LAURA Spence turned down offers to other UK universities which have better ratings for her chosen course, medicine, than Oxford in order to study a different subject at Harvard.
Of the five medical students accepted at her chosen Oxford college, three are women, three from ethnic minorities and two from comprehensives.
Every year, many private-school candidates with qualifications as good as hers are also turned down. She should realise that entry to Oxford is not just on the basis of grades, otherwise there would be no point in having interviews. The system gives a fairer assessment f a candidate’s academic ability and their potential to succeed here than merely a set of figures can.
I am from a Stockport comprehensive and gained entry to Oxford with grades that were not as good as that which Laura is predicted to obtain.
At no time during the interview period, or since, have I felt discriminated against because of my background. Nor do I know of any instances where this has been the case for others.
If you think you’ve got the potential to get into Oxford, go for it!
Alex Ganotis
Student president
Corpus Christi College
Oxford
