JEDDAH — Seven Filipino students from four international schools in the Kingdom have been accepted to the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) in the Philippines. The said students passed the Ateneo College Entrance Test (ACET), the requirement for admission to the undergraduate program of ADMU's Loyola Schools, comprising the School of Humanities, the John Gokongwei School of Management, the School of Science and Engineering, and the School of Social Sciences. The Ateneo's Office of Admission and Aid last Thursday provided Saudi Gazette a list of successful passers from Kingdom-based schools. The students from Jeddah and the respective courses they qualified for include: Mariel Kerin Dela Fuente Cruz from Dar Jana International School, BS Biology; Dominic Calibuso Flores, BS (Bachelor of Science) Chemistry/BS Materials Science and Engineering; and Raphael Louis Yamsuan Hipos, AB (Bachelor of Arts) Philosophy. The last two both go to Al Dura (Gems) International School. Three students from the Future Generation Philippine International School in Riyadh also passed the ACET: Patrick Castor Eser, BS Management; Dennielle Ann Peros Arabis, BS Management Engineering; and Raiza Almonte Ganzon, BS Management. Ana Teresa Santos Ruiz from the International Philippine School in Al-Khobar qualified to take up AB Political Science. The said students may enroll at ADMU for the school year 2013-2014, which starts in June. The ACET was administered last September to students in the Philippines, while Ateneo applicants from the Middle East took it in October last year in the UAE. Flores, one of the passers from Jeddah who had to fly to Dubai accompanied by his mother to take the exam, said that he was overjoyed upon hearing the good news. “I can't believe that I got accepted by an epic school,” he said. Asked to describe his experience in taking the test, Flores said: “The fact that it was time-pressured was a great deal. The time needed to answer those questions was abnormally short.” Apart from the time limit, the test is not designed to be finished although “it CAN be finished,” according to ADMU's admissions website. For these reasons the multiple-choice ACET has a reputation for being tough to pass. It covers English, math, general knowledge, abstract reasoning — plus an essay portion to test an applicant's writing ability and coherence of thought. The Ateneo, established in 1859, is one of the Philippines' most prestigious educational institutions, known not only for its college and graduate school units but also for its high school and grade school. It counts among its alumni the country's national hero, Jose Rizal, as well as several presidents, including the incumbent President Benigno Aquino III. President Aquino's mother, the late former president Corazon, and predecessors Fidel Ramos, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Joseph Estrada “are alumni of or have ties with the university,” according to Wikipedia. — SG
