Record number of Exeter College students secure Oxbridge offers

A record-breaking number of students from Exeter College have applied for places at the UK’s most prestigious universities, with 14 learners successfully securing offers from Oxford and Cambridge.

The college saw 73 students submit applications to the historic institutions this year, the highest number in its history. Of those who applied, 56 per cent were shortlisted for interviews, resulting in eight offers from the University of Cambridge and six from the University of Oxford.

The successful applicants will go on to study a diverse range of subjects, including Law, Mathematics, and Classics, with two students specifically securing highly competitive places to study Medicine at Cambridge.

College leaders have praised the "ambition and determination" of the cohort. Many of the offer holders were part of the college’s Reach Academy, a programme designed to support high-achieving learners through specialist lectures and extracurricular opportunities.

Billie Stokes, Assistant Principal at Exeter College, said: "These students have shown outstanding commitment and ambition, and we are incredibly proud to see their hard work rewarded. Securing a place at Oxbridge is a remarkable achievement in itself, and reaching this stage requires real focus, resilience and ambition."

'I may have done a happy dance'

For the students involved, the news brought a mix of shock and celebration. Boglarka Ungvari, who travels from Barnstaple to study A Levels in Biology, Chemistry, and Maths, described the moment she realised she had secured a place to study Medicine at Cambridge.

"When the offer eventually came through, I kind of froze and then started smiling," she said. "I reread it twice to make sure. Did I actually get in? Does it say congratulations? It did, I was very happy, and then I may or may not have done a happy dance!"

Similarly, Elliot Wilkes, who is also headed to Cambridge for Medicine, admitted to a nervous wait during class. "I was in a lesson and kept refreshing the UCAS page... As soon as it did, I started shaking. I called my mum, it was a very brief one-minute conversation of 'I'm in a lesson, by the way, I just wanted to let you know I got in.'"

Finding a 'niche'

The college’s support system was cited by many as a key factor in their success. Tiffany Tai, who holds an offer for Psychology and Linguistics at Oxford, encouraged future students to find their passion early.

"The most important thing... is to try to find out what you’re interested in. Find your niche and your passion," she said. "If you find what you’re actually interested in, you’ll naturally engage in the curriculum."

Tegan Griffiths, who will study Classics at Cambridge, added that she hadn't even considered university until she started her course at Exeter. "My teachers have been really supportive and helped me out... giving me honest feedback. They were the first teacher I told and they were really happy for me."

To mark the achievement, the college held a celebratory lunch for the students at its @thirty-four restaurant.