Organised by North Somerset Independent State School Partnership, Weston College and Trinity Hall; the aim of the seminars was to dispel misconceptions about Oxbridge and to encourage those with the potential to apply. The seminars are part of a series of Oxbridge related activities open to North Somerset students.

Carrie gave four seminars over the two days, each tweaked to suit the audience.

The first seminar on the Monday was for year 13 students who had already secured an interview at Oxbridge. Carrie calmed nerves by talking through what to expect. One Weston College student summed up his experience: “Carrie settled my mind. You got to ask questions of someone who does know something.” Another Weston College student added: “Knowing more about it makes it less scary.”

Next was the year 12 seminar, attended by over forty parents and students. This focused on how Oxbridge was different from other universities and what to expect from the application process. Students found the talk informative. One student said afterwards: “She gave you a lot of facts. I learnt a lot that I didn’t know before.” Parents also found it useful: “It gave them a really good insight to life at Oxbridge. It explained everything from the academic side to the social side. It explained things you wouldn’t even think of like the food aspect and how you can spend longer in halls at Cambridge.” Another parent was impressed with the delivery: “I sit through a lot of presentations and this presenter was very articulate. She held your attention which is great.”

Tuesday’s session kicked off with the staff seminar. Carrie advised on how to best support applicants; and gave information on the application process and selection procedure. She made it clear that academic potential and long term interest in a subject is what counts for making a successful application; extra curricular activities are not important unless they demonstrate long term commitment to the subject. Carrie explained that applicants are stretched beyond their current knowledge base in the interview process. This is not because of a sadistic streak in the university staff, but because they want to see how the applicant approaches problems and how their minds work.

The last seminar focussed on information relevant to GCSE students. This was a lot like the year 12 talk, but with additional information on the importance of GCSE grades and A-level choice in getting a place at Oxbridge. Attendance at this talk was huge, with over one hundred and fifty people turning up to listen. Students got a lot from the talk: “I’m quite excited now about Oxbridge. It gave me information about the process.” Another student was surprised about what she heard about costs: “I learnt it’s not as expensive as a lot of people think.”

In summary the seminars have had a huge impact on those who attended. All came away with a clearer understanding of Oxbridge. Carrie’s most important message was that Oxbridge is for anyone with a suitable mind, as one parent learnt: “I thought only people from private schools got to go to Oxford or Cambridge. This has made me think that people from state schools can go.