State school students are being helped to make the best choices for their future academic success by the University of Cambridge.

More than 450 students and teachers from London and the East of England will be attending “The Subject Matters” on Saturday 8 January.

The 15-and-16-year-old students will learn more about how their subject choices can affect their future university options.

Dr Geoff Parks, Director of Admissions for the Cambridge Colleges, said: “The AS and A Level, or equivalent, subject choices made by Year 11 students can have a major impact on the course options available at university.

“A significant number of very bright and capable students fail to gain places at top universities because they do not have access to the appropriate advice at the right time.”

He added that Ofqual, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation, had highlighted the need for clear information on university course requirements so the students could make informed decisions.

Dr Parks said: “We have held six Subject Matters events over the last three years and this latest session has been added to meet the increased demand for this advice.

“The University of Cambridge wants to attract and admit the best and brightest students regardless of their background. The Subject Matters events help school students to make the best choices for their future success, whether at this University or elsewhere.

“To date more than 2,000 state school students have already attended Subject Matters events. Many of their teachers have reported that this has had an immediate impact, with students gaining the motivation to choose the right subjects, study harder and apply to the top universities.”

The events are supported by the Sutton Trust which aims to improve the educational opportunities for young people from non-privileged backgrounds and increase their social mobility.

Sutton Trust funding has helped the University to organise two events specifically for schools with a high proportion of students receiving free school meals.

Students and teachers attending the January event will hear from College admissions experts, as well as current students and the Cambridge University Students Union.

The 41 schools attending the January Subject Matters event come from the following local authority areas: Bexley; Brent; Cambridgeshire; Croydon; Ealing; Enfield; Essex; Greenwich; Haringey; Harrow; Havering; Hertfordshire; Hillingdon; Hounslow; Lambeth; Lewisham; Luton; Newham; Norfolk; Peterborough; Redbridge; Southwark; Suffolk and Tower Hamlets.

For more information about the University of Cambridge’s events for school students go to: www.cam.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/events

 

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