College trio secure Oxbridge offers

Three ambitious students at Solihull Sixth Form College are aiming high and hoping to take up Oxbridge places this year, after securing highly sought-after offers to Oxford and Cambridge Universities.

Daisy Holgate and Trinity Weldon have offers to study at the University of Oxford, while Louis Hall has an offer from the University of Cambridge.

All three students had to go through a challenging application process, with interviews and in some cases additional tests to be sat. They all began their applications much earlier than their peers and were supported by staff at the College to give them the best possible chance of success.

For former Ninestiles Academy student (also part of the Summit Learning Trust, like the College) Louis Hall, his offer is from Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge and he hopes to take up a place on their Engineering course. He is currently studying A levels in French, Further Maths, Mathematics and Physics and hopes to eventually work in the Aerospace Engineering sector.

Louis said: "I applied to Cambridge because the course really attracted me, and it offered the chance to learn from world class experts, in an environment with the best facilities. The application was a long process, first with the personal statement and completing UCAS, then completing the separate Cambridge form and the Engineering Admissions Assessment (ENGAA). I also had to do two interviews before receiving the decision."

"The College offered lots of help with the application, with the Oxbridge Co-ordinator giving more specific advice about the application, and my Physics teacher helping me with the skills needed for the interview and ENGAA, and I found both very useful. I have also found a wealth of resources available for every subject I have studied and the enthusiasm of my teachers has been great too."

Daisy Holgate, an ex-Swanshurst Girls School pupil, is currently studying Biology, Chemistry and History at A level and hopes to take up a place at Keble College, Oxford to continue her Biology studies.

Daisy said: "I decided to apply to Oxford because the course, teaching style and collegiate system all appealed to me, and when I visited Oxford it definitely felt like somewhere I saw myself living. I thought I'd get something out of the whole process whether I got in or not, so I applied. The interviews were the only Oxbridge specific thing I had to do, but preparing for those wasn't too difficult as it's impossible to prepare for the specific questions they'll ask.

"In preparation, I got a few people in College to go over my personal statement with me, which was definitely helpful in the early stages. The College ran interview practice sessions with us, which helped me get used to talking about my subject out loud. I got to do a few full mock interviews too, which meant the format of the real ones was quite familiar by the time they happened."

Trinity Weldon, a former student of John Henry Newman Catholic College, is hoping to join Daisy at Oxford. Her offer is from University College to read Law. Trinity is currently studying English Literature, History and Religious Studies at A level.

Trinity explained: "I 've been told my whole academic life that I should apply to Oxford, but in secondary school started to doubt my abilities. When I started at College, the teachers didn 't just tell me to apply, they also helped me. Oxford has always been appealing to me and when I did my interview with University College, I really enjoyed it and felt like it was a perfect fit. I think that you know whether a college is right or not, it 's kind of a gut reaction.

"I would be lying if I said that the application wasn 't stressful at times. I had to do an LNAT test and interviews for Oxford and it is a lot of work, but if willing to put in the effort then it 's not too bad. Being part of the Oxbridge group at College was a lot of help because it meant that I could discuss preparation with students in the same position as me. The College also set up a room for interviews, and a room for meetings with my mentor, which actually eliminated quite a bit of stress."

College Principal Dr Martin Sullivan met the students recently to congratulate them on their success. He commented: "I am delighted for Louis, Daisy and Trinity and I congratulate them on getting their offers from Oxford and Cambridge. They took on a significant challenge and I 'm very happy that their hard work has been rewarded. They were up against the very best students in the country and beyond and just getting an offer is a huge achievement. I am confident all three students have very bright futures ahead of them."

While Louis, Daisy and Trinity are among the first students to receive university offers, many other students are still waiting to hear whether their applications have yielded offers or not. In total, 904 applications were made through the UCAS portal this year.

Pictured: Louis and Principal Sullivan