On October 14, 2023, the World University Fair kicked off at Shanghai Soong Ching Ling School. Admission officers from 120+ leading universities in 16 countries and regions gathered at SCLS to engage in direct conversations with over 1000 students and parents.
This World University Fair is one part of the greater China College Fair Tour, a multi-city college fair winding across China with stops in Suzhou, Shanghai, Beijing, and Xi'an. Educators from international schools in these cities worked together to build a premium platform and unite all these various educational forces into one location.
Shanghai Soong Ching Ling School is honored to host this fair, which builds a bridge of communication between students from Puxi and surrounding areas and the overseas universities. The event positively reflects the service spirit that everyone in SCLS has always practiced: serving our own children and families, as well as serving all the children and families!
This fair opens a door to the world for us, inviting admission officers to enter our campus, learn our school’s educational philosophy and mission, and meet our vibrant students.
Sharing the Most Valuable Information with Students
Josh Yager, a college counselor from SCLS International Division, said that the members of the nationwide college fair committee had been actively working on preparations since this spring. Just like sowing the seeds in the spring and harvesting the fruits in the autumn, the college counseling team embraced great success in this season, bringing all the admission officers and representatives together and sharing the most valuable information with students.
Showcasing the Enthusiastic and Confident Characteristics of SCLS Students
Our SCLS student volunteers were at the frontlines at this event. They introduced SCLS history, our campus facilities, and extracurricular activities for admission officers in fluent English, giving the AOs insights into our students’deep affection for the school.
The enthusiastic personalities and down-to-earth demeanor of our students deeply impressed admission officers, winning high praises from the visitors.
Giving Children the Most Valuable Things
Madame Feng Li Rong, Executive Principal of SCLS, extended a warm welcome to all the admission officers. She remarked that everything we do, every project we undertook, and every opportunity we provide for our children is designed to prepare our students to succeed on the world stage. Our greatest pride is in the growth we have seen in our students, individually and collectively.
Taking the students as our foremost priority and giving them the most valuable things have always been pursuit of all SCLS staff.
Direct Conversation with Admission Officers and Planting the Seeds of Dreams for the Future
Spread across two SCLS gyms, admission officers/representatives from 120+ renowned overseas universities set up their booths. Among them, there were top research universities such as University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, Washington University in St. Louis, the University of California at Davis, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Vassar College, McGill University, the University of Toronto, and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, as well as well-known professional institutions such as California Institute of the Arts, Sciences Po, the joint World Bachelor in Business (WBB) program, and EHL Hospitality Business School. The participating universities fully demonstrated the diversity, internationalization, and inclusiveness of a world university fair, attracting more than 1000 students and parents.
The gyms were packed with guests, and there were long lines in front of many booths. The students had opportunities to closely connect with the admission officers of their dream schools, learn first-hand information, and acquire deeper understandings through effective communication.
Parents also utilized this opportunity to learn different curricula and cultures of different universities and adjust future plans accordingly, in combination with the interests and goals of their children.
Everyone in attendance recognized the significance and power of the World University Fair.
Catrina Ren Wesleyan College Admission Officer
Catrina Ren, an admission officer at Wesleyan College—Madame Soong Ching Ling’s alma mater—commented that Madame Soong Ching Ling’s educational vision has come true after she witnessed the virtues of humility and diligence showcased in SCLS students, the positive attitudes from SCLS teachers, and the considerate arrangements for the guests.
Addison Zheng SCLS International Division Student
Addison Zheng, a G12 student from SCLS International Division, reflected, "I learned a lot of new stuff today, like discovering more about Sarah Lawrence College. It’s a college that I wouldn’t have taken into consideration before in my college application process. But after coming to the college fair, I really like their open curriculum and what they expect of a student. It’s been a very eye-opening experience for me."
Bing Tan SCLS International Division Parent
The mother of a G9 student, Bing Tan, said, "We really appreciate that SCLS hosted this event, and congratulations on the great success of the World University Fair! It’s a win-win event. It lit up a spark of dreams in the kids, and the fair itself was a big educational process. SCLS also provided a beautiful name card to all the participating universities from all over the world."
The 2023 World University Fair concluded successfully. It provided a grand venue for exchanging experiences, illuminating students, and generating fresh insights. The fair established a platform for students to interact with a wide variety of universities, priming them to succeed in a worldwide competition in the future. It planted seeds of future dreams in their heart, propelling them to grow towards the wider world with an international perspective!
Writer | Sophia Wang
English Editor ｜ Josh Yager
Photographer、Typesetter | Publicity Center
Auditor | SCLS Int.Division Middle&High School
