Truro triplets Lil, Helen and Kate Armstrong have astounded their tutors at Truro College. All three have received confirmation that they have won conditional places at Cambridge University.

So proud of the 18-year-olds is the college, the three former Richard Lander students found themselves feted by the national press at the weekend with pictures of them appearing in a number of newspapers.

Truro college has a history of students going on to either Oxford or Cambridge but has to admit that these three are a little different.

A-level students Lil, Helen and Kate heard about their placements at the end of last week and are set to take their exams in June and July, hoping to achieve the three A grades required.

Lil hopes to go to Selwyn College to read medicine. She is currently studying A-level biology, chemistry, geography and AS-level physics.

She hopes to become a doctor working in a hospital and is interested in paediatrics. Last summer was spent gaining work experience at Taunton and Somerset Paediatrics Unit. She has also done work experience in Treliske Hospital in Truro.

"We were very nervous about just one or two of us receiving an offer but once we realised we all had a conditional place it was a very big shock as well as very exciting," she said.

Helen hopes to go to Corpus Christie to read law. She currently is studying English literature, geography and law and AS in further mathematics.

She has wanted to become a lawyer or barrister for some time and would like to aim even higher, to becoming a judge.

"It's great to be offered a place, but we've still got to get the grades so we're just focusing on the exams coming up at the moment. Exam results in the summer will probably be even more nerve-racking than the last few days," she said.

Kate is hoping to go to Trinity College to read natural sciences and is currently studying chemistry, human biology, physics and AS-level accounting and law.

Not yet clear on what she wants to do for a profession, she feels there will be opportunities to move into research, medicine or working in laboratories.

"We have had a lot of support from staff at both Richard Lander and Truro College which has enabled us to get this far," she said.

All three girls applied to several universities looking for their course choices and it was a coincidence that they had all applied to Cambridge.

They admit each other's company became "tedious" at secondary school due to being in the same class. Now they are at college they have found that being in separate lectures has helped and they enjoy meeting up during the day for lunch.

"We have got closer the more time we spent apart," said Helen.

The sisters already have an older brother Tom, 21, studying at university.

Their parents are understandably delighted. Mr Tim Armstrong, 45, is a biomedical scientist at the Royal Cornwall Hospital, Treliske and his wife Susan, 45, a nursery assistant. Both admit that if all three girls finally go to Cambridge their education costs will soar. By how much they are not sure.