Exeter College Success Rate for Oxbridge is Ahead of Private Institutions

Exeter College is celebrating another strong year of Oxbridge success, with 16 students receiving offers from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. Despite a competitive admissions process, Exeter College continues to surpass national averages, demonstrating its commitment to academic excellence and student support.

This year, 60 students applied to Oxbridge (37 to Oxford and 23 to Cambridge). Of these, 36 were shortlisted for interviews—representing 60% of applicants (49% for Oxford and 78% for Cambridge). Following the rigorous selection process, 16 students secured offers, achieving an impressive 27% success rate (29% Oxford, 22% Cambridge). Notably, this remains above the national averages for both Further Education (FE) colleges (21%) and independent schools (25%).

However, the most impressive statistic is Exeter College’s interview-to-offer conversion rate. Of those shortlisted for interviews, 44% received offers—an exceptional achievement. At Oxford, this figure stands at an outstanding 61%, underscoring the strength of Exeter College’s preparation and support for its students.

Student Success Stories

A young man smiles holding a University of Cambridge sign

Among the successful applicants is A Level student Ved Kumar (pictured above), who has received an offer from Clare College, Cambridge, to read Natural Sciences. Studying Biology, Physics, and Chemistry, Ved expressed his excitement about the opportunity:

“I stayed at the university for a residential last year and I loved every aspect of it—the people, the city, the mindset. Now that I’m months away from potentially securing that as my environment for the next three years, I’m completely ecstatic! Aside from the incredible experience of studying at Cambridge itself, I’m so glad that I will be in a very musical environment in my college—the regular gigs and jam sessions are the main reason I chose Clare.”

Reflecting on the application process, Ved highlighted the support he received:

“The application process for Oxbridge felt pretty daunting at times, but I felt really supported by my tutor and my teachers. All the dates, deadlines, and next steps were really clearly laid out from the start. I got a lot of really useful personal statement feedback, mock interviews for both Biology and Chemistry, plus some more informal interview preparation.”

Niamh McLaughlin (pictured above), from Barnstaple, also received an offer to read English at Cambridge. Studying English Literature, English Language, and Philosophy, she spoke about how the process helped her grow academically and personally:

“It was definitely a long process, but it wasn’t all stress and hard work. In many ways, it made me grow to like my subject more. I’ve found some new favourite books in the personal statement-making process! I’m also a part of the Reach Academy, which has been really helpful since the start of the first year. They’ve taken us on university visits, held talks with guest speakers, and have offered sessions on how to build a personal statement. The mock interview process offered by college was also really helpful; the whole style of a Cambridge interview isn’t something you get to practice much in everyday life, so having a taste of the sort of questions they might ask was a great opportunity.”

Elena Carey (pictured above), from near Barnstaple, has secured an offer to study Chemistry at Oxford after achieving A*s in Physics, Maths, and Chemistry last summer. She has spent the past year on a gap year, using the time to further explore her academic interests:

“I’m really happy. I’m so glad that I decided to apply this year. I feel like it paid off. It’s definitely a difficult process, but a wholly rewarding experience. I applied quite late, and the college was great at getting my references in and arranging mock interviews for me, even though I had already left.”

Looking ahead, Elena is particularly interested in nanotechnology:

“Currently, I’m really interested in nanotechnology, and I want to research more about that. I’ve had a few lab placements which were really interesting. I’m sure my interests will change at university, so I’m looking forward to exploring that.”

Billie Stokes, Assistant Principal at Exeter College, expressed her pride in the students and staff:

“ We’re so proud of these students and everyone who applied to Oxbridge this year, their hard work and dedication have been truly inspiring. A huge thank you to Martin Gilbert and our fantastic teaching staff, whose support and commitment provide our learners with invaluable guidance and experiences. Their dedication has been instrumental in helping our students secure such an incredible number of Oxbridge offers across a wide range of courses, from the sciences and humanities to social sciences and linguistics. It’s fantastic to see our learners pursuing such diverse and exciting academic pathways!“

Martin Gilbert, Head of Academic Aspiration, praised the students’ achievements:

“I am so pleased for the Oxbridge offer holders; they have worked so hard to gain the skills and academic evidence that these world-class universities are looking for. The application process is long and rigorous, and the range of subjects they hold offers in, from Physics to Classics, highlights the breadth of specialists that we have here at Exeter College. With the help and guidance from all our outstanding staff, these learners have shown themselves to be independent, explorative, and capable of critical and analytical thinking.”

With continued success in Oxbridge admissions, Exeter College remains a leading institution for students aiming to study at the most prestigious universities in the world.

Exeter College Oxbridge Applicant Success Rate Sets New College Record and Amongst the Best in the Country

Students at Exeter College are celebrating their university offers to world-renowned institutions, the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge. Exeter College is proud to announce that 24 students hold offers to the most prestigious universities in the UK, commonly referred to as Oxbridge.

This year saw 60 students apply. Nine hold offers for the University of Cambridge and an incredible 15 for the University of Oxford. The College’s new record success rate (40%) of applications to offers studying at Oxbridge puts Exeter College among the best in the country, even eclipsing the rates of many independent schools.

Students hold offers for a wide range of subjects including the highly competitive Computer Science, Fine Art, and Music. In addition, offers have been made in Classics, Law, Biology, History, English Language and Literature, Philosophy, Politics and Economics. This reflects the broad, exciting range of courses on offer at Exeter College.

A male in a sage coloured hoodie smiles at the camera.

Sandy Mulcahy (pictured above), who progressed from St Peters School, holds an offer to study Computer Science at the University of Oxford. He is excited at the prospect of living there next year. Speaking about the application process, he said;

“The process was quite long, with a lot of time spent doing practice MAT papers. However, Martin helped me all the way through with talks and one-to-ones to help with my personal statement.”

Sandy is also a keen musician, with Music as one of his A Level subjects (alongside Double Maths, Further Maths and Computer Science) and playing piano in the College’s big band. He said;

“It’s been nice to have this outlet to balance out the other maths dominated subjects. Big Band is a nice bonus music related activity, and I enjoy the gigs we put on.

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed Exeter College; I really like the freedom you have to be out and about in town, it’s almost felt like university already.”

A girl with short hair and circular glasses in a purple jacket smiles at the camera

Ruby Wallace (pictured above) is studying English Literature, History and Philosophy A Levels and was previously at Cullompton School. She is very excited about her offer to study Philosophy and Theology BA (Hons) at the University of Oxford. Ruby praised the support she has had at College, saying;

“It’s definitely a hard process (to apply to Oxford) but there is so much support from Martin Gilbert and the staff at College to help with it. My advice for anyone thinking about applying to Oxbridge is to make sure you are consistent, work hard but don’t overwork because your wellbeing is also important.

“When it comes to the interview don’t worry about getting things wrong because they are not looking for someone who knows it all already, they want someone who they can help develop and you need to be yourself.”

Martin Gilbert, Biology Lecturer and Reach Academy Co-ordinator for Exeter College, said;

“I am absolutely delighted for all our offer holders. They have worked so hard during the application process; many have taken entrance exams, submitted written work and all have been assessed during the gruelling academic-based interviews.

“To have so many successes across so many academic disciplines in my opinion shows the true breadth of expertise here at Exeter College. I wish all the offer holders the best in the summer exams and hope that we are all celebrating again in August.”

A boy in a checked shirt smiles at the camera

William Bowden-Ritchie (pictured above) is studying the International Baccalaureate (IB) and applied to the University of Oxford.

“I received an offer for Philosophy, Politics and Economics BA (Hons). I wasn’t expecting the offer as I didn’t think my interviews went well, so it was a surprise.

“Exeter College was very supportive with the application process. I had a mock interview and lots of help writing the personal statement to get it just right. Martin Gilbert and my tutor were really helpful and encouraging with the whole process.”

Jade Otty, Vice Principal of Performance, expressed;

“We are immensely proud of the outstanding achievements of our students who have received offers from Oxford and Cambridge this year.

“I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all the staff who have provided invaluable support and guidance to these learners. I’m sure our learners would agree that their commitment to providing extra opportunities and personalised support has been greatly appreciated.”

Cressida Tremlett-Williams is studying A Levels in English Literature, Philosophy and Later Modern History and previously studied at The Maynard School. She has an offer to study Philosophy BA (Hons) at the University of Cambridge and says College has prepared her well for the future.

“You have a lot more independence at College and you can choose more freely how you spend your time, which is important to me. At College, I found it really nice being part of the Reach Academy, the Tennis Academy and the Learner Leadership Team. This has given me an active part in College life and helped me to meet new people.

“The College environment has been excellent at preparing me for what it will be like at university. The tutor system is really good here. I found adapting to College life hard at first but my tutor really supported me and built up my confidence and helped me believe I could achieve what I wanted.”

Two girls hug and smile at the camera. — Cressida (left) and Tallulah (right) hold offers to study at the University of Cambridge.

Tallulah Jackson, also previously from The Maynard School, is studying Drama and Theatre, Religious Studies and Economics A Levels, and added;

“I received an offer from the University of Cambridge to study Theology, Religion and Philosophy of Religion BA (Hons), and I’m elated. Exeter College has been extremely supportive. They do an amazing job of identifying areas where perhaps you are not quite sure and really targeting that to help you achieve the best outcomes.”

Students with offers to study will find out if they are guaranteed a place after their 2024 exam results.

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Success for Exeter College Medical and Oxbridge Applicants

Students from Exeter College applying to study medical-based courses at university are celebrating, as a massive 70% of applicants to these highly sought-after courses have been successful in securing offers.

“These courses are incredibly tough to get in to and achieving an offer to study any of them is a great achievement that is a result of months of hard work on the part of students,”
Jade Otty, Exeter College Vice Principal.

Applications to study medical-related classes at university typically begin earlier in the academic year than normal courses, and it can be a demanding process as students outline their ambitions in the field.

Fortunately, thanks in part to the work of Exeter College’s exemplary Reach Academy, students have excelled in their applications, with 22 students holding offers to study medicine, two for veterinary medicine and one for dentistry. This means that 25 of the 36 applications made have been successful, which is a great result.

The College’s Medical Society, which specifically focuses on students seeking careers in veterinary, dentistry or medicine has also supported these students to achieve their goals. This has included specific talks from medical professionals and university admissions teams. Find out about the Medical Interview Masterclass the society attended in January 2020.

Exeter College Vice Principal Jade Otty, who leads on academic performance at the College, said, “I’m thrilled we’ve been able to support these incredibly talented students to achieve their goal of going on to study their chosen courses at university.

“These courses are incredibly tough to get in to and achieving an offer to study any of them is a great achievement that is a result of months of hard work on the part of students.”

The Reach Academy at Exeter College supports academically gifted students to achieve their aim of getting into their first choice university with a range of skill-building workshops, seminars and application-building sessions. During the exceptional circumstances of the Coronavirus pandemic, support from the Reach Academy moved online and worked with students through online seminars and activities to support their university applications.

Jade said, “The Reach Academy has done tremendous work in helping these students to achieve their goals. It’s great that it has had such an impact for these students and helped them to go on to their chosen universities. I can’t wait to see what they go on to achieve in the future.”

Students with Exeter College also get the chance to take Extend an option alongside their academic studies to build skills outside of the curriculum. The Medical Technologies Extend option allows medically minded students to develop background knowledge on all things medicine, including diagnostic and therapy techniques.

Oxbridge Success

The medical application success follows on the heels of Exeter College’s Oxbridge applicants having received the news of their offers to study with the world leading universities.

Rose Smith has been offered a place to study Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of Oxford.

Over half of students invited to interview at Oxford and Cambridge were offered a place, with a total of 14 students offered a place at one of the world leading universities. These students were also supported by the Reach Academy, helping students to navigate the lengthy process of applying to these universities.

Eight students hold offers to study with the University of Oxford, with courses ranging from Biochemistry to Ruskin Art. Six students have been given offers to study with the University of Cambridge, which is a remarkable conversion rate of 75% from the eight students who were invited for an interview.

Rose Smith, who studied the International Baccalaureate with Exeter College, has been offered a place to study Archaeology and Anthropology at Oxford. She said, “It’s great to have an offer to study with Oxford. There has been a lot of hard work, but the support from the College has been second-to-none.”

Tom Matthew has an offer to study Human, Social and Political Science with the University of Cambridge.

Bideford’s Tom Matthew has an offer to study Human, Social and Political Science with Cambridge having studied A Levels in Geography, Sociology and Politics with Exeter College. He said, “It feels quite surreal to have got an offer, to be honest.

“Going to Cambridge is always something I’ve had in the back of my mind but didn’t always think it would be realistic. However, I’ve been helped by the teachers at Exeter College to put together a competitive application, and I am really happy to say that I’ve got an offer to study at Cambridge.”

The outstanding Oxbridge application success follows on from the news that International Baccalaureate student Charlie McNamara has received an offer to study Liberal Arts at Harvard University.

Exeter College Vice Principal Jade Otty said, “I would like to congratulate each and every student that has been offered one of these highly sought-after places at world leading universities.

“To receive an offer to study at an Oxbridge university is an incredible achievement and the result of years of hard work on the part of the students.

“It’s not enough to only show academic excellence to join Oxford or Cambridge, these students have also demonstrated exceptional work outside of the classroom, and I’m thrilled that we have been able to help these talented students on their educational journey.”

Offers made to students will be subject to them achieving the required grades when results are revealed this summer as part of the Government’s reformed method for calculating grades following the Coronavirus pandemic.

Find out about the Reach Academy at Exeter College.

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