ASPIRING TO
OXBRIDGE
Acorn House College
MAY 2016
REBECCA WILLIAMS
BA THEOLOGY, OXFORD
• Regent’s Park College, 2007 - 2010
• Head of Oxbridge Applications
INTRODUCING
OXBRIDGE
OXFORD & CAMBRIDGE
HOW ARE THEY DIFFERENT?

Collegiate system
o Residence and accommodation
o Teaching (Tutorials and Supervisions)
o Social life
o Course choice
•
Oxford has 31 Undergraduate Colleges and
Cambridge 29
•
Contact time with tutors
•
Short terms
SHOULD I APPLY?
OXBRIDGE ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
• Engineering Science, Oxford, (A*A*A) – St Edmund’s Hall
• Classics, Cambridge, (A*A*A), Pembroke College
• Medicine, Cambridge, (A*A*AA), Jesus College
• Human Sciences, Oxford, (AAA), open offer from Keble College
• History, Oxford, (AAA), Lady Margaret Hall
• Economics, Cambridge, (A*AA), Queens College
GCSEs: Generally 5A*s minimum
Typical A-Level offer: Oxford - AAA or A*A*A; Cambridge – A*AA (Arts and PBS) or
A*A*A (Sciences)
GRADES ARE ONLY ONE PART OF THE JOURNEY
• Academic ability AND potential
• Motivation - genuine subject interest and
curiosity
• Good fit between the applicant and the
course
• Vocational commitment where appropriate
(e.g. Medicine, Veterinary and Medical Sand
Architecture)
OXBRIDGE ALUMNI – COURSE & UNIVERSITY?
David Attenborough,
Natural Sciences,
Cambridge
Naomie Harris, HSPS,
Cambridge
Margaret Thatcher,
Chemistry, Oxford
JRR Tolkien, Classics then
English, Oxford
Mel & Sue, Languages
(Mel), English (Sue),
Cambridge
Stephen Hawking, Physics,
Oxford then Cambridge
WHAT CAN I DO TO
MAXIMIZE MY CHANCES?
CHOOSING YOUR COURSE
CHOOSING A COURSE…..THERE ARE MORE
THAN YOU THINK
Fine Art/History of Art
Philosophy and Theology
Land Economy
Oriental Studies
Archaeology and Anthropology
Experimental Psychology
Classics and English
Mathematics and Statistics
Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE)
Around 30 undergraduate courses at Cambridge and 50 at Oxford
CHOOSING A COLLEGE
CHOOSING A COLLEGE
OTHER KEY
INFORMATION
ADMISSIONS TESTS
THE OXBRIDGE INTERVIEW
THE INTERVIEW
• Why do Oxford & Cambridge interview?
• Who is interviewing you?
• What are you being judged on?
• Who gets in?
“HOW MANY PIANO
TUNERS ARE THERE IN
NEW YORK?”
“WHAT HAVE YOU READ
RECENTLY THAT YOU
DISAGREED WITH?”
SUMMARY
THE APPLICATION PROCESS
Assess your eligibility and motivation to apply
You are here
Research the different courses available
Attend university open days and sort out work experience
Shortlist universities and courses that are right for you
Today-Summer
Write your personal statement
Re-draft your personal statement
September
Submit your UCAS form (15th October in some cases)
Prepare for and sit an admissions test (if applicable)
Submit your written work (if applicable)
October-December
Prepare for interview
Have your interview(s) and further tests (if applicable)
Test results and interview outcome
January - March
IMMEDIATE PRIORITIES
• Start answering the following 3 questions:
1. WHAT do I want to study?
2. WHY do I want to study this?
3. WHERE do I want to study?
• Begin looking at university prospectuses (including alternative ones)
• Carry out extra reading outside of the syllabus
• Attend open days in the summer
HOW WE CAN SUPPORT YOU
FURTHER
QUESTIONS?
THANK YOU
We are happy to answer any
further questions you have.