Cambridge Alumnus Returns: This Time, He Brought a Cambridge Admissions Manager to Harrow Beijing

At Harrow Beijing,
the road to the world’s leading universities
is not only about offers and admissions results,
but also about a series of real, profound
conversations with people and stories at their heart.

Not long ago, the Harrow Friends Wellbeing Club held an in-person sharing event and invited Ms Lumi, mother of Jason, an outstanding graduate from Harrow Beijing’s Class of 2025 who is now studying Mathematics at the University of Cambridge, to speak with dozens of parents under the theme “Becoming a Gardener for Your Child: From Protecting Talent to Fostering Inner Drive”.

Many parents said that this talk prompted them to rethink the balance between “good grades” and “good relationships”, and gave them a deeper understanding of the importance of inner drive in a child’s long-term development. Immediately following this sharing from a “Cambridge mum”, Harrow Beijing then welcomed another multi-dimensional Cambridge conversation, linking Cambridge alumni and a Cambridge admissions officer, as well as parents and students.

From Harrow to Cambridge
And Back to a Familiar Theatre

On 21 November, Harrow Beijing welcomed both a familiar face and a new friend. One was Ryan X, a 2014 graduate who went from Harrow Beijing to the University of Cambridge and now serves as President of the Cambridge Guangdong Alumni Association; the other was Dr Luis Perez, Admissions Manager for East Asia from the University of Cambridge – a Cambridge admissions officer in the truest sense.

From a campus tour and a student sharing session, to one-on-one meetings with graduating students and a dedicated Q&A for parents, in the space of just one afternoon, Ryan and Dr Luis brought to Harrow Beijing an authentic picture of the learning experience at Cambridge and the latest information on undergraduate admissions.

For Ryan, this return had an extra layer of special meaning—more than ten years ago, he was a Harrow student sitting in the seats of this very theatre; now, as a Cambridge alumnus and established professional, he stands on the same stage sharing his journey of progression and growth with current students and parents.

An Open Lesson
“What Kind of Students Does Cambridge Look For?”

Students and parents from Year 10 to Year 12 at Harrow sat down face to face with the two guests, opening a deep conversation about what it really means to step into Cambridge.

Dr Luis began by introducing Cambridge’s long-standing collegiate system: how colleges and academic departments are at once relatively independent and closely interconnected. The colleges not only provide accommodation, but also offer comprehensive support for students’ academic development, career planning and pastoral care, and are an indispensable part of the Cambridge learning experience. He then went on to give a systematic overview of Cambridge’s admissions policies and application procedures.

Ryan, speaking from the perspective of an alumnus, openly shared his own “turnaround journey” at Harrow Beijing—he was not a top student from the very beginning, but with the patient support of his teachers, rigorous academic training and the rich school environment, he gradually discovered study methods that suited him, achieved continuous improvements in his grades and eventually secured a place at the University of Cambridge.

In his talk, he looked back on how he moved from confusion to self-discipline, from catching up to taking the lead: how, under personalised guidance from his teachers, he rebuilt his approach to learning; how he stepped out of his comfort zone to take on more challenging academic goals; and how, through clubs, public speaking and teamwork, he developed a broader perspective and more mature thinking.

These experiences showed the students and parents present that those who go on to Cambridge are not only “geniuses”, but, even more so, young people who are willing to be inspired, guided and shaped on the Harrow Beijing platform.

After the session, Ryan once again walked through the long-missed campus accompanied by his former teachers. Following the same corridors and playground he used to walk along, he visited the newly upgraded theatre and learning spaces, and was reunited with many teachers who have been at Harrow for more than ten years, reminiscing about lessons, exam preparation and co-curricular activities from his school days. Seeing how the campus continues to evolve while preserving the same values and atmosphere, Ryan could not help but sigh, “Many things have changed, but the things that made me who I am today are still here.”

The Cambridge@Harrow Beijing Series
Will Continue to Write New Chapters

From the heartfelt sharing by Jason’s mother at the Wellbeing Club to the in-depth dialogue when Ryan returned to his alma mater with a Cambridge admissions manager, Harrow Beijing is gradually forming a “Cambridge pathway” that runs from home to school and from alumni to world-leading universities: it is about how to support children to become learners with strong inner drive, and also about how to walk bravely towards the world’s top universities on the academic journey.

Recently, Mr Phil Akerman, Headmaster of Harrow Beijing, visited UK, holding in-depth discussions with alumni
from the University of Cambridge, King’s College London and other leading universities.

The Headmaster with alumni Adrien Z and Linda Z, who are currently studying at King’s College London

From left to right, the four Harrow Beijing alumni currently studying at the University of Cambridge are: Malakai A, Harrison Y, Jason J and David Z.

In the future, Harrow Beijing will continue to advance the “Cambridge Series” of events: in the near future, a Cambridge Honorary Fellow will visit the campus together with several undergraduate, master’s and doctoral graduates to host a “Cambridge Growth Private Session” – a special event where a Cambridge Fellow will engage in a close-up conversation about growth with Harrow parents. Please stay tuned.

We look forward to working hand in hand
with every Harrow family
through each deep and sincere conversation,
open up more possibilities for children
to connect with the wider world.
Cambridge may seem far away,
but the road that leads to Cambridgecan
begin with every single day here at Harrow Beijing.