Shrewsbury School celebrates third Harvard offer in three years

Shrewsbury School is celebrating pupil Richard Wolskel,18, for the incredible achievement of receiving an offer to study at Harvard University, a powerful endorsement of the quality of Shrewsbury pupils and the School’s whole person approach to education.

Richard, from Shrewsbury, Shropshire, becomes the third Salopian in as many years to secure a place at Harvard, following Heads of School Nat Toms and Luke Williams in 2024, a rare distinction that places Shrewsbury among a very small number of UK schools to achieve this milestone.

A GB rower, accomplished musician and outstanding academic, Richard will take up his place at Harvard in 2026, continuing a growing Shrewsbury legacy in the United States.

Richard said:

“Both the process of applying to and receiving an offer from Harvard have been lifechanging experiences.

“During my time at Shrewsbury, I have been constantly improving my academics, my sporting abilities, and my life skills, all of which have led me to where I am now. This is without doubt due to the excellent teachers, coaches, and the futures department who have helped me along the way.

“This and the fantastic resources available in classrooms and at the boathouse have facilitated my success at Shrewsbury.

“Now having received an offer from Harvard, I'm eagerly looking forward to a world-class education and transformative experience in the US. However, for now I can look back proudly at my time at Shrewsbury and cherish all the wonderful people I have met here.”

Richard arrived at Shrewsbury as an exceptional scholar, holding the School’s top academic scholarship alongside music and all-rounder awards. He has since achieved outstanding GCSE results, been named the School’s best all-round Lower Sixth pupil, and excelled across a remarkable range of academic and co-curricular disciplines.

A world-class oarsman, Richard has won multiple gold medals, including World Championship gold with the GB U19 team, and now captains Shrewsbury’s 1st VIII. Alongside his sporting success, he has secured national titles in shooting, gold medals in Physics and Mathematics Olympiads, and pursues a demanding A Level programme in Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry. He is also an accomplished musician, holding Grade 8 in both Double Bass and Piano, and a black belt in karate.

Shrewsbury's Headmaster Leo Winkley, said:

“Richard’s offer from Harvard is an extraordinary personal achievement and one of which we are immensely proud.

"Richard is an exceptional pupil who embodies everything we seek to nurture at Shrewsbury. His academic brilliance, sporting excellence, cultural breadth and personal humility are truly remarkable, and his offer from Harvard is wholly deserved.

"That three Salopians in three years have now been admitted to Harvard is a powerful affirmation of our whole person approach, and of the ambition, curiosity and character our pupils develop here."

This success sits within a much broader picture of achievement at Shrewsbury, with pupils progressing to leading universities across the UK, Europe and North America. In 2025, the vast majority of pupils secured their first-choice destinations, many to Russell Group and other world-leading institutions.

85% of this year's cohort have already received offers from universities in the UK and abroad, including leading Universities such as Imperial, UCL, St Andrews, Edinburgh and Durham.