Congratulations to Wendy Heydorn and Laurence Goodwin of our Higher Education department, whose book, An Educator’s Guide to University Applications: Supporting Students with Their Post-18 Options (Trotman), was published in April.
Sevenoaks students follow many different higher education pathways, with US and international destinations more popular than ever before.
As Director of Higher Education and Head of US and International University Applications, Wendy and Laurence have advised and supported a generation of our students on their path to university and careers, with outstanding results.
They wrote the book in the spirit of sharing their specialism and good practice with other educators, in response to many enquiries about how to support students with university applications.
This specialist, practical guide to university applications and post-18 choices is designed to help educators in schools as they guide students through their university applications.
In a fast-changing university admissions landscape, where multiple factors influence university admissions and student choices, it is an excellent guide for higher education staff.
Topics covered range from Degree Apprenticeships to UCAS Personal Statements to the role of AI in university applications, and the book also includes a case study based on the insights of Emily Wright (OS 2024), a Degree Apprentice at Morgan Stanley.
Wendy Heydorn is Director of the Institute for Higher Education and Professional Insight. She has co-authored three critical thinking textbooks with Cambridge University Press, including Theory of Knowledge for the IB Diploma Course Guide (CUP, 2020). She volunteered for four years on the Secondary Education Advisory Group (SEAG) at UCAS. Having advised thousands of Sevenoaks students, she is committed to sharing good practice across the sector and supporting students to consider all of their post-18+ options.
Laurence Goodwin is Head of US and International University Applications. She is a specialist in advising students and managing applications to institutions worldwide. Educated in the US and at St Andrews, the Courtauld Institute and King’s College London, she has experience with school and university systems on both sides of the Atlantic. Laurence has taught and worked as a University Adviser and Head of EPQ at schools in Oxford, Gloucestershire and on the Isle of Wight.
“This book is a powerful resource for any school staff navigating the new complexities of post-18 pathways. Their combined expertise in a school setting with a diverse student population, evident in the practical advice and real-world examples, makes this a helpful tool for enhancing university application strategies in a global age. This guide will undoubtedly empower educators to better support their students’ higher education aspirations.”
David Hawkins, Director and Founder, The University Guys
