These Wellingtonians will go to top-ranked universities

Nicole

Wellington College Tianjin

Biochemistry – Oxford

When asked why she chose to pursue biochemistry at university, Nicole readily responds that it was the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. During the initial lockdown of 2020, she closely followed the news, keeping up with every effort to stop the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Learning about scientists relentlessly developing a vaccine while doctors risked their lives to protect their communities inspired her. Her IGCSE studies and co-curricular activities had provided starting points for multiple academic and career paths, but biochemistry quickly became the obvious choice for her area of concentration. This spark of inspiration ignited her curiosity, compelling her to explore the cutting edge gene-editing principles of CRISPR for her Extended Project Qualification (EPQ).

But before Nicole had even arrived at her decision, she had a network of support that helped her to become a competitive candidate for a school like Oxford. Her teachers in the accelerated learning programme helped her develop her capacity for rigorous research and critical thinking, two skills that are essential for success in any field of study. Meanwhile, the College’s University Guidance Team worked closely with her, advising her on what courses to take, helping her refine her personal statements and even conducting several mock interviews.

Minnie

Wellington College International Shanghai

Law – Cambridge, University College London

As a Senior School pupil at Wellington Shanghai, Minnie developed a passion for political science and philosophy. Studying law became a way for her to enjoy the best of both worlds. “I found law to be a fitting balance between the two. I like how law interrogates real-life sociopolitical issues with analytical methods typically reserved for decidedly theoretical areas of study,” she said.

Law, however, is not formally part of the curriculum at Wellington Shanghai. “I found it challenging to grasp what the study of it looked like,” Minnie explains. So, the University Guidance Team helped Minnie by setting up weekly law seminars with a teacher who had a legal background. The University Guidance Team also helped her to highlight super-curricular opportunities such as essay competitions and running a law society CCA. She also received constant guidance for her personal statements, standardised assessments like the LNAT and her admissions interviews.

Thanks to this dedicated support, Minnie has some excellent options on the horizon with offers from Cambridge and University College London. Both schools offer an excellent legal education that is reinforced by a tight-knit law community.

James

Wellington College Tianjin

Aeronautical Engineering – Imperial College London

Industrial Engineering – Seoul National University

James came to Wellington Tianjin on a three-year scholarship, and he hit the ground running from day one. He immediately proved to be a star in maths and science competitions, winning gold medals in the United Kingdom Mathematics Trust and the American Regions Mathematics League. He also took gold in the United States Academic Decathlon, a scholastic competition that covers maths, economics, science, social science, literature, art and more.

His time at Wellington Tianjin afforded him many opportunities for exploring a wide variety of interests, but ever since he was a young boy, he has been captivated by the idea of flight. He has long had a curiosity about the mechanics and engineering of aeroplanes. Naturally, this compelled him to choose maths and physics as his areas of concentration in school.

With his EPQ James seized the opportunity to further feed his curiosity about aeronautics, choosing aircraft fuel efficiency as his topic. One of his teachers took him to the Airbus plant in Tianjin, where he talked with the engineers and saw how aeroplanes are assembled. In effect, this sealed the deal for James. He realised that it was his calling to become an aeronautical engineer and build planes that are 100% safe. Wellington’s University Guidance team helped him to channel that passion and find the best schools where his talents could flourish. His choices are now down to Imperial College London and Seoul National University, two very highly ranked schools that would be very fortunate to have him as a student.

Jennifer

Wellington College International Shanghai

Comparative Literature and Computer Science 

– Dartmouth College

Jennifer chose Dartmouth because it has an open curriculum that enables her to pursue several disciplines. “Wellington exposed me to multiple cultures, and I was able to read and appreciate literature in several different languages,” she says. She aspires to do something creative with technology. She got the kernel of this idea from her computer science teacher, who introduced her to interdisciplinary projects during her IB studies. “I saw the potential of computer science in basically every area,” Jennifer explains. That was when she decided to pursue a double major in computer science and comparative literature.

She also chose Dartmouth because it reminds her so much of Wellington. “It is a very small school, and I enjoy being in a tight-knit community, just like Wellington. I love the atmosphere here. People of different year groups can communicate and help each other in different areas,” she says.

But the barrier to entry to this Ivy League school is high, which meant that Jennifer had to put a lot of extra effort into making herself stand out. The University Guidance Team helped her to identify the activities that would make her an asset at any elite school — from orchestra to musical theatre, from music bands to basketball teams. The team also encouraged her to highlight the interdisciplinary research she conducted at Wellington. “They really opened my eyes to so many different and interesting options.” 

Tanya

Wellington College International Shanghai

Physics and Art History – Duke University

Swarthmore College

University of California, Berkeley

University of California, Los Angeles

When asked why she chose physics as her major, Tanya answers unequivocally, “I believe it is the discipline that comes closest to explaining the fundamental workings of the world, and therefore incredibly fascinating.” But rather than confine herself to a single subject, she chose a path that would enable her to pursue a major in art history as well. This is why she ultimately chose to go to school in the US and was accepted at Duke University and Swarthmore College.

“I liked Swarthmore because they have small class sizes and a strong sense of community, much like Wellington. But Duke has a stronger alumni network and better resources. So, I ultimately committed to Duke,” she says. 

To help get Tanya there, Wellington’s University Guidance Team helped her refine her personal statement and draft a set of essays she could be proud of. “I always felt like I could pop into their office if I ever had any questions,” says Tanya. They even helped her when she encountered health issues. She spent a week in the hospital working on her applications and the team made sure the admissions teams at the schools she was applying to understood this. 

Jessica

Wellington College International Shanghai

Economics – Peking University, Fudan University  

Jessica enjoys economics because of how closely it relates to daily life. “It is really all about choice and making the most efficient use of scarce resources in this world,” she says. Through this discipline, she can learn about the past, explain the present and perhaps even predict the future.

Next year, she will be studying economics at one of China’s top universities: Fudan or Peking University. Fudan appeals to her because, naturally, Shanghai is a major global financial centre. However, Peking has been one of her dream schools since she was a young child.  

She is quick to point out just how much support she received during the university application process. She received comprehensive guidance on how to tackle interviews and highlight her best qualities in her personal statements. “They were always there to help me,” she says, “even at the last minute!”

Looking ahead, Jessica hopes to one day pursue a career in finance. She will graduate from one of these top schools with a solid foundation for success.

This has been a banner year for top-ranked university acceptances. And given the challenges our pupils have faced, these achievements are even more impressive. Congratulations to all our Wellington College China 2022 Leavers on their outstanding accomplishments. We wish you success in all that you pursue in the future.