EIGHT students at St John Payne are beginning the Oxbridge application process in a bid to gain coveted places next year.
Joe Jefferies, 17, is aiming to study Economics and Management at Oxford.
"I first started to seriously consider this as an option after getting my AS results," he said.
"We have had a couple of assemblies about applying to Oxbridge so I decided to give it a go."
Claire White, 17, said: "I've been on the gifted and talented register since Year 10, and I also went on a day trip to Cambridge University early on with my sister who was thinking of applying.
"I want to do English Literature and as Cambridge is world renowned for the subject I thought why not give it a go."
Both Joe and Claire are making open applications to the respective universities. This is when you do not choose a specific college but allow the college which has spaces or is attracted by your application to pick you.
Joe said: "I decided this way I had the best chance. All our applications go in a large pool and staff from the colleges sift through and then decide who they like and want to interview."
In contrast 17-year-old Ellen Clark-Romain has applied to a specific Oxford college, Merton, to read law. She will have to take extra tests and undergo interviews to secure an offer.
She said: "Like Joe I was encouraged to apply after getting my AS results in January.
"I also attended a day at the Law Society and was told there that an Oxford degree may give me the edge when it comes to securing a training contract."