Achievements

University Admissions

Over 90% of Shiplake graduates make it into universities either straight after school or following a gap year. In 2023, 93% secured places at their first or second-choice institutions, while half of all applications went to top-40 universities in the Complete University Guide rankings—13% more than the previous year. Seven students landed spots in top-ten universities, including Durham, Loughborough and Bath, which reflects not just strong grades but how seriously the college approaches university preparation.

Popular Courses

Graduates choose diverse paths—from dentistry and physics to medicine, economics and engineering. Most often they end up at Cardiff and Exeter, though one recent student made it to Harvard. Previous years have seen admissions to Oxford, Cambridge, Yale and Princeton, so the college regularly sends students to elite institutions that demand both academic excellence and well-rounded profiles beyond exam results.

Exam Preparation at Shiplake College

Shiplake combines academic rigour with personal development, which means exam prep goes beyond drilling past papers. Students work through internal assessments, refine their exam techniques and develop extended writing skills, while sixth-formers attend revision seminars and essay-writing masterclasses that help them tackle university-level work with confidence rather than just memorising content.

Development Opportunities

The percentage of students receiving Russell Group offers jumped from 26% to 41% over two years, largely because the college offers more than just A-Levels. Students can pursue BTECs, Tech Levels and EPQ qualifications, which creates flexibility for different learning styles and career paths while still maintaining the academic standards that universities expect from applicants.