There are three main factors that set Oxbridge applications apart from other universities. Firstly, they have to be submitted by mid-October before the usual deadline for the UCAS forms. Secondly, only those who have the top grades need apply. And lastly, the rejection rate is among the highest anywhere for any course.
These three cardinal points guide every aspect of the Oxbridge application process. Both Oxford and Cambridge have their own screening process apart from the UCAS form, and depending on the subject chosen, there will be a written or oral or both types of tests. Since this will be the first University that the candidate will visit, the level of nervousness will also be very high. Apart from these, the approach to Oxbridge needs to be different too.
Research
It is important to know enough about these two universities before applying there. There are hundreds of students who apply every year won over by the magic that the name Oxbridge holds. The ground for rejecting them is perfectly simple – apart from a certain starry-eyed wonder they had no other reason for getting in. There is a rarer and more tragic side to this for students who are genuinely bright. They have the immediate intelligence, wit, confidence and the grades to make it, only to discover that they have made a wrong choice out of infatuation, and are now stuck with a career that they did not want for themselves. So the first step is to decide whether one wants to go to Oxbridge at all or not. Once one is accepted, all the glamour will vanish, and be replaced with high tuition fees, stiff competition, short and exhausting terms, and holidays loaded with homework. Therefore, the background research should ascertain whether you want to apply to that college and in that stream. Please check up the websites, visit the campus where you want to go during the course of a working day, and find out about your future teachers as well as notable alumni. The prospectuses should be studied in full detail and all doubts cleared before the application is filled in.
Filling in the Forms
There are some simple rules to be followed while filling in Oxbridge forms:
1. Clarity, alertness and accuracy: The admission officers have to check through a great many form and would have no patience for a form with scribbles, spelling mistakes, factual or grammatical errors, or without all the credentials enclosed. Please make sure that what you write fits in exactly into the space provided. Do not use any fancy or unclear fonts, the forms will be reduced in size while being readied. Use a word processor, and don’t give a short autobiography where you have to state your aims. Oxbridge forms give you the chance to list your extra-curricular skills too. Those who have been good at sports, or excelled as a scout / guide, should mention it.
2. Make sure that your teacher has predicted your grades accurately and favourably. It is no point applying without a chance of achieving four As at AS, and three As at A2, besides good GCSE results. If your GCSE performance was inconsistent, delicately put in an explanation for it in your personal statement.
3. Make sure that the application reaches in time. You can also apply online now – including the UCAS form.
4. Oxbridge interviews almost all applicants. So the process is not over with the forms. Apart from the written test, it is advisable to take along two marked copies of essays written by you, so that one can form an estimate of your work.
Personal Statements If you are an Oxbridge applicant, there are a few differences to be noted in your personal statements too.
1. Please do not drool over the glory of these institutions. You have to stress on what you want to study and why you are choosing a particular college reasonably. It is supposed to be a conscious choice based on self-assessment and interest in the subject.
2. Express your preference in a short additional paragraph, mentioning your interest in a college/ open admission – and justifying your choice. Do not overdo; if you do not get a chance, you don’t want others slamming their doors too.
3. Make sure everything you write in the personal statement is original and true. It would be disastrous if the person being interviewed and the one who wrote the statement appear like two different entities. There is a lot of information available on the net from Oxbridge graduates, including real sample statements. Study, but do not copy them.
Ultimately, even if you are not accepted, don’t stop your normal activities because there are other excellent universities too.
James Walsh is a freelance writer and copy editor. If you are a UK or Overseas student applying for a place in a UK University, to stand out from the thousands of others, it is essential to have striking Personal Statement, for more information and professional guidance, see http://www.personal-statement.co.uk
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