Applying to Oxford

Competition for places at the University of Oxford is fierce: fewer than one in five applicants obtained a place in 2010.[i] For international students this figure is fewer than one in nine.[ii] Today, nearly 40,000 UK students obtain AAA in their A-Levels:[iii] with barely 3,000 places at Oxford the vast majority of students with the required academic qualifications do not get a place. Fourteen years of education, weeks of exams, and hours of extra-curricular activities are reduced to an hour interview and a few pages of A4; the line between success and failure can, quite literally, be paper thin. A single weakness in any aspect of the application: the personal statement, submitted essays, entrance exams, the interviews, could prove decisive; it is for this reason that Oxford Success, unlike other university preparatory services, focuses on perfecting all aspects of our students’ applications. Please click here to read more about the services Oxford Success offer.

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·         Courses and colleges

There are two hundred and thirty-four different Oxford degree courses available to study at undergraduate level,[iv] with thirty five undergraduate colleges to choose from. Picking the right course at the right college will not only ensure you get the most enjoyable and valuable university experience possible, it could also significantly affect the chances of an application being successful. To make sure you choose the right degree course and the right college please click here.

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·    The challenge of Oxford

The calibre of applicants to the University of Oxford is not in question. The challenge for the Oxford applicant is to go beyond the syllabus and to engage with the subject on a level far above that required in the classroom. Only then will the interview experience become, rather than a nerve-wracking test, a pleasure: an insight into the regular intellectual stimulation that will be the standard academic fare for all successful applicants. To train your mind for the Oxford academic experience please click here.

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·         The personal statement

The personal statement is the first opportunity for an applicant to demonstrate their suitability and enthusiasm for their chosen course. A personal statement that conveys passion, aptitude and personality is a critical first step to gaining an interview, and thus towards obtaining an offer of a place. To ensure you present yourself in the best possible way in your personal statement please click here.

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              ·         Written work and entrance exams 

Increasingly, an application to an undergraduate course at Oxford also requires the submission of written work and/or the taking of an entrance exam. These additional submissions make further demands of an applicant, requiring additional time to ensure essays are as strong as possible, and that sufficient exam practice is undertaken.To improve your exam technique and your submitted work please click here.

A list of the entrance papers that are required for various courses can be found here.

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The Oxford interview is a legendary process. Tales of eccentric fellows from a bygone age asking ridiculous questions are well known to applicants. In a modern Oxford interview however, academics will request answers to outlandish questions; what marks out a successful applicant is their enthusiasm for the subject in the interview, their ability to construct a coherent argument whilst under pressure and, if necessary, to justify and defend their opinions. Ultimately, an applicant’s current knowledge is not as important as their potential knowledge. To develop your potential and thus improve your interview performance please click here.

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