We Are Wellington | Reach Out and Create Connections

Leo is described as a young man of exceptional potential, whose confident English, sharp wit and insightful mind made him an asset to Wellington College. He not only excels in academics but is a genuine all-rounder. Leo’s outstanding qualities earned him an offer from Homerton College, Cambridge University to read Human, Social and Political Sciences.

I think I can relate to the field of politics more because it is more tangible to me. Having lived in two different countries, Canada and China, I can kind of see the differences between the two systems. And the business world is a bit too distant for me because I don't have any kind of connection with it.

I think it was due to my father's work. He said that Wellington is the best school in Tianjin. The community here is extremely supportive, especially the teachers, and I feel like the school gave me a lot of access to opportunities that weren't available in other schools in Tianjin. In addition to that, I formed certain connections with the people here that are very valuable to me.

I feel like the primary resource that our college has is the teachers here. All of them are willing to go the extra mile for you in terms of helping you with your studies. For example, my economics teacher in year 12 voluntarily stayed behind after school hours to help a group of us to prepare for the Oxbridge interviews, and that was helpful because he was not required to do that at all, so I felt that was something special. Our history teacher did the same. And I feel like it's this combination of teachers and people who are going to help you that helps inspire students like us.

I think the most impressive thing that I've done personally is to compete in two different essay competitions in the summer of year 12. Both of these competitions were hosted by universities. One was hosted by the London School of Economics, and the other one was hosted by Cambridge University.

I'm not currently involved in any extracurricular activities because our exams are coming soon, so I decided to focus on those instead. But one of the most special and meaningful extracurricular activities that I have attended in the past was something called the Worldstars Cup.  It was really meaningful to me because it's a team competition where you answer trivia questions on all the different areas in academia.

And it's pretty cool because you can form really deep and meaningful connections with the people you go with. So, for example, I went on this competition with Eric, who has been with me at this school for six years now. I think this is important because it helps with teamwork.

I think one of the main reasons I'm interested in politics is because it allows you to have a more holistic view of things. Once you understand certain structures in the political world, then you can zoom in, and when you start zooming in, that’s where the other parts of social science come in. So the reason is that it is such an all-encompassing subject where it allows you to look at things from a narrow point of view in terms of political science, but also allows you to have a more tangible understanding of the humanistic aspects of our society.

I feel pretty good, because of the prestigious nature not only of the university but also of the college. After researching all the colleges in Cambridge, I felt that Homerton was really good for me because it has a very friendly atmosphere that you don't see in the other colleges. In some of the other colleges in Cambridge, for example, you're not allowed to step on the grass, whereas here, they have an orchard and you can step on the grass whenever you want. So, I think that, in itself, is symbolic of the more progressive learning nature of this college, and that's more suitable for me.

I would recommend Wellington College for youngsters, and my first advice would be to not be afraid to reach out to people that are willing to help you, because our school has a reputation for being extremely friendly, and the people here are always willing to help you as long as you reach out. That first step matters. If you are willing to take the first step, who knows where you can go.

Another piece of advice I would offer is to take it easy because you don't have to overstress about universities at such a young age. When I first came to the school, I didn't know anything about university, and my primary concern was how to get better at Minecraft. So I didn't decide on the path I would take until I was in year 11. So another piece of advice would be, don't stress that much.

Thank you for your patience. You know, I've never really expected to be in the position that I am in now, and I'm very fortunate to be in this position because looking back at when I was younger, I did not seem like the type of person who would get into a good university. So I want to thank everyone for always having faith in me and having the patience that allowed me to develop myself along the way rather than pushing me to become this person.