Queens’ wants to encourage applications from students with the greatest academic potential, regardless of their background. As part of this drive for excellence, like the wider University, we are also striving to encourage more applicants from underrepresented groups and regions of the country. In order to achieve this, Queens’ has pioneered a variety of new approaches and seeks to be a beacon of best practice across the University.
Bradford has been a particular focus for our outreach activity recently. Our efforts have been rewarded, as this year there has been a noticeable upturn in the number of applications from schools in our Bradford Link Area. We have seen a 50% increase in applications to the University from our Bradford schools (and applications to Oxford are up too!).
Queens’ is the only College currently employing a full-time member of our Admissions team outside Cambridge: we have had a Schools Liaison Officer in Bradford since September 2017, visiting schools and busting myths about what Cambridge is like.
This position has been vital in increasing applicant numbers and improving access. We are now looking to develop other partnerships with external organisations and educational charities in Bradford and another of our Link Areas, Havering.
The new JCR Access Officer, Rebekah Hinton, hails from Bradford. She commented:
I am delighted that our outreach work in Bradford has been so successful. One of my duties as JCR Access Officer will be to help co-ordinate the roadshow, which is when we send a group of Queens' students to our various link areas to speak at schools about encouraging applications to Oxbridge. Last year, the team that went up to Bradford were entirely from that area, which was very special because it meant we could honestly say to people that you can come from just up the road and still go on to Cambridge. It is really inspiring.
If any Fellows, students or staff have news items they would like placing on the College website, please send them to the Development Officer (Communications)
Alice Webster acw69@cam.ac.uk and 01223 (7)46980
T6 Fisher Building