Girls are often underrepresented in STEM, and this is reflected in maths, especially with only 27% of 2024 further maths entries being girls. But here at Imperial Maths School, about 1/3 of our school are girls. There’s no reason for there to not be 50-50! With International Women’s Day in mind, I want to encourage more girls to apply to maths schools because it’s a truly unique experience you won’t find anywhere else!
Coming from an all-girls secondary school, the idea of being surrounded by boys all the time felt a bit intimidating. What if they were all so much smarter? What if they messed around too much? But once I arrived, I soon realised that there was nothing to worry about. Everyone is treated with equal respect, and the idea that “boys are more clever” simply doesn’t exist here. In lessons, everyone gets the same opportunities, and in group discussions, we make sure every voice is heard. Honestly, I rarely even think about the gender ratio because, when we’re learning, it just doesn’t matter - everyone is focused and engaged.
In some ways, being a girl here even comes with extra opportunities. With growing efforts to improve female representation in STEM, we were able to take part in the Mathematics Olympiad for Girls (MOG) earlier this year, which was a great introduction to Olympiad-style problem-solving.
One of our students, Cynthia, shared her thoughts:
“The presence of young women in STEM is essential for the next generation of pioneers and researchers, but it’s equally important that both boys and girls recognise this. At Imperial Maths School, I feel that not only is everyone aware of this, but we are all treated equally, both academically and socially.”
As part of the U Maths Girls network, we attended a special International Women’s Day event, where we met girls from other maths schools, listened to inspiring lectures, and spoke with alumni about their experiences. One alumna shared something shocking—after being accepted for a PhD, her mentor told her, “Of course you got in; they need girls to make them look better on paper.” It’s unsettling that this level of sexism still exists. The best way to change it? More girls in STEM, challenging these outdated attitudes, and proving that we belong here.
Mini Xu (Chairperson of Imperial Maths School)