‘I feel like I have a disadvantage’: how socio-economically disadvantaged students make the decision to study at a prestigious university

This paper presents findings from an interpretative phenomenological analysis with 20 students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds who were accepted onto a Foundation Year in Oxford University. It explores the factors that impacted on their decision to apply to a prestigious university and student’s views on their transition to the prestigious university. The analysis highlighted four key factors:(1) The complex relationship...