18 hours ago
How to get into Oxbridge — by the state schools that do it best
Hereford Sixth Form College has a philosophy that has earned it one of the highest numbers of offers from Oxbridge in the UK. 'Find your weird interest, a niche within your subject, and pursue that,' said Vicky Orsmond, the college's senior progression lead.
Rather than worrying about building up an impressive CV of extra-curricular sports, artistic talents, volunteering and leadership roles, Orsmond said students instead pursue the 'super-curricular'. They are encouraged to take a deep-dive into their academic subjects by reading journal articles, debating with fellow enthusiasts and watching talks.
It is a formula that has worked. Students at the non-selective college achieved 21 Oxbridge offers last year, a success rate of 37 per cent of the pupils who applied. This compares with a national average of 21 per cent at Oxford and 19 per cent at Cambridge.
