The Scholars Programme inspires a love of learning in students aged 8-18, providing practical experience of higher education and helping students develop the skills needed to thrive in academia and their careers.
We’re proud of the impact our programme has on both GCSE attainment and university progression; we’re also incredibly proud of what students have gone on to achieve since taking part in The Scholars Programme. In this vein, we wanted to share student ambassador Deepali’s story with you.
“I went to a school where they definitely tried their best to prepare us, but the resources and knowledge to prepare students for the most competitive universities just weren’t there.
“I was so pleased that my school chose to get involved with The Brilliant Club. Having the chance to do something completely separate from the curriculum takes the pressure off immediately. My PhD tutor was really friendly and encouraged us to have discussions about what we were learning.
“When you get to university, they sort of expect that everyone knows how to write an essay and reference it properly, but this isn’t always something you learn in state school. Other students had years of preparation leading up to university, but without The Brilliant Club, I wouldn’t have known how to do it.
“I would never be as confident as I am now if I hadn’t taken part in The Scholars Programme. I remember clearly that some of the feedback I got from my PhD tutor said ‘You’re a star, believe in yourself!’. It was so encouraging to have someone so high up in their field say that to me. I felt like I could ask them questions about university that I couldn’t ask my normal school teachers.
“As part of the programme, we visited a few university campuses. I feel like this helped me to actually imagine myself going to university. When it came time to go for my university interviews, it was so much less daunting as I had already been there once before.”
Maheea’s story: how The Scholars Programme inspired her interest in healthcare and to study Pharmacy at UCL.
Abigail’s story: how taking part in The Scholars Programme within her Welsh valleys school helped her pursue higher education.
Stallan’s story: how The Scholars Programme helped him pursue a Sociology degree at the University of Bristol.