The vast majority of St Clare’s graduates go to university as the next step in their career. Institutions all over the world welcome our students. During your two years at St Clare’s, you will be well-prepared for and guided through decisions and applications.
Most students start university immediately, while a number choose to develop their personal skills and interests by taking a “gap year”. During a gap year, students usually travel, work or volunteer. This can improve their career prospects prior to continuing in education.
Students have been successful in taking places at prestigious universities around the world. This year’s excellent results have ensured success for our students, particularly at a time when competition is strong. Many students have had offers from universities in different countries and been able to take up their first-choice university.
| Destination | Students |
| UK universities (see below for details) | 60 |
| US universities and liberal arts colleges (see below) | 13 |
| European universities and colleges: University of Amsterdam (2), Amsterdam University College, Bocconi (Italy), International University of Catalonia, ESMOD (France), IE x3 (Spain), Istituto Marangoni, Maastricht, Jacobs (Germany), KU Leven, Parsons Paris, Passau (Germany), Poznan (Poland) and Webster Vienna, | 19 |
| Canadian Universities: McGill (2), Simon Fraser and UBC (2) | 5 |
| Australian Universities: Melbourne (2) | 2 |
| Gap year: This year the students’ gap year plans include: Volunteering as an English Teacher in India, working with an environmentalist campaigner in Senegal on environmental and community projects, internships in multiple hotels, working within event management to gain experience, gaining her TEFL then moving to Provence to teach English and the guitar whilst improving her French, Shadowing in a law firm, then volunteering on a Human Rights Project in South Africa. | 16 – 3 of which are holding a deferred entry place. |
US and UK university league tables
For 2017, 29 St. Clare’s graduates, have been placed in the Top 20 UK universities as ranked by the independent Complete University Guide 2017, with 21 in the top 10 (see below). Eleven students are taking up places in Top 100 US universities, 9 of them at Top 50 Institutions and a further 2 have gone on to a Top 35 Liberal Arts College according to the standard ranking list by U.S. News and World Report. Rankings represent an average of each university’s provision, for example in teaching, research, entry standards, staff-student ratio, degrees awarded, job prospects, resources, retention rates and spending per student.
| Top UK universities | No. of students |
|---|---|
| Cambridge | 2 |
| Oxford | 4 |
| London School of Economics LSE | 2 |
| Imperial | 2 |
| Warwick | 5 |
| University College London UCL | 6 |
| Students placed in the top US universities and colleges | No. of students |
| Bryn Mawr (Liberal Arts College) | 1 |
| Amherst (Liberal Arts College) | 1 |
| Harvard University | 1 |
| University of Pennsylvania | 1 |
| Carnegie Mellon University | 1 |
| University of Rochester | 1 |
| Brandeis University | 1 |
| New York University | 1 |
| The University of Southern California on the prestigious WBB Programme | 1 |
Engineering at University of Cambridge
St. Clare’s offers what is rarely achieved: internationalism, independence and accomplishment. The diversity of the teaching as well as the support behind choosing your future path is one of the strongest features of the school. Personally, the continuous motivation and support given by the entire student and teacher body is what enabled me to strive through the IB and persevere until the end. The environment at St Clare’s has given me the opportunity to gain independence, explore my future career paths and challenge my limits.
Students have chosen to study a range of subjects including: Aerospace Engineering, Biochemistry, Biology, Biomedical Science, Biotechnology, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Classics, Computer Science, Criminology, Drama, Economics, English Literature, Fashion Marketing, Fine Art, Film Directing, Genetics, Geology and Nutrition, Global Sustainability Science, History, Information Management for Business, International Aviation Management, International Development with Economics, Law, Liberal Arts, Management, Medicine, Neuroscience, Pharmacology, Philosophy and Religious Studies, Philosophy, PPE (Philosophy, Politics and Economics), Physics, Psychology and Social Anthropology.
St Clare’s is an international school and, as such, our students view universities from a global perspective. This year 59 (59%) of our current students are progressing on to a university in the top 1% in the world as measured by the Times Higher Education World Rankings and the QS World Rankings.
Classed in the other category are also specialist institutions who are top in their field. This includes:
We pride ourselves on helping students to make well-informed choices and applications for their future. Our careers and higher education programme provides a strong foundation for future study, work and life. Students comment on its value many years after they have left St Clare’s.
It was easy to find useful information on the Careers website. In leading up to university application, there was always support available to help with UCAS and personal statements. Throughout the first year, we were encouraged to do career research, so everything was not left to do at the start of the second year, which would have been impossible!
I was made to question why I want to study that subject. I think it really made me think if it is right for me or not.
Everything was well organised and we were helped to manage our time effectively, which really helped.
You could pop in to see Melanie whenever you had a question; you never felt that you had to make decisions on your own.
With the UK — helped me to choose universities based on the factors that were most important to me.
With the US — helped me to navigate the college admissions process as a St Clare’s student. Also helped me to come up with a really good list of colleges to apply to.
The orientation weekend would not be complete without the Orientation Olympics. This is an annual event for new students arriving to study Pre-IB or IB and each student is assigned a team: Blue, Green, Yellow or Red. They play a range of fun games...
St Clare’s is a Licensed Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Centre. We offer our students the opportunity to complete the Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award as direct entrants. The Gold Award is achieved by completing a personal programme of activities in five sections,...
On the 29 April 2018, 11 IB students and 4 teachers visited Bletchley Park, the place which was once the central site for British codebreakers during World War Two. The location, famous for where Alan Turing broke the enigma code is perfect our history students as...
For advice before you start the IB, speak to Chris Osbourn, Admissions Registrar.