School Guide

“Don’t Just Stare At Your Textbooks, Use These Apps To Study.” - Jarell, A Malaysian Who Beat More Than 50,000 Applicants And Got Into Harvard

Published by SchoolAdvisor | Apr 21, 2021

Recently, news broke about two Malaysian students from public schools going to Harvard College, the undergraduate school of Harvard University and has made Malaysians proud. One of these two excellent students is Jarell Cheong Tze Wen.

SchoolAdvisor conducted an exclusive email interview with Jarell Cheong. We are happy to share with you the interesting things you would want to know about his educational journey that has scored him a place at one of the top universities in not just the United States, but the world.

Born and raised in the bustling metropolis of Kuala Lumpur, Jarell went to SMK Seri Bintang Utara and completed his SPM with 9A+ in 2018. On top of being a high achieving student at his school, he was actively involved in extracurricular activities. “I was involved in chess, Dancesport, and mathematical Olympiads, all at the international level,” said Jarell.

Indeed, these activities are important for succeeding, but he wishes he had been more focused on one activity and been a master at it. He said, “These activities have definitely helped me stand out in the university application process, but in hindsight, I would have chosen one singular activity instead and tried to be a world contender at it.”

Jarell Cheong Tze Wen

Hardwork and persistence are Jarell’s keys to success

When asked about challenges and hurdles he faced throughout his educational journey, he said his biggest challenges came from suffering defeat at the many competitions he participated in.

“My main challenges were definitely the many setbacks I faced in my many competitions. I distinctly recall not making the Kuala Lumpur State Chess Team in 2014 and missing out on a medal placing at the 2019 SEA Games in Dancesport.”

Being the hardworking and persistent student that he is, he did not see these complications as a fiasco that would stop him from moving forward. Some people see challenges as a way to give up, but it is not the case with Jarell.

He mentioned, “Through all these hurdles, I only learned more about myself and my processes, and this helped me bounce back stronger each time.”

Jarell sees studying as a craft

Studying is not everyone’s forte and students easily feel demotivated when they have to put up with the same routine everyday. For Jarell, studying is something that he is truly passionate about.

“I see studying as a craft with immense depth and complexity. To me, the prospect of learning more efficient methods of studying keeps me motivated to always improve with not only the content I learn, but the way I do it,” he said.

Often, students are programmed to learn at school using the traditional methods of studying through reading textbooks or lecture notes and memorising the content.

However, this Harvard scholar has shared his pro study tip, that is to vary your method of studying. He has personally benefited from flashcard apps, as well as Active Recall and Spaced Repetition techniques.

“Instead of cramming or spending way too much time reading textbooks, try using flashcard applications like Anki as your main method of learning and internalising information. I cannot stress enough the power of Active Recall and Spaced Repetition compared to conventional study methods (reading books, taking notes, etc.),” advised Jarell.

Overview of the Active Recall and Spaced Repetition techniques practiced by Jarell.

Jarell owes his success to supportive people around him.

He could not have walked this journey to Harvard gracefully without the inspiration and assistance from the people around him. We asked who his biggest supporters were and he especially thanked his Math and Physics teachers for guiding him, besides his parents.

“I particularly appreciate my Math teacher at Sunway College who inspired me to learn math in a deeper way. I am also indebted to my Physics teacher and mentor at Sunway College for his incredible insight on the many different activities I was doing. At home, my parents were extremely supportive as always as I juggled university applications, school exams, and extracurricular competitions.”

Upon deciding his next move after SPM, he sought advice from experts to help him navigate his decision. He said, “I knew even before SPM that A Levels was the way to go for me. I spoke to education advisors at MACEE who encouraged me to take the most challenging pre-university program offered in Malaysia to be competitive for admission into the best universities in the world.”

He then pursued A-Levels at Sunway College and graduated with 4A* after taking the A Level Examinations in November 2020.

Jarell also received guidance from his mentor at Sunway College with completing his Harvard application. “My mentor at Sunway College was especially helpful with my application to Harvard since he also once applied to US universities and knows the in's and out's of the application process,” he added.

Word of advice to increase the chance of admittance into Ivy League schools:

While he encourages students to try their best at the things they do and challenge their limits, he also cannot stress enough the importance of staying true to oneself. He said, “Try to show your authentic self in your application instead of doing activities for the sake of university applications.”

Jarell submitted all the components needed for his Harvard application by November 2020 and he received the wonderful news on Ivy Day, April 6, 2021. He remarked, “It still feels slightly surreal to this day. I couldn't believe it when I received their reply two weeks ago, and I still can't believe it now.”

For your information, Jarell is sharing insights on US Applications, Studying, and Mathematics through his new blog that he publishes weekly. Check out his blog at jarell.io/blog!