You’re more likely to get into Bristol if you’re from a private school

Private school applicants are more likely to get a place at Bristol uni than applicants from state schools.

Between 2012-2014, 19 per cent of private school applicants were successful in getting a place at Bristol university.

Over the same three years, only 13 per cent of state school applicants were successful.

The private school bias will come as no surprise, as Bristol is synonymous with the stereotype of tweed-wearing, gun-toting posh kids.

There’s also a notable difference in how many offers private and state school applicants receive. Over two-thirds of private school students received an offer, compared to 56 per cent of state school applicants.

I’m guessing they got in

The large drop between the number of state school pupils offered a place at the university and the actual intake number was explained by the uni as being the result of students not getting the required grades.

They said: “State school students are less likely to achieve their predicted grades and meet the terms of their offer.”

Ben, a state school-educated Physics student, said: “Sadly it doesn’t surprise me that far more students don’t make their predicted grades at state schools than they do at private.

“Far too often this is not because of any difference in intelligence, but simply because of the huge amount of support most private schools give to their students, be it through smaller class sizes or more teaching. This kind of thing is often unavailable at state schools.

“I went to a good comprehensive school, but during A level we still had teachers absent for months on end without being replaced. As a result we were simply expected to self-teach. This sort of thing wouldn’t have happened at a private school, and the differences between the two need to be recognised by universities.”

Ironically, only a third of the Wills students pictured are privately educated

Frankie attended private school and says she believes the school you attend shouldn’t make a difference. Despite this, she says she actually received negativity in response to her application as a private school student.

She said: “One kid obnoxiously said I wouldn’t get into Bristol because he thought they didn’t take private school kids, so he was really wrong.”

Alex, another privately educated student, said the idea that attending a private school gives you an advantage in the admissions process is wrong.

He said: “I don’t think going to a private school has any effect on entrance decisions. It’s more likely a private school kid will either have a better academic record or more interesting CV in general. These obviously are helped by wealth, but it’s not because they went to a private school.”