KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 1): Gaining entry into the world's top universities has never been a doddle, but even natural overachiever Tamara Lim found the admission process daunting and just downright nerve-wracking.

It was the memory of her high-stakes interview that compelled her to set up PrepWorks in 2015, an education centre that has made it its mission to provide clarity and make success more attainable for its students through the breadth of experience and passion of its 100-plus Oxbridge and Ivy League tutors. 

Catering to children aged between five to 17, PrepWorks prides itself on its high success rate, with its students winning places in Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, Yale and Princeton. Lim herself is an MEng (Hons) holder from Trinity College, Oxford. 

“Our services include developing the skills we believe will set students up for success, including critical thinking, studying skills, mindfulness and public speaking. If you want to reach places such as Oxford, Cambridge or Harvard, they not only look at good grades. You must be able to critically think on the spot, present yourself well and have characteristics that include diligence, self-awareness and perseverance,” she says.

More stories you should not miss this week: The Angel project, which connects those seeking aid with those who wish to adopt or sponsor families; the soaring prices of coffee beans and how they will affect our coffee consumption; and media artist Weng Nam Yap’s interactive installation The Blind Men & the Elephant, in Kuala Lumpur, which prompts viewers to share their memories of the city.

Read all about these in the latest issue of Options, out with the Aug 2 issue of The Edge Malaysia weekly, out now.

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