Lucy was an incredibly hard worker at school - and was one of the first students we worked with who genuinely loved doing homework. She was often happiest working by herself on impressive supercurricular projects, and completing extra work for her teachers.

While many of her classmates were more interested in activities outside of Academia, Lucy’s main focus was on doing well in school, and spending time on what mattered to her: her studies and the process of research on topics she loved.

Lucy and her parents were both concerned that University may pose many of the same problems that school had: surrounded by students who are less committed to study than her, she might face a disruptive education where she didn’t feel like she fit in.

Spyglass were able to help Lucy find a range of universities where the culture was very firmly academic - and where a scholarly attitude was not only highly respected, but well rewarded. She came to us with a superb supercurricular profile, but grades had been impacted by disruptive classes and dispassionate teachers. We ensured that she got the support she needed to flourish in her school exams, while also guaranteeing that her passion for the subject which had already produced so many superb experiences outside of school was reflected in her application. We added some additional, externally audited experiences where appropriate, and invested considerable time on interview coaching, which was perhaps Lucy’s weakest area (something she’ll happily admit!)

Lucy’s parents were beyond proud to hear that she had successfully gained admission to Oxford’s highly competitive PPE degree, along with a range of offers from other leading research universities. She now works alongside peers who are just as committed to hard work and self-driven study as she is, and is working towards a bright career. We have no doubt we’ll see her in the news before too long.