From Suffolk to the States: Abbeygate student prepares for 'life-changing' USA experience

A Suffolk teenager will be heading off to university in America this summer after achieving a clean sweep of straight As at Abbeygate Sixth Form College.

Tom Surridge, 18, has secured a place at Northwestern University in Illinois thanks to a unique scheme known as the Sutton Trust US Programme.

The scheme supports academically gifted low-income British students who wish to explore the US higher education system - and gives them a flavour of what it would be like to study at a top US university. 

Tom, who undertook A-levels in Maths, Further Maths and Physics at the Bury St Edmunds-based college, has said he can't wait to explore the world and meet new people as he prepares for the “once-in-a-lifetime experience”.

"I discovered the Sutton Trust US Programme while browsing the Abbeygate Careers Padlet. I found the programme a week before the deadline and became really interested in what I initially thought would be a free trip to the US. This turned out to be something life-changing!

"Securing my place at Northwestern University took a lot of hard work which began in early 2023 after being accepted onto the Sutton Trust US Programme. I then travelled to the USA in summer to visit a range of universities and learn more about the opportunities on offer."

The straight-A student said it was a "definite yes" when deciding whether he was interested in studying in the US, and says he couldn't have done it without the support of the staff at Abbeygate.

"My experience at Abbeygate is what has made this all possible. The staff have supported me so much throughout my experience and when putting my application together.

"Applying to university in the US was an entirely new process for both me and the staff, and I'm incredibly grateful for the support they've given me. They've helped to shape something that will truly be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me."

Tom will be studying, or 'majoring' in, mechanical engineering at Northwestern, and hopes to take on a minor in entrepreneurship or design alongside this.

"I'm most excited to be able to explore the world as I learn and can't wait to meet new people from all over the world within Northwestern's student body."

Want to join Tom in gaining the Abbeygate advantage? Enrolment opens on Thursday, 22 August. Visit our Enrolment page to explore your options and secure your place, or if you're looking to start from next September, you can register for one of our upcoming open days.