Oxbridge Success 2012
The past few years have seen particular success in Salopian Oxbridge applications, with 17 offers in 2010 and 11 offers in 2011. 2012 follows on from this strength, with 14 pupils who have either been offered places, or who are now in the pool.
In addition, there are a couple of other more unusual Oxbridge success stories this year for former Salopian students, Karun Sandal and Alex Chamolly (further details below).
Shrewsbury's 2012 Oxbridge offers, as at 18th January:
| Oliver Antcliff (M) | Oxford | Pembroke | Chemistry |
| Imola Atkins (MSH) | Oxford | Keble | Theology and Philosophy |
| Henry Brereton* (Rt) | Cambridge | Robinson | Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic |
| Jack Flowers (I) | Oxford | Brasenose | French |
| Mark Li (SH) | Cambridge | Caius | Natural Sciences |
| Stephen Li (Rt) | Oxford | Open | Biochemistry |
| Ellie Moodey (MSH) | Oxford | New | Classics |
| Alasdair Pollock (I) | Cambridge | St John’s | Geography |
| Tabitha Price (MSH) | Oxford | Exeter | French and Spanish |
| Angus Thompson (G) | Oxford | Merton | Classics |
| Nick Thompson* (G)* | Oxford | Trinity | Classics |
* Henry and Nick both have confirmed places, having taken their A Levels in 2011.
In addition to these 11 Oxbridge offers/places, we were delighted to hear that Karun Sandal (PH 2004-2008) and Alex Chamolly (Rt 2009-2010) were also successful in their applications.
Karun's story is a particularly unusual one. He left Shrewsbury in 2008 at the end of the Lower Sixth, after receiving what he felt were disappointing results in his AS Levels in Maths, Spanish and Economics. However, over 2 years later - at the start of 2011 - Karun decided to return to his A Levels, pursuing his real passion which was English. Studying on his own, with the help of tutors, he was awarded an A* in Religious Studies A Level last summer, and for his AS Levels in History and Religious Studies he received A grades.
On the basis of these promising results, Karun decided to apply to Oxbridge to study English, and asked his former Fourth Form tutor here, Mike Schutzer-Weissman, for help in preparing him for the 'dreaded' entrance exam (ELAT).
Karun writes: "As well as successfully preparing me for the entrance exam, [Mr. Schutzer-Weissman] also helped me to engage with literature in a more rigorous way. By the time of the interview in December, I was a lot more confident!
"I'm certain Mr. Schutzer-Weissmann's tutorials were decisive in my successful application, especially with the ELAT which turned out to be the highest score out of all the candidates (58/60). So I owe an enormous amount to him, and obviously, the School."
Karun has been offered a place to read English as Somverville College, Oxford.
Alex Chomolly followed a path that a number of Salopian German students have taken, and joined our Lower Sixth for just one year, in September 2009. He then returned to his school in Germany to complete his education. Alex has a place to read Maths at Trinity College, Cambridge.
