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Supporting University Success
Virtual University Fair
Cambridge Online Presentation
The 2020 university application season is well underway, and we have just under a third of our applications sent off, with offers already coming in from the UK. This cohort of pupils have not had an easy few months, of course. They had to undergo months of e-learning, followed by anxiety over results and the cancellation of exams, and they now face a future which is not yet free of potential further disruption.
However, we are determined to continue with our hard work to get our pupils into their best-fit universities by following the strategies which have been so successful in preceding years. Year 13 pupils are busy finalising personal statements and college essays and they are receiving support from teachers across the school. Interview practice for our 12 Oxbridge candidates is underway and we are very grateful to our colleagues in the Wellington Colleges in the UK and Shanghai for providing us with invaluable online interviews. The real interviews will be taking place online, of course, so this is a vital part of the preparation for our pupils.
Furthermore, we are fortunate enough to have with us as interns in school some of our very talented recent graduates. Covid restrictions have meant that they have not been able to enrol physically in university this year. They are helping out in various departments as well as guiding our current pupils through their university applications. This experience is arming them with valuable life skills, and we are lucky to have their support during this time.
Head of Sixth Form
Jayne Sabio
We had a great opportunity to talk with Mrs. Jayne Sabio, Head of Sixth Form and University Guidance Office at Wellington College Tianjin at the Virtual University Fair held on campus in Tianjin recently. Mrs. Sabio has over 20 years' experience in university guidance and teaching and shared with us her professional knowledge and perspectives on the university applications and what guidance is needed.
University Guidance Team
What does the future look like for 2021 graduates?
There is a great deal of speculation as to what is going to happen when it is time for our pupils to go to university in 2021. Indeed, there is a lot of speculation in the world’s media regarding potential further disruptions to learning as a result of COVID-19. Nobody really knows what will happen, but pupils and parents can be assured that universities are preparing innovative ways of teaching and learning so that their undergraduates can have the very best experience possible. Universities, just like schools, have radically changed their approach towards teaching and learning online. Our pupils have been able to prepare themselves for universities without ever leaving their computers by attending online summer schools and taking virtual tours of universities.
How has Wellington College Tianjin been supporting our pupils during these uncertain times?
Throughout the e-learning period, our tutors were in touch with their tutees to make sure that they were coping and to lend them a sympathetic ear. Our support for university applications continued online and we were still able to offer our pupils as much help as we do when the College is open as usual. Our communications platform on Microsoft Teams enabled us to establish better partnerships with our pupils as we formed a united front against the virus. These communications have now become normal and pupils feel comfortable contacting their teachers and tutors in this way. Fortunately, universities are sympathetic towards our young people and fully understand any disadvantages that may have been caused by the virus. They are well aware of the potential negative impact that the virus may have had on young people and offer extensive advice about coping with the stress of extended periods of distance learning.
The Department for Education in the UK has just announced a 3-week delay in the 2021 GCSE and A-level exams, and with the development of the UK epidemic, it is likely that the Department will make another adjustment for the 2021 exams. What do you think about this? And what advice do you have for students?
There may well be some changes to the timing of the examinations in the summer of 2021, but even with such an altered timetable, I am very confident that our pupils will be thoroughly prepared for the challenge. In the very unlikely eventuality that exams are once again cancelled, I can reassure all our pupils and parents that the Department for Education and the UK government will make sure that a system is in place to ensure that they get the grades that they deserve. Pupils and teachers here at Wellington are aware of such eventualities and we are actively gathering pupils’ assessed work to provide the evidence which may be needed to support the grade awarding process. Pupils who used to depend on last-minute cramming in the days and weeks before exams have learnt a valuable lesson from COVID-19: Our advice, as ever, to all of our pupils is to work hard throughout the year to ensure that that they have the evidence and predicted grades they deserve, should the school shutdown reoccur next summer.
While the epidemic is generally perceived as a challenge for students preparing to study at universities abroad, have there been any positive outcomes?
The epidemic in most cases has made our pupils more resilient and able to cope with unexpected situations. It has also made our pupils realise just how much they appreciate coming to school every day; our pupils were relieved and very happy to come back to school after the e-learning period. Communications between our pupils and universities have been facilitated by the move online and this has meant that we have been able to hold bespoke presentations from universities such as Oxford and Cambridge – universities which would not normally be able to visit our school. Our university fair will be ongoing throughout the year and we have 3 university presentations during lunchtimes every week from all over the world. This means that we can have more presentations from universities which will hugely benefit our pupils. We are also publishing links to online presentations from universities on our Week Ahead so that parents can also become more familiar with the applications’ process.
Furthermore, universities have had to step up their game in order to provide an education for students during this challenging time and because of this, they have become more flexible. The majority of UK universities, for example, are providing ‘blended learning’ options for the best possible experience of remote and on-campus learning with an optimum combination of both methods. Universities are using the latest technologies and software to ensure that students get the best possible undergraduate experience and are also able to enjoy the campus life they expect. Online teaching methodology is customised for an unmatched virtual learning experience, whilst seminars, tutorials, lab classes and small group lectures are being delivered face-to-face. In the US, the situation is a similar one. A recent survey conducted by the Institute of International Education (IIE) indicates that most students enrolled at US colleges and universities are learning according to a hybrid model, combining in-person and virtual instruction.
Cambridge University online session
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