For many A level students and their parents, Oxford or Cambridge is as good as it gets for university education - a golden ticket to fame and fortune.
The number of Oxbridge acceptances a school has achieved any given year is a pretty good measure of its more academic qualities. Of course, except at a tiny number of schools, it will always be a minority of pupils actually aiming for these two universities but a successful Oxbridge track record speaks to a school's ambitious and intellectual ethos and all pupils, not just Oxbridge hopefuls, benefit from an academic culture of high aspirations and teaching that goes beyond the syllabus.
Do Oxford and Cambridge have fair admissions?
Much as our two greatest universities huff and puff that they always looked for the best, it has taken huge governmental push to get them using systems that are broadly fair to candidates from different educational backgrounds. Assessments are now geared towards aptitude and potential rather than acquired knowledge and the admission requirements for every subject are explained very clearly the on universities’ websites. Like most top universities, they also take into account 'context'. These 'contextualised admissions' apply a set of criteria looking at an applicant's social, economic, familial and educational background. For example, this means that the best applicants from low income backgrounds or those studying at underperforming schools may be given a slightly lower offer.
Should I apply to Oxbridge?
These two universities are certainly not for everyone, even some of the brightest, and certainly doesn’t guarantee riches, or even a job.
Critics say that Oxford and Cambridge are too focused on academic ability and that the courses they offer are narrow and (in some subjects) comparatively old-fashioned, especially compared to the wide and wonderful degree titles on offer elsewhere. Such criticisms can equally be cited as virtues.
The defining feature of an Oxbridge education is the tutorial system. Students attend tutorials, alone or in small groups, where their knowledge of that week’s reading is pushed to its creative limits. At only eight weeks long, terms are shorter than other UK universities and extremely intense – on average a humanities student is required to research and write 11-12 essays of 2-3,000 words during that time. Internal exams are held at the start of every term in addition to any degree examinations and tutors provide termly progress feedback.
Many school leavers are still undecided about their intellectual interests or professional inclinations or may not wish to spend three years working harder than they have for A levels. If this is the case, other UK universities may provide a more even-handed balance between academic study and play. Likewise, colleges in Europe or the US.
What are my chances of getting in?
No matter how great your passion for a subject, there’s no point applying to Oxbridge unless you regularly achieve high grades at school. It’s not obligatory to have straight A*s at GCSE to apply, although in practice are large proportion of candidates do. Currently universities look at a candidate’s GCSE grades and predicted A2 grades, but it’s not just about grades; students must also ensure that they study the appropriate A levels – Oxford, Cambridge and other universities from the Russell Group are very sniffy about what are perceived to be ‘less academic’ A level choices such as critical thinking or general studies. Information on the subject combinations that universities look for is available on their websites.
How do Oxbridge admissions work?
Crucial to remember is that the UCAS deadline for Oxbridge is significantly earlier than nearly all courses at other UK universities (the exceptions being Medicine, Veterinary medicine, Dentistry, which share their deadline with Oxbridge) because the admissions process has more layers to it. Applications must be submitted via UCAS by the 15th October (occasionally 16th or 17th, depending on when the weekend falls) the year before they would hope to begin their studies.
Oxford University sets tests – either subject specific or general aptitude – for 39 out of 49 of its courses, including history, geography, economics, PPE and classics. These are designed to reveal aptitude rather than knowledge, but it’s safe to say that if you haven’t already immersed yourself in your chosen subject then the questions will rumble you. Candidates sit the tests at their schools and those who achieve over a certain percentage are invited for interview.
Cambridge University sets tests for subjects such as medicine, veterinary medicine and law but interview performance and predicted grades (A*, A*, A is the minimum requirement for almost half the degree courses at Cambridge) will determine offers for other subjects. Some candidates are given tasks just prior to interview – for instance, prospective English literature students may be asked to comment on a text.
The best academic schools in the country — the ones that send 10-50 successful candidates to Oxbridge each year — often provide specialist preparation both for the application, subject aptitude tests and for the interview, but approaches vary.
Oxbridge entrance - interview technique
Nearly all Oxbridge undergraduate interviews now take place online. Many people feel these are precarious times for private school pupils applying to Oxbridge and to be in with a chance must demonstrate academic excellence without seeming over-prepared and impress at interview without letting slip a hackle-raising sense of entitlement. Despite numbers dropping over recent years, the percentage of the formerly-privately educated at Oxbridge is still disproportionately high. The challenge for state schools is to prepare their best pupils in the same way but to do it with limited time, resources and sometimes lower levels of parental support. A state school that succeeds in doing this year after year is one to be celebrated.
So what should students expect if they are called to interview at Oxford or Cambridge? Director of undergraduate admissions at Oxford, Dr Samina Khan told the Good Schools Guide: 'Tutors simply want to see how students think and respond to new ideas. We know there are still lots of myths about the Oxford interview, so we put as much information as possible out there to allow students to see behind the hype to the reality of the process.
'We now have mock interviews online, video diaries made by admissions tutors during the interview process and lots of example questions to help students to familiarise themselves with what the process is – and isn’t – about. There are plenty of anecdotes out there about interviewers asking questions that seem intimidating or confrontational, or even downright silly. We hope that seeing some of the less obvious questions will reassure prospective applicants that tutors aren’t trying to catch students out, or see how quickly they get the “right” answer, or demonstrate their specialist knowledge.’
And what’s it like to be on the receiving end? One student, recent Oxford graduate told us:
'You can’t revise your way to interview success. Interviews are, by design, similar to tutorials - more of a discussion than an interrogation. Of course you are expected to know about whatever you wrote in your personal statement and, if applicable, submitted work, but interviews are designed to show your brain working in a rigorous academic environment, rather than test your ability to amass information. Similarly, you can’t plan for an interview, and any pre-prepared interview tactics undermine the exploratory nature of interviews (and tutorials).’
Who can help with you application?
For those without such well-developed sixth forms, the answer can sometimes lie in the specialist businesses set up to help candidates with everything from the choice of course to interview technique. This kind of service is not cheap; prices start at around £300 for a consultation but often free resources can be found online.
'I attended a one-day interview seminar,’ says Oxford fresher Jo Campbell, whose Hertfordshire comprehensive provided little in the way of application advice. ‘I found it very useful in dealing with the kind of question I was later asked.’
The universities, not surprisingly, are unenthusiastic about these businesses and generally tell parents they are wasting their money. But while it is, of course, essential to choose a reputable supplier, there seems little doubt that some of these outfits are well staffed with knowledgeable experts who may well further the chances of an Oxbridge place for those whose school doesn’t provide adequate support. A quick google search using terms such as Oxbridge admissions, Oxbridge applications and Oxbridge info will point you in the direction.