Cambridge College Targets Elite Private Schools in Admissions Shift

A Cambridge University college will now actively recruit students from top UK private schools. This reverses a long-standing focus on attracting more state-educated pupils. Trinity Hall's fellows approved the new policy in December. They named schools like Eton, Winchester, and St Paul's Girls' School as targets. The college stated the move aims to improve applicant "quality" and address concerns over "reverse discrimination." Critics have called the decision a "slap in the face" for state-school students. It interrupts decades of efforts to widen access at elite universities. The shift comes as many UK universities work to increase diversity. Cambridge has recently seen a rising proportion of state-educated undergraduates.