Universities & Careers

From the beginning of Sixth Form, boys begin planning their university pathway. Each boy has a specialist Sixth Form tutor who is experienced when it comes to university applications and advice. They have six one-to-one university planning meetings per year and also follow a university application programme in Friday lessons. In addition, we have two specialist International University Advisors. Reference and personal statement writing training and checking is conducted by the Head of Sixth Form and Assistant Head of Sixth Form.  

UK University Applications 

The majority of Sixth Formers apply to the UK either as their sole application or in addition to a US/Canadian or European application. 

We are very pleased with the success of this process which has resulted in 84% securing their first choice and 98% securing their first or second choice of university and course. Highlights from 2020-21 include Durham University (Physics), Imperial College (Mathematics), Imperial College (Mechanical Engineering), London School of Economics (Economics), London School of Economics (Management), Queen Mary University (Medicine), University of Cambridge (History), University of Glasgow (Medicine). The full list of Leavers’ Destinations can be found here:  

The specialist form tutors write the university references and support personal statement writing. All boys attend a personal statement writing workshop in June of Year 12. All references and personal statements are signed off by both the Head of Sixth Form and the Head Master or Deputy Head. 

In the autumn term of Year 12, individual meetings are held to provide higher education information and the boys are introduced to Unifrog – a sophisticated software package trusted by over 1,500 schools around the world to help students find and apply to the best university courses while enabling teachers to track their progress.

Oxbridge, medicine and other competitive applications

Our Head of Scholarship  oversees preparation for the most competitive courses and universities. The Head of Examinations organises the additional tests and all Year 13 applicants sit a mock in September.  

Boys benefit from an additional programme of study led by a subject specialist which includes examination preparation e.g. for the MAT, BMAT etc., interview preparation classes and mock interviews with external experts. 

For medical, dentistry and veterinary science applicants, the Heads of Scholarship and Careers support pupils in arranging work experience at local GPs or hospitals. There are also specialist workshops to help with the application process throughout the Sixth Form such as Future Medics and Oxbridge Club. 

US University Applications 

Approximately 20% of boys opt to apply to university in the USA and we are extremely proud of the competitive outcomes. Wetherby has a significant advantage compared to bigger schools as we are able to dedicate more time to each boy and advise them very carefully. In addition, staff get to know the pupils extremely well and are able to write personalised references of the highest calibre. All USA reference writers undertake training each year. We have two dedicated advisors (Dr Smith & Ms Gagnon) and Mrs Deedat is the counsellor.  

Canadian University Applications 

Many boys opt to apply to Canadian universities e.g. McGill and Toronto. For some of these universities taking the SAT/ACT is recommended so the applicants are usually integrated into the thorough USA process too.  

European University Applications 

Boys who opt to apply to European universities have seen great success e.g. Bocconi, ESSEC, IE University, KU Leuven and Universitat de Barcelona. For some of these universities taking the SAT/ACT is recommended and they are overseen by the Head of Sixth Form.  

The Sixth Form Careers Programme includes personal guidance interviews, talks from industry professionals and lesson to improve skills, knowledge and understanding for career planning and management. At Wetherby we believe that it is important to bust old-fashioned myths about A Level/degree choices and show the huge range of careers available.  

‘Meet the Expert’  

Throughout the academic year we offer talks by professionals in a range of industries. These give an insight into a range of careers and builds a picture of what is needed to reach those heights, experiences of working in that industry and key skills needed to have a long and successful career. These occur on a bi-weekly basis and are sometimes in person and sometime through Zoom or MS Teams.  

Morrisby Testing  

This takes place towards the beginning of Year 12 as part of the PSHE Careers Programme: 

ShortlistMe  

Shortlister is a platform that many companies utilise to recruit graduate via video interviews. ShortlistMe aims to help young people prepare for the digital age of recruitment and provides you with a range of practice interviews from various companies and universities. This includes a Market Place (where all the practice interviews can be found). It is an invaluable tool for career preparation.  

Pupils sign up early in Year 12 as part of the Careers PSHE programme and are introduced to the software: https://go.shortlister.com/marketplace/wetherbysenior