149:. The University of Oxford rebutted all allegations of discrimination. The BBC reported that Magdalen College had offered only five places to study medicine but had received twenty-two applicants, and that Oxford received a similar number of applications from state schools and private schools in the north east of England, and accepted a similar proportion from each. The admissions tutor at Magdalen, Andrew Hobson, also denied the claims, pointing out that he was from
145:, saying that Spence's rejection was an "absolute scandal" and that he believed she had been discriminated against by "an old establishment interview system". Spence's headteacher, Paul Kelley, also said he believed Oxford was "missing out" and that he thought that Spence had been rejected because of her being from the
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grades in chemistry, biology, English, and geography. Spence was interviewed by
Magdalen College but she was not offered a place because – according to the college – other candidates, of whom there were twenty-two for five positions, had equally good qualifications and had performed better
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of Oxford
University, criticised Brown for his comments on student admissions, saying that "nearly every fact he used was false", and that Brown's speech on Spence had been a "little Blitzkrieg in being an act of sudden unprovoked aggression", but "The target was singularly ill-chosen." Conservative
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In the ensuing debate, those who disagreed with the
Chancellor advanced a range of arguments: some believed there was no discrimination; some felt Brown did not have his facts straight and therefore should not have offered a public opinion; and some believed that Oxford was correct in not offering
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spokesman reportedly told the BBC: "This is ignorant prejudice. Why doesn't Gordon Brown get on with delivering at least some of the things Labour were elected on, rather than telling universities which candidates they should pick for which courses, when he can't possibly know the full facts?"
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controversially said that Spence did not deserve a place, because "you have to be committed to the course, and Laura Spence clearly wasn't committed because she didn't even end up studying medicine." (Harvard, along with most other universities in the US, does not
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revisited the affair, comprehensively reviewing the political statements at the time set against the facts of the case, and subsequent political and educational fall-out. It was highly critical of Gordon Brown's "spectacular own goal".
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education and the availability of scholarships and need-based financial aid to assist with fees that may seem "astronomically prohibitive". It was later reported that she was studying medicine at the
University of Cambridge.
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Spence completed her studies at
Harvard in 2004, and planned to return to the UK to pursue a medical career. She also encouraged more British students to study in the US, citing the "broader, more balanced curriculum" of a
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The Laura Spence affair recurred in the headlines in the UK throughout the summer of 2000 (both before and after Brown's speech) and is arguably one of the major events that pushed "
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Spence herself did not get involved in the arguments, subsequently saying that she tried to ignore the row by focusing on revision and not watching television for a week. In a
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report put it, that she "did not show potential". The same report said that Spence was one of ten
British students to be awarded a $ 65,000
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She could get a place to study at Oxford or
Cambridge. So why is Dominique off to Harvard instead?
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stated that it was "an ultimate disgrace to use a young girl, a sixth former, in this way".
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Laura Spence a place. When the issue was raised at an Oxford edition of the
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of Oxford, said that Brown's remarks were "disappointing", and an unnamed
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was a
British political controversy in 2000, ignited after the failure of
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University and college admissions in the United
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539:"Elitism row student gets Cambridge distinction"
193:. Spence later went on to study medicine at the
363:State school applicants to Oxford drop to 54pc
707:Political controversies in the United Kingdom
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610:University of Bristol admissions controversy
591:Widening participation in the United Kingdom
289:University of Bristol admissions controversy
87:at interview. The reason given for Spence's
38:pupil Laura Spence to secure a place at the
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270:On 25 October 2008, Spence graduated from
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284:Gina Grant college admissions controversy
347:Oxford 'reject' wins Harvard scholarship
27:British university admission controversy
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66:. In 1999, she applied for a place to
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381:Chancellor attacks Oxford admissions
677:History of the University of Oxford
537:Lipsett, Anthea (27 October 2008).
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505:Laura Spence urges students to US
133:) commented on the decision at a
115:A political row broke out after
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137:reception. Brown accused the
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441:Oxford was right, says Laura
308:The war of Laura's rejection
248:report on higher education.
50:Laura Spence was a pupil at
457:Peers condemn Oxford attack
180:in October 2000, Professor
124:Chancellor of the Exchequer
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489:Row over university report
272:Wolfson College, Cambridge
174:political discussion show
402:27 September 2007 at the
702:Controversies in England
682:Magdalen College, Oxford
662:2000 in British politics
214:Lord Jenkins of Hillhead
78:.) Spence had taken ten
72:Magdalen College, Oxford
326:Laura's moment of truth
195:University of Cambridge
527:(London), 15 July 2007
521:"University Challenge"
242:widening participation
52:Monkseaton High School
147:north east of England
135:Trades Union Congress
431:, 11 September 2005.
191:undergraduate degree
139:University of Oxford
40:University of Oxford
631:Office for Students
605:Laura Spence affair
368:The Daily Telegraph
32:Laura Spence affair
692:Harvard University
667:2000 controversies
495:, 8 February 2001.
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408:The Oxford Student
397:Oxford In Question
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218:Liberal Democratic
129:(who later became
101:Harvard University
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16:(Redirected from
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163:Conservative
127:Gordon Brown
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105:biochemistry
91:was, as one
56:state school
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36:state school
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18:Laura Spence
548:23 November
155:Colin Lucas
97:scholarship
60:Whitley Bay
651:Categories
295:References
225:Chancellor
208:debate on
46:Background
636:Aimhigher
223:and then
151:Newcastle
122:and then
89:rejection
509:BBC News
493:BBC News
461:BBC News
445:BBC News
400:Archived
385:BBC News
351:BBC News
330:BBC News
278:See also
260:In 2007
76:Oxbridge
143:elitism
84:A-level
619:Groups
189:as an
117:Labour
228:peer
197:as a
172:BBC's
80:GCSEs
550:2020
221:peer
216:, a
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30:The
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141:of
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99:by
93:BBC
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120:MP
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20:)
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