About The Oxford IQ Academy
MISSION · PHILOSOPHY · LEADERSHIP
More than a course. An academic transformation.
The Philosophy Behind Our Name
At The Oxford IQ Academy, our brand name represents far more than a conventional metric of intelligence; it proudly stands for Ingenium Quaestio. In Latin, this phrase translates to "the pursuit of innate talent" or "the inquiry into genius."
We chose this as our corporate motto to fundamentally redefine what it means to be brilliant. Rather than treating education as a static score to be measured on an exam, Ingenium Quaestio embodies our belief that learning is an active, lifelong quest to discover, nurture, and challenge each student's unique natural potential.
By reclaiming "IQ", we signify our commitment to an educational environment driven not by rigid assessments, but by profound questioning, rigorous investigation, and the relentless pursuit of individual excellence. We believe that location, focus, and dedicated mentorship are the keys to unlocking elite university acceptance.
Our Mission
We are driven by our core mission to EDUCATE, EMPOWER, and CONNECT our student clients. We are not driven by profit; we are dedicated to providing the highest quality education accessible to ambitious students worldwide.
Delivering undergraduate-standard teaching in historic Oxford, Cambridge, and Hawai'i.
Building the academic confidence, critical thinking, and writing skills students need for top universities.
Forging a global alumni network of ambitious, like-minded scholars that lasts a lifetime.
The Residential Advantage
We provide ambitious pre-university students (aged 13–19) with a transformative, two-week residential programme taught to an exacting undergraduate standard. Hosted in the historic academic cities of Oxford, Cambridge, and in an amazingly beautiful location in Hawai'i, USA, we equip you with the advanced academic, research, and critical writing skills required to secure admission to the world's most selective institutions.
The Intensive Curriculum
Our courses are not summer camps — they are rigorously designed, high-contact academic programmes. We go beyond exam prep, focusing on interview skills, personal statement development, critical thinking, and advanced subject mastery required by institutions like Oxford, Cambridge, and Ivy League schools.
Our Tutors & Faculty
Learn from leading academics, university researchers, and admissions experts who have first-hand experience in the selective application process. Every one of our faculty is committed to small-group teaching, ensuring personalised attention for every student.
The Immersive Residential Experience
Living and learning on-site mimics the true university experience, fostering independence, networking, and a focused study environment that maximises academic gain.
Our Commitment to Safety
We understand the trust parents place in us. Our residential programmes maintain high student-to-staff ratios, provide structured supervision, and ensure a secure, supportive environment in all our global locations. Each of our team members must have DBS-Enhanced certifications. Our college and location partners provide 24/7 security on site, and the directors of the course live in college with each cohort. Students must also sign a Code of Conduct and we promote TMI — Transparency, Mutual Respect, and Inclusiveness.
Our Story: From Oxford's Lecture Halls to Global Education
The Oxford IQ Academy was born from extensive, high-level educational experience. Our founders have been designing, facilitating, and teaching advanced courses for professionals and university students at Oxford University and other elite institutions, including the US Department of Defense, since 2017.
In 2022, we successfully piloted a highly popular course on 'Entrepreneurialism' housed in Pembroke College, Oxford, for a brilliant cohort of students aged 16–18 from Argentina. The course's success — measured by the depth of learning, significant impact, and quality of relational experiences — inspired our decision: to offer the same calibre of intensive, expert-taught programmes to pre-university students from around the world.
We created The Oxford IQ Academy brand to address an under-serviced offering in the market: providing undergraduate and postgraduate university-level courses to students aged 13–15 and 16–19. Our intensive two-week residential summer courses in Oxford, Cambridge, and Hawai'i are designed to accelerate a student's progress and definitively position them for gaining entrance to top universities globally.
Our Executive Leadership
A company is only as strong as its executive leadership.
Co-Founder & Co-Director
Professor Louise Formby, FRGS
BA/MA (Hons), MSc (Oxon) · DPhil Candidate, Oxford University · Member, St Catherine's College & Harris Manchester College, Oxford
Professor Formby is a Director of The Oxford Exchange and The Oxchange Ltd, which operates the Oxford IQ Academy and Oxford IQ Prep Academy brands. She is a Member of St Catherine's College and Harris Manchester College, Oxford, and is completing a DPhil (PhD) in Archaeology at Oxford University. From 2018–2020, the US Department of Defense appointed her as a Visiting Academic to the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Hawaii, where she lectured on cultural heritage management and airborne geophysics. A skilled fundraiser, she has served as Director of Philanthropy at the London Clinic and the Bishop Museum in Hawaii, raising millions of dollars for the Smithsonian Institution, Worcester College Oxford, and the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation. In 2017, Oxford University awarded her a Distinction for her master's dissertation on Afghanistan. Her commitment to higher education began in 1996 when she was appointed MBA Admissions Manager and Course Coordinator for Oxford University's Said Business School, where she served for eight years.
Co-Founder & Co-Director
Professor Craig Tiedman, FRGS
MBA, MSc (Oxon) · MSt (Cantab) · BA, University of Colorado at Boulder · Member, Exeter College (Oxford) & Queens' College (Cambridge)
Professor Tiedman is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and co-Director of The Oxchange Ltd. He is a Member of Exeter College, Oxford and Queens' College, Cambridge. Under appointment from the US Secretary of Defense, he served as the Pentagon's Economic Development Advisor to the Government of Afghanistan, organising the largest airborne geophysical mission in the region and managing a diverse team from the US Navy, NASA, USGS, and USAID. Prior to this, he served as a US Presidential Appointee to NASA, leading the agency's relationships with the United Kingdom, Australia, India, and France. He served as Course Coordinator of the Crisis Management course at the US Department of State's Foreign Service Institute and as a Brookings LEGIS Fellow to the United States Congress. He has served as an SME Lecturer at the Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies, as a Departmental Tutor for Oxford's Diplomatic Studies Programme, and as a Visiting Academic and Adjunct Professor of Security Studies at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Honolulu. In 2020, he served as Director of Policy & Research at a prominent London think tank advising the UK government on foreign and domestic policy.
Briefing US Sec. of Defense Rumsfeld & President Karzai, Kabul, 2006
Our Tutors' Proven Expertise
Our faculty's previous teaching experience includes Oxford University, Cambridge University, King's College London, Sandhurst, London School of Economics, Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, The Citadel, and other institutions. In 2024 and 2025, 100% of our faculty earned degrees from Oxford University and/or Cambridge University.
Study in the World's Most Inspiring Locations
Oxford
The history of Oxford is inextricably linked to the history of its renowned university, which stands as the oldest university in the English-speaking world. The city's ancient lanes and reading rooms have nurtured global figures like J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Oscar Wilde. From prime ministers to Nobel laureates, Oxford's alumni list is a global roster of leaders in science, politics, and the arts. As you study here, you will be surrounded by some of the world's most impressive historic architecture, including the Bodleian Library and the Radcliffe Camera.
Cambridge
Cambridge has a legendary reputation for ground-breaking scientific discovery. It has produced more Nobel Laureates than almost any other institution globally. This is the city where Sir Isaac Newton formulated the laws of motion and gravity, where Watson and Crick uncovered the structure of DNA, and where Stephen Hawking made his revolutionary contributions to cosmology. The area surrounding the university, known as the 'Silicon Fen,' is a major technology cluster, cementing Cambridge's status as a leading city for both historical scholarship and cutting-edge research.
Hawai'i
Hawai'i's history and location make it an ideal setting for ambitious students to develop a global perspective, particularly in subjects relating to environmental science, international relations, and cultural studies. As a central hub in the Pacific Rim, Hawai'i provides a crucial vantage point for understanding global economic and geopolitical shifts. The location provides a living laboratory for topics in Medicine and Science, encouraging students to consider sustainability, biodiversity, and community health in a real-world setting.
Scholarships and Unbeatable Value
We are deeply committed to accessibility through our associated UK education non-profit organisation, The Oxford Exchange. We allow students to earn scholarships to significantly offset the costs of attending one of our programmes. We start with the average market price for a two-week Oxbridge residential programme (£7,000 for 2026–2027) that our competition publicly lists. Utilising our non-profit mechanism, we are able to reduce course fees significantly — making our programme approximately half the cost of our nearest competitors.
A Network for Life: Join Our Global Alumni Community
Your time on our intensive residential programme is just the beginning of your connection with an elite academic community. We believe the students you meet are just as important as the tutors who teach you. You will be studying alongside ambitious, serious students from across the globe who share your academic drive and goal of entering a top university. Our Alumni Status ensures you maintain contact with fellow high-calibre academics, fostering a lifelong network for support, future academic collaboration, and career development.
Accreditations & Affiliations
Institute of Leadership (IoL)
We are accredited by the Institute of Leadership (IoL) and are authorised to offer IoL membership status to students who successfully complete our residential course and the requirements outlined in our Leadership courses.
The Oxchange Ltd
The Oxchange Ltd is a UK limited liability company that operates the brand 'Oxford IQ Academy.' We are deeply committed to accessibility through our associated UK education non-profit organisation, The Oxford Exchange.
DBS-Certified
All of our Oxford IQ Academy faculty and staff must be DBS-certified. A DBS check is a criminal record check conducted by the Disclosure and Barring Service for employers to help assess suitability for roles involving children or vulnerable adults.
Royal Geographical Society
The Oxchange Ltd and Oxford IQ Academy are proud School Members of the Royal Geographical Society (RGS). From 2026, each scholar who attends one of our summer schools is eligible for status as an RGS Member.
The Oxford IQ Academy course was something very special to me, a truly unforgettable experience. The minute I arrived I was shocked by the overwhelming love and welcome from the leaders and all the friends around me — we immediately became one community. Throughout these two weeks I grew exponentially, not only in friendship, but in discovering and deepening a budding passion in law, leading me to apply in the coming year to read law as a first year student at Oxford.
Miss Carmen De Zuniga
Team Herodotus 2024 · Accepted to read Law at Oxford University (Exeter College) 2025
Our Scholars in Action
Formal group photographs from our residential programmes at Oxford and Cambridge.
Team Herodotus
Team Pythagoras
Programme Posters
Official posters from our Oxford residential programmes — each named after a great thinker whose spirit of inquiry lives on in our scholars.
