Complex sentence: After Eton, Laurie went up to Cambridge University where he attended Selwyn College, Cambridge, apparently "as a result of family tradition" as his father "went to Cambridge and I applied to the same college".
Split into simpler sentences: After Eton, Laurie earned a place at Cambridge University where he attended Selwyn College, Cambridge. According to Laurie, he decided to apply to Selwyn College, Cambridge "as a result of family tradition" as his father "went to Cambridge and I applied to the same college".