From Harrogate to New York: Year 13 Pupil Secures Ivy League Place as College Celebrate Outstanding University Offers

A guaranteed place at an Ivy League university, impressive Russell Group offers and outstanding STEM course representation highlight the impressive university offers achieved by Harrogate Ladies’ College (Duchy College from September 2026) pupils.

Year 13 pupil, Tamara, has accepted a place to study Mechanical Engineering at Columbia University, an Ivy League university and one of the most prestigious institutions in the United States.

“I couldn’t believe it when I was accepted into Columbia, it’s a dream come true for me,” Tamara said.

“I’ve really loved my time at College. The individual support, small class sizes and the atmosphere for learning played a big part in helping me secure a place at Columbia.”

84% of applicants have been offered a place at a Russell Group university to study courses such as Medicine at Edinburgh, Neuroscience at King’s College London, Architecture at University College, London, as well as Modern Foreign Languages at Durham and Zoology at the University of Bristol.

“Our relationship with Russell Group universities continues to grow, and we are exceptionally proud of our pupils for their consistent success gaining offers from some of the best universities in the country,” Head of Sixth Form, Dr Davina Kirby, said.

52% of applications were in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) courses, which is double the national average of female applications for STEM subjects in 2025.

“We are immensely proud of our offering for pupils looking to pursue careers in STEM,” Dr Davina Kirby said.

“The school has long championed young women who choose to follow pathways in careers that have been traditionally male dominated.

“For a school of our size, achieving such a consistently strong proportion of university offers in STEM disciplines reflects the dedication and expertise of our staff, as well as the carefully developed pathways that ensure these careers are accessible and attainable for every pupil,” she said.

Further highlighting the broad range of courses pupils will go on to study, there were unconditional offers for Fashion, Textiles, Criminology and Film Studies.

“We provide an extensive selection of A Level subjects, ensuring every pupil can follow their individual interests,” Dr Kirby said.

“Alongside this broad range of academic choice, our newly introduced Empower Programme ensures that pupils benefit from a rich and well-rounded Sixth Form experience.”

The Empower Programme is a pioneering Sixth Form leadership and development initiative designed to equip Sixth Form pupils with the skills, confidence, and resilience to excel beyond school.