27 Jun 07

Students from schools throughout Cornwall today found out from the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford, Dr John Hood, what it takes to study at one of the top universities in the world.

On 27 June, Dr Hood held two workshops at Cornwall College in St Austell involving 100 students and staff from seven state schools and colleges across Cornwall.

'This is the time to invest in your education,' he told the students. He talked about his childhood in rural New Zealand and how the advice he received from a school careers advisor to do engineering led to him going to university. A professor then encouraged him to go on to take a PhD, describing it as his 'passport to life'. 'If the world was like that four decades ago it's far more the case now,' said Dr Hood.

The workshops were for two age groups: 13-14 year olds (Year 9) and 14-17 year olds (Years 10 and 12). Dr Hood talked about what Oxford University has to offer, its courses and how best to make an application, as well as trying to dispel some common misconceptions about its undergraduate life.

A former pupil from Cornwall College who is currently studying Mathematics and Computer Science at Oxford University helped dispel those misconceptions at the event. Simon Welch, from New College, started his course in October 2005 and gave a first-hand account of life as an undergraduate at Oxford. 'I'm having the time of my life,' he said. 'People think it's for posh people, rich people, geeks who are not sociable, but it is full of normal people.'

According to figures from UCAS, students from the South West (including Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Wiltshire and Bristol) made up 7.1 per cent of those accepted into higher education for entry in 2006. Oxford's undergraduate admissions statistics show that 9.9 per cent of all offers of a place at Oxford went to students from the South West region in 2006. Of that cohort of 317 students from the South West, only 17 of them (5.4 per cent) were from Cornwall. The Vice-Chancellor hopes that by visiting the area he might have encouraged more Cornish students to apply.

Pupils quizzed the Vice-Chancellor about the cost of going to Oxford and were told about the Oxford Opportunity Bursaries, which he described as 'the most generous in the country'. He also responded to questions about whether students from Cornwall would fit in, saying one of the benefits of Oxford was its colleges, which he described as 'scholarly communities' that welcomed newcomers.

Dr Hood said: 'Oxford is committed to attracting the best students with the greatest potential, irrespective of background. Oxford is no more expensive than any other UK university, but offers students academic breadth, unrivalled libraries, inspiring tutors and a stimulating environment attracting the brightest recruits from all over the world.'

Dave Linnell, Deputy CEO of Cornwall College, said: 'We are delighted that the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford, Dr John Hood, visited Cornwall College. The region's school children, students and their parents will benefit from a first-hand account of what studying at Oxford is really like.

'Studying at Oxford is different to many universities: the 'Oxford style' is tutorial-based and it offers unrivalled opportunities for students to study with the brightest of their age group and the world's leading academics. It goes without saying that job prospects for a graduate with a University of Oxford degree are extremely good.'

On 4 July, Dr Hood will continue the outreach theme when he hosts a Widening Participation Seminar at the Saϊd Business School, with speakers David Willetts MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Education and Skills, Sir Martin Harris, Director of the Office for Fair Access, Wendy Piatt, Director General of the Russell Group and Dr Cheron Byfield, Director of the National Black Boys Can Association.