2021 University Admissions Success

The Chinese New Year is just around the corner. In the coming new year, we will also celebrate the 10th anniversary of Wellington College in Tianjin. 10 years after the College’s establishment in 2011, the Class of 2021 has given their school the best gift ever to celebrate the anniversary. This year, we have had some exceptional offers already and we are the only school in Tianjin in which pupils have received offers from Oxford, Cambridge and the Ivy League.

In addition, Wellington College Tianjin has received offers from other world top universities including G5 super-elite universities and the Ivy League. So far, 36 graduates of the Class of 2021 have received more than 60 offers from these top universities; according to the QS World University Rankings 2021, 22% of our offers are from the top 10 universities, 42% are from the top 20 universities, and 81% are from top 50 universities.

This result is remarkable, not just in Tianjin, but also the country. What is so unique about our Wellingtonians? What makes them stand out from thousands of applicants from around the world and win the favour of top universities? To find the answers, we asked some of our graduates to share their stories with us and discuss their experience of applying for these universities.

Eric

Offers

University of Oxford (Biochemistry) University College London

University of Edinburgh

Eric received an offer for St Edmund Hall College at the University of Oxford to study with the top biochemical scientists in the world. Eric has been at Wellington for 9 years and during that time he has achieved outstanding IGCSE and A Level results, as well as contributing fully to the school’s academic societies, service commitments and sports’ provision. He genuinely embodies what it means to be a Wellingtonian.

Eric was born into a family with a medical background and from a very early age he witnessed what the life of a scientist entailed. Since joining Wellington in year 5, the unique sense of community and familiarity created by the small class sizes has provided an excellent environment for Eric to develop his scientific observation skills. Eric feels he can freely share his thoughts with other pupils and his teachers at the school to discuss with, and learn from, each other. “To learn from the strengths of others and make up for his own weaknesses” has become a secret weapon for Eric’s study and application.

Ted

Offers

University of Cambridge (Mathematics) Imperial College London

Ted has received an offer from Robinson College, Cambridge, to read mathematics. Ted is without doubt one of the most able and talented pupils we have had here at Wellington and we could not be more delighted for him and his family. His achievement is all the greater as mathematics at Cambridge has perhaps the most competitive admissions' requirements of any course at the university. Ted completed most of his middle school education in a local school and then joined us as a Shuping scholar.

Ted is a disciplined and organised pupil. He took the A Level exam in three subjects and received excellent grades of A* whilst still in year 12. He also performed well and gained another A* in the EPQ programme. While most students were anxious about the cancellation of almost all the IELTS tests due to the pandemic at the beginning of 2020, Ted was not affected at all because he had already finished his IELTS the year before, with an overall grade of 8.5 (out of 9). Self-discipline has not only helped Ted achieve academic excellence but also helped him plan ahead in the stressful application season.

Leo

Offers

University of Cambridge (HSPS)

 King’s College London

the University of Warwick

Leo has also received an offer from Homerton College, Cambridge University to read Human, Social and Political Sciences (HSPS). Leo has been a Wellingtonian for 7 years, and in his time with us, his confident English, sharp wit and insightful mind marked him out as a young man of exceptional potential. As with all pupils at Wellington, Leo has been a huge asset to the school in many ways, performing on stage, delivering lectures and playing a leading role in the school's Student Council. He is not just an academic highflyer, therefore, but a genuine all-rounder.

Talking about his success, Leo said that he appreciated the teachers’ support and the close cooperation with the university guidance team. He said that it was not a surprise to him to achieve such good results at Wellington College Tianjin because the teachers and pupils here created a supportive and caring environment together, and he can always obtain help when he has difficulties. He mentioned the teacher's use of their free time to help him with his applications. Leo said that he would always cherish the valuable experience and memories that he has had at Wellington Tianjin.

August

Offer

University of Pennsylvania (Economics)

August is one of our top graduates at Wellington College Tianjin. With a TOEFL score of 115 (out of 120), SAT 1550 (out of 1600), 5 points in 4 AP courses, Mathematics A*, Mathematics-Further A*, Economics A* (predicted) in A Level helped him win an offer for the University of Pennsylvania, which was also the only offer in the Tianjin area for the University of Pennsylvania.

As we get to know more about August, we realize that there is far more to him than impressive academic results. His Level 9 certificate of in one of the traditional Chinese instruments, Erhu; Second Prize in the National English Speech Contest; and a Gold Medal in Economics in USAD all show August’s various hobbies and academic excellence. August studied in a public junior high school before he joined Wellington. Comparing these two schools and the two educational systems, August said, “the biggest difference between my previous school and Wellington College Tianjin is that we are offered so many opportunities here to explore and study independently. This experience has helped me enjoy my learning more but also to develop a sense of perseverance and responsibility towards research and study.”

Tina

Offer

New York University 

(Business and Technology Management)

Tina has also received impressive results in university applications this year. Her impeccable academic performance and wide extracurricular experience helped her to win an offer from New York University.Tina attributes her success to the friendly atmosphere for communication and the learning environment here at Wellington. Whenever Tina encountered difficulties, the kind smiles and encouragement from her teachers always cheered her up and guided her back to the track of study. Every in-depth conversation with her teachers helped her understand more about the meaning of learning. She said, “I admire their dedication in school as well as attitude towards life. They are excellent teachers who teach me not to study for study’s sake, but rather to love to study.”

In her learning journey with Wellington, Tina has experienced so many “first times”: giving a speech on the stage for the first time; organising a school event for the first time; participating in a charity event for the first time, and playing a part totally unlike herself on the stage…these experiences have allowed Tina to see her potential and true self.

As the Master of Wellington College Tianjin, Julian Jeffrey, commented, "I think that these recent offers to the world’s leading universities show how strong the A Level programme is here at Wellington. Pupils can choose to specialise in their choice of subjects in a way that reflects the expectations of university degrees. The two-year A Level programme of study provides an excellent grounding in the intellectual rigour and hard work of an undergraduate degree."

Preparation for university admission begins in earnest in year 10. All pupils are provided with a bespoke three-year tracker to help them plan their applications, gather the evidence for their personal statements and gain the experience in interviews and the workplace to help them come through the interview process successfully. Parents too are integral to the process, with the university guidance team running regular briefing sessions for parents as well as offering 1-1 clinics for individual families. The resources we have as part of the Wellington College family across the world is equally important.  “We are so lucky to have the support of the teachers from our sister schools, both here in China, as well as in England, at the original Wellington College. Those teachers provide invaluable time, resources and interview practice to support our pupils throughout the application process. This exposure to new ideas and fresh perspectives gives our candidates both more experience and greater confidence”, said Mr Jeffrey.

Not every child is suited to an application to Oxford, Cambridge or the Ivy League, of course. At Wellington, we work hard to build an application portfolio for each individual pupil so that they are successful in gaining admission to the university that is right for them. We recognise the ambition of our pupils and families, and we work hard to match that ambition with the realisation of their dreams by the time they graduate from our school. Whatever the ultimate university destination of our graduates, pupils and their parents can be assured that the school will have done all that it can to make the next step in their learning journey a triumphant one.   

We wish all our pupils all the best and a bright future!

Would you like to learn more about Wellington College International Tianjin?

Registration is now open for families who would like to know more about our unique approach to teaching and learning as well as how we support graduates attain their top goals for university entrance. You can arrange a visit by scanning the QR code below. Our admissions’ team is available to host individual campus tours and to help you to discover what makes Wellington College special.

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