Graduates of The British School of Beijing (BSB) Shunyi have an excellent track record of being accepted in outstanding universities around the world. Let’s hear from BSB alumni Jenny who is in her last year of studies at the University of Cambridge, on how BSB has helped her achieved academic success and gained admissions to her best fit university!
University of Cambridge
I am currently in my final year of reading Economics at the University of Cambridge and will be graduating in 2021. I am applying for a postgraduate programme to study Finance and Economics. Once I finish my studies, I plan to start my career as an Investment Banker. I currently hold an internship at UBS, so hopefully, I will get converted to full-time!
Please see 2 photos of me participating in Cambridge’s College Boat Club!
Internship Experience
I have completed internship with a couple of firms, both in investment banking and in consultancy. For my latest internship experience, I worked for JP Morgan as their Investment Banking Summer Analyst. I was supposed to be working in Hong Kong but due to the pandemic, my internship programme turned virtual. My work involved building liquidity model for petrochemical firms in Korea and creating a dataset for Asian life insurance companies. The tasks given were definitely challenging; I have never come across some of the models that I had to construct. But overall, I was really grateful for the learning opportunity I was provided with.
My Years at BSB Shunyi
Jenny studied at BSB for 5 years and graduated in 2017 with an amazing IB point score of 43 (out of a maximum of 45).
When I first joined BSB, I was initially very shy but with BSB’s friendly and supportive community, I was able to fit in fairly quickly, gradually changing my personality. Eventually through the years at BSB, I was able to become who I am today.
Looking back, I would say I was greatly honoured to be a part of the BSB community. To me, BSB really was the “Best School in Beijing”. I think that the most special thing about our school is the tightly-knit community. This is true because everyone pretty much knows each other, to the extent where the school Principal knows each and every individual! With such atmosphere, I felt that I was cared for and loved.
What is special about BSB?
I would say it is the supportive environment. BSB definitely allows and supports students to carry out their own projects and build up their own studies. For me I have always wanted to host a Model United Nations (MUN) conference in our school and with the warm support of the school staff and management team, I was able to organize the first BRITMUN conference in 2017.
Jenny at MUN
I was also the Vice-Chair of the BSB Charity Committee, an active member of the World Scholar’s Cup BSB Team, the President of the Human Rights Council at BEIMUN XXIII and the President of the Environment Commission at BEIMUN XXIV.
Jenny at World Scholar’s Cup
Best memories at BSB
Perhaps one of the best memory was the residential trips we went. From local cities in China to foreign countries like Tanzania and Vietnam, I was able to learn things I could not in textbooks. The most unforgettable experience was definitely the one in Tanzania where I actually built school buildings and goat sheds for under-privileged families and got to teach the local children. I think it was the first experience where I really felt like I could do something to change the lives of others.
Jenny in Tanzania
Advice for fellow students
Don’t be too stressed about your academics. Even if you fail at this stage, it is not the end of your life. You will learn that there are way more important things than high school grades once you enter university. For future Oxbridge applicants, read around your subject! It is crucial for you to do a wider reading to fill in the gap of IB. Finally, if any of you have any questions on Cambridge, feel free to reach out! I would be happy to help out.
The British School of Beijing (BSB), Shunyi is a large International School offering Primary through Secondary education to 1,000+ students from over 60 nationalities. Driven by a philosophy of ambition, we inspire every child to achieve more than they ever imagined possible.
BSB students follow an enhanced English National Curriculum completing IGCSE exams at aged 16 followed by the IB Diploma at aged 18. We also offer a German Curriculum for native German speakers in Klasse 1-4. As part of a family of 70+ Nord Anglia schools globally, our curricula are enhanced by collaborations with preeminent organisations such as The Juilliard School, MIT and UNICEF. Year-on-year our world class teachers ensure that students experience accelerated learning and achieve excellent academic results to enable their entry into the world’s leading universities.
Contact us for a visit at admissions@bsbshunyi.com.
