949 senior fresh students signed up to take the 2024 foundation scholarship (Schols) exams which took place this week.
180 of the students who registered were from joint honour programmes, while biological and biomedical sciences saw the highest number of sign ups 83 students intending to take the exams followed by medicine (73), and engineering (57).
Business Economics and Social Studies (BESS) saw 42 sign ups, followed by computer science (41) and law (40).
English studies and nursing both had 33 students register for the exams, while the rest of the top ten was made up of theoretical physics with 29 sign ups and Philosophy, Political Science, Economics and Sociology (PPES) had 27.
The figures which were provided to Trinity News by College, are based on the number of students who signed up to take the exams, with the number of students who actually sat the exams expected to be lower.
Scholarships are awarded each year solely based on the set of exams which took place this week. The award, described by Trinity as “the most prestigious in the country” has been awarded annually since its establishment in 1592.
Successful candidates receive five years of free fees to the value of the EU fee level, as well as free College accommodation for up to nine months of the year and free meals, known as Commons, throughout the year.
In recent years the exams have come under criticism from student representatives with former Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) President Gabi Fulham calling the exams “an archaic and futile institution that serves to entrench classism within Trinity”.
Results of the exams will be announced on April 24 during Trinity Monday.
