Here are what some of our boys had to say about receiving offers from either Oxford or Cambridge this year:
Manish Binukrishnan, Brasenose College, Oxford Economic Management
“I’m delighted that Oxford has offered me a place to study Economics and Management. I truly feel lucky to have been given this great opportunity. Without a doubt, I wouldn’t have been able to come close without the support of MGS. In particular, I’d like to thank my Head of College, Dr Crawshaw, my form tutor, Mr Matthews and the Maths and Economics department for their support throughout the whole process. I’m excited to attend such a historic university, and engage in all it has to offer. Most of all, I can’t wait to meet others who share my passion for Economics and Management and to learn more about the subject.Thomas Browne, New College, Oxford Modern Languages I am incredibly happy to have secured a place to study at Oxford. It is a great feeling to earn the gratification for all my hard work and determination, and it is immensely exciting to think about what a great opportunity I will be provided with if I secure my place in the summer. I cannot thank the school enough for all their support. From helping in class, to mock interviews and extra sessions, my teachers have been an invaluable part of me getting the place. I hope now that I can reward all their hard work, and mine, by getting the grades I need to fulfil my offer.”
David Swarbrick, School Captain, Churchill College, Cambridge Engineering
“Receiving an offer to study Engineering at the University of Cambridge was a whirlwind of emotions, it took a day or two for the news to sink in. As there are so many applicants for so few places I feel extremely lucky to have received an offer, as I know there are many people who deserve places who have just missed out. I would particularly like to thank my subject teachers and form tutor, they have been really supportive of my application to university. All of the staff I have discussed my application with have provided useful suggestions. I am very pleased that I did not feel pushed towards any universities in particular, all of the places I have applied to have been through my own choice. I am especially grateful to the teachers who have guided my learning off syllabus into more interesting topics, I think the deeper research I have conducted as a consequence has given me a greater insight into Engineering, and has made me more prepared for the different learning experience of university. I was pleasantly surprised that the High Master found the spare time to interview all students in my year applying to university. He took a personal interest in understanding our motivation and aspirations. Those whose applications would contain interviews were also assigned mock interviews which proved very helpful.”
Ryan Lam, St Anne’s College, Oxford Medicine
“I was extremely pleased when I found out that I had received an offer to study Medicine at St Anne’s College, Oxford. It was encouraging to see that my hard work and preparation for medical school had rewarded me with this fantastic opportunity. My teachers at MGS have been incredibly supportive throughout my time at the school. I am very grateful for everything they have done to help me with my university application. I am now very much looking forward to starting my journey as a medical student, however, continued hard work will be required for me to meet the conditions of my offer.”
George Shaw, Exeter College, Oxford Medicine
“I feel so privileged and happy to go to a school that not only encourages us (the boys) work to such high standards but also pushes us to utilise our learning when aiming for the best university places. My application process, regardless of applying to Oxford, has been tough and strenuous given that I’ve applied for medicine but the support and advice I’ve received from all of my teachers has been second to none. Multiple mock interviews, personal statement grillings and after school sessions to further our knowledge have all been invaluable to me. When I found out that all of my hard work and that of teachers had paid off, I was over-the-moon. Obviously there’s still the final hurdle of A-Levels to go but with the support of my school and family, I feel confident for the future.”
Shirom Chabra, Downing College, Cambridge Medicine
“When I first contemplated applying for Medicine at Cambridge, I was told that I would have to work harder than anyone else up until my university application just so that I could be made to work harder than anyone else for the duration of my degree. This couldn’t have been closer to the truth. But after countless hours of further reading, and revising, and more reading, the feeling of finally receiving the offer made it all worthwhile. I now have the privilege of studying the subject that I love with the greatest minds in the country! However it wouldn’t have been possible without the support from school, in particular Dr Crawshaw who encouraged me and motivated me throughout the whole process and importantly was there to help me when I was encountering difficulties. I am also very grateful for the persistent hard work of my subject teachers.”
Sivesh Sukumar, Balliol College, Oxford Engineering
“Having seen my brother go through MGS, go to Cambridge and benefit from the advantages of going to such a world renowned university, I have always had Oxbridge in mind at school. The competitive nature of MGS drove me to secure the vital elements I would need for a competitive application to Oxford, however, I always worried that I may not stand out in a field of similar applications. I am very grateful for MGS giving me a diverse range of opportunities that I could use to give me that edge and secure an offer.”
Lawrence Hopkins, St Catharine’s College, Cambridge Geography
“I am delighted to have received an offer to study Geography at St. Catharine’s College, Cambridge. I owe a debt of gratitude to all my teachers at the Manchester Grammar School for inspiring me and supporting me throughout my career at the School. Without the help of the School this would not have been possible. I would like to take this opportunity to, in particular, pay tribute to the efforts of my geography teachers, Mr Wheeler and Mr Spratling, who have always encouraged me to go beyond the remit of the syllabus in every area. I am, of course, very much looking forward to studying at Cambridge, but two long terms of hard work remain between now and then.”
Zak Hopkins, Downing College, Cambridge Veterinary Medicine
“Naturally I was overjoyed to find out that my Cambridge application had been successful. For me it was the culmination of many months of hard work spent preparing for both the interview and application test and in this regard I owe a lot to the School who offered a great deal of help in the form of after school sessions and mock interviews.”
Daniel Adeyoju, Merton College, Oxford Medicine
“I felt so relieved to see the offer come through. Medicine is unique to other subjects because of the volume and length of preparation for entry to medical school. Like many other applicants, the work experience, volunteering, reading and research into what it takes to be a doctor has been steadily going on for over two years by now. It’s so pleasing to know that after all the work done that the university has decided that I’m good enough. In stark contrast to many schools, MGS regularly sends off 15-25 students each year to study medicine. That means there are many teachers and older students to give valuable advice about the application process. With so many crucial areas besides getting the grades that we need to familiar with, I think I owe a lot to MGS in helping me get to this point unscathed”.
Oscar Barnes, Trinity College, Oxford Medicine
“It was amazing to hear that I had been offered a place. MGS played a massive role in preparing us for interviews and we can’t thank our teachers enough.”
Theo Jefferies, University College, Oxford Philosophy and Russian
“When applying for Oxford, the most useful piece of advice I was given about my personal statement was: your style is unorthodox- but effective. I feel this perfectly encapsulates my Oxford application. The School played a great role in my application, and the help was invaluable. When doing my pre-interview reading, a languages teacher said to me it is not the art, but the mental combat that you enjoy’, referring to my liking for debate. I am really pleased with my offer, and hope that when the exams come I can do it justice.”
Jack Allen, St John’s College, Oxford Russian and Arabic
“The Oxford admissions process was pretty tough, so it came as quite a surprise when I got an offer at Queen’s College. Needless to say, Oxford is an incredible world-class institution, and I’m very much honoured that they offered me a place to study there. MGS has helped me every step of the way; from getting me interested in Russian literature in the first place, to helping me to apply for Arabic, a subject that’s not quite as popular at MGS, I’m incredibly thankful for all the support my teachers have offered. They have challenged me to push myself both in and out of the classroom, for which I’m very much grateful.”
David Horwich, Magdalen College, Oxford French and German
“Applying to Oxford was something I had always imagined.As I often say, you have to think anyway, so why not think big? I am delighted about my offer and will always be grateful for the school’s advice on French and German literature as well as on interviews. August 18th will, however, be the day of reckoning. In the end you’re measured not by how much you undertake, but by what you finally accomplish.”
Matthias Hoffman-Vagenheim, Christ Church College, Oxford Economics and Management
“The whole application process for Oxford was one of the most nerve-wracking periods of my life, so I’m very glad that the process resulted in an offer. I had my sights set on Economics and Management for some time, but I saw that it was an extremely competitive course, so I knew that the chances of getting in were quite slim. This only spurred me to work hard for the admissions test, and read widely around E&M. The University made the interview process very friendly and warm, and this relaxed me and made me feel much comfortable for what were tough interviews. When the offer actually came I was delighted, and still haven’t really come over the shock of being accepted into such a great institution.”
George Zhou, Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge Medicine
“I’m really happy to have received the offer, it’s gratifying to see that after all the wait, I’ve got this fantastic opportunity! I owe a lot to my family and friends, and to the school and my teachers, who all provided tremendous support during my application period. I’m looking forward to studying medicine at such a prestigious university.”
Dominic Sandhu, New College, Oxford Chemistry
“When I received my invitation to interview at Oxford my initial joy quickly turned to anxiety about the process. This is where the school were most helpful, providing not only mock interviews but putting me in contact with the relevant OMs who could help me. On reading my offer letter, I was relieved that all this work had paid off and excited about the prospect of studying at one of the world’s finest university.The sixth form team were invaluable during the application process with Mr Thom especially assisting me with my personal statement. Given that I have applied to read Chemistry, Mr Buckley provided excellent insight into the whole process.”
Aria Baghai, Exeter College, Oxford Biochemistry
“At first I was unsure whether to apply to Oxford, but I have found out one thing and that is, if you have an idea, and it is a good idea, if you only stick to it you will come out all right.The teachers at MGS supported me right the way through the application process. I had a mock interview and was put in touch with alumni already at Oxford.”
Ocean O’Malley, Corpus Christi College, Oxford Law
“I am delighted to have received an offer from Oxford to read law. I visited Corpus Christi College in the summer, and really liked the look of it. I would like to thank all my teachers at MGS, particularly Mr Harrison and Mr Foster, for all their help.”
Jake Manton, Hertford College, Oxford French and Spanish
“I am delighted to have been offered a place at Hertford College to read French and Spanish. I really want to thank the teachers here at MGS who have been so supportive and have been such a massive help during the application process.Oxford is one of the best universities in the country, if not the world, so it’s a privilege to have been offered a place and I’m really excited about the prospect of going there. However, I know there’s a lot of hard work to put in between now and then so I’m focused on knuckling down and studying for the grades I need.”
Post your own comment