IBDP at Lancers International School has always been grounded in a simple yet powerful belief: students thrive when they are encouraged to challenge themselves, discover their strengths and pursue excellence with purpose.
The achievements of 2026 offer a powerful reflection of this philosophy, with students reaching remarkable academic milestones and earning opportunities at some of the world’s leading institutions.
Mei Hanaoka, Class of 2026, has achieved a perfect 45/45 in the IB Diploma Programme, earning the distinction of an IBDP World Topper. A score of 45 is the maximum possible score in the IB Diploma Programme, and this distinction is achieved by fewer than 0.1% of candidates worldwide.
A perfect IB Diploma score is an extraordinary academic accomplishment. It calls for intellectual curiosity, consistency, resilience and a genuine commitment to learning.
Mei’s achievement is therefore a proud moment for the entire Lancers community and an exceptional reflection of what can be accomplished when academic ambition is matched by purpose and perseverance.
But excellence at Lancers extends beyond the school curriculum. Dhruv Misra, IBDP Year 1, has demonstrated this through a remarkable portfolio of university-level and international academic opportunities.
Dhruv achieved a perfect 4.0/4.0 in a three-credit, college-level pre-college course at Cornell University, taking on university-level academic work while still in school. He has also been selected for prestigious pre-college programmes at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), the University of Pennsylvania and Singapore Management University.
Adding another significant milestone to this impressive list, Dhruv has also been accepted into Yale University’s pre-college online summer programme for 2026. His growing portfolio of opportunities across leading global institutions reflects not only his academic preparedness, but also his willingness to seek out intellectually challenging experiences beyond the conventional boundaries of school education.
Together, Mei and Dhruv demonstrate two distinctive dimensions of excellence that a Lancers IBDP education can nurture. Mei’s perfect 45/45 represents the pinnacle of achievement within the IB Diploma Programme, while Dhruv’s academic pursuits illustrate how curiosity and initiative can extend learning into university-level courses and globally recognised programmes.
At Lancers, the IBDP seeks to develop inquirers, thinkers, communicators and risk-takers, students who are prepared not simply to perform well academically, but to engage meaningfully with the world around them. The programme encourages students to question, investigate, reflect and make connections across disciplines and cultures.
This philosophy becomes especially powerful when students identify their own interests and pursue them with independence. Dhruv’s experiences across Cornell, Yale, RISD, the University of Pennsylvania and Singapore Management University exemplify this kind of learner agency. His achievements demonstrate that learning does not have to stop at the classroom door. It can continue wherever curiosity leads.
For Mei, Dhruv and the entire IBDP student community, these accomplishments are significant milestones, but they are also beginnings. Their value lies not only in the recognition they receive today, but in the confidence, capabilities and perspectives they will carry into university and beyond.
At Lancers, we believe education must look beyond the next examination and towards the opportunities that lie beyond it, empowering students not simply to enter the world, but to shape it.
As Mei and Dhruv take their next steps, their achievements reflect what can happen when strong academic foundations are supported by opportunity, initiative and determination.
At Lancers, the IBDP goes beyond academic achievement, encouraging students to think boldly about their future and take the initiative to shape it.
