Sutton trust US program

Hi, I’m mid applying to the Sutton trust US program and I was wondering if anyone had any tips on the application?? Or even if the program was worth doing.
Thanks

I'm doing the application too and it's not going horribly wrong - my main concern is the video interview because quite frankly I'm not the type that enjoys being on camera, let alone being the one filming myself. I've got an idea to make it look professional, but I've got to gain the courage to actually film myself doing it.
I don't have much concern with the criteria they set out on their "Who Can Apply?" page as I meet every single bullet point except for the fact I go to one of the best colleges in the UK, and as for my grades it's a little on the edge, I got four 8's and two 7's with a L2M and a 5. But, I've done great extracurriculars, I've done volunteering litterpicking, DofE Bronze & Silver (currently doing Gold), I've done a year long art programme, an aviation programme and other small bits too. My fingers are very much crossed.

Hi! Sutton Trust Alum here!

I was part of Cohort 11 of the programme, applied on a whim, and I can safely say that was the best decision I've ever made! As I write this, I am most of the way through my first semester at a US university, and I could not be happier! I could never have even dreamed of such an opportunity without the amazing work of the Sutton Trust Programme.

Having both gone through and then worked on the Programme as a graduate, I have always been in awe of how amazing the experience truly is! The programme is so much more than just an academic program like UNIQ, it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that truly made me grow and change as a person, as well as allowed me to develop skills that I use all the time in university life! The support network of both peers and the Sutton Trust team is the perfect springboard towards higher education in general, as even those who attended UK universities from my cohort still thank the programme for the skills they learned and the connections they made throughout their time! It is also extremely fun; I've literally made friends for life in both the UK and the US, and have so many amazing memories... and my cohort didn't even get the US trip! (I did go on this last year working on the programme, and it is truly an unmissable opportunity!)

As for application tips, I would really recommend that you tune in to the upcoming applicant webinars on the YouTube channel in the next few weeks, as both staff and alum will give detailed advice on filling it out. It really is less scary than it looks! My biggest piece of advice would be to take your time. I literally started my application the first day they opened, and submitted it with 11 hours to go! This amount of time is a little excessive, but the application is so much about getting to know you, and the more of yourself you can show through your answers, the better your application will be! As for the video interviews, I watched a lot of the ones available on YouTube, but please be cautious that some of these do not meet the application guidelines and you have no idea if these applicants were successful. It's a great tool for getting a creative sense of the kind of things you could do with your video (everything from a retro Draw My Life to a Powerpoint presentation to a mini personal documentary to just a sit down chat with the camera) and the kind of content you may want to include, but aside from that, trust your own skills! The programme staff don't want to admit another person, they want to admit you at the end of the day, so make sure your application is as 100% you as possible. This process is modelled on the real Common Application process for US universities that you would go through on Part 2, so it is also a super helpful training exercise for that!

I hope this helped. If you'd like more information, you can reply to this comment and I'll try to answer anything I can!

Good luck!

U know for the extracurricular bit, for the number of weeks in a year do you put how many you will do if the activity is new. E.g. i started smth this december so should i put 4 weeks or 45 weeks (how long it will take me in 2024 to complete)?

Hi! This section is modelled on the real common application, so its fine to put the total number of hours, as that is what you'd put down for the real thing!

sorry if this sounds dumb so i should but 1st december 2023 as starting and 45 weeks? thanks the help

Hi again, suppose u run a ticktok account, what would you put in the description of it?

Whatever you like! Just try to describe as fully your responsibilities and tasks as possible.

hello everyone! quick question ! for the “description” part on each extracurricular activity, i have wrote mine quite long…longer than the short essays.. is that okay? they are very detailed though

mine are also quite long did u order urs on how much time you sent on each week or which in order of impressiveness?

in order of impressiveness🙂 ahhh i want to get in so badly, but im scared i won t because im not on free school meals, nor on a bursary, and my parents don’t make under 25 000… im still eligible but i feel like they won’t take me into consideration 😭

hello everyone! quick question ! for the “description” part on each extracurricular activity, i have wrote mine quite long…longer than the short essays.. is that okay? they are very detailed though

Do i leave these blank?

Hi! Regarding this, it's totally okay for this to be lengthy right now, but eventually these will shorten to 150 characters on the real common application, so don't feel pressured to write masses! Just describe as fully and as succinctly as you can. For example:

Drama Club Co-Leader
Co-led a drama club for 45 students; tutored students one-on-one and in small groups; created weekly club plans; organised 2 performance evenings for 100 parents.

Pro-tip: quantities are also very helpful where applicable, as they show tangible impact!

Good luck!