Cover Gerard Ong during the IB Graduation Ceremony (Photo: Courtesy of Nexus International School Malaysia)
Gerard Ong during the IB Graduation Ceremony (Photo: Courtesy of Nexus International School Malaysia)
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The Petaling Jaya student makes it into an elite group of fewer than 200 students in the world who scored a perfect 45/45 points in their International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme examinations in 2023
On July 6, 2023, the 2023 International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme results were announced worldwide. The International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme is for students aged 16-19, recognised by the world’s leading universities. Closer to home, Nexus International School Malaysia’s average score of 34.1 surpassed the 2023 global average of 30.24. Nine Nexus International School students scored above 40 out of 45 points, placing them in the top percentile of choice for university admissions.
One teen in particular, Gerard Ong, has emerged as top in the world for achieving a perfect score of 45 points in the examinations, propelling him into an elite group of just 179 achievers out of over 5,000 IB schools worldwide who have achieved such a perfect score this year.
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Hailing from Petaling Jaya, Ong modestly credits his academic success to having a solid support network at home or school and always ensuring that he asked for assistance when needed.
“Achieving the perfect score of 45 has been a surreal experience and, honestly speaking, was an achievement I didn’t expect,” he says. “However, this showed me that my resilience and hard work during the past two years have paid off. At Nexus, I could also take advantage of the myriad co-curricular opportunities that complemented my academic studies. I believe such holistic education provided a good work-life balance that was, ultimately, the key to my success.”
Above Ong with his proud family at his graduation ceremony (Photo: Courtesy of Nexus International School Malayisa)
Ong with his proud family at his graduation ceremony (Photo: Courtesy of Nexus International School Malayisa)
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Before the results were announced, Ong received six university offers and nine scholarships from universities in the USA, Canada and the UK worth over US$360,000. He has also earned admission into the prestigious King’s College London (ranked in the top 10 UK universities in the world by QS World Rankings) and the University of London.
During his IB experience, Gerard was actively involved in the school’s various programmes, sports, and community service. He took up leadership roles in the Student Council and Model United Nations programme, winning a Best Press Piece award at NTUMUN 2022. Now that he has his pick of the world’s top universities, this plucky young learner desires to pursue International Relations as his course of choice.
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Previously contributing to Esquire Malaysia, Expat Lifestyle and Newsweek, Tania oversees digital stories across Tatler’s key content pillars, also leading the Front & Female platform exploring issues and topics affecting women today.
