The recent dominance of Westminster College is significant, and it’s worth noting that similar ambitions have long existed both there and at other schools. Certainly, during my time at Raffles, it was evident that many of my peers aspired to attend both Oxbridge and Ivy League institutions, a level of ambition that is by no means unique to Eton College. The quote appears to suggest that the current crop of Etonians are realising that Oxbridge admissions are significantly more competitive in the globalised world. Speaking for Raffles in particular, the pupils have historically exhibited the same pattern, targeting prestigious global universities including Singapore’s own NUS.

It is reasonably probable that Westminster’s long-held dominance at the top may, in part, be attributed to the fact that fewer Rafflesians in the past actively targeted Oxbridge places, potentially delaying Raffles from securing the top position earlier. With the greatest of respect to other institutions on the list, I have long believed that if Raffles had focused solely on Oxbridge admissions, it would have undoubtedly claimed the top spot much sooner—perhaps by a significant margin.

In any case, this outcome has been a long time coming. Those familiar with the Singaporean education system will have noted the inevitability of this for a good many years.