Higher Education Update
This term we hosted a fantastic programme of events, lectures and workshops to support our Sixth Form students with their Higher Education preparation. We welcome a total of 20 visitors including admissions tutors, university representatives and OS, to share their experiences and advice.
Oxford and Cambridge
In February we hosted our annual Oxford and Cambridge Information evening for Sevenoaks students and local schools, and were delighted that around 350 attended, including six other schools.
The evening covered a range of aspects concerning admissions to the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, including advice on the application process, interviews, admissions tests, and the learning experience at both universities.
UK Universities
We have welcomed a number of UK university representatives to speak with our pupils over the course of the academic year, including: University of East Anglia’s Director of Admissions; Professor Richard Harvey, who spoke to students about university applications; Dr Katherine Lloyd-Clark, Assistant Director (Student Access, Recruitment & Admissions) at the University of Exeter, who spoke about the transition from school to university, as well as representatives from the London colleges: UCL, LSE, KCL and Imperial.
Combined Honours and Liberal Arts
With an increasing interest in liberal arts degrees at UK universities, we were delighted to welcome Dr J Everest from UCL, who presented to students on the BA degree in Arts and Sciences, and Dr Colin Crowder and Dr Mike Dobson from Durham and Exeter universities, who came to present to students on Combined Honours and Liberal Arts degrees.
US Universities
This term we offered a full programme of events and lectures for students interested in applying to US universities, starting with a US Information Evening in January with Lisa Montgomery, Chairman of Edvice and A List, US university specialists who provide guidance to students and parents negotiating the US university admissions process, in particular the SAT and ACT.
We also welcomed Brendan Graham, Senior Assistant Director of International Admissions from Northeastern, who gave a Common App Ex-Curriculars workshop; Dr Cathy McHugh, Princeton graduate and varsity soccer player, and Charlie Leizear, Senior Associate Dean and Director of First-Year Admission, Occidental College.
It was wonderful to welcome back Old Sennockian Anastasia Spiridonova (OS 2017), currently studying at Stanford and acting as an International Ambassador;
To underpin these talks we have also run a number of Beginners Guide to Degrees talks for students and a series of US-specific workshops on how to make a great application.
Careers Fair
There have been a number of insightful events for our students this term, including our annual Friends of Sevenoaks Careers Fair in February for Year 11 and Sixth Form students; the event provided students with a fantastic opportunity to gain insight into a huge range of careers and possible future pathways.
Medicine
For prospective medical students, we organised a trip to a Careers in Medicine evening at Tunbridge Wells Hospital and we hosted talks by the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland; Operation Smile and a very informative talk from Becci McKinley-Rowe, Head of Morgan Stanley Equity Sales on careers in the City.
Next term we look forward to hosting a similar programme to support our students further.
Wendy Heydorn, Director of Higher Education and Careers
