A talented linguist at The Manchester Grammar School has won a scholarship to one of the world’s most prestigious universities.
Jack Allen, 17, from Mossley, Tameside, has been awarded a place at the elite American university Princeton, even turning down an offer to study at Russian and Arabic at Oxford’s Queens College.
In total, talented linguist Jack secured offers to read Russian at five UK universities but the lure of travelling to one of America’s leading universities will see Jack take up his place in September.
He said: “I was pretty amazed when I got the offer. I was absolutely over the moon. Just after I found out my phone ran out of battery so I had to wait a while before I could tell my mum.
“She was blown away that I could turn down Oxford to go halfway across the world, but in the end it was quite an easy decision to make because to study at Princeton is such a fantastic opportunity.”
Unlike UK universities, International Baccalaureate student Jack is not tied down to any one subject, and will be able to pick what he wants to study on his first day at Princeton.
It means he may be able to combine studying Russian with Chinese and Politics, and aspires to a career in either journalism or politics once he graduates from Princeton.
“The flexibility to study different subjects, and pick which classes I want to go to on the first day of each term, was a huge draw for me,” added Jack.
“I am a bit nervous about leaving home, but I am also really excited about travelling to, and living in, another country, and experiencing a totally different culture.”
Patrick Thom, Head of Sixth Form at MGS, said: “Few students get the chance to turn down a place at Oxford because they have an even better opportunity, but this is exactly what Jack has done.
“An exceptional linguist, with offers to read Russian at five leading UK universities, he has chosen instead to take up a place at Princeton in the United States.
“This is an exceptional achievement – about 7% of Princeton applicants gain a place – which Jack has fully deserved, winning his place not just with his academic abilities, but with a great personality and real leadership gifts. We are very proud of him.”