:30 - 8:00 pm | Closing Reception
Attendees can mingle with conference speakers in breakout rooms to ask any lingering questions or connect with them for further conversation. The UniGlo team will also be available throughout the reception to answer any questions, point you to further resources and tell you more about our Foundation!
Speakers Map
Check out where our speakers are heading to college and what sessions they will be presenting on, using our interactive map below!
*For mobile users: please press down on the pins to view the information
Our Speakers
Our Moderators
College Alumni Panel
A Note from the Organizers
As with all things we do at UniGlo, this conference would not be possible without the support, trust, and sheer effort of many, many people.
Thank you to TeamAce CBO, in particular Mike Hock, for your unrelenting support and enthusiasm for our work. It is a wonderful feeling to be in alignment with people we look up to, who bring infinite knowledge and warmth to every interaction.
Thank you to K. Yiew for a year’s worth of time and hard work to help us get our foundation off the ground and licensed. We would not be here without your tireless efforts, patience, and willingness to answer each one of the many questions we had.
Thank you to our 30+ speakers. You inspire us so much, and it’s our honour to aid in providing a space for you to reflect, practice vulnerability, and be willing and excited to share what you have experienced. We’ve been “building this ship while we sail it”, as we like to say, and we thank you wholeheartedly for your infinite patience and support.
In particular, thank you to David, Prim, Bhu, and Dow, who were among the first we reached out to, and who have seen, experienced, and embraced us detangling the complexity involved in building a forum that reflects our values as we go. A big thank you to Sasha for initiating a beautiful social media campaign for us and voluntarily going out of your way to try and make this event reach even greater heights. Thank you all for being responsive to our numerous emails and messages sent at questionable hours and for engaging in the somewhat unstructured yet incredibly insightful conversations that have helped shape this conference. We’re grateful we can be our authentic, messy, genuine college-student selves around you.
Thank you to our moderators—Ankita, Dillon, Em, Marisa, Mars, Min, and Petra—who have all so gracefully taken on the not-so-easy task of turning ambiguity into clarity. We are endlessly thankful for your trust in us and your support throughout this process.
Thank you to Kengo and Mimi for being a part of laying the bricks at UniGlo, and who continue to contribute to what we’re building years later. Thank you to Ken for unconditionally believing in what we do.
Last but certainly not least, thank you to our friends and families for your constant encouragement - we wouldn’t be us without you. Special shout-out to Dini’s family for being pillars in our journey so far and for their willingness to help with even the most tedious of tasks to make this conference a success.
It’s rare to get the chance to work on something that, at the end of the day, is about making the time to pause, share, and provide value in a way that’s meaningful and useful. We’re very lucky to be able to do so. Our gratitude extends far beyond this page and the learning that we hope will bloom from this conference in all sorts of directions.
