Upper Sixth students Cecilia Barry and Rosie Hargrave have been offered places to read Chinese at Pembroke College and History at St Hugh’s College respectively.
The University of Oxford typically receives over 22,000 applications for around 3,300 places every year. As well as Oxford, both applied for courses at some of the country’s top universities. Cecilia has received offers from SOAS London, Newcastle and Durham, while Rosie has received offers from Birmingham and Newcastle. Rosie is yet to hear from Durham, while both are awaiting decisions from Edinburgh.
Cecilia, from Somerset, joined Millfield Prep School in Year 6, and is currently completing her eighth year as a member of the Millfield community. She is studying A levels in Politics, Chinese and Music. An accomplished musician, Cecilia plays the piano, the oboe and the guitar, and is a member of the school’s camerata and orchestra.
Rosie, from London, joined Millfield in Lower Sixth at the start of the last academic year. She is a captain of Millfield’s newly formed rowing team and a keen painter who enjoys spending time in the school’s art department.
Both Cecilia and Rosie are part of Millfield’s Oxbridge Programme which helps prepare students for every aspect of their application process from writing a unique personal statement through to preparing for interview. Those in the programme are prepared for the specific requirements of Oxbridge entrance in small seminar groups, overseen by Dr Beatrice Priest, who is Millfield’s Head of Academic Culture and Tutor in Charge of Oxbridge support.
Rosie said, “I decided quite late to apply to Oxford, and the school were really flexible and accommodating with that. My two history teachers helped me to prepare my personal essay and personal statement; we also did mock interviews and went through texts that may come up during the interview process. Dr Priest’s Oxbridge experience was very helpful in preparation for my interview.”
Cecilia said “I decided quite early in the summer of 2023 to apply to Oxford, and I have had lots of help from various members of staff since. We had weekly sessions with Dr Priest and the Head of Futures to do various preparations for interview, while my Chinese teachers arranged a mock interview for me once I had received my invitation from Oxford. All this preparation meant that when I had my interviews at Oxford, I was able to really enjoy them both, despite them being a bit nerve-wracking!”
Head of Futures, Jonathan Santry, said, “It has been a delight to see offers and opportunities flowing in for our Upper Sixth students, all representing individual successes as they forge their future paths beyond Millfield. Rosie and Cecilia are two great examples of this, having juggled a huge amount in and out of the classroom. They represent the academic brilliance that is one of the many areas Millfield looks to support. The rigorous application process for courses at Oxford include elements such as additional written work, admissions tests and interviews. At a time where the admissions landscape for the most competitive universities is tougher than ever, we celebrate their achievements and wish all those waiting on decisions the best of luck.”
Millfield’s Upper Sixth cohort are starting to receive offers from establishments all over the world including the University of Pennsylvania, Princeton, Stanford and Yale.