Our Faculty

  • Jamie Beaton

    PhD in Public Policy, University of Oxford (Rhodes Scholar)

    MBA/MA in Education, Stanford University

    BA/MS in Applied Mathematics & Economics, Harvard University

    Jamie attended King’s College in New Zealand where he took 10 CIE A-Levels and received eight A* and two A’s, including a Top In The World in A2 English Literature, Top In The World of IGCSE English Language and multiple Top of the Country awards. Jamie applied for 25 of the top universities around the world and was the first New Zealander to be accepted to all of them.

    Jamie ultimately chose Harvard and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Applied Mathematics-Economics and a Masters's degree in Applied Math, two years ahead of schedule while also working as the youngest analyst at Tiger Management.

    In 2018, Jamie earned a coveted Rhodes Scholarship and received a PhD in Public Policy at the University of Oxford. He was then admitted by HLS and YLS to pursue the degree of Juris Doctor (JD).

  • Abbigail Colwyn

    BA English Language and Literature, University of Oxford

    MSc International Social and Public Policy, LSE

    Abbi graduated from the University of Oxford with a BA in English Language and Literature and MSc in International Social and Public Policy at LSE, where she was awarded the Titmus Prize for best performance and a distinction. Whilst studying at Oxford, she was a Student Ambassador for the Oxbridge conferences working alongside Oxford Admission Officers, and a Student Liaison Officer for Target Schools, delivering over 15 workshops on personal statements to over 300 students. Abbi has previously worked for non-profit organisations, Non-Violence Uganda and Kids Club Kampala, researching the educational system in Uganda and recommending innovative ways of curbing school drop-out rates and tailoring services to the needs of students.

  • Pandora Layton

    BA History, University of Cambridge

    MSc Fine Art, University Arts London

    MRes in Fine Art and Humanities Royal College of Art

    PGCE, UCL

    MA History, University of Cambridge

    PhD Cambridge University (commenced 2022)

    Pandora graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge with a BA in History, where she specialised in the Medieval period, writing her extended essay on the Black Death. Whilst at Trinity, Pandora founded the college’s Fine Art Society, becoming its first President, and was commissioned by the college to paint two large works. She also captained both Trinity’s women’s and mixed hockey teams, winning the inter-collegiate college competition in 2015.

    Pandora pursued a Master of Arts degree in Painting at the University of the Arts London, before completing a Master of Research degree in Fine Art at the Royal College of Art. In 2021, she received a Postgraduate Certificate in Education from University College London. Pandora returned to Cambridge University (Trinity) in 2022 to start her PhD in Architecture.

  • Moira Donald

    BA Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford

    Former lecturer and admissions tutor at the University of Oxford

    Moira is a former Fellow of Lincoln College, Oxford, then a senior lecturer in history at the University of Exeter. She originally read History and Russian at the University of Leeds, gaining a first-class degree and then went on to complete a PhD in Russian history at Leeds. After a twenty-year career as a university lecturer in history she studied Experimental Psychology at Oxford and went on to teach GCSE, A level and IB psychology. Moira has a wide range of publications in modern and early modern history and has also published a set of textbooks for A level psychology. She speaks five languages and has a reading knowledge of several others.

    Moira was involved in admissions interviews for history at the University of Oxford and for some years was academic tutor in charge of admissions for history, politics and sociology at the University of Exeter. She has prepared students for entrance examinations and interviews at both Oxford and Cambridge and has guided students successfully to read subjects including Natural Sciences and Human, Social and Political Sciences at Cambridge; and Philosophy/Theology and English/French at Oxford.

  • Patrick Burley - English Literature

    BA English, University of Bristol

    MSt English, University of Oxford

    DPhil English, University of Oxford

    Patrick holds a PhD in English from University College, Oxford. His thesis on post-war British fiction was one of three shortlisted for the 2020 Swapna Dev Memorial Book Prize for best doctoral thesis in English Literature at the University of Oxford. He also holds an MSt in English from the University of Oxford and a BA from the University of Bristol. Patrick taught several undergraduate courses during his time at Oxford, and as a tutor for the Sarah Lawrence, Exeter-Williams and Worcester College visiting student programmes he gained extensive experience teaching international students in tutorial, seminar and supervision settings.

    Patrick has over four years of teaching experience in a higher education context as a tutor for undergraduates at Oxford University. He has extensive knowledge of entry requirements and admissions processes, and a deep appreciation of the unique pressures faced by high-achieving, ambitious students. Having taught on several programmes for visiting students, he has also developed an in-depth understanding of how studying in the UK can pose specific challenges for international students.

  • Patrick Hao - History & International Relations

    BA History, University of Oxford

    MPhil International Relations, University of Oxford

    DPhil Global and Imperial History, University of Oxford

    Patrick obtained his B.A. in History with First-Class Honours from Somerville College, University of Oxford. His undergraduate thesis won the Robert Herbert Memorial Prize, awarded by the Faculty of History at Oxford for the best undergraduate thesis in Imperial and Commonwealth History. Subsequently, he obtained his MPhil in International Relations with Distinction at Somerville College, University of Oxford. Patrick received first-class marks in all of his final-year papers. Patrick is currently a second-year DPhil (PhD) candidate in Global & Imperial History at Merton College, University of Oxford. Patrick works annually as an History Aptitude Test (HAT) marker and assessor alongside experienced Oxford academics at the Faculty of History. He has also worked annually as a Graduate Admissions Assistant for History and Joint Schools at Somerville College, Oxford. In this role, Patrick assisted Oxford history tutors in their pre-interview and post-interview shortlisting, screening, and selection processes for applicants.

  • Saoirse Mortimer - English Literature

    BA University of Sussex

    MPhil Comparative Literature, University of Cambridge

    PGCE, UCL

    Saoirse holds a MPhil in Comparative Literature at the Newnham College, University of Cambridge. A recipient of the Cambridge Trust scholarship, she passed her degree with a distinction, while simultaneously working within the admissions team at Newnham, which honed her insight into the data landscape that underpins successful admissions.

    Saoirse worked in the education sector for 7 years while studying 3 degrees successively. Saoirse graduated from the University of Sussex with a first class BA (Hons) English, and completed an Erasmus year at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München in Germany alongside this. This experience gave her a passion for intercultural communication and education, and after graduating, she moved to Peru for a year in order to learn Spanish and teach English. From 2020-2021 she undertook a Postgraduate Certificate of Education at University College London. While studying for her PGCE, Saoirse also passed the Level B2 DELE Diploma of Spanish (certified by the Instituto Cervantes and the Ministry of Education and Professional Development of Spain)

  • Alison Nicoll - Natural Sciences

    BA Natural Sciences, University of Cambridge

    MSc in Population Health, University College London

    PhD in Epidemiology and Public Health (currently studying)

    Alison graduated from the University of Cambridge in 2019 with a BA in Natural Sciences, specialising in Pharmacology. Whilst at Cambridge, she took on the role of Access Officer in which she oversaw and coordinated various outreach events aimed to encourage students to apply to the university. She subsequently obtained her MSc in Population Health at University College London, where she is now completing a PhD in Epidemiology and Public Health. Having experienced the value of all levels of the UK Higher Education (HE) system, Alison possesses extensive knowledge of STEM and social science admissions, which she is enthusiastic to deploy to students.

    During her time as a student, Alison has helped a variety of students actualise their academic potential as an Academic Tutor and Supervisor. Through these roles, she provided academic and admissions support to students progressing to higher education, including imparting her knowledge of the UK university system, including the value of Russell Group, G5 and Oxbridge universities.

  • Li Li Tan - Philosophy

    BA Psychology and Philosophy, University of Oxford

    MPhil Philosophy, University of Cambridge

    PhD, University of Cambridge

    Li Li graduated from St Catharine’s College, Cambridge in 2019 with a PhD in Philosophy. She also holds an MPhil in Philosophy (Clare Hall, Cambridge) and a BA in Psychology and Philosophy (Queen’s College, Oxford). Her PhD thesis investigated how we learn to visually recognise objects, drawing on both neuroscientific and philosophical findings, and it received the St Catharine’s College Prize for Distinction in Research. During her time at Cambridge, she also gained 4 years of experience teaching undergraduate Philosophy, providing 1-1 supervisions for students and also giving lectures on a final-year undergraduate module. In addition, she was an interviewer for undergraduate Philosophy at Queens’, Selwyn and Clare Colleges for 3 years.

Our Philosophy

Oxbridge Summer Scholars provides a supportive and engaging learning environment that fosters curiosity, creativity, and personal growth while exposing students to high quality education at two of the finest institutions in the world. By providing world-class educational strategy through our affiliation with Crimson Education, and a mix of seminars and lectures, our program pushes students to develop the skills, knowledge, and attitudes they need to achieve their academic goals and thrive in a rapidly changing world.

01 — Student-Centred Learning

Through a mixture of seminars, lectures, and student-driven discussions, Oxbridge Summer Scholars encourages active engagement from every student. Our sessions create a personalised and engaging learning experience that is tailored to every student’s unique strengths and interests.

02 — Leadership & Teamwork

Our collaborative learning environment cultivates leadership by developing strong teamwork skills and encouraging mutual support among students to achieve common goals and drive success.

03 — Inclusivity & Diversity

Oxbridge Summer Scholars welcomes students of all backgrounds to enrol, and encourages participants to examine diverse social and cultural perspectives in each course.

04 — Community Engagement

The courses at Oxbridge Summer Scholars empower young change-makers to understand and address the needs and concerns of our global community, and to promote positive social change.