Melanie Trees, a year 12 pupil at St Ninian’s High School, made her application to the Sutton Trust US Programme after seeing a poster at school and recently attended a residential selection weekend in the UK. From two thousand applications and over 150 selected students, Melanie is the only Manx student who will take part this summer.
The aim of the Sutton Trust US Programme summer school is to encourage and enable talented young people from across the UK, including the Isle of Man, to consider applying to study at American universities. The free programme, in partnership with the US-UK Fulbright Commission, offers a week-long visit to a participating university in the States to get a taste of the culture and university life, balancing busy academic days with social activities. University admissions advice, application support and test preparation are also provided.
Melanie said:
“I am excited to have this opportunity to visit Yale and other US universities, and to understand the culture and admissions process better. The encouragement and support I have received has been amazing. My AS level results are due a couple of days after I return and I hope to be able to apply to university, probably in America, to study medicine.”
Eva Wisemark, patron of the US-UK Fulbright Commission, visits the Island’s secondary schools every year with a US student doing postgraduate studies in the UK with a Fulbright scholarship. They give presentations, information and advice to students and teachers about the US graduate education system, the US-UK Fulbright Commission and their partnership with the Sutton Trust.
Eva said:
“The Sutton Trust US Programme gives students a chance to get a taste of life at a leading American university and go on to make strong applications to study. Thank you to St Ninian’s High School for being so supportive of pupils taking part in this programme.”
Last year Victoria Parkin, also from St Ninian’s High School, was the first Manx student to attend the Sutton Trust US Programme. She has decided to re-take her A-level year to attain sciences as well as English, after the summer school inspired her to consider alternative study choices such as astro-physics. Victoria said: “An extra year at high school, in order to get the chance to study in America for four years, is well worth it. I would not have considered studying in America before going on the US summer school last year.”
Eva commented:
“Melanie and Victoria are the first members of their respective families to think about applying to university. I hope that Year 12 students across our secondary schools do consider the option of going to university, be that in America or in the UK.”
Photo shows from left to right: Melanie Trees, SNHS; Victoria Parkin, SNHS; Eva Wisemark, Patron the US-UK Fulbright Commission.
