YIA Takes Home Gold from Seoul and Qualifies for WSC Yale Tournament


Students of Yoder International Academy (YIA) have recently returned from the World Scholar’s Cup Global Round competition in Seoul, South Korea. Competing against 1,500 students from 30 nations worldwide, YIA students managed to confidently take on the challenge and achieve success for the school’s first-ever year competing in the competition, earning 16 silver medals and 9 gold medals.

The competition took place on July 13-19, 2023, in Seoul, South Korea. In order for the students to compete, they had to achieve a qualifying score from the Regional Round held in Kaohsiung in March 2023.

The World Scholar’s Cup is composed of 4 different events, making it more challenging than other competitions due to the diversity of skills necessary to compete. The events include a team quiz, an individual exam, a creative writing essay, and a team debate.

Led by their Coach, Mr. Aaron Jaffe, students were required to practice their skills for months leading up to the competition. This included studying subjects such as History, Social Studies, Science, Art & Media, and Literature, which were used in conjunction with the theme for 2023, “Reconstructing the Past.”

Out of the five YIA teams that attended the Global Round, two teams received a score that qualify them for the Tournament of Champions (ToC), the final round which will be held at Yale University in November 2023. At the ToC, they’ll have the chance to interact with and learn directly from Yale students and faculty, attend a special panel on college life and how to leverage their World Scholar’s Cup experience as part of their admissions portfolio, enjoy Yale dining hall food, and meet the keynote speakers, including a Yale University professor. Lastly, they’ll come away knowing what it’s like to be a student at one of the world’s greatest universities.

We are very proud of all the work the students did to make their success possible. We look forward to even more success in the years to come!