Cambridge Presentation Inspires Students to Aim High
Tollbar Academy Year 11 GCSE students with Ellie Wood, Admissions and Outreach Officer for Christ’s College, Cambridge, in the Lecture Theatre at Tollbar Academy.
A presentation by Cambridge University inspired students from Years 11 and 12 to think more closely about their future options.
Ellie Wood, Admissions and Outreach Officer for Christ’s College, Cambridge, gave two separate talks to the GCSE and A Level students focusing first on post-16 options for the Year 11s and on the application process, collegiate system and life in Cambridge for the Sixth Form students.
She explained many aspects of the university system and advised on which subjects to choose for certain career paths. Ellie visits schools and colleges across the whole of Lincolnshire to encourage young people to aspire to Oxbridge Universities.
She told the Year 11 students, who are about to sit their GCSE exams this summer: “You should all be considering top universities, Cambridge and others, and thinking about what you need to do to set you apart from others and make you competitive. Universities are looking for students who have chosen A Level subjects that prepare them for their degree course.
“Cambridge will normally only ask you for three A-Levels so make sure that if you choose to take four then three of those are subjects that are related to the degree course you wish to go on to study. You should be seriously considering your A Level choices and know the grades you need to achieve at GCSE to be able to study them.”
Ellie is a former Cambridge University Languages graduate who encourages students to apply for Oxbridge because of her own experiences. “No-one at my Sixth Form even thought of applying to Cambridge or Oxford, but I had a teacher who suggested it and I ended up loving the whole experience. I want to encourage others to do the same,” she said.
She told Year 12 students, who are in their first year of A Level studies, that Cambridge is made up of 31 colleges, two post-graduate colleges, and two colleges which are women-only. Students can choose which college to apply to and most courses provide accommodation for the duration of the degree course. Ellie said it is “super important that students are aware of their options and are well-informed to make their university choices.”
Tollbar MAT Sixth Form College Year 12 students said the presentation had given them lots to think about.
Harry Cropper said: “This presentation was eye-opening on university life and the difference between Oxford and Cambridge. It helped me understand how the collegiate system works and what courses OxBridge offer for my own interests. I feel motivated to start preparing the work experience necessary for my courses.”
Havin Ince said: “This presentation gave me an insight into studying at Cambridge. I didn’t know that I could take a generic subject then specialise later. I also learned about the collegiate system and I would really like to apply to Cambridge now that I feel I've been more informed, as it is the recommended university for the career I wish to pursue. It made me realise that I needed to research more into the topic I'm interested in.”
Edith Sandiford added: “I found this talk very informative and helpful for my future applications. I found out so much more about Cambridge than I already knew and it has inspired me to work hard and aspire to get into Cambridge.”
Ellie Wood, Admissions and Outreach Officer for Christ’s College, Cambridge, talks to Tollbar Academy Year 11 students about Post-16 choices.
