YU Zhitao: From Changing Curriculum to Receiving an Offer from Imperial College London – It Took Him Just 18 Months

Introduction

YU Zhitao, a 2025 graduate from the International Curriculum of Pui Kiu Xinyi School (PKXYS), has achieved an impressive record of receiving five offers out of five applications from top UK universities. These offers include: Imperial College London (QS Ranking 2), University College London (QS Ranking 9), The University of Edinburgh (QS Ranking 27), The University of Manchester (QS Ranking 34), and University of Southampton (QS Ranking 80). He has also received scholarship offers from prestigious Hong Kong universities, including The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, etc. In September 2023, he made a brave decision to transfer from a public high school to the A-Level International Curriculum of PKXYS. On 1st March 2025, he received an offer from the Chemical Engineering Programme of Imperial College London—this remarkable achievement took him just 18 months.

Curriculum Changing: Finding the Optimal Pathway

YU Zhitao's educational journey was full of twists and turns. He attended primary school in the Mainland of China, transferred to an international school in Hong Kong in Grade 5, returned to a public junior secondary school in the Mainland, entered a public senior secondary school in Grade 10, and finally enrolled in the A-Level International Curriculum of PKXYS in Grade 11.

When asked about why he chose the A-Level Programme, YU candidly explained, "Chinese language is my weakest subject. If I pursue the Mainland Gaokao pathway (College Entrance Exam), I would have difficulties in learning classical Chinese, which is an unavoidable hurdle for me. The A-Level Programme, however, allows me to focus on the subjects I am most interested in—mathematics, physics, and chemistry—so I can maximise my strengths." His strategic decision proved to be right. YU excelled in all four of his chosen A-Level subjects—Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Further Mathematics—each earning top grades of A or A*, which laid a solid academic foundation for his admission to top universities.

"Doing my best with maximum efforts" is YU's life motto. At the beginning of the academic year, he initially took Biology as one of his subjects. Although his performance was good, he decided by the end of the first academic year to switch to Further Mathematics, a subject he was more interested in. During the summer holidays, he adopted a highly-disciplined "5 days study + 2 days rest" schedule and self-studied the entire academic year's course in just two months. His efforts paid off when he scored an A in his AS exam.

When asked about the secret to his efficient study, YU gave a simple answer: "Listen attentively in class, take notes, do the homework, focus on reviewing the mistakes, and tackle every difficulty to break through my upper limit." He smiled and added, "I try to balance my study and rest. When it's time to study, I go all in; when it's time to relax, I truly relax. I love sports—basketball, badminton, and table tennis—and I also enjoy movies, hiking, and skiing. Balanced study and relaxation make me achieve better results." It's this wisdom in balance and consistency that makes him confident and calm when facing the academic pressure after he changes curriculum.

Having undergone three major changes in curriculum switching, YU Zhitao's life has become busier than those of others. This rapid movement made him know how to "cherish the present". In Hong Kong schools, where the medium of instruction is English, he took full advantage of the immersive English language environment to develop his listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills, enabling him to adapt "painlessly" to the new curriculum. Mainland schools, however, emphasise theoretical knowledge and extensive practice through numerous exercises, so he tried to master every concept thoroughly, building a solid foundation in mathematics, physics, and chemistry, which helped him excel in international standardised tests. At PKXYS, which promotes an integration of Eastern and Western education, he embraced the best of both cultures: strengthening his academic skills, cultivating patriotism and cultural identity, while developing critical thinking, and expanding his global perspective. This comprehensive growth facilitated his remarkable role change from a "high school student with subject weakness" to a "prospective freshman at a top global university."

From IELTS to Application Documents: Making Early Preparations

When discussing the challenges of International Curriculum, YU Zhitao highlights that language is a crucial and unavoidable issue. Firstly, since the courses of our school are taught in English, many specialised academic terms require extra time for pre-study. Secondly, the International Curriculum has a high proportion of foreign teachers, and daily communication between teachers and students is mostly in English. Furthermore, overseas universities only provide admissions information in English and mostly employ a holistic admission process. Applicants must submit their academic transcripts, IELTS scores, English resumes, personal statements, and other necessary documents. They also need to monitor their application progress and prepare for admission interviews.

Each of these steps is challenging for a high school student. Fortunately, YU said that he received ample support and encouragement from both the school and his family.

Upon enrolment into PKXYS, the school assigned each student a dedicated college counsellor who regularly communicates one-on-one with the student and parents, providing tailored guidance on academic planning, career choices, university selection, and PS writing. In addition, through learning inside and outside the classroom, YU achieved an IELTS band score of 7 in the first academic year, giving him sufficient time in preparing for the applications and entrance exams.

"Language scores are very important," YU advises the juniors. "Even if you receive excellent admission offers, the offers can be revoked if your language scores don't meet the requirements. That would be such a pity." He encourages younger students to prepare for the English standardised tests as early as possible.

From Classroom to Practice: Setting Up Clear Goals

On 1st March, YU Zhitao received his offer letter from the Chemical Engineering programme of Imperial College London. As one of the world's top universities, Imperial College London receives nearly 30,000 applications annually, with an official admission rate of only 11%, indicating that the  competition is very fierce, especially for engineering majors. To stand out among a vast pool of outstanding global candidates, it requires not only excellent scores in the exams but also a strong sense of self-motivation to continuously explore professional fields.

Driven by his deep love for chemical engineering, YU actively participated in academic competitions and practical activities during his time at the school, constantly deepening his understanding and enthusiasm for the subject.

In the Cambridge Chemistry Challenge (C3L6), he extensively studied advanced chemistry knowledge under the guidance of his teachers and won a Gold Award. In the laboratory of South China Agricultural University, under the guidance of university professors, he assembled supercapacitors and lithium batteries, gaining a thorough understanding of the materials and operational principles of batteries. Additionally, following the advice of his college counsellor, he independently conducted an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) research project, producing a 5,000-word English paper titled "Comparative Analysis of Lithium Batteries for Electric Vehicles", for which he received an A* grade—demonstrating academic proficiency equivalent to the late first year of university. From theory to practice, YU prepared himself comprehensively in his chosen field of interest.

"Why are you so interested in chemistry and batteries?" YU Zhitao answered, "Many phenomena in daily life can be explained by chemistry. Its applications in the real world are numerous, such as polymer materials, high-strength materials, and electric vehicle batteries — all of which are very promising research fields." When asked about his future major, his eyes sparkled with excitement, "The global energy shortage problem is becoming increasingly severe. Maybe I can find better solutions for new energy sources through chemical engineering."

Imperial College London not only owns Europe's leading pilot chemical engineering plant and nanomaterials synthesis laboratory, but also has close cooperation with new energy companies like Tesla and CATL. Receiving an offer letter from Imperial College London brings YU Zhitao one step closer to realising his dream.

▲Image source: Imperial College London

Closing Remarks

At this special moment of graduation season, when asked if he had any advice to share with the juniors, YU Zhitao simply said two words: "Study hard."

On the journey of youth, only by climbing steep cliffs without holding back

can one see the view called "no regrets."

Graduation is not a full stop, but a dash—

leading to deeper quests and greater challenges.Lab lights, library silence, stadium roars...

These scattered moments will eventually merge into a galaxy,

illuminating the next leg of your journey.

May our graduates be guided by the stars, with no mountain too high and no ocean too wide.

Author: Communications Department