Oxford and Cambridge are two of the most prestigious colleges in the entire world. Consequently, it leaves potential students with a feeling of futility, and makes being accepted seem impossible. In the United States, the same paradigm exists with Harvard, Yale, and other Ivy League schools. The image that these post-secondary institutions bring to mind is one of very privileged students that have no trouble paying for their tuition. These colleges need to eliminate that very perception in order to stimulate the diversity in their student population. In the article, Jill Lawless quotes Greg Hayman: “‘There’s a perception gap between reality and how we’ve been perceived previously and that takes time to change,’ Hayman said.” In saying this, he describes that it is indeed possible for these colleges to change the way they have been viewed for decades. However, to do this, these institutions should have a effective, fresh plan. The “Oxbridge” plan is the perfect candidate and should be implemented because it would be directed towards multiple economic backgrounds, it would make the colleges seem less intimidating, and provides an excellent medium to release information through.
There are a great number of people who would agree that everyone should have the same opportunity to attend these colleges. However, the best way to appeal to the correct audience is the next issue. Simply adding information to the websites of the institutions would not produce the desired effect, since it would not reach a large number of people. Using the T.V. to normalize these larger than life colleges is ingenious. Considering that the T.V. is something that people interact with on an almost daily basis, this drastically increases the audience the colleg...
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... great for colleges that are seeking diversity.
After reviewing these points, it becomes clear that the “Oxbridge” plan can be quite effective. If Cambridge uses this idea and has success with it, then it could be implemented in the Ivy League schools here in the United States. This plan may be unconventional, but it is one of the best ways to communicate with teenagers. It is certainly a fresh and unique idea on appealing to potential students.Also, if these post-secondary institutions want to shed their elitist image, then this is the way to do it. In time, the portrayal of these colleges as exclusive and expensive will diminish and society will view them in a much different way. The “Oxbridge” plan should not be the last idea of its kind, and will hopefully be followed by many other ideas that make getting an excellent education possible for all individuals.