Emma studied in China until she was 14 years old. She has an avid interest in art and enjoys playing the piano, singing, and drawing at her leisure. Despite studying at a Chinese school, she had a good level of English prior to her arrival in the UK— B2 (upper intermediate). Like many of our clients, Emma's parents approached the UK Study Centre with the ambition of preparing her for the most prestigious schools in England. Considering that relocation, cultural differences and the language barrier could be overwhelming for a then 14-year-old, the client agreed that the 10th and 11th grades would be a transitional stage. By the age of 16, Emma should be better prepared for application to the elite schools of her choice.
Emma began her studies in the 10th grade at Roedean, a girls' school in Brighton, where she quickly became an excellent student. Following her intention to transfer to more prestigious schools in the final two years of secondary education, Emma started considering options for transfer and took on additional tutoring at the end of her first year in the UK. Conveniently, Emma’s mother also successfully obtained her permanent residency in England at the time. As the dependent of a permanent UK resident, Emma was able to apply not only to boarding schools, but also to highly competitive day schools including St Paul’s, Westminster, Wycombe Abbey, and King’s College School Wimbledon.
For each of these schools, Emma was required to take written tests for each subject she planned to study at A-level and attend both general and subject-specific interviews. Having chosen Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Physics, and Music, Emma began studying with the help of our tutors. These entrance exams were intense competitions, with an average of more than 10 students (mostly local) competing for one place. Furthermore, the schools tested applicants on content beyond the scope of GCSE, asking students to complete tasks that might not have been covered in the regular curriculum.
Having gone through most of her education in China, Emma did not know what to expect from exams in England and what types of questions might be asked during these subject interviews. The UKSC tutors not only managed to equip Emma with relevant knowledge and skills for these interviews in the give time frame, but, more importantly, also raise her confidence in her abilities.
Here she is, a year and a half later, Emma has successfully received offers from two of the four top schools to which she applied — Wycombe Abbey and King’s College School Wimbledon. We are proud to share Emma's success with you. Her story demonstrates how far you can go in a year or two with the support of our experienced tutors.
