This isn't a form. It's a space to think. The more honestly you write, the more powerful this journal becomes — for your college applications, and for yourself.
This helps us show you the right questions for where you are right now.
Don't overthink it. Write the first thing that comes to mind.
Let's go back before everything felt serious. What were you doing, building, chasing, or obsessing over? These years matter more than you think.
Sports, music, coding, art, gaming, reading — everything counts. Don't filter yourself.
A time when something felt effortless, exciting — like you were exactly where you were supposed to be. What was happening?
Team captain, organising a birthday event, helping a younger sibling, leading a group project, being the person everyone looked to. Big or small.
Not necessarily your best subject — the one that made you curious, that you'd read about outside of school, that sparked something.
What fills your time outside the classroom right now? Let's get it all down — every sport, club, project, side hustle, and passion pursuit.
Add each activity, how long you've been doing it, and what your role is. Add as many rows as you need.
| Activity | Category | Since (year) | Your role |
|---|
Not the most impressive one. The one that genuinely means something.
A club that doesn't exist at your school, a skill you want to learn, an experience you'd love to have.
Leadership isn't always a title. And the best academic story isn't always the highest grade. Let's dig into both.
Prefect, house captain, club head, peer mentor, team leader, or simply the person who stepped up when no one else did.
| Role / Title | Context (school, team, community) | Year(s) |
|---|
What was the situation? What did you do? What did you learn about yourself?
List all your subjects. If you're IB, note HL vs SL. If CBSE/ICSE, note your stream. If IGCSE/A-Levels, list your choices.
Not just the one you're best at — the one that makes you curious, that you find yourself thinking about outside class.
Research papers, science fairs, observations, Olympiads, online courses, competitions, personal projects, apps you built, things you published or performed.
| Project / Work | What it involved | Year | Outcome |
|---|
Doesn't have to be academic. Could be anything. What's the question you can't stop asking?
You've still got time before Grade 12. This section is about intention — not a rigid plan, but a thoughtful direction. What do you want to be able to say you did?
Think about what's missing from your story right now. What would make it richer?
Paint a picture. What would you be doing, and what would it mean to you?
Even a vague aspiration counts — "something in environmental science" or "a summer program abroad" are enough to work with.
Imagine yourself at the end of Grade 12, looking back. What would make you proud?
Major exploration isn't about picking a career at 16. It's about noticing what pulls you — and following that thread. Be honest. Be messy. There are no wrong answers here.
"Something in science," "I have absolutely no idea," and "I've wanted to be an architect since I was 8" are all valid. Just write where you are.
This is one of the most important questions in this journal. What you're angry or sad about often points directly to what you care about.
Don't overthink. Just write the image that comes to mind — where you are, what you're working on, who you're with.
Look for the thread. Is it problem-solving? Creativity? People? Systems? This is where your major often hides.
Don't say who you think you're supposed to admire. Say who actually inspires you.
This is the most important part of this whole journal. You've done the excavation. Now step back and look at what you've uncovered about yourself.
Try to name 2–3 recurring themes. Not what sounds impressive — what's actually true.
Your sense of humour. How you handle failure. The way you take care of the people around you. Something that makes you, you.
Personal, academic, family, health — anything. You don't have to share what you're not ready to. But if there's something that shaped you, this is the place.
Academic, career, personal — all of it. Where are you trying to go, and why?
Don't try to get it perfect. Don't second-guess it. Just write the first honest line that comes to you. This is raw material, not a final draft.
Optional — but sometimes the most important things are the ones that don't fit neatly into a question.
Your journal is complete. This is the raw material your BMA advisor will use to understand who you are — and help you tell that story powerfully in your applications.