Cranford Review 2021

SIXTH FORM #
has helped me obtain an offer to study Dentistry at
King’s College London. With regards to university
and student life, the school provided us with
financial and wellbeing tips through assemblies in
order to prepare us for the future. My advice to year
12 students who are preparing for university this
year would be to thoroughly research the course and
universities you will be applying to. League tables
and rankings are meaningless if you won’t be happy
studying the course at that specific university. It is
also worth looking at alternative routes to get to
the career of your choice, so having a plan B is key.
Lastly, if you need any help during your application,
don’t hesitate to speak to one of the teachers because
they want the best for you!
Anjali Bhambra (year 13)
The prospect of applying to study Medicine can
be daunting but the Cranford Early Entry UCAS
programme made it a lot easier with support for
booking admissions tests such as the BMAT, writing
your personal statement and the most challenging
part - interviews! I am pleased to say that the
programme aided me to gain an offer at Brighton
and Sussex Medical School where I will be studying
Medicine in September. For those looking to apply
to Medicine, I would say start early! Book the UCAT
before school starts and use the summer wisely to
study for admissions tests and get some medical work
experience!
Rajvir Sran (year 13)
This September, I hope to be studying Medicine at
Guy’s campus, King’s College London. The journey
to Medicine was not an easy one, however with
the constant support of my teachers I was able to
put forward a competitive application. In Year 13,
we were coupled up with teachers who read over
our personal statement drafts and gave helpful,
constructive criticism. I had sent my personal
statement to many teachers (who were always happy
to help) across multiple subject departments hence I
received holistic advice which enabled my statement
to become much more concise and engaging. During
the daunting interview process, I was supported by a
former Cranford student who now studies Medicine
at Imperial College London. We conducted many
mock interviews over a couple of weeks and the feedback
I received during this stage was invaluable, thus I was
grateful to have this interaction made possible through
the school network. My advice to current Year 12’s who
are going through the UCAS process would be to stay
organised and more importantly to show a genuine
passion for your subject in your personal statement. Over
the summer, you can attend lectures, summer schools,
complete a future learn course or read a book about
your subject. Specifically, for those considering a career
in Medicine, whilst it is important that you focus on
your admissions tests such as the UCAT or BMAT 1-2
months early, do not let this overshadow your A-Level
commitments. To alleviate the pressure at the beginning
of Year 13, you should aim to complete your first draft of
the personal statement during your summer holidays so
that you can focus on your admission tests. Good luck for
all your future endeavours in Year 13!
Aliza Abbas (year 13)
For students doing UCAS early entry, there is a huge
amount of support available from the school. In my case,
I was able to get a wealth of feedback from teachers
regarding my personal statement, which allowed me to
write the best possible one, helping me secure the places
I need. Moreover, the school hosts mock interviews,
which give a good simulation of the actual interviews at
universities. Due to the pandemic, university interviews
were online only, and the school prepared me for this with
an online interview that was very similar to the real thing
and gave me a very good experience of online meetings,
since I had never done anything of this nature. I was very
fortunate to gain a conditional offer from Cambridge to
study Mathematics. Thanks to the school’s outstanding
teaching standards and support for students, I feel well
prepared to go on and pursue my degree.
For current Year 12 students (who will be entering
Year 13 shortly), my main piece of advice is to apply to
study a subject you will enjoy. You will be spending at
least 3 years studying it in depth, so you want to choose
something you can end up succeeding in. Employers look
more at transferable skills as well as experience gained
beyond studying, meaning the choice of subject matters
less than some may think (with a few exceptions).
Haroon Lukka (year 13)
7