Preface:
I will never forget the HongEn Young Children’s English: The Three Little Pigs series. Thirteen years ago, one afternoon, when the second little pig introduced himself by saying, “I go to the University of Cambridge,” my five-year-old self pointed at the TV and whined to my mom, “Mommy, I want to go to Cambridge too.” If it had been someone else’s parent, they might have laughed it off. But my mom is my mom—not “someone else’s.” From that afternoon onward, the gears of fate began to turn.
Four Years with SCIE
Among SCIE students, I was probably one of the earliest to hear about the school, yet one of the hardest-hit in the admissions process. Soon after transferring from Dingta Primary to Nanshan International School in seventh grade, I heard about this so-called “Oxbridge machine” and set my sights on it.
In April 2021, I sat for my first entrance exam and scored an A in English but a C in math—landing me on the waitlist. My spirits plummeted. On top of that, I had scheduled my ABRSM Grade 8 piano exam for May, while also keeping up with schoolwork. For the first time in my life, I experienced what it meant to fight a three-front war. Fortunately, none of the fronts collapsed (although my second written exam score was still AC, after which I promptly changed my WeChat profile picture to an “AC girl”—my little nod to mystical thinking).
Although I had come for the “Oxbridge machine” reputation, I didn’t enter SCIE brimming with lofty ambitions. I thought of myself as someone who had barely made the cut—just surviving without hitting bottom would be a win. Back then, I was a Manchester United fan (my current WeChat name is still GGMU, from Glory Glory Man United). After learning that Manchester also had a university with a decent QS ranking, I told my mom I wouldn’t mind going there. She replied, “And what university is that?”
But bottoming out never happened. Maybe my turbulent entrance exam journey made me calmer—so even with four or five exams a week, I remained unfazed.
The IGCSE curriculum wasn’t too daunting; no prior knowledge was needed, and as long as you could handle English (which everyone who passed the SCIE entrance exam could), it was manageable. I must give a special mention to Japanese class. As my second foreign language, and one I’d only known through anime without any formal study, it was hard.
My first vocabulary quiz score was 25% (though the class average was 32%, so I wasn’t last). My midterm report card showed a C in Japanese—something my pride could not abide. I studied furiously, and by the second term of G1, I ranked fourth in the grade (just missing my first podium finish).
There’s a saying passed down in SCIE: “G1 is for having fun.” At first, I didn’t think much of it, but looking back, my G1 years embodied it—joining art club, philosophy club, biochemistry club (never understanding the seniors’ PPTs but enjoying the vibe); playing football daily despite weighing only 40-something kilos at 1.7m tall; continuing piano after passing Grade 8 and finally mastering Liebesträume, my favorite piece; and, during online classes in early 2022, hiking all ten or so trails of nearby Tanglang Mountain just because I could.
G1 really is a golden time for exploration—academically and in life. Treasure it.
In my first year and a half at SCIE, I read around ten extracurricular books, from The Three-Body Problem trilogy to The Moon and Sixpence, What Do Philosophers Do?, A History of Poland, and even rewatched documentaries like The Great Patriotic War and Apocalypse: WWI—childhood favorites. If it weren’t for the hand cramps after every humanities exam, I might’ve loved the humanities even more.
After re-streaming in G2, I met many brilliant classmates. Their help was invaluable—like the one who, when I asked for chemistry tips, sent me the complete sets of both physical and organic chemistry materials (plus physical copies). I never finished them, to my shame, but I remain grateful. Unlike my slightly solitary G1 self, most of my close friends today are from G2.
In SCIE, no matter how niche your interest, you’ll find kindred spirits—often ones better at it than you. After finishing Liebesträume, I thought my piano skills were top-tier in my grade. Then a new dormmate casually played Chopin’s Ballade No.1, and I realized I had work to do. Still, having friends who shared my love for classical music was wonderful—even in A2 application season, I occasionally dashed off after school to the Hong Kong Cultural Centre for concerts before returning to campus.
By the end of G2, most of my hobbies—drawing, football, piano—had fallen by the wayside. Meanwhile, some classmates reached professional-level mastery and even performed with the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra. I simply didn’t have the energy to juggle it all.
A Life in Biology
Before reading The Three-Body Problem, I saw a review saying, “I wish there were a machine to erase my memory of this book so I could read it again with fresh wonder.” After finishing the trilogy during G1’s online period, I understood. Liu Cixin’s boundless imagination sparked my interest in the natural sciences, building on my childhood fascination with dinosaurs. By G2, I had decided on biology as my intended major.
I read textbooks at a leisurely pace, with no real plan or pressure. I entered the Intermediate Biology Olympiad and the British Biology Olympiad, winning bronze in both, and had zero research or summer school experience. Compared to my peers, I was far behind—but I wasn’t too anxious. There was still A1 ahead.
Then, in summer 2023, iGEM shook my confidence. My poor hands-on skills made lab work—where “one wrong step means a wasted day”—a trial. Seeing a senior’s graduation speech about switching from biology to physics after a similar iGEM experience made the idea of changing majors tempting.
In the end, I didn’t switch. My talent wasn’t enough to cram three years’ worth of work into one, but university would offer chances to adjust later—US schools let you take any courses within your college, and Cambridge’s Natural Sciences program allows applying in biology but later focusing on physics. So I explored interdisciplinary fields like biostatistics and got all my competitions and standardized tests done in A1—a tense but exhilarating time.
If you want to study biology, two tips:
Start early, even in IGCSE. Competitions aren’t about medals but about adapting to the “memorize-forget, forget-memorize” rhythm. Many only realize in university they can’t stand it (myself included—post-interview, I’ve barely touched biology outside the A-level syllabus).
Get lab experience early. Biology is an experimental science—if you can’t enjoy lab work (understandable!), think twice before committing.
The Calm of Application Season
Returning to my dorm in August 2024, I saw the door sign: “21213, Wang Junyi, A2,” and felt surreal. From then on, whenever I made a ridiculous mistake, I’d brush it off with, “That’s just A2 senior calm.”
For instance, when choosing Cambridge colleges in the first week, I only learned about it midweek. With an SAT that weekend, I skimmed the official website for two hours, picked one college seriously, and three as filler. I hoped no one would take my first choice, Clare. A week later, I stared at my assignment to Gonville & Caius (my second choice) in mild confusion.
I thought application season would crush me, but thanks to the shared calm among my SCIE friends, it didn’t. My coping methods: Clash Royale breaks (not recommended) and Saturday outings anywhere in Shenzhen.
Applying to both the UK and US was intense—writing essays for both, practicing for Cambridge’s entrance exams and interviews, and keeping my GPA up. I truly grasped the meaning of “opportunity cost” from G1 economics. Ironically, my Cambridge interview fell on my 18th birthday, December 11—a unique coming-of-age gift.
On the day, I wasn’t nervous. I skimmed Campbell Biology, paid a quick visit to the Milk Dragon statue at Qianhai Stone Park (on a friend’s advice), had dinner, then did the interview. The questions happened to be in my wheelhouse. Returning to school, I listened to Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No.3—my go-to stress piece—and felt the season nearing its end.
Maybe it was because I had US options, or maybe I was just used to being laid-back, but I wasn’t too jittery waiting for Cambridge’s decision. Still, like a novel with obvious foreshadowing, I found a coin in my dumpling at Lunar New Year dinner and drew a limited Arknights character (0.7% odds) that day. When the email notification popped up, I knew something was up.
After applications, life reverted to G1 mode: lighter academics, piano (even performing at SCIE for the first time post–Spring Festival, thanks to a violinist friend), cycling, gym, climbing wall, Tanglang Mountain hikes. Turns out SCIE life can be rich—if you choose.
Only after going through it yourself do you truly feel how random applications can be. Aside from Cambridge, my top admit was UC San Diego (initially waitlisted), followed by UC Irvine. Imperial and UCL didn’t even interview me. My UK “insurance” was Edinburgh. US results were harsher—almost all top 30 schools rejected me, Common App yielded zero offers, and even UIUC waitlisted me.
But life isn’t a TV drama that ends with “Congratulations” or “We regret to inform you.” So my wish for you: in moments of pressure, don’t lose your calm. Wherever you’re headed, may you sail forth on tomorrow’s ark.
- Article / Jeff WANG
