Gao Tian organizes an activity. [edu.youth.cn ]

Gao Tian, a graduate from Dulwich International High School in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, was admitted into New York University Abu Dhabi recently and awarded a 1.9 million yuan (U.S.$ 290,000) scholarship, China Youth Daily reports.

The scholarship covers four years' tuition, meals, accommodation, overseas travel, extracurricular activities, medical insurance, transport and air fares. It even includes pocket money.

New York University Abu Dhabi has been dubbed as a "god-like" university by some due to its highly-competitive admissions procedure and generous bursaries. In 2012, only 0.9 percent of applicants were admitted.

Volunteer Experience Highlights Application.

Gao speaks several foreign languages such as English, Korean and Swahili. She scored 106 points in the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and 2,120 points in the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT).

In addition to academic excellence, her efforts in protecting girls' rights and interests and her voluntary teaching experience in Baibi Village, southwest China's Guizhou Province, also earned her additional points during the application.

In the summer vacation of 2013 when she taught in Baibi Village, Gao got acquainted with two young girls from an impoverished family who, due to economic reasons, faced the danger of dropping out of school. To make things worse, one of them had suffered from hearing loss since birth, and needed money for treatment.

When she came back to Suzhou, she organized a dance competition and earned over 3,000 yuan (U.S.$ 450) by selling tickets. Gao sent all the money and the other 1,300 yuan (U.S.$ 200) she collected through a previous activity to the village.

Gao also made postcards from photos she took in Guiyang and held a charity sale in which she collected more than 10,000 yuan (U.S.$ 1,520). She spent the money on buying stationery for children in the province.

Delivering Speech at UN Event

In 2014, Gao gave a speech at the 3rd Universal Children's Day event jointly organized by Plan Internation (China), UN Women and Rural Women.

"I feel proud of being a girl. I believe girls' lives should be filled with freedom and legendary. Please do not refuse to listen to our feelings just because of our gender and age," she said during her talk.

Gao told China Youth Daily that she made Malala Yousafzai her model. "I feel lucky that I have access to a good education, but sadly there are many children around the world who couldn't receive equal education. I will try my best to help them," Gao said.

Gao Tian take pictures with children when she teaches in Baibi Village, southwest China's Guizhou Province.[edu.163.com]

(Source: China Youth Daily/Translated and edited by Women of China)

By Sun JiahuaEditor: Joyce Dong