sevenoaks school oxbridge evening dr caroline burt, admissions tutor, pembroke college cambridge dr...

SEVENOAKS SCHOOLOxbridge Evening

Dr Caroline Burt, Admissions Tutor, Pembroke College Cambridge

Dr Lizzy Emerson, Senior Tutor, St Hugh’s College, Oxford

Richard Partington, Senior Tutor, Churchill College Cambridge

APPLYING TOOXFORD AND CAMBRIDGE

Dr Lizzy EmersonSenior Tutor, St Hugh’s College, University of Oxford

Mr Richard PartingtonSenior Tutor, Churchill College, University of Cambridge

Dr Caroline BurtAdmissions Tutor, Pembroke College, University of Cambridge

HOW DO OXFORD AND CAMBRIDGE STAND OUT?

• Collegiate• Exceptional access to senior academics via uniquely small-

group teaching: supervisions and tutorials• Intensive courses: contact-time and provision of feedback• Outstanding academic provision• Accommodation and social facilities• Excellent career opportunities• Low costs• Very extensive financial and other support

WHAT DO WE LOOK FOR IN WHAT DO WE LOOK FOR IN APPLICANTS?APPLICANTS?

• Genuine subject interest• A good ‘fit’ between applicant and course applied for• A very strong record in examinations• Very positive references from school/college• Core knowledge and technical fluency• Focus and determination• Ability to learn independently• Potential for future development• Vocational commitment (where appropriate)

SELECTION CRITERIA• A-level (or equivalent) grades/predictions and subject

combinations• AS/A unit marks (Cambridge)• GCSE grades• Contextual data• Test results (Oxford)• UCAS school/college reference• UCAS personal statement• Submitted work (where requested)• Interview performance

APPLICATIONAPPLICATION• Via UCAS to Oxford OR Cambridge by 15 October

– Cambridge applicants also fill in an online questionnaire

– Cambridge applicants for Medicine and Vet take BMAT in early November

– Most Oxford applicants take an aptitude test in early November

• Submitted work (where requested) is sent in in mid November

• Most applicants are called for interview in early December

UCAS REFERENCE ANDUCAS REFERENCE ANDPERSONAL STATEMENTPERSONAL STATEMENT

• REFERENCES should ideally tell us about:– Where an applicant lies in relation to his/her peers– Academic and subject-related issues– Organisation and focus

• We use PERSONAL STATEMENTS chiefly as a starting-point for discussion at interview

• Write about:– Your interest in your subject– Reading and other wider exploration– Work experience – where relevant

• Extra-curricular activities/positions of responsibility: some universities take these into account, but Oxford and Cambridge tend not to

TESTS AND SUBMITTED WORKTESTS AND SUBMITTED WORK• ~70% of Oxford applicants will be asked to take an

aptitude test in advance of interview• Some tests are multiple-choice, whereas others are text-

and essay-based• All Oxford tests, plus the BMAT used by both

universities, have websites with sample questions• Tests are not generally content-based, though some of

those that include essays will reward knowledge to an extent

• It is a good idea to do some practice, via the websites, in advance of taking a test

• If you are asked to send in some examples of school or college work, it is a good idea to send in something recent that you would enjoy discussing at interview

EXAMINATION RESULTSEXAMINATION RESULTS• Fundamental to any successful application – especially

for Cambridge (UMS)• IB results and AS/A2 marks correlate with university

examination results• School/college background does not affect the

correlations• Cambridge considers average UMS across three best

(Arts) or three most relevant (Sciences) subjects• Most, but not all, successful Cambridge applicants have

an AS average above 90%• Most, but not all, successful IB applicants are predicted

41-44 points including 776-777 at Higher Level• GCSEs are considered but are less important than in

many other university applications

INTERVIEWSINTERVIEWS

• Vast majority of applicants are called for interview• Interviews usually take place in December, and are

conducted principally by the ‘preference’ College• Applicants usually have 2-4 interviews, each lasting

20-30 minutes• Interviews are academic, subject-focused discussions in

which lecturers hope to see applicants thinking problems through for themselves

• We have no hidden agenda, and applicants are not asked ‘trick’ questions

WHAT TO EXPECTWHAT TO EXPECT

• Focused and challenging questions, typical of teaching and learning at Oxford or Cambridge

• Applicants are usually asked to talk about:– Academic work completed in the last year or two– Relevant wider reading or work experience– Subject-related issues that are very readily visible in

the wider world– ‘Prompt’ material

• New approaches to existing knowledge and problem-solving questions

• Questions to interviewers• Prompting from interviewers

SUBMITTING A STRONG APPLICATIONSUBMITTING A STRONG APPLICATION

• Choose the right subject/course• Maximise public examination grades• Read and complete other wider exploration• Complete a practice test, if a test forms part of your

assessment• In advance of interview, refresh your memory about:

– The Oxford or Cambridge course for which you have applied

– UCAS personal statement• And revise:

– School/college work– Any submitted work

• Practise discussing academic work and ideas

UNSUCCESSFUL APPLICATIONSUNSUCCESSFUL APPLICATIONS• Every year c. 10,000 unsuccessful Oxbridge applicants

go on to achieve three or more A grades at A level• We could happily take many more of our applicants were

places available• Competition is very tough indeed and our decisions are

extremely difficult• The ‘Pool’ (Cambridge)• Feedback• Re-application• Conditional offers: they are conditional• IB: Oxford 776/39-40; Cambridge (typically) 776/41-2• A level: Cambridge A*AA/A*AAA; Oxford AAA-A*A*A• In 2010 entrants averaged 776/42 in the IB or 2.5 A*s at

A2

COMMON PITFALLS• Wrong subject• Track-record in exams causes concern• Poor organisation• Inconsistent UCAS reference• Lack of super-curricular exploration – evidenced by thin UCAS

personal statement• At interview:

– Subject knowledge insecure– Insufficient analytical ability, synoptic ability or clarity of

thought– Unwillingness to re-think ideas in the face of contrary

evidence

KEYS TO OXBRIDGE SUCCESS:THE FOUR ‘R’s

• Right subject• Excellent examination results• Read and think – critically and analytically• Revise - to embed learning and especially in

advance of interview

QUESTIONSQUESTIONS

Useful additional information is available in our

prospectus and on our websites at:• www.study.cam.ac.uk/undergraduate/• www.admissions.ox.ac.uk/

IB AS A PREDICTOR: ARTSIB AS A PREDICTOR: ARTS

IB AS A PREDICTOR: SCIENCESIB AS A PREDICTOR: SCIENCES

Churchill CollegeCambridge

St Hugh’s College Oxford

Caroline Burt Richard Partington

Pembroke CollegeCambridge

Lizzy Emerson





Lizzy Emerson

How do you choose between Oxford and Cambridge?





Lizzy Emerson

How do you decide which college to apply for?





Lizzy Emerson

How important are I/GCSE results and what about students who have no I/GCSEs or other equivalent

qualifications to I/GCSE?

How important are predicted grades in determining the offer made?





Lizzy Emerson





Lizzy Emerson

How important are admissions tests and submitted work?

What can I do to support my application and develop my academic

profile?





Lizzy Emerson





Lizzy Emerson

Is it advisable to take a Gap Year and is it more difficult to be offered a place for deferred entry?

Can you reapply to Oxford or Cambridge the following year?





Lizzy Emerson

sevenoaks school oxbridge evening dr caroline burt, admissions tutor, pembroke college cambridge dr...

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