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What makes Oxford and Cambridge so special?

Both Oxford and Cambridge are based on a collegiate system. And at both universities, students benefit from small group tuition with subject experts. 

Collegiate system

Both universities are made up of individual colleges, as well as different academic departments. Academic departments are responsible for core teaching and assessment. Colleges provide academic and pastoral support, and arrange small group tuition – sometimes with a tutor or supervisor from another college.

Each college will have a diverse range of students studying across a range of subject areas and academic levels.

The college system offers the benefits of a smaller, interdisciplinary academic college community while belonging to a large, internationally renowned university.

Each college offers the same excellent standard of teaching and the same high academic standards. You will have access to your college's facilities, such as an extensive library and IT provision, as well as the resources of the wider university.

You’re able to specify a preferred college when you make your UCAS application, but your college choice won't affect whether you're accepted. Once you’ve submitted your UCAS application, you’ll be committed to your choice of college, so do your research. However, you may be interviewed by more than one college and you may receive an offer from a different college than you applied to.

If you prefer not to choose a college, you can make an open application.

Teaching methods

Teaching methods are similar at both universities. You'll have lectures, seminars, classes and laboratory work (as appropriate for your course). Oxbridge students also benefit from highly personalised teaching time with subject experts. Oxford calls them 'tutorials', while Cambridge calls them 'supervisions'. 

You’re required to prepare an essay, or another piece of work, in advance of these sessions. You then meet with your tutor to discuss the work, perhaps with one or two other students. Sessions may happen as often as once or even twice each week, depending on your course.

Your Oxford or Cambridge application

As well as your academic ability and potential, admission tutors look at your skills and motivation to go beyond what’s required for your current studies. This might include evidence of independent study or willingness to embrace new ideas. Or that you can explore and discuss ideas and opinions in a logical and considered way. Showing you have self-discipline is very important, as you’ll need to manage your time well.

You must show how you have met the above criteria in your application. 

Key stages of your application

• Choose a course: Check the specific details of what courses will cover
• Choose a college: If you have no preference, make an 'open' application
• UCAS application: The Oxbridge application deadline is earlier than the standard UCAS deadline. It is at 6pm (GMT) on 15 October each year, regardless of whether it falls on a weekend. This is the same deadline date as for Medicine, Dentistry and Vet Science
• University forms: You may be required to complete one or more additional forms
• University tests: For most subjects, extra tests will be required. They may take place prior to, or during your interview. You may need to register for them before you submit your UCAS application
• Written work: You may be asked to submit some written work
• Interview: If your application is shortlisted, you will be invited to an interview in December
• Decision: You will know if you were successful by the end of January

Additional elements of the application are covered in greater detail below.

Please note: Overseas students may have different deadlines to those for UK or EU students. Please check with the relevant university.

Application assessment 

Many Oxbridge applicants are predicted to achieve top grades and have excellent references. So it's not possible for Oxford or Cambridge to select the best students based on their UCAS applications alone. Each university has a slightly different approach to differentiating between applicants.

Your application will be assessed on a combination of many factors, explained below.

Entry requirements

Make sure you expect to achieve the required grades for your chosen course. There may be specific subject requirements for particular courses, especially in the sciences. 

Conditional offers for Oxford range between A*A*A and AAA (depending on the subject) at A Level or 38–40 in the IB, including core points. Certain grades may be required at Higher Level.

Cambridge usually requires A Level grades of A*A*A for most sciences and engineering, and A*AA for other courses. For the IB, you'll need 41–42, including core points, with 776 at Higher Level. For students taking Scottish Advanced Highers, grades range from A1,A2,A2 –A1,A1,A2.

If you are taking A Levels in science-related subjects, you’re expected to complete and pass the practical assessment.

You can check these in the course requirements on Oxford or Cambridge university websites. At Cambridge, subject requirements may also vary from one college to another.

Personal statement

Your personal statement is a chance to show your potential to excel within the tutorial or supervision system.

When writing your personal statement you should:

• Show your commitment to your chosen subject and your independent study skills by exploring beyond what’s required by the exam syllabus
• Demonstrate your self-motivation, your ability to plan, structure and research your work, and relate these to the skills required on your course
• Remember that your UCAS application is only for five universities, so your personal statement may have to apply to different courses

School or college reference

Your tutors will report your academic performance as part of your UCAS reference, as well as your predicted grades. This is also where they can include contextual information about you.

University forms

Cambridge asks all applicants to complete My Cambridge Application, an extra online questionnaire.

Oxford does not require you to complete any extra forms. However, for most courses, applicants are asked to take a test as part of the application. Tutors then shortlist applicants based on students’ applications and performance in the test.

University tests

Most tests are held at schools or colleges before an interview. Applicants must be registered well in advance for tests by their assessment centre. Ensure you note the correct dates for taking any tests.

UCAT (University Clinical Aptitude Test). All students applying for the standard medicine course (A100) or graduate entry medicine course (A101) at either university must register to take the UCAT as part of their application.

Oxford requires applicants to take written tests before an interview in most other subjects. Please note that separate registration is required in many cases.

Cambridge requires applicants to take pre-interview tests for around half of its courses. For other subjects, Cambridge requires a written test to be taken while at the university for the interview (if interviewed). You will not need to register for at-interview assessments.

Written work

Both universities require some applicants to send samples of written work as part of their application. Both will expect this work at different times, so double check the deadline when you apply to ensure you don't miss it.

Contextual data

Contextual data, or contextualisation, allow your circumstances to be considered. It intends to give a fair platform for applicants from differing backgrounds. Your academic performance is still the key factor, but contextualisation allows the university to assess how your school performs, your socio-economic background and more. You can also provide this information as part of your personal statement, or the teacher's academic reference.

When assessing applications, both Cambridge and Oxford consider school performance and your location to place your educational achievement into context. They may consider your academic record in relation to the normal performance of your school.

If you're applying to Cambridge, your teachers can submit an Extenuating Circumstances form directly to the university, providing information relating to your circumstances.

Oxford encourages teachers to include details of any special circumstances or other relevant information in the main UCAS application. If you demonstrate academic aptitude for Oxford, you’re likely to be considered for an interview and seen in addition to students identified through the normal shortlisting process.

Interviews

Cambridge interviews around 70–75% of undergraduate applicants. At Oxford, where applications are around six per place, around half of all applicants are shortlisted for interview. For the most competitive degrees, the applicants who most closely meet the selection criteria may have multiple interviews.

The purpose and structure of interviews are very similar at both universities. Essentially, they are like a mini-tutorial or supervision, where the tutors will give you a small passage to read or perhaps set a small problem and then ask you to discuss it.

Contrary to many popular myths about the interviews, there are no tricks or mind games involved. The interview is for tutors to get a sense of how you react to new situations and how you process the information available.

It's not a matter of how quickly — or even whether — you arrive at a particular answer. There may not even be a right answer. The tutors just want to get an insight into how you think and how you apply your knowledge and skills.

Your performance at the interview alone does not determine whether you get offered a place; a variety of factors are considered, as outlined above. However, no commercial test will influence your application success, and neither university supports nor encourages such commercial enterprises.

Tips for applying 

Do:

• Choose a course you are really passionate about
• Read widely around your chosen subject. Tutors have often devoted their life to their subject and they want to teach students who share their enthusiasm
• Practice talking about your subject and not just with your teachers and fellow students. Talking to non-experts is an excellent exercise as it gets you thinking in new ways and helps you to find new ways of expressing the concepts and issues involved

¶Ù´Ç²Ô’t:

• Stretch the truth on your application form. Tutors may ask you about anything you include in your application, so make sure it's all correct
• Spend too much time worrying about which college to apply to, that will just fall into place
• Be disheartened. It's a competitive environment but the only way to guarantee you won’t be successful is to not try at all

Based on an original article by Helen Charlesworth, Head of Communications for Undergraduate Admissions and Outreach at the University of Oxford.