So, you want to go to Oxford?
On the 12th of January 2021, I got the incredible shock of being offered a place to study at Oxford University, and since then I have been asked about the admissions process by several different people, so I thought I’d make a post explaining as much about the process as I can - and giving advice along the way!
A little background on me: I’m a student in my Upper Sixth year at a state-funded Sixth Form College in England. My GCSE grades were 5 8′s, 2 7′s, and 4 6′s. My A-Level predicted grades are A*AAA in Law, Classics, Biology and EPQ, respectively. I’d like to make a note here that while some Universities may lower the grades in their conditional offer if you have an EPQ, Oxford generally do not and do not seem to favour it in any way. My offer is an AAA in my A-Levels, to read Classics IIB (meaning I have not studied Latin or Greek to A-Level standard and will be studying Greek first) at Oriel College.
So, onto the post!
1) Get started early
While you don’t have to have planned going to Oxford from the age of 5, it helps to have some idea you’d like to go there, preferably when in year 10, however as long as you’ve decided by the end of your first year at college you’ll be set!
The reason I suggest as early as year 10 is that Oxford do put some weight on your GCSE grades (although not a massive amount so don’t stress too much!) As I’m evidence for, you don’t need straight 9′s to get an offer, however strong grades at GCSE can make you a more competitive applicant. On top of this you may need certain grades to enrol onto the A-Level subjects which are required for your application to Oxford. These subject requirements can be found on the Oxford website, under the Undergraduate Admissions section, and it’s a good idea to look in advance.
Something else to be aware of is that Oxford (and Cambridge) have application deadlines EARLIER THAN UCAS, so you will need to have everything sorted a few months earlier.
2) What predicted grades do you need?
Your predicted grades will usually need to at least meet the average offer for the course you’re applying for, in the correct subjects. At Oxford, the lowest conditional offer seems to be AAA (this was the case for my course). Something which may help you out is to have at least one grade above what is required of you, as again this makes you more competitive), so if you’re really wanting an answer other than ‘it doesn’t really matter’, then predicted grades of A*AA would stand you in good stead for most courses.
I’ve also had people ask whether taking 4 or 5 A-Levels increases your chances of admission and, while I’m not totally sure on the answer myself, I can’t see why it would put you at any advantage, as all you are doing is spreading your energy even further between more subjects, Why do mediocre at five when you can excel at three? Although Oxford doesn’t lower the offer for doing an EPQ, I would ALWAYS recommend this in lieu of a 4th A-Level. An EPQ is an Extended Project and usually takes the form of a dissertation. It requires you to take on your own research in a field of your choice (mine was on Homosexuality in ancient Greece) at University level - this shows the University that you’re capable of research (a fundamental part of every degree), you’re passionate about your subject and have a genuine interest, and you’re willing to go beyond your school’s curriculum. All three are things that Oxford look for in applicants.
3) What should you put in a personal statement?
The most important thing to do here is to show your enthusiasm for the subject you intend to read at Oxford - remember though that the same statement is read by ALL your UCAS choices, not just Oxford. Ask yourself these questions: why do I like this subject? What interests me most? How have I shown this in my super-curricular activities? (for anyone unsure a ‘super-curricular’ is like an extracurricular, except it has to do directly with your subject of interest - for example I teach a beginner’s course for Classics once a week at my college).
I used a very specific structure for my personal statement, where I stated something I had done, what it showed about my interest in Classics, and what it led me to discover. For example, I went to the British Museum to see the exhibition Troy: Myth and Reality, and while I was there, explaining Achilles and Patroklos to my mum, I was approached by someone who asked if I’d ever read The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. I told him no, and he recommended I read it. The book led to my decision on EPQ topic. By showing a link between things I had done which have developed my interest and understanding of my subject, I have told the admissions tutors why I love the subject, and what I’m doing on my own intuition to further my knowledge. Another idea is to drop in some extracurriculars as you go - I mentioned my roles as a Peer Mentor at school and College, attending Latin and Greek workshops, and being part of a stage school (which is why Greco-Roman theatre appeals to me so much).
4) Admissions tests
Not every subject requires you to take an admissions test, but a fair few do. I have very little advice for this as they are essentially unable to be studied for. Do plenty of practice tests (which can be found on Oxford’s website) and you’ll be good to go.
You will have to book this admission test, so speak to your Tutor or Careers Department at College about how to do so.
Some courses may also require written work, which can also be found under the Undergraduate Admissions section of the website.
5) Interviews
If you’re invited to interview then congratulations! Some people won’t make it to this stage so feel free to have a little celebrate, it’s a massive achievement to get here.
You may be offered more than one interview for your college, and more than one college may interview you. This is totally normal, and a lot of people are interviewed by more than one college (I was interviewed by both Oriel - my college of choice and the one I hold an offer for - and St Hugh’s).
Out of everything I’ve been asked repeatedly since my offer is “how do I ace the interview?”. You don’t, is the answer. Oxford treats the interviews as a chance to assess how you will work in their academic environment, structuring them like a tutorial. For some you may be shown something in advance that they will question you on. When preparing for your interview make sure you re-read your personal statement and any submitted written work, as this is where, if you have exaggerated your knowledge, they will catch you out.
At interview try to remain as open minded as possible. They will ask for your opinions on things, or for you to explain a bit more about what you said in the written work. They will also want you to be able to argue the reverse of that belief (i.e. say you believe Book 11 of The Odyssey is useless, you would explain this but likely also suggest how it could be useful).
If you don’t understand what they’ve asked of you, then ask them to clarify for you. They understand it’s a stressful situation and you may not have properly processed what they said. Clarification when you’re unsure gives you the best shot at being able to give a quality answer to their questions, rather than rambling about what you think they asked about.
The long and short of interviews is that no two are the same, there were joking comments made in a couple of mine by both me and the tutors in relation to something that had been said, or that I had written in my submitted work. The other interviews were more serious and one had a very deep academic discussion on my EPQ topic (I’m someone who tends to read modern sources on ancient texts a little more often than the texts themselves, so talking about my EPQ was the best opportunity for me to show my knowledge and passion).
There’s not any other advice I can really think of, but if you have any questions please feel free to ask me! :)
If you decide to apply to Oxford then I wish you all the luck in the world with your application!! Xx