Sutton Trust US Programme Cohort 12 (2023) Applicants Thread

For the people who got accepted, how are you guys going to prepare for the ACT exam?

I got in!!

Did you just receive the email

I have no idea kinda panicked about it actually do you think they give much support!

It’s a good idea as some colleges require it however if you know you plan on applying to those that don’t require it then you don’t need to but it may still be for the best

Do u know if everyone accepted their places on the programme?
(Sorry, just really desperate)

Yeah I bet they’ll give lots of support, I’m still worried though because the exams sooo long and they said we have to do a mock ACT before the April residential but I have mocks coming up rlly soon that I have to revise for as well😭

Yeah my UCAS predicted grade mocks are like a week after the ACTs in june

For the people who got accepted, how are you guys going to prepare for the ACT exam?

I haven’t even started revising because I knew if I didn’t get into the programme I wouldn’t apply
To the us. Since I was accepted there’s lots of short videos on TikTok going through answers and online there are lots of practice questions. But I think we get tutoring or something like that

There’s a lot of free advice on YouTube (like walkthroughs and lessons on structure ext) and it’s quite easy to find past papers that are useful for familiarising yourself with the questions and structure of the exam. As for more general tips I recommend putting the most revision into sections you don’t do relating alevels for (for example if you’re doing all stem based subjects focus on the English/humanities section and if your doing humanities/English focus on maths and stem) also it’s definitely worth reaching out to your school/teachers as they may have had someone do this before and be able to support you.

I have no idea kinda panicked about it actually do you think they give much support!

i got in, if u dont do well on the ACT can u not go?

I dont think you get to go on the trip if you don't sit it. I dont think the score matters too much

Thank you so much, this is really helpful. I do STEM based subjects so I’ve been doing like past papers of the English section. Also, do you know anything about the optional writing section? Like if it’s better to take it or if it’s not that important to do it?

It’s a good idea as some colleges require it however if you know you plan on applying to those that don’t require it then you don’t need to but it may still be for the best

you are provided comprehensive third-party tutoring starting from the April residential up to the ACT exam in June. please don't worry too much at this point just get the mock paper done and they hold you hand from there.




the score does not matter at all. fulbright heavily deëmphasises the the importance of your ACT score because it is quite frankly not important. most colleges are still test optional, so if you get a bad score, it's not a big deal.




six colleges require the act with writing. six colleges recommend, but do not require the act with writing. none of these twelve are in the list of colleges you will be given that the programme recommends you apply to. most importantly, you will not be funded to sit the act with writing by fulbright. the act with writing, sat essay and sat subject tests are very much relics of the past that you need not pay attention to

Thank you so much, this is extremely helpful and has helped my stress a lot haha. Also, how are we supposed to do the ACT mock? Do Sutton trust mark it themselves or do we just do it at home on our own? And if we do badly on it could they perhaps kick us off the program after the April residential as I saw in another thread that that’s what they used to do.

they will only kick you off if you egregiously and obviously break the rules, not for something as trivial as not getting a high score on a test format you have *never* done before. please don't worry, they aren't expecting you to be perfect in the least they have already recognised the potential inside you, you just need to come along for the ride.

it's been a while but afaik the answer key is enclosed for you to self-mark but the google classroom when it opens will explain things far better.

They said they'd reach out to us on Tuesday to invite us to an online classroom but I still haven't received anything and its Wednesday. Have any of you guys who got in received anything about that?

Really? I received the email yesterday inviting me to the google classroom and it says on the classroom that over 100 people have joined so others have received it too. I think that you should maybe email them? It’s really strange they haven’t emailed you yet.

They said they'd reach out to us on Tuesday to invite us to an online classroom but I still haven't received anything and its Wednesday. Have any of you guys who got in received anything about that?

Oh maybe I should email them about it then😭