The application process


The Oxbridge life for me?


The facts To secure a place at Oxford or Cambridge, applicants need to submit their UCAS form a year before the course start date. Applications open in early September and there is a strict October deadline – check ahead and find out what the date would be for you. Late applications will not be accepted and students can only apply for one course at an Oxford or Cambridge college in the same year. Oxford and Cambridge are made up of colleges and halls – over 40 at the former and over 30 at the latter – so a lot of thought and research needs to go into deciding at which of those, if you qualify, you might study. For most courses at Oxford, candidates will have


to take a test as part of the application. Oxford does not require students to complete any extra forms but Cambridge asks all applicants to complete an online Supplementary Application Questionnaire (SAQ) or Cambridge Online Preliminary Application (COPA) after submitting their UCAS form. This, though, is just to ensure consistent information about all applicants. Those seeking to study at Cambridge may also need to take a written test as part of the application, or perhaps submit some written work. Shortlisted applicants for either university will be invited to the relevant college for interview.


Geting in and the interview myth Both universities are looking for excellence in their candidates, regardless of their background, and are committed to ensuring application procedures are highly rigorous, fair and designed to allow the best applicants to demonstrate their knowledge and talent. You may believe that some privileged students have been heavily coached, tutored and prepared for entry into a prestigious institution, and will inevitably have an advantage. But Options spoke to a member of staff at a Cambridge college, who was happy to confirm that: “My experience is that we are looking to see the true personality of the child rather than seeing someone who’s been coached. Coaching is what some schools do a lot of, and it tends to show. Our admissions department is genuinely ecstatic to get raw talent from outside that system.” There is also a popular myth that interviews at these institutions involve philosophical riddles or trick questions designed to deliberately mis-step or unnerve candidates. This is the stuff of urban legend. While an Oxbridge interview might be tough, and students are certainly challenged, tutors are seeking to draw the best out of their interviewee not put them through an endurance test. l


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