How to maximise your chances of winning a place at Oxford or Cambridge
Oxford and Cambridge are two of the best universities in the world.
It, therefore, comes as no surprise that competition between applicants is fierce. While excellent qualifications certainly help, they are by no means all you need to receive an offer.
To ensure they attract the students best suited to them, Oxbridge has a rigorous, complex and daunting application procedure.
Read on to discover top tips from Oxbridge applications company William Clarence on how to win the place of your dreams...
6 top tips for winning a place at Oxford or Cambridge:
1. Act quickly
Unlike all other universities, the deadline for Oxbridge applications is October, almost a year before the course starts. As a student exhausted from A-Levels, spending the summer working on applications forms is the last thing you'll want to do.
This is where our Oxbridge applications company can help. Our UCAS adviser is on hand to guide you through the process, and we can put in the legwork as early as possible so that there’s no last-minute rush.
2. Do your research
You can’t apply for Oxford and Cambridge in the same admissions round, so you need to be clear about the reasons for choosing one above the other.
If you are shortlisted for interview, you will be expected to speak passionately about your selected subject, and have opinions on why you have applied for a specific college.
Our educational consultants can help you make the right choices and pass on their in-depth knowledge of each university.
3. Create a perfect personal statement
The UCAS personal statement is the chance for you to stand out from the crowd; to tell the admissions tutor a little about you, your relevant experience and why you're right for the course in question.
One statement has to cover all applications – too general and it lacks focus, too specific and it risks alienating other options if your first choice isn’t offered.
Your teachers may have 20 or 30 statements to look at, and can’t possibly invest as much time as you’ll need in yours. We can offer one to one advice and as much time as necessary.
4. Prepare for the admissions tests
Many courses require an admissions test as part of the application process. These are written exams designed to show how you think, analyse and solve difficult questions.
Most students will have never come across anything like these before, and they can unnerve and derail the most confident of people.
Our Oxbridge applications company experts can prepare you for these – show you what to expect, how to deal with seemingly random questions, and even provide you with mock tests using past papers and our unrivalled knowledge of each course.
5. Be interview ready
For many applicants, the Oxbridge interview will be so daunting, nerves can get the better of them. We offer advice on everything, from what to wear, what questions to expect, what to say and what not to say.
We can set mock interviews, recreate the environment in which they will expect to find themselves and put them through the paces. The idea isn’t to produce a robot rattling off a pre-prepared script, but to help you relax so that when the real thing comes around, there are no surprises.
6. Be flexible
Getting into Oxbridge is not easy, and not everyone will be successful – regardless of a gold standard application, unbeatable qualifications and a good interview.
If you don’t receive an offer of a place, we’re here to advise you of other options at quality universities and support you as you continue your journey to higher education in a different direction.
Looking for additional Oxbridge application support?
As an established Oxbridge applications company, William Clarence Education offers unbiased advice on UK School and University Placement, Oxbridge Admissions, US College Applications, UCAS application and extensive support for parents and students in all aspects of preparing for entry to the UK.
If this is something you feel that you would benefit from, do not hesitate to contact us to discuss your particular needs.
