Four Millfield students have received offers to study at the prestigious University of Oxford.
Upper Sixth students, Tansy Fowler, Nidal Shah, Obie Hansell and Olivia O’Brien have received offers to read Music, Philosophy, Politics and Economics, Chemistry and Economics and Management respectively.
Tansy Fowler from Somerset joined Millfield Prep in Year 4, and is studying A Levels in Music, History and English. In addition to her studies, she is an integral part of the music and drama departments at Millfield, performing in numerous concerts and productions throughout her time at the school. Tansy is also a Prefect and was Head of House in her Day house last term.
Nidal Shah from Yeovil also joined Millfield Prep in Year 4. He is studying A Levels in Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Economics and Philosophy. Nidal is the captain of the school’s Badminton team and a member of the Chess team.
Obie Hansell from Suffolk is a boarder who joined Millfield in Lower Sixth. Obie is studying A Levels in Biology, Chemistry, Maths, and the Leith’s introduction to confident cooking course. Obie joined Millfield for its range of opportunities and smaller class sizes. She is also part of the cricket and hockey first teams.
Olivia O’Brien joined Millfield in Lower Sixth as a boarder from Berkshire. Olivia is studying A Levels in Maths, Economics, Geography and Further Maths. In addition to her studies, Olivia is the captain of riding and plays netball.
Nidal, Obie, and Olivia have all participated in the Millfield Oxbridge programme, which aims to prepare students for Oxbridge entrance through small seminar groups and guidance from Dr. Beatrice Priest, the Head of Academic Culture who oversees the Oxbridge support.
Tansy said, “I received help from the Music Department at school. Dr Brooks supported me in preparation for the interviews, and Mrs Barry was particularly supportive, advising me and helping me with interview practice. I am really grateful to them.”
Nidal said, “I am so grateful to the Philosophy department, without whom I wouldn’t have even applied to Oxford, let alone been accepted. Their passion for the subject made me love studying it so much that I wanted to pursue it at university, and their support was vital to my success. From recommending wider reading to assisting with my personal statement and conducting mock interviews, their help was invaluable. Additionally, Dr. Priest’s expertise in Oxford admissions and her personalised guidance went above and beyond in preparing me for my interview.”
Obie said, “The Futures department put on a school trip to the University of Oxford, to help us decide which college to apply to, which was much easier after getting a real life feel for the colleges and the city. Once I had been invited to interview, I had practice interviews with the Head of Chemistry and also with one of the governors, which had been arranged by the school on my behalf. Both interviews were immensely helpful and realistic in preparing me for the real interviews, and I’m really grateful.”
Head of Futures, Jonathan Santry, said, “Last year there were 23,211 applications to the University of Oxford for undergraduate admissions and an incredible 53% of these were awarded A*AA or better at A Level. Despite the continued increase in applications, the number of students admitted continues to be around 3,200. This all means that the chances of getting a place have vastly dropped over the years. Tansy, Olivia, Nidal and Obie have battled against the odds and should be hugely congratulated for their offers. Their academic curiosity and commitment to brilliance in their subjects have been clearly recognised in their applications and at interview. Well done!”
This year’s Upper Sixth cohort are starting to receive offers from establishments all over the world.
