At UK Study Centre, we guided Giorgi Jorjaneli from Georgia on his unique journey to the University of Cambridge. In this video, Giorgi shares his inspiring story — from preparing for the rigorous exams and interview to the key factors that helped him achieve this remarkable success.
The story of Giorgi, who was admitted to the Engineering Faculty at the University of Cambridge, is both unique and inspiring.
The most remarkable aspect of his admission is that, with the support of UKSC, Giorgi became a Cambridge student without completing the traditional international qualifications such as A-levels or the IB. Instead, he prepared independently for the demanding entrance exams and interviews, showing extraordinary perseverance and academic talent.
Our role as consultants was to recognize Giorgi’s exceptional abilities and determination and to help open the way to one of the most competitive universities in the world. Normally, Oxford and Cambridge require 12–13 years of schooling from certain countries, or qualifications such as A-Levels, IB, or AP, and they do not usually consider graduates of university foundation programmes. Importantly, Oxbridge does not accept 12 years of schooling from Georgia for direct entry. Our aim, therefore, was to find a pathway that allowed Giorgi to gain admission without needing to spend an extra two years studying A-Levels or IB.
Giorgi’s journey began long before Cambridge. He attended UK summer schools recommended by UKSC and greatly enjoyed his experiences in England. In his final year of school, his parents asked how he might enter a strong British university without spending two extra years on A-levels or the IB.
At first, Oxford and Cambridge seemed out of reach. But after reviewing Giorgi’s transcript from Tbilisi’s Specialized Physics and Mathematics School, filled with top grades, as well as glowing teacher recommendations, it was clear he had exceptional academic potential.
“I immediately realized that Giorgi’s level was far above that of an average British school graduate. Students from such specialized schools often achieve the highest marks in A-level Physics and Further Mathematics when transferring to British schools. But since Giorgi was already 18, it made no sense for him to spend two more years at school.”
— Elena Adamova, Director and Head Consultant at UKSC
The decision was therefore made to apply to University College London (UCL), one of the UK’s leading universities, which offered a Foundation course in Engineering.
To enter the UCL Foundation Programme, Giorgi had to pass Mathematics and Physics exams, attend an interview, and prove his English proficiency. He succeeded brilliantly — achieving an IELTS score of 8.5, excellent entrance exam results, and ultimately admission to the programme. Later, he graduated from the foundation year with record-breaking marks of 98% (with 75% as the minimum requirement).
Encouraged by this success, we decided to take a bold step and try applying to Oxford or Cambridge. Cambridge has 31 colleges and Oxford 44, each with its own admissions process. As a general rule, they do not accept 11 years of schooling or foundation programmes. Nevertheless, we contacted the colleges one by one.
Most either did not reply or declined to consider the application. But one Cambridge college showed interest and advised Giorgi to submit an application via UCAS.
This gave him just 2–3 months to prepare for the ESAT — the highly demanding entrance test in Mathematics and Physics required for engineering applicants. Using past papers available on the university’s website, Giorgi spent the summer preparing almost entirely on his own. A few consultations with UKSC experts helped him refine his personal statement and practice interview questions. Even our Oxbridge graduate consultants were deeply impressed with the depth of his knowledge.
By late September, Giorgi had already started his foundation studies at UCL. In October, he sat the ESAT, performed exceptionally well, and was invited to interview at Cambridge.
