Academic of the Week - David Cohn
David Cohn, a Grade 12 student from King City, enjoys challenging himself academically and making the necessary time to prepare for the next competition. He has an incredible list of achievements, including a few CDS firsts.
At his previous school, the principal suggested to David that he take the Grade 7 University of Waterloo math contest. David was in Grade 2 at the time. He recalls, “I was very fortunate to have that opportunity at such a young age.”
Every year since, he has written multiple University of Waterloo math contests. In Middle School, David wrote both the test for his age, as well as the Grade 11 and 12 tests. In Senior School, he stopped writing the Grade 11 test, and focused on his current grade and the Grade 12 math contests. He feels that his familiarity with the contests has given him an advantage every time he has taken it.
In Grade 9, David achieved a rare feat by obtaining a perfect score - the first ever in CDS history. He is very proud of that achievement, and remembers feeling fairly confident at the time. “Sometimes on tests, you know you’ve got a question wrong, but on that test I knew I had a shot at it. It just felt good to know that all the work I put into it, had actually led to something in return.”
David has received many other honours since. Last year, he completed the gruelling three-hour Waterloo computing competition in just two hours. Again, David received a perfect grade and was awarded the Gold Standard recognition. He’s also received awards in the Fryer, Galois, Hypatia and the Euclid math competitions sponsored by the University of Waterloo.
There is no denying David’s reputation around CDS of being a very intelligent, academically accomplished person. He admits that it is a nice reputation to have, but not that important to him. “I don’t do this stuff because I want that recognition; I just do it because I want to do it. But to be honest, it is a little bit rewarding.”
David makes sure to prepare for the contests he enters. For the SATs, he practiced by writing essay questions he found online and finishing them in the allotted time period. Afterwards, he examines the rubric to see where he can improve. David explains, “One thing that really helped me with the essay was having general examples ready to go beforehand, because the time allotted to write the essay was so short.”
He isn’t fazed about his reputation becoming the aim of light-hearted jokes from classmates. In an assembly last year, students produced a video which poked fun at his performance in a recent computer science contest (in the video, David wrote the code without the use of a keyboard). “It was funny watching it. It is not at all representative of anything, it’s so exaggerated, but it was funny.”
Programming teacher, Phillip Moorlag, is very complimentary of David, “He has a superb mathematical ability and problem-solving prowess. Teachers who have had the opportunity to teach David in one of their classes have witnessed his creativity, deep understanding of abstract ideas, ability to communicate, and his genuine passion and love for learning.”
Along with his many awards outside of school, David has amassed a large collection from his years at CDS. Since joining the School in Grade 7, he has received the highest average award every year, along with a handful of subject awards for math, computer science and music.
David is also very involved in many extracurriculars. He currently plays the alto saxophone in the Senior Concert Band and Senior Jazz Band; he is involved with the Model UN and mock trial teams, and plans to play on the Tennis team this spring.
As for his university plans, he just finished writing the SATs for a third time and is applying to some highly competitive schools and programs in both Canada and the U.S. We wish him well!
Land Acknowledgment
The Country Day School wishes to recognize and acknowledge the land on which the school operates. Our nearest Indigenous Nations are now the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and the Chippewas of Georgina Island. The Dish with One Spoon Wampum covenant is often cited as an example of the shared responsibility for caring for these lands among the Huron-Wendat, Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples who would call these their traditional territories. CDS respects the relationship with these lands and recognizes that our connection to this land can be strengthened by our continued relationship with all First Nations, by acknowledging our shared responsibility to respect and care for the land and waters for future generations.
School Information
Junior, Middle and Senior Schools
13415 Dufferin Street, King, Ontario L7B 1K5
(905) 833-1220
communications@cds.on.ca
admissions@cds.on.ca
Founded in 1972, The Country Day School is a co-educational private school offering programs in JK-12 and located on 100 acres north of Toronto in King.
13415 Dufferin Street, King, Ontario L7B 1K5
(905) 833-1220
communications@cds.on.ca
admissions@cds.on.ca
Founded in 1972, The Country Day School is a co-educational private school offering programs in JK-12 and located on 100 acres north of Toronto in King.
