Support for Oxbridge Students

If you would like to study at Cambridge or Oxford, Bosworth IndependentCollege offers a full programme of support and in-depth preparation tohelp you succeed. Only about one in five applicants to Cambridge or Oxford are successful in gaining a place, so specialist advice and supportare essential. Coordinated by our experienced Director of University Admissions, herself an Oxbridge graduate, and supported by a dedicated ASOxbridge Coordinator, the programme aims to develop in our students theskills, confidence and experience needed to succeed in a highly competitivefield.

BroadwayEducationpart of

Bosworth_Oxbridge2016_FinalAW.qxp_Layout 1 05/09/2016 09:37 Page 2

Individual Support, Adviceand FeedbackOur students have one to one meetings with ourOxbridge Coordinator. Students are given individualsupport and guidance throughout their UCAS application. This can include exploring students’strengths and areas for development, advice about relevant extra-curricular activities, choosing the rightuniversity and course for them, and discussions aboutany extra research they need to carry out tostrengthen their application. Our students are settheir own individual targets to maximise their chanceof success; activities to prepare for admissions tests(Oxford or Cambridge admissions tests and theMathematics STEP paper), further extra-curricular activities, a specific research project or EPQ, participation in competitions such as the Chemistryor Biology Olympiad and Maths Challenges.

Every student is offered a practice interview withincollege with a senior member of staff. These consist of a formal interview lasting 20-30 minutes, followedup by individual feedback on their performance andsuggestions for areas to improve.

External interviewers are invited into college to giveour students experience of a formal interview. Thislasts 20-30 minutes and is followed by a discussion ofthe student’s individual performance.

orough Preparation for Admissions Tests Students applying to Oxford or Cambridge may needto take one or more admissions tests. These challenging tests help the universities choose between

many highly academic applicants. Students applying to Oxford are able to sit admissions tests in College. Astudent’s score in these tests is a key piece of information used to select candidates for interview.Cambridge ask students to complete admissions testsas part of their interview process. We can help youprepare for these tests and improve your score.

Introduction to Admission Tests An introductory series of seminars aims to increase students’ familiarity with the types of questions asked,and to provide tips and strategies for answering them.Our Mathematics teachers offer on-going support for students to help them develop their ability in thetests.

Action Plan Students are helped to develop theirown individual action plan to prepare for AdmissionsTests. This includes regular practice of past test questions, taking tests under timed conditions to develop time management skills and development ofcritical thinking skills.

Critical Thinking Some of the Oxford and Cambridge Admissions tests require students to readand critically evaluate passages of text. They might beasked whether a particular conclusion is valid, orwhether there is enough reliable evidence to supporta conclusion. The college offers a 12-week “criticalthinking” course to increase students’ ability toanalyse and evaluate information in this way. Thisbuilds skills and confidence in answering AdmissionsTest questions.

Practice Tests Students complete past test questions under examination conditions to help develop time management skills and assess their levelof preparation. The results of these tests are used tofocus their preparation on key areas.

! !

!!!

ame SHOBWWame SHOBOabo hobo KS

esults: Re a A*A*AA

eading Re ngineering E at ersityniveambridge U nC

! !

!!!

elA Lev vel106 students els sat a full range of A Lev

A*/A 51.9% (A* 16.6% /A 35.3%)

B 24.3%C 16.6%D 4.5%E 2.4%

92.8% e A*/A, B or C er of grades w76.2% e A*/A or B er of grades w

40% of students gained one A* grade

R

BO

R

R

Ranking Below 50

n

anking 26-50

anking 11-25

anking 1-10

otiadnuoFt rAOverseas

51% ent to a UK ers w of leavtop 25 ersity in 2013nivU

(! uide 2014)ersity Gnive Complete U

el or 123 students completed A Levune 2013oundation in JF

LE

at

nt I

l t

at

le ”

! !

!!!

aba

“I benefitted from the Personal Tutor

B ! oumi BOB-SOIL kayyoumi BOB-SOILE

esults: Re a A*A*A

eading Re g E at ngineeringersityniveambridge U UnivC

system as this helped me to progress, set and attain my goals. I wanted to study at Cambridge University and I achieved my ambition.”

! !

!!!

“At Bosworth the aims of each individual

otlhe MORE Kgosing B

esults: Re b A*AAA

eading Re atural Sciences NNatural Sciences a ersityniveambridge U UnivC

“The small class sizes at Bosworth meant

student are important and every student receives tailored support. This provision helped me achieve my goal of studying a an Oxbridge University.”

! !

!!!

The small class sizes at Bosworth meant felt supported throughout my A Level course, whilst also being encouraged to think independently, which was valuable preparation for studying at Cambridge.”

Babafikayomi BOB-SOILEResults: A* A* AaReading Engineering at the University of Cambridge

“At Bosworth the aims of each individual student are important and every student receives tailored support. This provision helpedme achieve my goal of studying at an Oxbridgeuniversity.”In July 2016 Baba received a first class result in his exams. Which makeshim a Scholar of St. John’s College for the following academic year.

Bosworth_Oxbridge2016_FinalAW.qxp_Layout 1 05/09/2016 09:37 Page 3

Jin ZhengResults: A* A* A* A* ANationality: ChineseReading Engineering at the University of Cambridge

“I spent 3 months preparing for my interviewat Cambridge University and was given a lotof support by the Head of University Admissions, the Vice Principal and a professional Engineer. This ultimately helpedme to gain my place.”

Intensive Classroom SeminarsCambridge and Oxford students meet regularly as agroup during Year 12 and 13. These seminars are organised by an experienced teacher who leads discussions on a variety of topics;

• What makes studying at Oxford or Cambridgespecial? We discuss the advantages of the universitybeing organised into colleges (the ‘collegiate’ system)and the importance of small group tutorials (Oxford)or supervisions (Cambridge). Students reflect on thequalities and skills that admissions tutors are lookingfor from an Oxbridge student.

• Preparation and practice for interviews. Frommaking a good first impression, to dealing with themost challenging questions, these interactive seminarshelp prepare Oxbridge students for their all-important interview. We share tips on dealing withcommonly-asked questions, as well as performing wellwith more difficult questions.

• We also provide an opportunity to discuss theirsubject with other students. Oxford and Cambridgeare looking for students who enjoy talking about theirsubject and being challenged to think ‘on the spot’.Students form subject groups and are given a series oftopics to discuss. This builds their confidence, skillsand vocabulary and enables them to take part in discussions more effectively.

• In their second year, Oxbridge students are invitedto join our ‘Question Time’ discussion group led byour Vice Principal to debate current issues.

Visits and SpeakersOur students benefit from a wide range of otherevents designed to help them prepare and apply for Cambridge or Oxford, from writing a personal statement to developing a realistic understanding of what it is like to study at these universities.

• Students attend the ‘Oxford and CambridgeConference’, held last year in Birmingham. They havethe opportunity to attend workshops on a variety ofsubject areas such as Engineering, Law and Mathematics, to gain a realistic understanding of whatadmissions tutors are looking for in their applicants.The session on ‘Making a Competitive Application’helps them to understand how to make their application stand out, and what steps they need totake to strengthen their application.

• Students attend an Interview Skills workshoppresented by a representative from the University ofOxford. This explains the importance of the Oxbridgeinterview and what their Admissions Tutors are looking for.

• We invite professionals into college to talk abouttheir experience of working in their chosen career. In previous years these have included visitors working inEngineering, Accountancy and Law. Students are ableto ask questions about a typical day in their job, theirroute to employment in that industry, and the skillsand experiences they are looking for in potential employees.

• Previous Bosworth students who are currentlystudying at Cambridge or Oxford come back to visitus and talk to students about their courses and universities. They answer questions about the application process and their experience of universitylife at Oxford or Cambridge. This helps to develop arealistic understanding of what it is like to be a student at these universities.

Bosworth_Oxbridge2016_FinalAW.qxp_Layout 1 05/09/2016 09:37 Page 4

2012 - 2016 Oxbridge Students

“To sum up my time at Bosworth in 5 words; diverse,friendly, comfortable, focused and relaxed. The personal advice and assistance given by the teachingstaff has really helped me.”

Nicole Gray

Results: A*A*A*a

Reading Human Sciences at the University of Oxford

GRAY Nicole British A*A*A*aPsych, Bio, Geog,

MathsUniversity of

OxfordHuman Sciences

IFEOBU Debbie Chisom Nigerian A*A*A*Ab

Chem, Maths, FM, Phys, Econ

University of Cambridge

Engineering

University of Cambridge

ZHAO Xingan Chinese A*A*A*AA Phys, Maths, FM, Chem, Chin

University of Oxford

Mathematics andComputer Science

LAM Jillian Lok Yan Canadian A*A*A*A*a Chem, Phys, Maths, FM, Chin

University of Oxford

Physics (4 years)

WELLIO Gilmore Botswanan A*A*A*A* Chem, Phys, Maths, FM

University of Cambridge

Chemical Engineering

ZHENG Jin Chinese A*A*A*A*A Maths, FM, Chem,Phys, Chin

University of Cambridge

Engineering (4 years)

IHINIMIKALU Toyin Nigerian A*AAB Psych, Gvt & Pol, Bio, Eng Lit

University of Oxford

Law

OLSZEWSKI Son Polish A*ABBab Ger, Maths, Hist, Econ,FM, Eng Lit

University of Oxford

Law with GermanLaw

CHUNG Cliff Hong Kong A*A*A*A*AaMaths, Bio, Chem,Psych, Chin, EPQ

University of Cambridge

Psychological & Behavioural Sciences

LEE Jaekyeong South Korean A*A*A*A*Maths, FM, Chem,

PhysUniversity of Cambridge

Engineering (4 years)

YATSKEVICH Stanislau Belarusian A*A*A*A*A* Maths, Bio, Chem,Phys, Rus

University of Oxford

Biochemistry (Molecular & Cellular)

SHOBO Shobo KaboWame

Botswanan A*A*AAa Maths, Phys, Chem, FM, Econ

Engineering (4 years)

MORE Kgosing Botlhe Botswanan A*AAAb Maths, Phys, Chem, FM, Econ

University of Cambridge

Natural Sciences

BOB-SOILE Babafikayomi

Nigerian A*A*Aa Maths, FM, Phys,Econ

University of Cambridge

Engineering (4 years)

2014

2015

2016

2013

2012

DegreeUniversitySubjects ResultsNationalityName

Bosworth_Oxbridge2016_FinalAW.qxp_Layout 1 05/09/2016 09:37 Page 1