Prince George's education - Eton, Cambridge, Sandhurst..

He will only get into Cambridge of he is better than the other applicants fighting for a place
In this day and age he may not even want t no to university

I wasn't sure where to put this thread but I guessed that those that read the UK politics forum might give some good answers plus I couldn't think of anywhere else than here or in chat!

So living in the UK you can't escape that we have a monarchy. People say that the monarchy and the aristocracy have privileges in life that others don't get but most of them work towards something mostly government.

I know that Princes William and Harry went to Eton College (school of rich, powerful and connected).

William went on to St. Andrews in Scotland to first study history of art where he met Kate Middleton then switched to geography. Then onto Sandhurst and into the armed forces.

Harry skipped university and went next to Sandhurst, the Royal Military Academy.

So.. as the future king of the united kingdom I was thinking about the obvious early career that prince George is going to have.

It is highly likely he will go to Eton College.

*Point* Eton is known for its king scholars who then went on to King's College, University of Cambridge.

*Point* Would it really be that bad if George did that exact process and went onto King's Cambridge to study History or possibly Geography and Politics / International Relations.

The monarchy are supposed to set a high standard for society and this to me sets him up for the life that he will have: diplomacy, IR, government.

So should George have the extraordinary education for someone predestined for a certain role in the world?

Or you could have a leader who had the same or higher level of education

who hasn't cost the tax payer hundreds of millions of pounds of investment...

Ok then, just like it was unfair and ridiculous when Prince William went to Cambridge to study AGRICULTURE... after getting mediocre grades in his A levels. And actually, just like it was immoral and unfair when Prince William went to St Andrews.

At that time far less students considered university and grade requirements were different, so it is debatable, wether Charles would have got in anyway.

Ok then, just like it was unfair and ridiculous when Prince William went to Cambridge to study AGRICULTURE... after getting mediocre grades in his A levels. And actually, just like it was immoral and unfair when Prince William went to St Andrews.

That sadly isn't the case; Charles went to Trinity College Cambridge with a B and a C at A-Level while William got ABC and went to St Andrews, despite the fact that their entry requirements are almost universally AAA. Royal patronage and press coverage is just too much of a prize for universities, it gives them the official stamp of Royal approval and so almost any university would take them, regardless of grades.

I don't think it's fair that 5 people statistically competed for Charles' place at Cambridge and lost out, despite the fact that they were better qualified. I think the Royal family are in danger of alienating themselves from the public when they get huge privileges such as these.

What were the A Level requirements when they applied?

I'm not sure, but you have to remember that a lot of A Level grade inflation has taken place recently. It may be that in the past, getting in with the grades those princes had wouldn't actually have been unusual.

Although I definitely wouldn't doubt that it could have been unfair - as you say, it gets a lot of positive publicity for the university.

With a B and a C at A-Level? First off, three are needed for entry and all must be at grade A standard, that has pretty much been the case since A-Levels were introduced (although I do know that Cambridge have been slightly more flexible in the past, though I'm sure this doesn't quite extend to BC).

Back then, they still had entrance exams, the admission process differed quite a bit. And according to his website Charles got a distinction in an optional history paper, which was, what he went on to study at the end. Thus while I don't think, he was a strong applicant, concerning it was over fourty years ago, I doubt it was that exceptional at that time.

Are you serious? I though they left that trend...
It is disgusting, especially considering that they don't even use their degree because 99% of the time they don't work

I don't quite get what you're saying. Oxford still have entry exams and Cambridge Historians often have to sit tests during interviews so the admissions process isn't that far away from what it used to be. I refuse to believe that BC would translate to a place at Cambridge.

I don't know exactly when Charles got into Cambridge, but when I applied (and got in) in the 1980s there were essentially 2 routes: a conditional offer based on A levels and S levels - typically AAA and 11 (a bit like the STEP offers for maths these days); or by passing the Cambridge Colleges entrance exam - taken in the 4th term of 6th form - and if successful, additionally meeting the minimum matriculation requirements (5 passes at O level and 2 passes [grade E or higher] at A level).

As an "ordinary comprehensive school" boy, I wasn't very confident of getting AAA 11 in the days when hardly anyone from my background did, so I opted to take the entrance exam, passed it, and could then relax and take my A levels knowing that I only needed to achieve EE (as it happened, I got the AAA 11 too).

I have no strong liking for the monarchy, but I think it's only right to point out that Prince Charles (or anyone else at that time) could have got into Cambridge with A level grades of EE (PROVIDED they'd passed the entrance exam). Of course, someone will now pop up and tell me he didn't - which would be a different matter

give me an example of someone 'normal' getting into Oxford or Cambridge with anything less than AAA.

Why can't he go to a state school? The current King of the Netherlands attended state school, as do his children. The future King of Norway went to a state school, as do his children. The future King of Denmark attends state school. The future Queen of Sweden has just started going to a public nursery. If they can all manage in the slums of public education, so can George.

How would BC ever warrant entry to Cambridge?? BC would never translate into A*AA today, it just wouldn't happen. I don't even know how you can think that... You cannot deny that accepting Prince Charles was a coup, give me an example of someone 'normal' getting into Oxford or Cambridge with anything less than AAA. It's just too much of a coincidence to deny the relationship between Prince Charles' status and his entry into Cambridge, despite his A-Level grades.

And that grade inflation argument is really tiring, it minimises the achievements of current A-Level students. Indeed Cambridge look for C.90% UMS when they admit students, I doubt that would have been BC back in the day.

hmmm the public education systems of Holland and Scandinavia are not the blighted nightmare which we have in this country

... William got ABC and went to St Andrews, despite the fact that their entry requirements are almost universally AAA.

No, they had real entrance exams for which you could almost exclusively prepare yourself at public schools, they were not exams only taken in addition to A Levels, but after A Levels, sometimes after another year of preperation. Furthermore you had public schools who were guranteed a certain number of places at some colleges and offers who were only EE for candidates, you absolutely wanted. His education also gave Charles the possibility of extracurricular activities, like his trip to Papua Neuginea, which could have also helped him to have something to talk about in his admission interview.

This might also be interesting in that context:



Source: http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=733109&page=2

I don't have knowledge of how Cambridge admissions worked when he applied, so I don't know. As Nathanielle says though, I do think it worked differently back then - you sat special Cambridge entrance exams (I think).

Ed Miliband got into Oxford with AABB. (I'm sure there are plenty of others, he was the first one I checked.) David Miliband got into Oxford with BBBD. Both of these cases were much more recent that Prince Charles.



Well I sat A Levels reasonably recently, and am quite happy to concede that grade inflation has happened. If people want to deny reality to make themselves feel more intelligent, then that's up to them.

Again, it's quite possible his admission was unfair. I don't know.