For many art or fashion-loving high school students, New York Fashion Week (NYFW) feels like a dream that’s far out of reach — a world-class stage meant only for professionals. But at GAAC – Green Apple Art Centre, that door truly opens. Our students don’t just observe from afar; they step inside the backstage, work alongside industry talents, and experience the real heartbeat of fashion.
The new college application season has quietly kicked off — are you ready? This time, GAAC has prepared a super practical guide for all future applicants: a full list of virtual information sessions hosted by top universities worldwide and details about Vancouver’s annual Portfolio Day. These resources will help students better understand their dream schools, strengthen their application strategies, and get a head start on the road to admission.
This summer, students from the Green Apple Art Centre (GAAC) brought creativity, warmth, and community spirit to Vancouver by hosting a charity art sale titled “Florescence” at the vibrant Art Downtown Summer Festival. Their goal was simple yet meaningful — to let art bloom in the heart of the city and make a positive impact.
Recently, many students and parents have been asking us: “With everything going on right now, should we still consider applying to universities in the United States?”
It’s a practical and important question. And our answer remains the same: There is no single “correct” choice — the key is finding the path that fits YOU best.
Many universities you may assume are “for STEM or liberal arts students only” are, in fact, actively seeking creative minds with strong ideas and expressive power. At Green Apple Art Centre (GAAC), we’ve seen countless students open the doors to top-tier universities through a combination of artistry, academics, and communication skills.
As AI evolves at lightning speed — “seven updates a day,” as some say — one thing is becoming increasingly clear: The future belongs to those who can combine art, business, and digital storytelling. In today’s fast-changing, algorithm-driven world, 🎨 Art + 💼 Business + 📱 New Media = The Power to Shape the Future.
Every July, AP scores are released. For students preparing their college applications, these scores are not just numbers on a report card — they’re the midpoint signal in a long strategic game of academic and creative preparation. They reflect more than grades; they reveal your mindset, study habits, and potential — all of which admissions officers at top universities care deeply about.
This summer, Green Apple Art Centre (GAAC) once again joined Vancouver’s lively Khats Street Party! From setting up in the morning to the bustling afternoon crowd, creativity filled every corner of the street. We brought art out of the classroom and onto the street — blending creativity with sunshine, laughter, and music.
In the 2025 admission season, GAAC has once again received exciting news! This year, our graduating student Jenny impressed the world with a portfolio full of exploration and personal expression, earning offers from 8 top global art and design schools—a true grand slam!
While many parents still worry, “Will studying art affect academic performance?”, GAAC student Kelly has already given the strongest answer with 10 admission offers from world-class universities.
For many, preparing a portfolio seems as simple as “drawing well.” But the real application journey is far more complex. For April, a GAAC student, the greatest achievement of her application year wasn’t just receiving admission letters and scholarships from dream schools—it was learning to tell her story and ideas clearly through art.
In the eyes of many parents, “art” once carried the label of being “not serious” — a path for those whose grades weren’t strong enough. Even today, sayings like “only kids with poor academic results study art” are still heard. But times have changed. On the highly competitive road to elite university admissions, art has become a true differentiator.
“I feel so anxious.”
This is one of the phrases we hear most often when guiding our students. Whether it’s the academic pressure of senior year or the looming college application season, both students and parents often feel restless and uneasy.
Another wave of admission news has arrived! The 2025 admission season is in full swing, and GAAC is once again celebrating some thrilling news—so far, we’ve received over 60 offers from top universities worldwide, with total scholarships surpassing 1 million CAD!
Our outstanding student Macey has been successfully admitted to New York University (NYU) through Early Decision, securing her dream school in the very first round! Even more impressively, the portfolio she created at Green Apple also earned her offers from 10 other prestigious institutions, including top art schools like Parsons and Pratt.
Chronoception Exhibition took place at Vancouver Convention Centre-East as a part of the 2025 Art Vancouver Exhibition. This is a collaborative art exhibition done by 8 teenagers, finding the definition of time through a various way of innovative experiments, offering a unique perspective.
When it comes to top U.S. architecture programs, many students and parents immediately think of the Ivy League—Cornell University. However, through years of experience guiding students in art and design applications, Green Apple Art Center has repeatedly seen Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) rise as the real pioneer for the future of architecture and interdisciplinary design.
In many families’ eyes, applying to Ivy League schools seems inseparable from high SAT scores, lengthy essays, and countless competition credentials. However, art applications are another underrated pathway. Unlike purely score-based evaluations, art schools and programs focus more on: Expression, Critical Thinking, Execution. This means art is not about “escaping the grind,” but rather a graceful alternative route to success.
Green Apple Art Center proudly celebrates another milestone at the 2025 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, bringing home 2 Golds and 2 Silvers National Medals across categories including painting, mixed media, and jewelry design. These awards reflect our students’ dedication, creativity, and artistic growth—recognition not by chance, but by consistent effort and excellence.
GAAC—where world-class art journeys begin.
We’re thrilled to announce that Henry Kim, a talented student from GAAC, has not only been selected as one of four semifinalists from Canada in the 2025 Science Without Borders® Challenge—but has also advanced to the final round, placing him among the top 10 finalists globally in the 11–14 age category!
As one of Vancouver’s most prestigious century-old high schools, Lord Byng Secondary School has always stood out in the arts, excelling in areas like visual arts, media arts, band, and drama. In this year’s highly competitive first-round admissions, two of GAAC’s Grade 7 students successfully earned spots in the coveted Byng Arts program! Behind these offers are GAAC’s years of educational experience, professional faculty, and strategic curriculum planning.
This week at GAAC, our admissions season is in full swing—we’ve already received nearly ten Early Decision offers, along with generous scholarships from top universities! Among the physical offer letters we've received, one stood out—a handwritten note from the admissions officer at Columbia University, one of the most prestigious Ivy League schools. The heartfelt admiration and appreciation expressed in the message made all of us at GAAC, especially our dedicated professional mentors, incredibly proud.
We’re thrilled to share that GAAC has once again swept awards at the prestigious 2025 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards (Regional). This year, on the first day of Lunar New Year, the official SAWA results were released. 18 GAAC students earned awards out of hundreds of thousands of entries. A total of 45 winning pieces from GAAC.
Exciting news to kick off 2025! Our GAAC student, Jungyoon, has been successfully admitted to Carnegie Mellon University's School of Architecture through early decision! Over the past three years, Jungyoon explored various artistic fields with the guidance of our instructors, determined the direction and themes of her portfolio, and was supported every step of the way through creation and application. Her early admission success fills every GAAC mentor with pride!
From a young age, Kassie displayed an extraordinary gift for the arts. Her world has always been filled not only with colors and lines, but also with reflections on literature, philosophy, and nature. For this year’s New York Fashion Week, she presented her collection Ephemeral, inspired by the forms and textures of mushrooms and other organic life—offering a visual narrative on the cycle of life.
Time-traveling trends are all the rage—and GAAC has brought one to life! This year at New York Fashion Week, GAAC student Peter stunned audiences with his visionary collection that seamlessly blends Eastern and Western cultures, bringing different historical eras into bold collision. As Peter’s designs graced the NYFW runway, it felt like a portal through time had opened. The opulent embroidery of European courts met the fluid silhouettes of Eastern dynasties; gold brocade clashed boldly with Gothic motifs—bridging vast gaps of time and culture in a moment of perfect harmony. His work is not just fashion; it’s a reinvention of history and a breathtaking visual dialogue between civilizations.
Let’s be honest: poorly styled tweed looks can be quite the eyesore. So why not go with something truly magical—like fairycore fashion?
This year at New York Fashion Week, GAAC student designer Angela brought her long-held dream designs to life on the global runway. Her creations are dreamy and ethereal, yet grounded with power and intention. Angela masterfully uses organza to craft airy silhouettes that feel like poems drifting through the clouds. Each piece evokes a soft fantasy, but beneath the beauty lies a core of elegance, independence, and strength. In her hands, softness is no longer fragile—it becomes a confident expression of self.
On the dazzling runway of New York Fashion Week, designer Cece’s elegant collection made its debut. But Cece is not just a fashion designer—she’s also a model, a high school student, a black belt in Taekwondo, and a Canadian beauty queen. Her vibrant and multifaceted life has become a rich source of inspiration for her designs. This time, she tells her story through the soft, graceful language of silk.
For the second year in a row, Mike returned to the dazzling stage of New York Fashion Week with his unique Wabi-Sabi–inspired menswear collection. On one of the most watched runways in the world, he used a distinct aesthetic language to express time, texture, and the beauty of imperfection. Every piece exudes the quiet elegance of age and craftsmanship.
On the auspicious date of the Thanksgiving Long weekend, October 13, 2024, the cross-disciplinary art exhibition "Into Their World," organized by students from Green Apple Art Center with Art Hope Foundation, and the play The Late Christopher Bean, presented by the Vancouver Mandarin Drama Society, successfully concluded at the Vancouver Playhouse Theatre. The event was met with enthusiastic responses from the audience and received unanimous praise.