Sofiia Yarytska (S 23-25) achieved an outstanding score of 44 out of 45 in the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma, which secured her place at Princeton University. She recently spoke about her experiences at Rugby School and her hopes for the future.

Could you tell us a little bit about yourself and your background before attending Rugby School?

My name is Sofiia, and I’m from western Ukraine, a place rich in tradition and culture. I lived there for 16 years before coming to Rugby and take great pride in being Ukrainian, as well as sharing knowledge about my country abroad.

I’ve always been an enthusiastic learner who thrives on academic challenges and enjoys connecting ideas across disciplines. My greatest love is essay writing, whether in literature, history, or French.

Before Rugby, I attended a small lyceum where I studied a broad range of subjects. It was a very disciplined, old-school environment, which taught me independence and perseverance, qualities that proved indispensable during the later challenges. When the  COVID -19 pandemic occurred and later the war in Ukraine, I learned to take charge of my own education using learning as both a distraction and a source of purpose.

I also served as Head Girl, organising extracurricular activities to modernise the school, encourage participation in sports and the arts, and create a stronger sense of community.

How did you find your time whilst at Rugby School, and are there any highlights or memorable moments?

Transformative is the only word that does it justice.

Rugby was without doubt the most formative chapter of my life, shaping me both as a person and a student.

First, the school instilled in me a strong sense of discipline and routine. Rugby’s rhythm of set mealtimes, chapel four times a week, the uniform, a system to monitor progress was a complete shift from my previous school.

Instead of feeling restrictive, it gave me a sense of direction and focus. I quickly developed habits like evening library sessions and regular review of material, learning that big goals are achieved through small, consistent steps.

The second was learning how to live and work so closely with other people. At first, I was reserved but with time I became more open, better at reading people, and more comfortable communicating across cultures. That skill of approaching others with readiness to connect, is something I know will be essential for university and beyond.

And finally, Rugby taught me balance. My boarding house, Stanley, was a masterclass in combining serious study with moments of joy, many thanks to Ms Scott-Martin and Ms Brett! These included wine-and-cheese evenings, Easter egg hunts, carol singing in our little quad, LXX bonding trips and much more!

Knowing I had time to relax and laugh with friends meant I could return to my IB work refreshed and ready to focus. After a good rest, it was easy to ‘lock in,’ tackle six IB subjects, write my Internal Assessments (IAs), and stay on top of deadlines. This constant interplay between disciplined study and lively exchange kept me motivated. This blend of discipline, daily routine, encouragement from my favourite teachers and my tutor, Mr Davies, shaped me into someone with a strong, goal-oriented mindset.

You took the International Baccalaureate (IB) during Sixth Form, which involves studying 6 subjects simultaneously from a range of disciplines. How was your overall experience with the IB?

The IB was everything I could have hoped for and more - stimulating, demanding, and deeply rewarding. When I first started, I remember walking around thinking, “this is just like a dream.” I loved the variety, the way different subjects seemed to speak to each other, and the constant intellectual spark the course created.

In history and literature, I learned the art of writing under pressure: taking a fresh question, organising my thoughts, and producing an argument that is both clear and engaging. That skill came from the guidance of my teachers, who never let me settle for good enough.

French was another highlight. I arrived with only basic knowledge but fell in love with the language. I read daily, listened to Radio France in the mornings, watched French films, and even spending an hour each night practising with my penpal – apologies to my roommate, Ruby, for the noise! So, by the end of two years, I feel I had reached fluency - proof that passion, consistency, and hard work produce impressive results!

All other subjects, like biology and maths, were a smooth ride from start to finish, with a lot of work behind the curtains!

You achieved an impressive 44 out of a total 45 points. Based on your experience, what advice would you give to students currently taking or considering taking the IB to help them succeed?

The most important lesson that I have learnt is that the IB teaches you a lot, and to use feedback as fuel. That I learnt best in my Visual Arts course. During my classes, I received constant and helpful feedback from Mr Wright and Ms Jones. They treated my work with the same seriousness as their own, and their observations motivated me to think more deeply and experiment more boldly. I was brimming with ideas, sometimes too many, but their constructive feedback proved to be my best motivator.

That mindset, seeing feedback not as a setback but as a stepping stone, sets one up for success. My advice to current IB students would be to take on the advice you’re given -you are learning from extraordinary professionals who care deeply about helping you succeed.

My other piece of advice is to develop your own revision and study routine. Rugby School has a strong structure, but it’s equally important to create a personal system that works for you. For me, that meant building a complete database of materials and revisiting them regularly, especially in the months leading up to exams. I’d suggest starting serious revision well in advance - six to eight months before the exams, and at least one to two months before mocks. I kept an Excel sheet with personal deadlines, which made tackling a huge amount of material feel organised and manageable.

Seek out additional sessions and clubs, too. I joined Dr Sutcliffe’s LXX literature club, which was brilliant. At the time, I was completely new to writing timed essays in English and to IB-specific prompts, but the club gave me the chance to sharpen my analysis beyond the classroom and discuss literature that genuinely excited me. I also attended a few Hydra history lectures and spent hours in the art studios. These extracurriculars strengthened my in-class performance, stretched my thinking, and kept my mind flexible and curious.

And finally, keep your eyes on the goal. My mother once told me that travellers check their compass regularly to make sure they’re still on course and that’s the secret to reaching any destination. As a student aiming for the Ivy League, I surrounded myself with reminders of where I wanted to go; posters, wallpapers, and quotes that kept my ambition alive and my motivation high. The same goes for students aiming for that elusive 44 or 45 - keep going, and “don’t stop believing”, as the classic song says.

Congratulations on your place at Princeton University! What will you be studying there and what are you most excited about?

That’s a tricky question and one of the reasons I chose Princeton. As a liberal arts institution, it doesn’t require students to declare a major upon arrival. Instead, I’ll spend my first term exploring different courses, discussing my options with my academic advisor, and discovering where I want my career, and curiosity, to take me.

Such freedom might feel intimidating to some, but I see it as an incredible opportunity. I applied with a focus on art history and literature, so I’ll definitely be taking those. I’m especially excited for a course called Italy Before Rome, which includes a fully funded half-term trip to Rome.

At the same time, I’m eager to challenge myself in physics, chemistry, and mathematics to gain a deeper, more scientific understanding of the world. It might seem like a dramatic shift, but that’s the magic of Princeton – you’re encouraged to uncover hidden passions and pursue them without hesitation. One of the university’s core lessons is that learning doesn’t end after A-levels or the IB. In today’s fast-changing world, we must keep learning, adapting, and mastering new fields. For me, those science courses will be just as exciting as my work in the humanities.

I’m also looking forward to living in Mathey College, one of Princeton’s oldest residential colleges. With its gothic architecture, winding quads, and just a two-minute walk from Old Nassau, it already reminds me fondly of dear Rugby. The spirit of Rugby, its teachers, its community, its joy, will always stay with me wherever I go.