Staff
Passion and purpose earn high school student admission to seven top US universities
Dubai, June 9, 2025: A Dubai high school student mentored by study abroad experts, UniHawk, is preparing to take his place at a leading US university after an impressive performance in both academic and extracurricular endeavours. Garv Lamba, a Year 13 student at GEMS Wellington Academy, has achieved an SAT score of 1530 and founded an AI-powered social enterprise, all while completing his high school studies and preparing for university overseas.
With a passion for the sciences, Lamba is studying A Levels in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics and aims to pursue a degree in the field of AI. Working with UniHawk for a year and a half, he received personalised tutoring, exam coaching and test preparation support, to propel him into the top percentile of SAT test takers worldwide. Armed with a remarkable score and an impressive portfolio of extracurricular achievements, Lamba has been accepted into seven outstanding US institutions, with the globally renowned UC San Diego among his top choices.
Alongside his impressive academic performance, Lamba has established a social enterprise for students who may not have the resources to access professional help in navigating the college application process. CollegeCompass is an AI-powered application that provides virtual guidance and counselling for students from any background applying to university. Lamba is also an accomplished public speaker, having delivered a TEDx Talk on humanity’s future in space.
Speaking about his experience with UniHawk, Lamba says, “When I first came to UniHawk I was confused about the application process and what I needed to do to prepare. The counsellors took a very personalised approach, beginning by helping me to discover more about myself, identify my strengths and work towards building them further and enhancing my profile. I quickly realised that, while exams are important, academic results alone do not dictate your success. UniHawk provided that holistic support to make sure I developed the personal attributes I needed alongside my test results. I see now how important it was to start the process early and because of that, I felt better prepared and less anxious about the process.”
From his early passion for astrophysics, Lamba pivoted to pursue studies in AI, recognising the power of technology in shaping the future. Nevertheless, with the flexibility of the US college curriculum, he is hoping to explore his other interests through minor studies. He explains, “AI is going to be part of everything we do and studying technology in a global hub like California is an outstanding opportunity. With the option to discover different disciplines within the programme, I am also looking forward to exploring courses in business and entrepreneurship.”
Ijaaz Jackaria, US Admissions Counsellor at UniHawk, who supported Lamba in the process, says, “We are extremely proud of Garv’s success, which is a testament to his talent and dedication in pursuing his ambition of studying at a world-class institution. His achievements demonstrate the importance of getting professional guidance, starting the preparation process early, and having a carefully curated strategy tailored to individual needs. We are confident that Garv has a remarkable future ahead of him and we look forward to celebrating his future success.”
