r/pisay

I'm an incoming g8 student of Pisay, but I got in through the LAQE. I'm very, I mean VERY afraid that I wont be able to adjust or fit in. I wasn't in an STE program sa past school ko too.

What makes me especially afraid for g8, is the 3 science subjects: bio, chem physics. And even more sa math 2, and 3.

I'm very desperate for tips 😭😭

hi! i’m an incoming g11 from a regional pisay campus and i’m hoping to apply for intarmed. i wanted to ask for honest opinions from current intarmed students/qualifiers.

here’s my academic background:

g7: 1.50
g8: 1.44
g9: 1.47
g10: 1.36
aiming to improve even more in g11 (hopefully)

i’ve also joined various competitions throughout high school, although i wouldn’t say i have outstanding leadership. my leadership positions were:

g7: sgt. at arms
g8: pio
g9: none
g10: none
not planning to join the student council bcs i feel like the workload is tremendously gonna take a toll on my grades & mental health 🥲

my teachers have described me as diligent, and my friends would probably say the same. i genuinely enjoy studying and have always taken academics seriously.
i have a few questions:

- based on my profile, do i have a realistic shot at intarmed? i’m not from pisay main campus, so i’m wondering if that significantly affects my chances.
for those who got in, what did your profile look like (gwa, extracurriculars, leadership, awards, etc.)?
- i’m also considering applying to universities abroad that offer full-ride scholarships. my grades are fairly strong, but i know my leadership isn’t as impressive as many applicants’. should i still give it a shot, or would i realistically be at too much of a disadvantage?
- for context, i’m from mindanao and come from a middle-income family, so i can’t really commit to private universities in the philippines unless i receive substantial scholarships.

i’d really appreciate honest feedback. i don’t mind hearing that i need to improve, i just want a realistic idea of where i stand. thanks!

incoming g11 here, torn between studying abroad or here in the philippines (planning one of the big 4)..

i’m willing to apply to as many colleges abroad. should i start preparing for SATs and CETs as well to guarantee top notch rankings or should i enjoy the rest of my school years and prepare in the summer of g11?

I’m an incoming g11 student. I’ve been a consistent DL student since g7(1.3-1.5 GWA) but I’m still worried about my chances of getting into a decent college. I’ve dreamed of going to a college abroad but it’s still really unlikely considering the fact that I’m not exactly the best of my batch.

I chose Biology as my core and Chemistry as my elective(both level 2 im rlly ambitious) but I’m having second thoughts if that’s viable for my future college course. I haven’t chosen any SIP to apply for since I also don’t know if that would contribute to my college application.

If there’s anyone who can answer, what can I do during my g11-12 years to guarantee a good college(abroad or even one of the big 4)?

hey, pisay edge participant here in cvisc and i am currently in my dorm 😇 never expected pisay to be so stressful. no problem with living in the dorm though.

this is still edge so there are only 4 subjects.

really struggling at math rn mostly bcus of our teacher (he doesnt really explain it)

and yes i know it is my responsibility to study myself and it isnt entirely his fault ofc, but im VERY weak in math. my brain overthinks and im not that good with mentally solving problems. though its crazy because i actually really3 love science😭

im sure i wont have a problem with the rest of the subjects, JUST math. soo dear ates and kuyas, especially alumnis who are reading this, do you have any effective tips? ill take every single piece of advice and criticism (in a positive sense)

thank you!

Hello!!

My niece is currently in Grade 6 and studies at a public school here in QC. She's hoping to study at Pisay next school year if she passes, though she also has other options in case she doesn't.

I would love to hear about your experiences, thoughts, and stories as a Pisay student (or alumnus/alumna). I'd also appreciate it if you could share what she should expect in terms of academics, workload, school environment, grading system, extracurricular activities, and student life in general.

I'm planning to let her read some of your responses so she can have a better idea of what studying at Pisay is really like. Of course, the final decision will still be hers if she gets in but we just want her to have realistic expectations before choosing.

P.S. Di po ako pakialamerang tita huhu, curious lang din kami ng sister ko (her mom) kasi maraming hearsay sa kanila na sobrang hirap daw sa Pisay at laging pagod ang mga students sa dami ng schoolwork.

Thank you so much in advance to everyone who shares their stories and advice! 💙

[CBRZ] Im an incoming scholar ('32), and Edge is also a few weeks away. What things should i expect from it? And what are some tips you can give to a freshie like me?

No, I'm not quitting since it's my last year na here, but looking back, I've missed out on a lot outside my acad life. I can't remember feeling happy in my 5 year stay. While I'm grateful for all the experience and knowledge this school has given me, I can't help but think that it sucked the life out of me 😅 Feel ko in my 5 years, I've been getting through not because I'm naturally smart, but because I keep working hard to stay here. I constantly feel like I have to work 3x as hard as the people around me to get the same result. Siguro grit ang biggest weapon ko hahshshs 🫠 Parang nawalan nako ng time to hang out with friends or experience the "highschool life" I see depicted in media because I was always too tired or too drained. Did anyone else experience this?

hello! i'm about to take the upcat pretty soon and kinakabahan lang ako 😅

i took some mock tests online and from a review center, pero iba-iba levels of hardness nila... some were okay, pero two mock tests i took were really hard (for one of them, i think nahirapan din yung ibang nagtake? this was from the acadgenius free lecture series mock test haha)

is the upcat actually easy in general (like alam mo naman paano isagot yung questions), or maraming tanong ba na mahirap sagutin? are there some tips you guys can give? thank you!

I’m overwhelmed.

(scroll down for my questions)

Hello! For context, I am an incoming SYP student from IRC. For my core and elective, I chose physics and chem respectively. I have had decent grades for FAYP although I did struggle a lot with consistency and overall just having the discipline and drive to keep up with my grades.

I was mostly a “floater” from G7 to G9 because while I was doing well academically, my extracurriculars were not the best. I didn’t join much competitions and I had no passion for any ALA. It was only until G10 that I decided to lock in. Before last sy, I didn’t really do anything except study for high grades. I had 0 self esteem and 0 passion for anything. It was only until G10 that I decided to step out of my comfort zone by joining my first Olympiad, first MUN conference, and first international trip for an SIP. I will admit that not being a part of the class officers for once definitely helped. For context, I was class president in G9 and it definitely took years out of my life I swear. I was juggling both academics and the pressures and expectations of handling a section.

With that said, I wanted to ask for advice as an upcoming G11 student because I don’t really know what to expect. I’m not close with any seniors (I’m really introverted and shy) so I haven’t had the courage to ask anyone. I’ve seen different opinions online as well as from what I’ve heard from my batch mates, so I’m not really sure what to do. I’m really regretting taking up double core because of the high possibility of burnout. I also really want to maximize this school year by joining more extracurriculars although I’m not sure how to handle them with academics. One of the extracurriculars I’ve been contemplating is joining our student council as batch representative. I’ve been encouraged before to join but I’ve never really had the confidence and courage to do so. I know that being part of the student council will definitely interfere with my academics considering it’s very demanding and time consuming. However, I genuinely do want to join because of the skills and experience as well as being able to serve the student body.

CETs are also just around the corner, and I’m already dreading college applications. I really want to get scholarships from the Big 4, but I’m mostly leaning into UPD. I’m still undecided on what course to take, let alone what career I plan on taking in the future.

Here are my questions:

1. What can I expect for my first year in SYP?
2. For those who were in physics core and/or chem elective, what are advices that you can share to pass or even get high grades?
3. Should I prioritize ECs or academics? Or better yet, how can I balance the two?
4. Should I join the student council? If so, what are any advices for the campaign period and hopefully, if elected, in the student council itself?
5. How is research and what can I do to improve in researching + technical writing, as well as what to expect in the research process itself

Lastly, my goal gwa for this school year is around 1.3 to bring my grades up from FAYP and hopefully graduate with honors or even with high honors. Please do share any advice that may help in achieving this goal. I apologize if this was really long, it’s 3 am right now and I impulsively just decided to post this after stumbling upon so much TikToks about SHS and CETs… huhu…

hi im an incoming g7 but i already plan on taking the laterals for incoming g8 cuz i didnt pass the nce :’) any tips for the exam? also if yk about prodigy review center do u think i should enroll there again for laterals cuz i enrolled there from june 2025 - jan 2026. asking this cuz the review center focuses mostly on nce from what ive heard and experienced. thank uu!! :>

Just to set my expectations correctly. I've been anxious this whole break about passing the UPCAT due to the pressure and the number of things to review. :")

Hi! So apparently, around 40 percent of upg is from HS grades. My gwa average across g8-g11 is around dos, and I just want to know what my chances are given that grade.

hi! i’m an incoming g10 student and i’ve been thinking a lot about future plans. i’m pretty sure i want to pursue something medical-related, and becoming a doctor is something i’ve been considering for a long time. are there any pisay alumni here who eventually became doctors? what pre med course did you take and would you recommend it? kay rn, i’m considering pharma as a pre med, but i’m still not 100% sure 😢

+i also wanted to ask some advice 😭 my gwas are usually around 1.7–1.8, which are okay ig but i honestly wouldn’t consider them high compared to a lot of people around me. i often feel behind because ofc students here seem naturally smart, while i have to study really hard just to keep up. sometimes i worry if i’ll still be able to handle things as the subjects get harder in higher grades.

i’ve also wanted to become a dl since i entered pisay but haven’t achieved it yet. i really want to lock in this coming sy, but i’m scared that i might not be capable enough. were any of you only able to become dl when you reached g10? 😢

im rlly sorry if this is pretty long 😭 any advice, experiences, or stories would really mean a lot! thank you so much 🥹

The pressure is real talaga when you're studying in Pisay. How do smart people bs their way into this hellhole? Sobrang nattrauma na akong bumalik for next school year.. Don't get me wrong! Masaya naman ang journey ko so far. It's just that the amount of times I've been called "stupid", directly and indirectly is sickening lolll. Nakakalungkot lang na ganoon din yung mga kaibigan ko sa akin. Aminado naman ako na hindi ako kasing talino nila. I get bad grades often too :') Though, medyo rare in my batch yung "bobo". Minsan, iniisip ko if mas maganda bang sa ibang school na lang ako nag-aral.

Let's also talk about the sheer amount of rich people in here too. Tbh, if mahirap ka, you really won't fit in. As someone na taga lower middle class lang, nahihirapan ako maki-relate(?) at maki-bonding minsan. Marami ding gastusin, na para bang nasa private school kami. Alam kong medyo OA pakinggan, pero this is based on what I see and observe sa campus ko.

I'm not discouraging future applicants :') Pisay really has the best education system para sa HS and SHS. Warning lang siguro sa pwede niyong i-expect sa 6 year stay ninyo sa Pisay. Just know what you're getting yourself into!

As it says up top. Im incoming g10 and I heard that it’s best to get that over with during the summer before g11, thus im planning to get the stuff needed for it in g10.
My question is though, what would you even need? Is it like a job application? If so what should I do to get into the one I want? What SIPs can you even apply to? Do grades have anything to do with it?