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Cambridge Uni tries to get on Corrie to improve image

What a dumb idea :rolleyes:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/sep/02/accesstouniversity.cambridgeuniversity

Education: Cambridge seeks to wash away elitist image with TV soaps
· EastEnders among series targeted by PR office
· University wants to attract more state school students

* Polly Curtis, education editor
* The Guardian,
* Tuesday September 2 2008
* Article history

It's a long way from Cambridge to Coronation Street, but the world-famous university is attempting to narrow that gap by planting stories with scriptwriters at several major television soaps in a plan designed to make the university less offputting to potential applicants.

The Cambridge University communications office has written to story editors at EastEnders, Coronation Street and Emmerdale among others to suggest storylines that could present the university in a more student-friendly light.

The move is part of the university's efforts to tackle its elitist image and encourage students from a more diverse range of backgrounds to apply.

Press officers also approached Top Gear to suggest it recreate an infamous stunt carried out by engineering students at the university who, in 1958, winched an Austin Seven on to the top of the university's 70ft-high Senate House.

They also suggested to the writers of Doctor Who the possibility of setting some historical scenes in the Cambridge colleges.

A spokesman for the university said it was part of a push to challenge "myths" about the university before its 800th anniversary next year.

"It's about challenging myths about studying at Cambridge. People think it's an expensive place to study when in fact, because of short terms and the availability of college accommodation, the bills can be lower. We have some of the most generous student support packages around and it's an unlimited pot: we don't run out of cash," he said.

The advances have so far proved fruitless and were too late with one soap: EastEnders is already featuring the story of two students, Libby Fox and Tamwar Masood, whose mothers are competing over who might make it to Cambridge or Oxford when they apply to university next year.

A spokeswoman for Oxford University, Cambridge's historic competitor, said that it had never attempted similar tactics, but admitted that it had contacted EastEnders to make sure that the scriptwriters were fully aware of its bursaries, should the Oxford versus Cambridge storyline develop.

The Cambridge spokesman said: "It's really important to get a popular message across about raising young people's aspirations and showing them the range of options on offer."

He confirmed that the university had a rolling programme of writing to script editors at the major soaps, and had also specifically approached EastEnders about its storyline to ensure it "had all the facts" about bursaries and studying at Cambridge. He confirmed that the storyline preceded the campaign.

He said the Department of Health had whole departments that dealt with trying to get messages about healthy eating or vaccinations into the popular consciousness and the university was simply following that method.

The moves are part of wider efforts to shed the university's elitist image after attempts to recruit more state school students proved all but fruitless. Both Oxford and Cambridge, under heavy government scrutiny, want to increase their intake of state school students. Both have among the most generous bursary packages but there have been wider concerns that some cash is going uncollected because students do not know what is available.

"Cambridge was once a privileged place and there's a timelag in changing that idea. We're regarded as an elite university and somehow we're not available to everyone. We want to encourage bright students to apply," the spokesman said.

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Reply 1

El Hosko

I hate all those soaps so it wont make no difference to me!

Reply 2

JocastaJackal

I think somehow they're appealing to the wrong audience by infiltrating TV soaps.

Reply 3

El Hosko

The West Wing

"Cambridge was once a privileged place and there's a timelag in changing that idea. We're regarded as an elite university and somehow we're not available to everyone. We want to encourage bright students to apply," the spokesman said.

They apply then get shot out for not getting the ridiculously high grades!!

Reply 4

JocastaJackal

El Hosko

They apply then get shot out for not getting the ridiculously high grades!!

It's true. I was deeply discouraged from even considering them, even though I could be considered as 'bright'. Two of my subjects are blacklisted by them anyway so I found out later. Why are they surprised?

Reply 5

epitome

The West Wing

What a dumb idea

Well, no, it's not really. Whilst I think soaps are a waste of time, many (many) people don't.
And this comment:

JocastaJackal

I think somehow they're appealing to the wrong audience by infiltrating TV soaps.

is way off the mark. What an unbelievably snobbish and myopic thing to say.

Despite pouring a lot of money and time into access programmes, Oxbridge continues to have an image problem amongst certain groups. This image problem is founded on old history, myth, ignorance, prejudice and misinformation. There's only so much paper information the universities can give out to try to make people realise that, for goodness' sake, people from all kinds of background are more than welcome and very likely to fit in. Some people (and I'm talking about teachers and parents as well as students) just do not take the information on board.
It has been proven that television appearances of colleges boosts applications; so it seems a perfectly logical step to put the universities themselves on the TV. Furthermore, going back to Jackals' comment, it's is very noticeable that no characters from these soaps have ever attended these universities, which goes some way to spreading the view that this kind of world is out of reach for a certain type of person from a certain kind of background. In reality, there are bright people in every community, and with the right kind of aspiration, drive and a bit of support, they stand a good chance of submitting a competitive application.

There is an image problem, and there is little the universities are able to do about it. This attempt seems a thought-out and possibly effective idea. And I'm saying that from the point of view of someone who knows the efforts Cambridge goes to; and the frustration of feeling you're banging your head against a brick wall.

It is unfortunate, though, that the university spokesperson felt the need to say this so badly:

Just to put things straight, because fluffy semantics is horrible and, worse, wrong:

1) Cambridge still is a privileged place. Privileged not in the sense tht only the monied can attend, but because the people who are damned lucky enough to be able to go get an absolutely fantastic education, surrounded by very bright people, and with top-class facilities. We are extraordinarily lucky to have this provision and environment. We're privileged to be there.

2) Cambridge is an elite university. Not socially elite, but academically elite. A meritocracy. Whilst there is some connection between the two, the pattern is broken often enough that people should realise the "elite" part is, so far as university admissions is concerned [rather than the standard of secondary education nation-wide, which is a different problem and NOT one Cambridge should be expected to solve], purely academic. Also, in another sense of the word, "elite" means "chosen". And you are chosen by the university for a place.

3) Cambridge is NOT available to everyone. For a start, there are about 14,000 applicants and fewer than 4,000 places. That's a lot of very good people for whom there is simply no room. Furthermore, you need to do more than get the grades. And not "everyone" can do that. There are also social prolems which bars an academic progression for many people. Again, this is not Cambridge's problem to solve (though I'd like to point out that Cambridge and Cambridge-related bodies do an awful lot of research into this stuff too) -- this is a national governmental issue.

Reply 6

Comp_Genius

There is nothing wrong with being elitist, if one is being elitist about academia. And yes, this is a stupid idea.

Reply 7

Apagg

Is this a stupid idea because
a) It won't work
b) You're worried it will work

?

Reply 8

epitome

Comp_Genius

And yes, this is a stupid idea.

Whilst I'd agree that it's deeply unfortunate Cambridge has to think about doing this in order to get people to think differently about its image, I cannot agree that it's a "stupid idea". It's good marketing, if past experience can be relied upon; and many people are just not paying attention to the written stuff. This reaches a different audience, and puts Cambridge in a place that people - wrongly - don't expect.

Unfortunate situation, rather than stupid idea.

Reply 9

Alexander

epitome

...

Absolutely brilliant post. I too was irritated by what the admissions officer said.

JocastaJackal

I think somehow they're appealing to the wrong audience by infiltrating TV soaps.

Even if all potential applicants are far too busy reading Plato in the original or studying the niceties of quantum mechanics to watch Eastenders (which I doubt, anyway), there are still the families and friends of potential applicants to consider -- people are often very influenced by their attitudes.

On a slightly unrelated note, isn't it a bit odd that Oxford seems to get all the novels and films set in it rather than Cambridge? If Cambridge can at least get Eastenders that'd be something.

Reply 10

Ed.

Fair play to Cambridge really - I don't think it will help, but worth a shot anyway.

good idea

I can just see it now, Doctor Who.

Doctor: I studied at Cambridge once ya know.
Assistant: Really??
Doctor: Oh yeah, i was there when Isaac Newton was, he never told anyone i dropped the apple on his head.

Reply 13

groovy_moose

I don't understand why so many people think this is a bad idea... it's product placement (sort of). Advertisers do it all the time, and wouldn't do so if it didn't work.
As long as soap writers are responsible about their story lines, it seems like a fairly reasonable tactic to try, given the place oxbridge find themselves in.

Yes, lots of people who are here don't watch soaps - i don't personally, but the mass migration to the JCR when ever Hollyoaks or Neighbours is on would suggest that many people do.

Reply 14

epitome

Alexander

Absolutely brilliant post. I too was irritated by what the admissions officer said.

Thanks.
Though NB: It doesn't say the "spokesman" is an admissions officer. I might be being overly hopeful, but I would hope an admissions officer wouldn't say something so misleading. Though we all know the press, and the soundbites they use, often misconstrue.

Reply 15

epitome

bubblewit

This would be an extraordinarily fun storyline. :biggrin:

Reply 16

faber niger

I don't think it's such a bad idea actually.

Reply 17

Chewwy

i think it sounds cool. every time i see cambridge on the TV (natwest advert) i get ridiculously excited as it is..

it would also at least be more realistic than bradley in Eastenders being an investment banker.

Reply 18

conroe-killed-the-k8-star

Shame they have to resort to this to show that they don't just rely on old boys networks when choosing students.People need to understand that , for example with Physical Natural Sciences a college would be looking for say the 30 best students at Physics and Chemistry.With Maths its exactly the same here and that means the level has to be extremely high - Cambridge make offers on STEP papers (which are much harder than normal A2 maths exams) and many applicants might score close to 1200/1200 UMS in Maths and Further Maths.They won't just take people like other universities who might reach a minimum standard in their A2s so they can cope with the course and that makes it inaccessible to something like 97% of A2 candidates.

I had a go at applying last year at Downing College to do NatSci , got chosen for interview .When it came along I did okay with the Maths but struggled with the Chemistry and Physics interviews and didn't get an offer accordingly.They even sent back feedback from the interview which was rather helpful indeed.They said I needed at least 7 on their assessment score for an offer and my score was 4.5.

It just winds me up how people think Oxbridge are complete snobs really when clearly they aren't as anyone who has applied would know.End of rant.

Reply 19

Rudrax

Marketing the University to a new audience isn't a bad idea, no, but I don't think it's the most effective method. And unless people who have been motivated to apply to Cambridge by watching the soaps get in, won't it just perpetuate the image?

I don't know, if they want to lose the image, why not go down to areas from where intake is lowest and talk to people about Univeristy/applying to Cambridge through schools or after-school programmes? I don't think people are looking to base their University application decisions on what they see in a soap. If anything, it's not enough, it's not persuasive enough to want to make them apply.

I don't know, worth a try I guess.