In a move that has sparked controversy, Trinity Hall, a college at the University of Cambridge, has announced plans to target students from some of the country’s most prestigious private schools. The college justified the decision by claiming that a sole focus on “greater fairness in admissions” could “unintentionally result in reverse discrimination.”
However, this argument has been met with fierce criticism from many Cambridge alumni, who have interpreted the move as a perpetuation of class prejudice. One fellow at the college described it as a “slap in the face” for their state-educated undergraduates, echoing the snobbery that has long plagued Oxbridge institutions.
The reality is that the persistent admissions gap between private and state schools at elite universities is a reflection of the profound generational opportunity divide that plagues British society. Access to resources such as musical instruments, private tuition, and overseas travel remains a privilege, not a universal opportunity. To mistake these unequal starting points for evidence of unequal ability is to confuse years of private preparation with natural merit.
As Professor Lee Elliot Major, a social mobility expert at the University of Exeter, argues, the challenge facing prestigious universities is not about “reverse discrimination,” but rather about recognising and cultivating talent, regardless of background. Institutions must confront the class-based practices that determine who is recognised as talented and who gets ahead.
This is not just a moral imperative, but a practical one. Leading employers, from law firms to tech companies, are now moving away from simplistic diversity drives towards a more forensic examination of what true talent looks like. Universities would do well to follow suit, designing admissions systems that reward potential, not just existing advantage.
As the “dials of opportunity” continue to point in the wrong direction, the test of a great university is not whether it attracts those already trained to succeed, but whether it can nurture the potential that exists in all corners of society. In a time of deepening inequality, this distinction has never mattered more.
