This summer, it’s important not to forget to take a little time off and rest that brain of yours. 

Of course so much of your focus will be on your school work, spending time reading around your subject for that personal statement, not to mention thinking about those admissions test and interviews...but making sure you find a little time to switch off, and immerse your mind in something different, is a very good idea. Come the autumn term, you need to be fresh and ready for university application action! 

And we’ve discovered a fantastic new book, out this June to help you do just that... 

Blood Red Road is a story to make your heart beat faster. It is a rip-roaring, thrilling adventure set in a damaged future world, that echoes Cormac McCarthy’s The Road and Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games. 

Against a backdrop of a lawless future land, where life is cheap and survival is hard, Blood Red Road tells the story of Saba – whose twin brother is stolen by mysterious, black-robed riders.

Saba sets out on a desperate journey to find him. Ahead lie violence and treachery, and Saba needs a spirit as tough as her crossbow to survive. 

With her companions - a handsome thief with eyes the colour of moonlight, and a supremely wise and clever bird, she is in good company. Blood Red Road is an epic fast-paced story...full of unexpected twists that will take you into another world....far away from your personal statement. 

A soaring survival story, the book has already caught the attention of film makers – with Sir Ridley Scott (whose films include Gladiator, Robin Hood and The A Team), having secured the rights. It’s sure to be a blockbuster. 

With unforgettable characters and a compelling love story, we think this novel is the perfect summer read to help you switch off. 

.....

And we have 5 copies of this exhilarating new read up for grabs in our May Newsletter!

For your chance to win a copy of Blood Red Road, along with £10 worth of Amazon Vouchers, we’re asking you to flex your mental muscles.

Send us your own definition of the word ‘Justice’.  

You only have 25 words in which to explain the concept... so aim for brevity, clarity and brilliance!  We’ll also be giving extra points for invention and originality. 

Send your answers to info@oxbridgeapplications before 20th June and we’ll select the top 5 answers!

If you’re selected, we’ll send you a copy of Blood Red Road and the Amazon Vouchers, along with our congratulations. We’ll publish your brilliant answer in our June newsletter. 

And don’t forget to check out Blood Red Road’s facebook page...

One of the best things about working at Oxbridge Applications is speaking to lots of applicants every day and passing on all our research and advice. Many of the students we’ve been speaking to are finding it hard to fit in the reading they need to do for their Oxbridge application around their school work.  

You’re all busy people and you shouldn’t be spending every waking hour working.  What’s more, your IB, Pre-U and A-levels are really important and you just can’t afford to compromise on your final grades.  On the other hand, knowledge of  interesting academic ideas and a body of strong, interesting examples are really important for both an impressive personal statement and a convincing performance at interview, and this really isn’t something you can neglect or rush through over the summer. 

So what’s the solution? Well, here at Oxbridge Applications towers we’ve pooled together our time-saving techniques and top-tips for fitting in your reading to make your Oxbridge application go that little bit easier and ensure you get the most out of it.   Hope this helps!

The first step is to plan what you are going to read for your subject:If you’re looking for inspiration, the Reading Room in our Free Online Resources has lots of recommendations, divided up according to subject.  

Alternatively, for some super-personalised, subject-specific reading diamonds, you can come and see one of our consultants for a Private Consultation.  We’ll make sure you get a really comprehensive reading list that builds on your own knowledge and interests and introduces you to exciting new ideas.  What’s more, we’ll ensure you steer clear of the books that everyone reads, and which drive Admissions tutors to tears when they read about them for the 15th time in an hour!

If you want a couple of suggestions to get you started, give one of our consultants a call on 0207 499 2394 and they’ll give you a couple of bright ideas over the phone to get you going. When you’re planning what you are going to read, it’s important to give yourself a good foundation in the subject area and then read further into an area you find particularly interesting:  

You could maybe plan to do the basics before you finish school in July and then move onto the areas that caught your imagination in more detail over the holidays.  When trying to get a grip of the basics of the subject, try to answer the following questions:• Who are the key players and what are their ideas?  Who is Weber?  What was Darwin getting at in The Origin of Species?

Are Keynes’ ideas still relevant to our society?  What did Barthes mean when he proposed the Death of the Author?• How has the academic approach to the subject developed over time?What is History? How do theories about our Universe come about and how are they dismissed?  Are successive movements in literature a response to, rebellion against or evolution of previous ideas?  

To what extent is modern Philosophy based on classical ideas?• What are the most interesting areas and developments at this time?What is the most recent breakthrough in research?  What technology is enabling academics to perform more detailed studies in their fields?  What are the ideas being discussed at the moment?

The next step is how to find the time to read the books on your reading list: Blogs and articles feel easy to fit in – it will take you a maximum of 30 minutes to read the longest article, so you feel you get more for your time.  However, the people reading your personal statement and interviewing you will want to see that you like reading and are willing to put in the time to read a full and detailed argument – as this is what you will be doing when you get to Oxford and Cambridge. 

Now it’s about finding a time in your week – just an hour and a half or so - that you can dedicate to your reading.  Perhaps you could use one of your free periods at school?  Or some time on Sunday morning, before lunch and the post-lunch homework blitz start?  Never feel you have to spend longer than 90 minutes working, but do keep this time sacred.  This way you can work your way through the key texts that you need to read for your application, rather than feeling you have loads to read and trying to do it all in one go. 

Another technique you could try is keeping a book with you at all times.  Just keep it in your bag and then when you’re waiting at the bus stop, sitting on the train or not doing anything in the car, you can pull out the book and read a couple of pages. You’d be surprised how much time you spend every day doing not very much and a few minutes here and there can add up to a whole book before too long!

The final step is making the most of your reading. Once you’ve put all that effort in, it is key that you don’t forget anything!   One of the best ways of doing this is to use an index card or a postcard as a bookmark.  Any particularly interesting passages, quotations or ideas can be noted down (with their page number) on the postcard.  Then when it comes to interview preparation or looking for that golden quote for your personal statement, you can just pick out the relevant postcard and find what you’re looking for.  It also means that everything can be easily stored in the same place.   

Another idea that can really pay off is to spend 15 minutes once you’ve finished a book writing a brief summary of the contents, what you found interesting and what you’d like to know more about.  It’s really important to do this the second you’re finished whilst it’s still fresh: it will ensure you don’t forget any of your ideas before you have a chance to write them down and the added bonus is that the act of writing will cement the contents of the book in your memory.

This may all seem like pretty obvious stuff, but actually it can make a huge difference to your time and it will benefit you in your other areas of study too – just ask any successful Oxbridge graduate!

If you’re hunting for any further tips as to how we can help you sail through your Oxbridge Application, please don’t hesitate to send an email to info@oxbridgeapplications.com or give us a call on 0207 499 2394.  As ever, we look forward to hearing from you. 

That was the question posed by ITV’s Tonight programme, last Thursday featuring our Company Founder, James Uffindell on the careers panel.  If you missed it, you can watch it again here. 

The programme raised interesting questions, and gave good tips as to what you should be doing whilst you are at university to increase your chances of securing a good job afterwards and gives advice to applicants considering different types of degree.

I think our generation is at a crossroads at the moment: since New Labour increased the number of people going to university and tuition fees started rising, the financial benefits of getting a degree have been diminished.  A generation ago, students actually received grants to go to university - I think my dad spent the money on a new car – and because there were relatively few graduates, everyone with a degree was almost guaranteed a graduate job with a good salary.

Fast-forward 30 years and students are being asked to pay up to £9000 per annum only to enter into a job market saturated with skilled graduates, meaning that competition for those well paid jobs is fierce.  Statistics from last year revealed that almost 10% of graduates were unemployed, a frightening figure already, without the additional information that that doesn’t account for underemployed graduates or degree-holders not in graduate entry jobs. 

It’s very easy to lose hope when statistics suggest that certain degrees will barely pay from themselves over the course of a life-time.  Why get into £27, 000’s worth of debt for an Arts degree when you may only increase your earnings over a life time by £34,000?  It’s pretty sobering stuff to this year’s applicants.

But can the value of a degree be judged solely on how much it will enhance your earning capabilities in later years?  There are many jobs that you can’t do without a degree, such as nursing and teaching, and many more for which you need a degree just to get a chance at being employed in the industry, such as journalism and advertising.   Although some of these careers are not as well paid as those in the business or the financial sector (where some key figures have risen to the top without having gone on to higher education – Alan Sugar, Richard Branson, we mean you), they are still extremely well sort after by talented graduates because of the job satisfaction that they provide.  

Another crucial factor to consider is that graduates tend to have more job security than non-graduates because they have a stronger skills set and keep developing their skills over the course of their career – another appealing factor for a graduate.  It seems therefore that earnings are not the sole determiner of graduate success.

And what is the value of a degree for our society?  Increasingly, education, and higher education in particular, is seen as private pursuit.  However, politicians and sociologists both argue that education is extremely beneficial to society.   Education awakens social consciousness and makes life seem more meaningful.  The result is harder working, more motivated and more co-operative people who by and large make society more productive, less dangerous and generally a nicer place to be.  Everyone’s a winner!

It seems that your earnings over a lifetime are not a sufficient measure of the value of a degree – the return on a financial investment perhaps, but not an accurate reflection of ‘value’. Instead there are many other factors to take into account– not least the satisfaction of further learning.  The good news is that if you are aiming for top institutions such as Oxford and Cambridge, it is likely that the degree you obtain in four or five years’ time will come from a prestigious university, widely respected by employers and it will prove to be a sound investment for the future.

Ultimately, however, the questions you need to ask yourself if you are considering going to university are why you want to do a degree and how valuable will it be to you?

If you’re still unsure about what the tuition fees increase means to you, it’s worth speaking to your careers counsellor at school. Alternatively, you can give us a call to talk through your options.   We look forward to hearing from you. 

Congratulations to all of you who received AS level and A level results yesterday – I hope your hard work paid off – well done!

If your results haven’t gone as well as you would have liked, we understand that you may well have questions regarding your application to Oxbridge.

We’ve spoken to a number of students over the past few days and so thought it would be helpful to post the most common queries we have received just here.

 You may of course have a specific query you’d like us to answer or simply want to talk through your options – if you do, we are here to help and so do just get in touch with us – either on the phone or email - 0207 499 2394 / info@oxbridgeapplicatons.com – we’ve all been through the process and know how important the next few steps can be.   

Q)  I’ve got my three As at AS, but I got a B in my fourth AS.  Will this be a disadvantage in my application?

A) Very well done for getting three As.  Despite what the papers say, this is no mean feat.   If you have three As at AS, you have the requirements for applying to Oxford as long as your As are in the appropriate subject – if you want to study English and you got a B in your English AS, then you might be in trouble.  

Cambridge is a slightly different matter as they request at least one A* at A2.  They will want to see your module marks (which you write down in the Supplementary Application Questionnaire).  You need to be getting high marks in at least one of your AS marks – preferably  in the subject you want to study - to ensure you are on track for an A* in A2.   If this isn’t the case, you shouldn’t be immediately put off from applying as Cambridge may still consider your application, but you may think about applying to Oxford instead.

With regards to that fourth B, whilst it is not required by Oxbridge, it’s difficult to say whether, when faced with two similar candidates, Oxbridge might choose the one with 4 As over the one with 3As and a B.  Unfortunately it is impossible to answer this question – Oxford and Cambridge have their own special criteria for admitting their students.   Having 3As and a B will certainly not rule you out – our research has shown applicants with this grade profile have been invited to interview. have got a place and have fulfilled the requirements to take it – but it is impossible to say whether you may find yourself in the situation where a full house of As trumps your 3As and a B.

Q) I’ve just missed my 3As at AS – I just don’t know what went wrong in the exam as I usually do really well.   Should I get my paper remarked or resit it?

A) This is a really horrible situation.  You’ve worked hard and you’re good at your subject, but somehow and somewhere something has gone wrong.   The first thing to do in this situation is to speak to the teacher who taught you for that subject and the teacher who will be writing your teacher’s reference for your UCAS form.   It may well be that they are as surprised as you are.   In this case, they need to make it clear on the teacher’s reference that this results is not a fair reflection of your ability.

You should consider resitting this paper only if it will not be detrimental to your performance in the other exams you will be sitting at the same time.  Oxford and Cambridge will not know that you are resitting the exams and your personal statement is definitely not the place to mention this.   You are unlikely to be able to resit before you send off your application in October, so you will have to submit this mark.

Getting your script remarked is another possibility and if your grade goes up you should have time to include this on your UCAS form.   You can opt for a ‘priority remark’, which will mean that your script comes back to you quicker, although precise timeframes vary from subject to subject and exam board to exam board.  If you decide to get your script remarked, it is also worth getting a photocopy of your script sent to your school so your teacher can have a look at it as well and see where you lost marks.

Q) Will I have to declare my module grades?

A)  You only have to declare your module grades if you are applying to Cambridge.   The Cambridge SAQ (Supplementary Application Questionnaire) has a column which you have to complete to show all your module marks as well as your class sizes.   It is a way of Cambridge finding out a bit more about you.

Whilst Cambridge require A*AA, the fact that they are looking at your module grades implies that they are looking for high grades – although if your class size has been particularly large, it may give a clue as to why your modular grades are not as strong as they could be.   If you are worried about your modular marks, you could check out some similar courses at Oxford, and maybe consider switching your application over.

....

Unfortunately there are not hard and fast answers to how your grades will affect your Oxbridge application.  This is in some ways very frustrating, but in others quite reassuring: Oxford and Cambridge have developed their own way of choosing their students and are looking for more than just A level grades.  This means that you need to focus on making your application as strong as possible by perfecting your personal statement, performing as strongly as possible in your admissions tests, making sure your written work is the best it can be and by being as prepared as possible for your interview.

As I said, if you do have any individual questions, or if you think we could help you with your application, do just get in touch with us directly on 0207 499 2394 – we are here to answer your questions...

Welcome to our very first blog post! (and brand spanking new website).

The Oxbridge Applications team, our tutors and consultants will regularly be posting blog entries here, to keep you updated on all the latest goings on with the Oxbridge application process.

The reason this first blog post is entitled 'what would you like to talk about' is that a number of years ago, one admissions tutor actually asked an applicant that very question in their interview.

We therefore decided to create a blog, asking this very question.. what would you like to talk about? What concerns do you have about the application process? This blog (along with a new free online resources section) is here to provide you with lots of helpful information and advice on the Oxbridge application process...it's here to help motivate and inspire you throughout the process, which at times can feel rather protracted and lengthy!

Oxford and Cambridge Universities both have brilliant websites which share a wealth of information on the application process. We are independent of the two universities, and are here to provide an extension of support and advice on applying to Oxbridge. We have lots of free online resources and very soon we'll be hosting live online debates and podcasts on applying to Oxbridge - from those who have been through the process and succeeded.

In our reading room, we've recommended lots of subject-specific reading suggestions and we will be regularly updating the online room with book reviews, interesting news articles, features, documentaries to watch and podcasts to listen to, to get you inspired about your subject.

University is an absolutely fantastic time to really delve into a subject that you love in greater depth. We are here to give you as many opportunities as we can for you to engage with your subject in an intellectual way, outside of the constraints of their usual examination syllabus, and help your application to Oxbridge and other great universities.

I am sure that some of you have already been getting a taster for Oxbridge life at the open days. If you have headed up to either Oxford or Cambridge, we hope you've had a good time - and at least the sun has been shining! (let's hope it lasts for Cambridge's last open day tomorrow!)

We'll be back with our next posting very soon, but in the meantime, if you have any questions about the application process, please do just give us a call on 020 7499 2394 or drop us an email... we're here to help answer your questions...