Miss Pearl (Oxbridge Coordinator)
On Friday 10th June, the Lower Sixth potential Oxbridge candidates were joined by Professor George Ratcliffe, BGS Governor and Emeritus Professor of Plant Sciences at New College, Oxford. Professor Ratcliffe gave students an excellent insight into the application process and the nuances of Oxbridge applications, and we are grateful to him for sharing his expertise from the many years he has spent interviewing prospective candidates.
On Monday 13th June, Independent Thinkers joined us for an afternoon of subject-specific preparation. This included advice and feedback on submitted work, admissions test support and practice, and interview skills development. It was great to see our students making good use of the wonderful LRC facilities through their break-out groups. There were some excellent questions from the students and it was great lovely to see such enthusiasm from our prospective candidates for their chosen subjects. . There were some excellent questions from the students and it was great to see such enthusiasm from our prospective candidates for their chosen subjects.
Mimi (Lower Sixth) shares her reflections on the afternoon: “I hope to apply to Cambridge to read Classics next year and I found the Oxbridge sessions absolutely invaluable in my preparation. I’m very grateful to Independent Thinkers and Professor George Ratcliffe for their support; not only were all my questions thoroughly answered, but any worries about my upcoming application were put to rest.
“Undoubtedly, an Oxbridge application is a daunting prospect and it can feel as though my efforts might not be good enough, but after this week's session I am confident I can tackle my personal statement, submitted work, and interview preparation with all the support and knowledge I need to succeed. Seeing examples from successful applicants, and even receiving tailored feedback on my work has been so encouraging; I can't wait to get going with my own. Between now and the submission date I know I’ll be revisiting all that I learned in these sessions and, whether or not I prove successful, I am very grateful to have been able to attend!”
