At Wellington College China, scholarships are essential for cultivating talent and encouraging academic achievement. They are also a way to provide educational opportunities to pupils regardless of the resources available to them. This is why Wellington College China offers a variety of scholarships that award excellence and provide financial aid. Through our arts, sports, academic scholarships and the Shuping Scholarship, we aim to introduce pupils to a world where they can learn, explore and achieve great things. Below are three such examples.

It has always been Ted's goal to study maths at the University of Cambridge. Within just a year, Ted has realised this goal. He is now a prospective Cambridge student. The school offers one of the world's most competitive maths programmes, so this an honour for both Ted and Wellington College China.

Just three years ago, when Ted was a junior high graduate from a public middle school, he enrolled at Wellington College Tianjin on a full scholarship. At first, he struggled to adjust to the international environment. But the school's immersive learning environment ensured that Ted would progress quickly. He is now a band 8 candidate for the IELTS exam. He also earned a silver medal in the United States Academic Decathlon's maths competition.

Ted has flourished in other areas as well. He has become thoroughly well-rounded, taking up boxing, swimming and bodybuilding. He also formed a folk music group with his classmates. However, none of these pursuits have had a negative impact on his academic performance. He took the A Level exam in three subjects, earning A* grades while still in year 12. He earned yet another another A* in the EPQ programme. Most of his fellow pupils were anxious about the cancellation of IELTS tests due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Not Ted, he had already taken the test the prior year and scored an 8.5 (9 is the highest possible score).

As a child, Jennifer attended a local private school where the competition was fierce. She was able to lay a solid academic foundation while there, but this came at the expense of almost everything else she enjoyed doing in life.

"From year 5 onward, we no longer had time for PE classes," Jennifer explains. My mother thought it was important for me to have time for PE and other extracurricular activities, so when I was in year 5, I transferred to Wellington College International Shanghai. The academic atmosphere here is just as strong, but teachers also encourage us to follow our passions and explore new hobbies."

Since joining Wellington, Jennifer's interest in the performing arts has grown immensely. She has been able to continue learning piano and ballet — they have been passions of hers since she was three — and she has even reached performance level in both activities. She has been learning to play the viola as a second instrument. This year, she even performed in the College's Senior School musical production of Chicago as a lead dancer. In addition to artistic pursuits, she plays for the College's basketball team. Jennifer is not so sure that she would have had the time to pursue all of  these interests at her previous school. 

In addition to these artistic and athletic activities, Jennifer maintains high academic marks. In 2020, she earned a 10 A* on her IGCSE exam, a gold medal in the United Kingdom Mathematics Trust's competition and even a full score for six subjects in the US Advanced Placement exam. She is currently studying in the IB Programme and is learning French as well. Her outstanding performance has earned her the Wellington Academic Scholarship. 50% of her tuition fee this year was waived.

Like Jennifer, Carson has been a music enthusiast his whole life. He has played the drums for seven years, but his previous school did not afford him many opportunities to develop and showcase his musical talents. This changed when he arrived at Huili Hangzhou.

Carson plays in a rock band that has taken part in the the school's winter and summer performances,  college competitions and other national and international festivities. In addition to music, he has taken up kayaking and practises with a professional kayaking club at the weekends. He builds his skills and confidence through regular competitions. He also excels at oratory skills. In 2020, Carson won the National Prize at the Star of Outlook English Speech Competition. This happened just two years after transferring to Huili from a public school.

Only in grade 7, Carson already has clear ideas about his future. "In eight years, I will be studying at a university in America," he says. "At that time," he continues, "I will be majoring in Economics and preparing for surveys and case studies in financial reform that will benefit the community. Economics is about human nature and the world around us; I find it fascinating." When asked if he will still be playing drums and kayaking, he simply replies, "Of course!"

Inspired, Intellectual, Independent, Individual and Inclusive - our three scholarship recipients each demonstrated the Wellington Identity in their own ways. For them, Wellington scholarships are not only a recognition of their effort but encouragement for their future pursuits.