Oxbridge offers hit 27

 

Sophie came to Woodhouse from Parliament Hill School and has an offer to study Mathematics at Newnham College Cambridge.

 

"It’s a really interesting course and has a lot of different choices and modules. Plus, the lecturers are some of the best in their specialty, which is really intriguing!

 

I’m really pleased with getting an offer. Woodhouse helped me prepare for the interview by doing a mock interview. It helped me know what sort of questionsI might be asked, and made me feel much less nervous for the real one.

 

COVID-19 has impacted my learning quite a bit, however Woodhouse has been great this term at doing online lessons at the same time as we would have had lessons in college. This is also really helpful for structuring my day which can be hard in lockdown.

 

Woodhouse means a lot to me, particularly the people I’ve met whilst here. As everyone is new, we were encouraged to meet and talk to people, especially in the first week of year 12 when there weren’t any year 13s and you could easily just talk to anyone. The welcoming and friendly atmosphere of the college is really prominent, and has helped me make some amazing friends."

 

 

 

Preena came to Woodhouse from Ashmole Academy and has an offer from Cambridge to study Natural Sciences.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Iman came to Woodhouse from St Anne's Catholic High School for Girls and has an offer to study Psychological and Behavioural Sciences at Cambridge.

 

"I was largely drawn to this subject due to how fundamental psychology is as a catalyst for social change, and the course at Cambridge allows you to take papers in related topics, like anthropology, which I find really exciting. I'm not so sure of my future path yet but at the moment I quite like the idea of going into academic psychology, being able to create and answer my own research questions sounds like a great career.

 

To get an offer to study at Cambridge was like a dream come true for me. I really didnt expect it so I felt very overwhelmed and excited.

 

I think it's fair to say if I hadn't come to Woodhouse College, my chance of getting into Cambridge would be significantly smaller. A large proportion of this would be due to the exclusive opportunities that coming to Woodhouse gave me, like taking part in Christ Church horizons. Furthermore, the ability to have a constant source about opportunities related to Oxbridge, throughout year 12, meant that I was well aware of what the application process was like and how hard I would have to work throughout year 12 and 13 to have a chance of getting in. It also meant I understood what types of things I should be doing to increase my chances of being offered a place.

 

COVID-19 has certainly made it more difficult to learn and taken away the ability of being in class and able to discuss topics with my classmates. But Woodhouse has certainly adapted well to it, they constantly make use of student suggestions in order to improve the way we learn online and all of my teachers ensure we ( the students ) have a say in how our lessons go. They have also tried to replicate the experience of being in a classroom as much as possible.

 

Despite my time spent physically in Woodhouse being quite minimal I have learnt a lot from attending this college that I'm incredibly grateful for: independence, learning to manage my own workload with a social life I believe has prepared me for university in a way that a school sixth form would not do as successfully; being exposed to so many people from different socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds has made me far more open minded; the commitment of the teachers here to their subject and being able to teach a topic in the most understandable way possible is extraordinary and I'm very grateful for this.

 

But I'm most grateful for the friendships I've created at Woodhouse."

 

 

 

 

 

Aduke came to Woodhouse from Winchmore School and has an offer to study English at Pembroke College, Cambridge.

 

"I chose this degree because literature makes me happy - I know it is a simple answer but that is the truth. Honestly, I’m not entirely sure what I would like to do in the future – but I think that is normal. I find it odd that a lot of people expect you to know what you want to do with the rest of your life from a young age. I’m only 18 - not a girl, not yet a woman. So, I’m still figuring things out.

 

Naturally, I am delighted and grateful to God for rewarding my hard work. I am very proud of myself and so are my family. They aren’t necessarily proud of me because I got into Cambridge - I think it is more so the fact that I worked very hard to get to where I want to be. They’ve always taught me to figure out what I want and work hard for it, no matter what it is - A levels, an apprenticeship etc.

 

I’m not the first person in my family to go to university - both of my parents have quite a few degrees. But this achievement is still very important to my family - especially my grandma. My grandparents are a part of the Windrush generation - arriving from Jamaica and Trinidad to work in England and then provide for the rest of the family in the Caribbean was not easy. Indeed, a degree from a UK university, let alone a degree from Cambridge, seemed unattainable. So, to say the least - my family are very proud of me.

 

I did come across one individual that advised me to look at ‘more realistic’ options because Cambridge was not a place for ‘somebody like me’. I do not need to talk too tough on that. There is always going to be somebody that doubts you - just make sure that ‘somebody’ is not you. On the whole, a lot of my teachers at Woodhouse were so supportive and facilitating of my application. My English teacher - Mr Dore - has invariably been positive and enthusiastic throughout my A level journey. The Principal, Mr Rubinstein, actually encouraged me to apply - he was very favourable and constructive. I am grateful for all of the teachers’ support.

 

Woodhouse is resourceful and diligent when it comes to UCAS, and especially Oxbridge. They are focused and keen to lubricate students’ UCAS journeys. They considerably supported me.

 

COVID-19 has been a weird one. Many families have been tragically affected by deaths and other dark things. I think the COVID climate can also be hard if you are a student - concentration and resilience can easily fluctuate for a lot of us. Honestly, it has not been easy for me - it has been quite hard. But I’ve found coping mechanisms and routines that work for me.

 

What does Woodhouse mean to me? If I talk too tough, I'm in trouble but I have learnt a lot here, not just academically. You meet such a diverse group of people at Woodhouse - not only in terms of race, gender and background but also diverse-thinkers. It has been refreshing to be around like-minded individuals who you can have an intellectual discourse with. Not to mention the lovely friends I’ve made here - one love!"