Does someone who goes to a well performing grammar school have an advantage over me?

I go to a normal state school sixth form and I want to know whether someone who goes to a high performing sixth form like Henrietta Barnett have an advantage over me?

Reply 1

divaani28

11

I go to a grammar school and I can honestly say that no, people who go to grammar schools do not have an advantage over you so don't worry about this! It is probably better to go to a state school sixth form mainly because it is then shown to your uni admission tutors that you achieved these grades despite this. However for people who go to grammar schools, the grades we achieve will not be looked at too much because it is expected that we achieve that much as they compare it to our school's average grades. Plus, universities like Cambridge mainly only ever take in people from state schools, then grammar and rarely ever private schools. I hope this helps :smile:

Reply 2

Granolakiddo

17

I mean doing sociology at a level, I realized how messed up the system is and it really depends if you do well and do your best then it can lead to bigger things such as going to uni in oxford/ cambridge. But, IDK if I'm right grammar and private school kids *some* have connections and stuff related to Oxbridge. I mean just do your best and if you set your mind to it then you can do it :biggrin:

Reply 3

username5443076

16

Didnt you ask this on my thread aha

Reply 4

username3902894

15

Original post by divaani28

I go to a grammar school and I can honestly say that no, people who go to grammar schools do not have an advantage over you so don't worry about this! It is probably better to go to a state school sixth form mainly because it is then shown to your uni admission tutors that you achieved these grades despite this. However for people who go to grammar schools, the grades we achieve will not be looked at too much because it is expected that we achieve that much as they compare it to our school's average grades. Plus, universities like Cambridge mainly only ever take in people from state schools, then grammar and rarely ever private schools. I hope this helps :smile:

i j wanna say - when cambridge say state it includes grammar asw

Reply 5

SupposedlyIronic

21

I feel like opportunities have been made pretty equal at this point. Independent schools probably have an academic edge, with smaller classes and a high quality of teaching, but there are also certain things that only state schools get. I go to an independent and I'm not allowed on many summer schools for instance. Universities also have to have a certain ratio of state:independent students.

Reply 6

Muttley79

20

Original post by divaani28

Plus, universities like Cambridge mainly only ever take in people from state schools, then grammar and rarely ever private schools. I hope this helps :smile:

Not true - look at the admission data.

Reply 7

Muttley79

20

Original post by ashtolga23

I feel like opportunities have been made pretty equal at this point. Independent schools probably have an academic edge, with smaller classes and a high quality of teaching, but there are also certain things that only state schools get. I go to an independent and I'm not allowed on many summer schools for instance. Universities also have to have a certain ratio of state:independent students.

Not always true I'm afraid - some Private schools get contextual offers as their results are so bad!

Reply 8

Scotney

20

Original post by ashtolga23

I feel like opportunities have been made pretty equal at this point. Independent schools probably have an academic edge, with smaller classes and a high quality of teaching, but there are also certain things that only state schools get. I go to an independent and I'm not allowed on many summer schools for instance. Universities also have to have a certain ratio of state:independent students.

What sort of thing do you want to know?

Reply 9

SupposedlyIronic

21

Original post by Muttley79

Not always true I'm afraid - some Private schools get contextual offers as their results are so bad!

Fair enough, but I did put "probably". There are always outliers.

Reply 10

Muttley79

20

Don't worry about what other people are doing ... focus on yourself. Grammars and Private schools give no advantage for university ...

Reply 11

Jessie03

11

If you have good stats and come from a comprehensive school, you will probably look a little more impressive from the grammar school student, simply because you worked for those grades in spite of your schools nature. However, grammar schools and private schools tend to have better teaching, and are more equipped to deal with students applying for Oxbridge or medicine, and also tend to have better and more opportunities (e.g. olympiads and work experience ect) and extracurriculars. If your course is competitive, those factors do put the other applicant at an advantage.

Reply 12

Biomedeseen

5

Original post by Muttley79

Not always true I'm afraid - some Private schools get contextual offers as their results are so bad!

You're saying private school kids actually get lower offers because they pay for education, or for other reasons, I don't understand?

Reply 13

Muttley79

20

What do you mean 'the right thing'? I've taught in all types of school and there's no 'magic'.

Reply 14

Muttley79

20

Original post by Biomedeseen

You're saying private school kids actually get lower offers because they pay for education, or for other reasons, I don't understand?

Yes - the schools are bad ...

Reply 15

Biomedeseen

5

Original post by Muttley79

Yes - the schools are bad ...

And in whose interest is it to give contextual offers, just because people might be privately educated doesn't mean they don't work towards the offers they get. It just sounds like a bit of hatred to me.

Reply 16

Muttley79

20

Original post by Biomedeseen

And in whose interest is it to give contextual offers, just because people might be privately educated doesn't mean they don't work towards the offers they get. It just sounds like a bit of hatred to me.

No - someone posted that Private schools have good teaching - I'm just saying it isn't always true.

Reply 17

Biomedeseen

5

Original post by Muttley79

No - someone posted that Private schools have good teaching - I'm just saying it isn't always true.

Sure teachers are people and you can good teachers and based teachers wherever you go but you implied leniency towards pupils from universities. I also don't think it's the teaching or facilities that make a private school perform better.

Reply 18

Scotney

20

Oxford Mum has a thread called Oxford Demystified on Tsr. Type it into search bar. It contains stoires from Oxford students from state schools.

I am the mum of a former grammar school pupil who went to Oxford. I also had a child at a good comprehensive. The main difference was the grammar school definitely had a proven history of getting kids into Oxbridge and it was pretty normal to consider applying. PS were prepared for the October deadline and of course they had very good teachers.
I think you would find Oxford Mum's Tsr thread Oxford Dymystified thread really useful as it has school pupils stories of how they got into Oxford and details of how to make yourself stand out. Feel free to Pm me.

Reply 19

Jessie03

11

Yes- and out of 70 students the only oxbridge applicant. Compared to our 'rival' school- a grammar sixth form, they have around 30 applicants for the same amount of students. They have a whole team dedicated to it, and they have a work experience coordinator, which has proven very useful to some of my friends there!

This isn't me whingeing. And I apologise for any offense cause by my last post, I wasn't implying that grammar school students didn't have to work hard.

Does someone who goes to a well performing grammar school have an advantage over me?

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