A Cambridge college has ignited a fierce debate on educational privilege after approving a policy to specifically target students from elite private schools for recruitment, marking a significant shift from decades of widening participation efforts.
A Controversial Strategy for 'Quality' Applicants
Trinity Hall college has formally adopted a plan to approach around 50 independent schools, including prestigious institutions like Eton, Winchester, and St Paul's Girls' School. The initiative, confirmed by fellows last month, aims to encourage applications for subjects such as classics, languages, and music.
In an internal memo, Marcus Tomalin, the college's Director of Admissions, argued that the best students from these schools arrive with expertise that aligns with Cambridge's intellectual demands. He warned that failing to engage with this pool could constitute 'reverse discrimination', overlooking exceptionally well-qualified applicants.
"To ignore or marginalise this pool of applicants would risk overlooking potential offer holders who are not only exceptionally well-qualified, but who have been encouraged to engage critically and independently with their subjects in a way Cambridge has historically prized," Tomalin stated.
Internal Outrage and Expert Condemnation
The move has provoked anger within the college and among social mobility experts. Several Trinity Hall academics, who spoke to the Guardian anonymously, described the policy as 'a slap in the face' for state-educated undergraduates and staff who have long championed access initiatives.
One fellow expressed deep alarm, stating: "Claiming that the best students come from an elite set of schools will make many of our wonderful diverse community feel unwelcome and risks returning Trinity Hall to the boys' club culture of the past."
Professor Lee Elliot Major, a social mobility expert at the University of Exeter, strongly criticised the implication that widening participation students are academically inferior. "The evidence is clear: when talented students who have faced greater barriers gain access to elite universities, they flourish precisely because opportunity, not ability, was the binding constraint," he said.
The Broader Context of Cambridge Admissions
This policy emerges against a complex backdrop. While Cambridge has worked to shed its elitist image, the proportion of state-educated UK students admitted fell from 73% in 2022 to 71% recently. Private school pupils, who make up only about 7% of the UK student population, still account for 29% of Cambridge's UK intake.
Trinity Hall's own intake of privately educated students was 32% in 2022, dropping to 26% in the most recent data. The college defended its new strategy, noting its ongoing commitment to disadvantaged backgrounds and stating the initiative aligns with the university's access plan by targeting high academic potential across all school types.
However, this justification was undercut by the memo's focus on schools predominantly in southern England with annual fees exceeding £25,000, and recent research showing private schools spend only a fraction of income on means-tested bursaries.
The controversy highlights the ongoing tension within elite universities between pursuing academic excellence as they define it and fulfilling their role as engines of social mobility. With Cambridge having removed specific state school targets in 2024 following Office for Students policy, Trinity Hall's new direction signals a potentially significant recalibration of admissions priorities.
