A class act! Lowestoft Sixth Form College Students celebrate offers from elite university

Three talented students at Lowestoft Sixth Form College are celebrating this week, having received offers to study at the University of Cambridge. Twins Abbie and Emily Smyth have both secured offers to study English Literature, whilst Rhys Ransome has been offered a place to study Mathematics at the prestigious university.

Ranked as one of the world’s top universities, the application process for the University of Cambridge is highly competitive and extremely rigorous, with the university typically receiving around five applications per place. Having three successful applicants from a small cohort of students at Lowestoft Sixth Form College therefore marks a significant and exciting achievement for the college, which merged with East Coast College in August 2018.

Keith Shiels, Principal of Lowestoft Sixth Form College, said “I am incredibly proud of our students; these well-deserved offers award students’ hard work and dedication. I am delighted to see their talents being recognised. We proudly offer extensive support to all of our students to help them progress on to their chosen destinations.”

The news comes as a double celebration for twins Abbie and Emily Smyth, who formerly studied at Ormiston Denes Academy. Abbie, who has been offered a place at Girton College, said “It just shows that hard work really can get you anywhere”, whilst Emily, who has been offered a place at Robinson College, added “The fact that myself and my sister have both gotten in is especially exciting, having always bounced ideas off each other and now choosing to take the same subject at uni. I’m happy to know that we’ll still be able to help each other even at separate colleges”.

Former Benjamin Britten Academy of Music and Mathematics student Rhys Ransome was also overjoyed with his achievement, having secured a highly coveted offer to study Mathematics at Corpus Christi College. He said “Being something I’ve aspired to for a long time, I’m excited to have received an offer, and have the chance to study at such a prestigious university.” A Level Maths at Lowestoft Sixth Form College is one of the highest performing in the country, with 77% of student achieving an A*-B grade in 2019. Rhys continued, “The college have been incredibly supportive from the start, including weekly preparation for the daunting interview process and in-depth help towards the entrance exams.”

Having been rated among the top 25% of colleges in the country for student progress for the fourth year running, Lowestoft Sixth Form College boasts a strong track-record of supporting students to progress to some of the top universities in the country. The college offers an extensive Gifted and Talented Programme, which provides specialist advice and support for entry to competitive university courses, internships and employment opportunities, including careers in Medicine and Oxbridge applications.

Matt Page, Director of Faculty and leader of the Gifted and Talented programme, commented “I am thrilled for Abbie, Emily and Rhys that they have been offered a place at the University of Cambridge. There are many other students who have received offers from other prestigious universities, so there is a lot more success to celebrate across the college, and I am very pleased we have students who are both talented and ambitious. There is certainly a lot of hard work still to go leading up to the exam period, but this is excellent news for the students and the local area, and I hope Abbie, Emily and Rhys’ success inspires others to work hard and aim high.”