Calling all PPS, Experimental Psychology, Medicine and Philosophy and Psychology applicants!  

If you're brainy and interested in the brain, this programme is for you!

In his new series 'The Brain: A Secret History', Dr Michael Mosley explores our understanding of the human brain and looks back at some of the experiments of the early 20th century, which have taught modern day psychologists so much, but pose some serious ethical dilemmas. 

This is a great introduction to a subject that you might not be doing at school and will fill you in on lots of important experiments that you can read up on later. 

You can find it on BBC Iplayer and the latest episode is about emotions. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00x7cb5/The_Brain_A_Secret_History_Emotions/

Watch this clip for a sneaky preview...

The Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge is the most famous and longest running competition between the two oldest UK universities.  Many famous faces have been down the 4 mile and 374 yard (6.78km) course including Sir Steve Redgrave, Sir Matthew Pinsent, Hugh Laurie and the Vinklevosses (of ‘The Social Network’ fame), but for everyone who takes part, it is the most physically demanding race in the world and every contestant needs talent, stamina, commitment and determination in order to be successful.

So...a bit like applying to Oxford or Cambridge then?

I would argue yes, and in fact, this year’s Boat Race is even more like the 2011 application cycle than any other.  And here’s why:

Application landscape

Just like applications to Oxford and Cambridge, winning the Boat Race is becoming more competitive every year. Back in 1860, Cambridge could still win with a time of 26 minutes and 5 seconds, whereas now, crews need to be completing the course in under 16 and a half minutes in order to be in with a shot.  Rowers are getting, bigger, taller, heavier and more experienced and the same can (sort of) be said for the applicants to Oxbridge (in intellectual terms I mean...).

But there was some good news this year.  With the Olympics coming in 2012, all the big, international rowers were back home training with their national teams, leaving the way free for lots of undergraduates to take part, which is usually much more difficult.  The prospect of a rise in tuition fees is likely to have the same effect on applications this year:  Oxford and Cambridge saw an unprecedented increase in the number of applicants in 2010, and predictions say that lots of the top applicants will have chosen to go to university last year rather than taking a gap year or reapplying.  This means that competition is likely to be a little less fierce than last year, and you, like the rowing undergraduates of Oxford and Cambridge, will have more of a chance to shine.

Training

Did you know that the rowers in the boat race put in 2 hours’ training for every stroke they take in the boat?  With about 600 strokes over the course of the race, that’s some pretty solid commitment!  You could think about your application in the same way.  It’s easy to think that you can just do a practice paper in preparation for you admissions test, or quickly brush up on current affairs in time for your interview, but this 1:1 ratio of preparation to performance really isn’t going to make you stand out.

You should be thinking about your strategy and revising for your admissions test well in advance.  Be sure to put time and effort in to this as, for many subjects, this is the first hurdle you need to jump to be invited to interview.  Likewise, you should be reading up on your subject and the ideas that interest you so that you can absorb the information and be ready to pull it out at the right moment in your personal statement, your admissions test and your interview.  You’re brain may not be a muscle, but you still need to do some training to ensure it can lift those academic weights without breaking out in a proverbial sweat!

Strategy

If you watched the boat race, you may have seen Oxford get ahead of Cambridge and take up the middle of the stream.   This is where the current is fastest, and it becomes near impossible for the crew behind to overtake.  Following this strategy, most crews try to go fast as early on as possible to take up the place in the middle of the stream in front of the other crew and secure a victory.  Only three times in the last ten years has a crew who was behind at the half way point gone on to win the race.

Following the boat race’s example, now is about the right point in time to be sitting down and working out a timetable for the coming months.  When are the open days? When do you need to register for your admissions test? When do you need to get your personal statement in?  When is your interview likely to fall?  If you can do the research in advance and the preparation well before, you’ll pull yourself into the lead and dramatically improve your chances of success.

Jeepers Creepers, did you see that Boat Race?!  

Oh the crowds!

Oh the excitement!

Oh the incredibly tall people wandering around all over the place...!

If you missed it on Saturday, you can watch the final moments of Oxford's resounding victory over Cambridge below (bad luck Cambridge, but you are winning overall) .

Plus, read our blog next week if you've ever wanted to know the answers to the following questions:

1) How is the rise in tuition fees a little bit like the Olympics?

(Clue - it's not just the fact that it's going to be expensive and cause lots of disruption in everyone's lives in 2012.)

2) How is preparing for your interview a just like training for the Boat Race?

(Tip - head for the library, not the gym...)

3) How can planning, preparation and tactics help spur you on to success?

(It's not just about brute mental strength, you also need a game plan.)

All will become clear on Monday!

If you’re going to be applying to university this year, then the increase in tuition fees is likely to be a subject never too far from your mind.  Following much violent protest, a few inter-party fallings out and some rather hazardous political U-turns, the government has decided to raise the cap on University tuition fees and charge undergraduates up to £9000 per year for their studies.

Even if you have your ear carefully pressed to the ground, the rapid changes and constant to-ing and fro-ing may have left you a little confused.  Never fear! Read on to find out everything you need to know about the tuition fee rises, how they will affect you and what you can do to make things a little bit easier once you graduate.

So what kind of figures are we talking?

From 2012 onwards, universities will be allowed to charge students up to £9000.  Originally this number was only allowed to be charged in ‘exceptional circumstances’, such as if it was an intensive 2 year degree, but universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial, Exeter and Durham have all applied to charge the full fee rate, arguing that their degrees are worth this sum of money.  More universities are set to join them.   New regulations by the Office of Fair Access have demanded that a proportion of fees charged over £6000 be dedicated to widening access and giving scholarships and bursaries to poorer students.  Cambridge, for example, is currently planning to introduce a means-tested waiver for the top £3000 of the fee.   Under the current forecasts, however, a graduate who spent 3 years at university paying £9000 per year, could come out with a debt of up to £38,000 once maintenance loans are accounted for.   On the brighter side, it is estimated that the poorest students will pay less in future than they do now.

Eek. Well then how do you pay it back?

Current plans are for graduates to have to pay a percentage of their salary above a certain threshold.  This has been increased from £15,000 p.a to £21,000 and graduates will be required to pay 9% of their salary above this for thirty years.  After 30 years, if the debt hasn’t been paid, it is written off (Just as their kids start going to university! Oh the irony...!).  The amount graduates have to be earning before they start paying will be adjusted according to inflation every year, so as £21,000 buys less, the threshold for paying back the loan will increase.  All in all, this means that if you earn say, £25,000 per annum, you will have to pay an extra £187.69 per month to pay off your debt.

Experts have already predicted that only 50% graduates will be able to pay off their loan within 30 years: at the moment, you would need to be earning a salary averaging £48,850 over 30 years in order to pay back your loan in 26 years – and that’s only if you’re being charged £7500 per year.  There are also likely to be penalties for people trying to pay off their debt faster and it is even estimated that 10% graduates will actually pay off more than they borrowed.

So why is this all happening now?

You’re probably tired of hearing this by now, but it’s the recession.  Years of rising investment under the Labour government, which saw many more students going to university, have now given way to necessary spending cuts.   It costs approximately £7000 per year to teach an undergraduate degree (and the tutorial-style system of teaching at Oxford and Cambridge as well as Medicine and Science subjects are even more expensive).  Currently 29% of the universities’ funding comes from fees, a further 35% from the government and the rest from donations and endowments.   The government have had to cut the amount of money they give to universities and the students need to make up the short-fall.

Is there light at the end of the tunnel?

There are certain things that may make you feel a bit happier if you are worried about how much you will have to pay.  Some graduate employers are promising to be very generous:  Pharmaceuticals giant GlaxoSmithKlein are offering to pay 100% of the tuition fees for its graduates who started their degrees after 2012.  Accountancy firm KPMG are going to be funding 75 students through university and employing them afterwards.  Many other large graduate recruiters are set to follow suit as their generous schemes will guarantee them the best graduates.  This is definitely something worth keeping an eye on before you begin university and whilst you are there.

If you’re worried about how much you will have to pay, it’s worth getting all the information you can.  Speak to your school’s careers department and the universities you are thinking of applying to to find out whether you are eligible for any bursaries or scholarships. If you’re thinking of applying to Oxford or Cambridge, give us a call and we’ll try to give you any information we have from our own experiences. 

Thanks so much to everyone who has been writing in saying nice things about the blog.  We really appreciate your comments, so keep them coming!  If there is anything you'd like us to write about that you think you or your fellow applicants might find useful, just let us know.

Now, as to choosing your A levels....

Well done to everyone who received AS and A2 module marks last week – we hope you received the results you wanted!  For those of you doing 4, 5 or (dare we say it) 6 A levels, now might be the time when you start thinking about which AS you can drop in the summer.   With the weather getting nicer and summer (hopefully) on its way, this is also prime slacking-off-in-subjects-you-think-you’re-going-to-drop time.   But be warned: you may be endangering your eligibility for certain Oxbridge courses.... So before you do anything, read our blog!

The first thing that you need to do is look at the course requirements for the subject you are interested in.  This may sound pretty silly, but there can be quite substantial differences between the courses at the different universities as to which subjects they require.   Did you know, for example that to apply for Medicine at Cambridge you need to do Chemistry, Biology and either Maths or Physics, whereas at Oxford, you only need Chemistry and Biology?  Or that Maths A level is not essential to read Economics at Oxford, but it is at Cambridge? If you do have any doubt at all, please call the University Admissions offices and ask them.  It’s much better to leave your options open at this stage in the game.

The second thing you need to do is to read between the lines.  It’s worth bearing in mind that when the University says that Maths A level is not required, it may still be very beneficial.   Although the PPE course at Oxford states that Maths is ‘useful but not essential’, the applications process and the course itself are really geared up for people who are confident in maths: the Thinking Skills Assessment test (more on that later...!) has some quite tricky maths questions – you can see some of them in the Free Online Resources section of our website - and the first year economics is much easier if you have a Maths background.  What’s more, according to the people we spoke to, not a single person without a mathematical A level (and we’re including Physics here) was offered a place.   This may be due to the mathematical nature of the questions asked at interview:  One of the applicants we supported last year was given a graph of household consumption and expenditure and was asked how to work out the stock of savings from 1970, not an easy task if you don’t know the process and the formula.  All we can say is that there may be some people who got an offer without any mathematical subjects, but we haven’t met any yet... 

The third thing you need to think about before you give yourself permission to consider dropping subjects is the combination of subjects that you will be applying with.   If you want to apply for Modern Languages, you will not only need to prove that you have a passion for languages, but also a love of literature – in which case keeping English Literature might be a good idea.   In all cases, you will almost certainly need an essay writing subject when you apply for a languages course at Oxford and Cambridge.   You also need to be sure that you have enough ‘academic’ subjects in your armoury of qualifications.  Cambridge University, along with some other top universities, have a list of ‘soft subjects’, which they don’t consider to be as academically challenging as some more traditional subjects.  If more than one of your A levels is on the list, you are, sadly, unlikely to be invited to interview.  

To find out whether you have a good collection of subjects, or the right subjects for the course you want to do, you can give us a call in the office.  It can be quite difficult to work out exactly what you should be doing to give yourself the best chance of success, but we are always happy to help.

It may seem many months away, but before you know it, the time will come for you to start writing your personal statement. You’ll have just 4000 characters (including lines, spaces and punctuation) to convey to the admissions tutors reading your application just how much you love your subject, how good you are at it, and why you should be offered a place at their university.   (Don’t worry – we’ll give you lots of guidance nearer the time!) As anyone well versed in the art of persuasion will tell you, it’s not enough just to say how much you like Astrophysics/the battle of Trafalgar/the structure of the Brooklyn Bridge/Keats’ early poems...you need to back up your claims with something more solid.

One way of doing this is by reading around the subjects that interest you so that you have some forceful examples and meaty academic texts to refer to in your personal statement – just make sure you really do read them, otherwise the interview might not go the way you want it to. We have lots of reading recommendations in our reading room, which you can find in free online resources, and we are very happy to give you some further suggestions specific to your interests if you give us a call or send us a quick email.

But what about the more practical experience?  This is more relevant for some subjects than others – practical experience is essential for anyone wanting to apply for a medical degree, but not so relevant for those wanting to read English or History.  The problem that many students find is that it is relatively difficult for Sixth Formers to find useful work experience in the subject they are interested in: often A level students are just not qualified to do anything but observe and make tea and coffee.  Another common problem is not having any contacts in the field that you want to get experience in: unless you have family friends or acquaintances working as doctors or lawyers, it can be quite difficult for medicine and law applicants to organise shadowing and work experience. A possible solution to both these problems is to attend a summer school, where you can participate in workshops and competitions, but sometimes these can to be quite pricey – not to mention the high living costs if you have to stay away from home.

Nevertheless, there are ways of gaining useful practical experience for your course without the price tag: you just need to think outside the box...  Below you’ll find a list of our bright ideas as to how you can pick up some interesting work experience over the summer – but do some research yourself and you might pick up an even better opportunity! (If you do, please let us know about it – there’s nothing better than the teacher becoming the pupil...)

Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths

If you’re interested in any of these areas, or more specifically in Medicine, you might want to consider applying for a Nuffield Bursary.  This will give you the chance to work with a scientist on a current research project for 4 – 6 weeks during your summer and you’ll get a bursary of up to £80 per week to fund you.  Not bad!  What’s more the Nuffield Bursary scheme is really well respected and you can even enter for a CREST award, which recognises your achievement and will allow you to go to lots of science fairs all around the country for free.  Go to the Nuffield Bursary website to check their application deadlines.  They vary according to your region, but many fall in the middle or at the end of March – so get your skates on! If you’re unsuccessful, try contacting your local university to see whether there are any research projects that you might be able to get involved in, be it by assisting a Psychologist in an experiment or helping with tests in a laboratory.

Law

One really good way of getting some Law experience is to attend some court cases at your local Magistrate’s Court.  At most trials, the public gallery is open, so you can see the justice system working before your very eyes.  You may even find that this gives you better experience than you would get shadowing a solicitor in a local office.  One successful applicant actually credits her offer to read Law at Oxford to her experience attending Magistrates Court trials in the summer before her interview, so don’t turn your nose up at it because it’s not as glamorous as the Old Bailey.

You can also attend one of the sixth form conferences that the Bar Council offers around the country.  This will cover recent developments in Law as well as issues in British, European and International Law (particularly interesting at the moment) and case studies.  Check out the website – but be quick as it’s done on a first come, first served basis.

Modern Languages

If you are interested in applying for Modern Languages, spending time in the target language country is really helpful.   If your school is not organising any exchanges for you to participate in, visit the British Council website and look at the ‘Opportunities for British Students’ page.  This has details of lots of scholarships, exchanges and partnerships which will allow you to be funded to undertake a project or an immersion language course in a different European country.   I can definitely vouch for this, having won a British Council scholarship to Kiel in Germany based on an essay I wrote.  This ended up forming the basis of the German speaking part of my interview, so it’s definitely something worth looking into.

Politics & Economics

If you’re interested in applying for Politics or Economics, a trip to parliament to sit in the public gallery and listen to the debate would be an interesting way to spend the day.  You can contact your local MP, who is able to invite members of the public to parliament. Remember, however, that parliament is in recess between 27^th July and 3^rd September, so make sure you arrange to go before or after the summer holidays.   You’ll get much more out of the debate if you know the back ground to what is being discussed, so we’d recommend you do your own research before you go down.

If you’re thinking of applying for courses in any other areas, one pretty exciting way of getting involved would be to apply for an unpaid internship at the BBC.   You can apply for History, Science and Nature documentaries, work in the BBC drama department if you’re interested in literature, get experience in the World Service if politics is your passion or put your maths and economics skills to the test researching markets for Business and Economics news.  Remember that the BBC proms takes place every summer so budding Music applicants would do well to look into how they might be able to get involved here.

Competition can be quite stiff for many of these places, but there are plenty of opportunities available.  Just make sure you put in the strongest application possible – good practice for your real Oxbridge application – don’t be afraid to be proactive and think outside the box. You’re worth it.

Best of luck and do let us know how you get on. 

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. 

If you’ve just been through the process of applying to Oxford and Cambridge, you don’t need anyone to tell you that it requires a great deal of hard work and personal investment.  As we all know, for many things in life, the key to success is proactivity, passion and perspicacity...although there are, alas, no guarantees. And Oxbridge is no different.   

So... what do you do if you really love your subject, you’ve worked hard, done well in your admissions test and prepared for you interview, but you’ve just found out that you have not been offered a place? 

Not getting the place you wanted at Oxbridge is really difficult.  Competition is incredibly tough and gets tougher every year.  And there’s a simple fact, that with the number of places available at the two universities remaining static, there simply are not enough places for all applicants who potentially deserve them.

This year, thousands of intelligent, hard-working and passionate Oxbridge applicants who have excelled in everything they’ve ever done did not receive places. And so, for them, what next? 

The first thing to say is that applicants who don’t get offers from Oxbridge still end up at fantastic universities.   They go on to get top jobs with top graduate employers or carry on academic research at their own university, Oxbridge or in the US.   With the fee hike coming in next year, and the elite universities set to charge their undergraduates up to £9000 per year, taking a place at another top university may be the most sensible thing to do.  However, there may still be some people wanting to have another go at Oxbridge.  So what should you be considering before you decide to reapply?

Finances

This may be the most important factor for you.  Students beginning University in October 2011 will be required to pay £3225 per annum, whereas those students beginning their courses in 2012 (who haven’t deferred) may have to pay up to £9000.  This means that if you are doing a three year course, you could come out with debts of £27,000 or more.  Whilst universities will be offering more generous bursaries to students from low income families and graduates will not have to start paying back their student loan until they are earning over £21,000 per annum, this is still a big factor in the decision to reapply in 2011.

Your other offers

You should bear in mind that some of the other universities that you have applied to may not take too kindly to you turning down their offer this year and then reapplying next year.   We have heard of some really strong applicants who were unsuccessful when they reapplied to one of the top universities that had offered them a place the year before.   If you’ve secured offers from one of the country’s top universities, think very carefully before you give up your place to reapply, as you may find that these doors are closed to you the next time.  If you’re anything like me, you probably applied to all the universities you wanted to go to first time, in which case you might find you have a limited choice second time round.

Gap year plans

If you do want to reapply to Oxford or Cambridge, it is really important to consider what you are going to do on your gap year and what Oxford and Cambridge’s attitude to gap years for your chosen subject is.  Colleges tend not to like mathematicians taking a year out as they are worried that applicants might lose their focus.  The same goes to a certain extent with Physics and Physical Natural Sciences, although tutors do look more kindly on applicants who have kept up their subject through some kind of work experience or laboratory assistantship. If you’re applying for a modern language, it would be great to spend some time in the target language country, either working or studying and work experience relating to any subject is always productive.   Interesting gap year plans may make you stand out from the crowd and show that you really do have a continuing interest in your subject.  Before you make the decision, however, it would be good to check with the university admissions office as well as doing some research into the attitudes of the various colleges.

Increasing competition

Applications to Oxford and Cambridge are increasing by about 10% each year each year; Oxford has just announced that this was their most competitive year yet, with 17,200 people applying for just 3200 places.  It may be that when Cambridge releases their application statistics for 2010 we’ll see that the increase in applications was far greater this year than previously as so many applicants are trying to get to university before the increase in tuition fees comes in. Although admission to Oxford and Cambridge does get tougher every year, if you can put in a stronger application, then you may still be at an advantage.  Remember that applicants are still being awarded places even as it gets more competitive, so you shouldn’t feel that your chances are hopeless.

Changing entry requirements

It’s worth noting that this year Oxford has introduced the A* into their offers for science subjects and maths.   This means that if you want to apply for Biology at Oxford this year, you may need to have at least A*AA in order to apply. You may not have your A level grades yet, but you will need to ensure that you get at least one A* in August so consider first whether this is a possibility for you.  

Effect on you

Probably the most important thing to consider is the effect another application to Oxford or Cambridge will have on you.  As you know from last year, it can be very hard work and will demand quite a lot of personal investment. Whilst it is important to stay positive about your application (and you should be – we worked with a lot of successful re-applicants last year), you should consider how you’ll feel this time next year if you are not offered a place.

If you do want to reapply to Oxbridge, it is worth trying to gather as much information about your application last year as possible.   Oxbridge will send your school feedback from your application, so ask your teachers if they will go through it with you to see what you can be working on.   It can be difficult to get detailed feedback from Oxford and Cambridge, largely because they have so many applicants each year, but if you felt you got on particularly well with one of your interviewers, you could try to get in touch with them directly to ask their advice.

And if you’re still thinking about reapplying and you have more questions you would like answered, you can always speak to one of the consultants for free at Oxbridge Applications. Just give us a call on 0207 499 2394 and we’ll be happy to chat things through with you. 

Having spent some of my most formative years at an Oxford College, and now working in an environment in which I speak to applicants and graduates on a daily basis, it quickly becomes evident that there is no typical background for an Oxbridge undergraduate. I know some people who can trace Oxbridge back in their families the way most people can trace crooked noses, small feet or a bizarre enjoyment of wet and rainy camping trips; others have no history of further education in their families, or come from distant countries where Oxbridge has no cultural significance whatsoever.   I know that some people knew from the age of 6 what they wanted to study, where and why, whilst others had a brainwave (no doubt fairly late in the day on 14^th October) and realised that they quite liked the sound of the Arch & Anth course at Cambridge.  My decision to apply to Oxbridge is probably fairly typical, and may well ring true with you too.

My parents are both Bristol graduates, so unless I had been a complete dunce, there was always a tacit understanding that I would go on to university after my A levels.  I had done well at school and had an impressive clutch of A*s at GCSE and some not entirely hopeless predicted A level grades.  I also really enjoyed my subject and was keen to continue it at university. Having said this, I don’t think anyone, even in a particularly generous mood, would have said that I was any kind of child genius.   There was no eccentric but brilliant teacher who championed my cause, nor a kindly older cousin to impart his or her wisdom.  I was just an ordinary applicant and in the end the attitude was really ‘why not?’   

If you’re currently deliberating over whether to apply to Oxford or Cambridge this year or wondering how you can kick start your application, there are a few questions that you can ask yourself.   Every application is different; there are no hard and fast rules as to who will succeed and who will not, so don’t feel that you shouldn’t be thinking of Oxbridge if you answer ‘no’ to any of these questions.

1)      Do I have the right grades?

• The minimum offer for applicants is AAA at A level (or 38 points in the IB or D2, D2, D3 if you are taking Pre-Us).  Science subjects at Oxford and all subjects at Cambridge have the minimum requirement of A*AA or A*A*A, so you need to be confident that your teachers will be predicting you these grades at the beginning of the year you’re applying and that ultimately you can achieve these marks.
• Most successful applicants have a good number of A*s at GCSE.   Some colleges state that they are unlikely to accept candidates with fewer than seven A*s at GCSE, but we have seen cases where people with three or four A*s or fewer are successful at other colleges within the university.

2)      Do I love my subject?

• It is essential that you really love the course that you are going to apply for as you will be studying it fairly intensely for at least 3 years with people who live and breathe the subject.
• Whilst you are applying you’ll need to be doing lots of extra reading around your subject and keeping up with any developments going on.  You should find this a really enjoyable exercise, rather than a chore, as it is what you will be doing when you get to university.
• If you haven’t yet found your ideal course, it is worth visiting the Oxford and Cambridge websites and finding our which subjects they offer.  You may find that you are a keen Linguistics student or a Materials Scientist, even though these aren’t subjects you’ve studied at school. Doing the research to find your perfect course is essential!

3)      Will I enjoy my university experience if I go to Oxford or Cambridge?

• University life at Oxford and Cambridge is very different to that at most universities.   There is quite a heavy workload and the learning experience can be quite intense, as much of the work is done orally in small groups (tutorials at Oxford, supervisions at Cambridge).   If you are the kind of person who enjoys debating topics, playing with ideas aloud and being quite forceful with your opinion, you are likely enjoy it.   If this sounds like hell, you should do your own research and try to speak to some graduates before you decide to apply so you have a good idea of what your tutorials or supervisions will be like.

It’s always worth speaking to someone with a bit of experience in these matters.  The Oxford and Cambridge admissions offices are really helpful and can always direct you to the right person to answer your question.  Alternatively, you could give one of us a call.  We’re all Oxbridge graduates and we were in your position not very many years ago.

Although the Oxbridge deadline for Personal Statements is 15^th October 2011, it is a really positive step to make your decision to apply early on in the year.  It allows you so much more time to read around your subject, which will be hugely beneficial at interview, understand why you want to study the course you are applying for and do the research to ensure you pick the best college for you.   Our research has shown that it is those applicants who are most proactive about their application, who do the legwork to find out all they can and who take advantage of the opportunities that are offered who are most successful come December.

If you’re not deciding whether or not to apply this year, you may well be deciding whether or not to reapply.   I’ll be blogging some more information about this next week and the things you should consider in making this decision, so watch this space.  If you would like to speak to one of us about this, don’t hesitate to get in touch.

If you ever have any questions about your application or what it’s like at Oxford or Cambridge, give us a call on 0207 499 2394.  Alternatively you can tweet your question to us by beginning the tweet @applytoOxbridge and we’ll answer as soon as we can.  

We look forward to hearing from you.

Fingers crossed...for the arrival of your invitation to interview

As December approaches, invitations to interview at Cambridge have begun to drop into inboxes and letterboxes and invitations from Oxford will arrive shortly.  Don’t worry if you haven’t yet received yours as the Universities will let you know either way.  If you still haven’t received anything by the beginning of December, perhaps get in touch with your College to put you at ease.

The run-up to interview

This is the final hurdle in the applications process and the culmination of all your hard work this year.  It is perfectly natural to feel nervous as this is perhaps the first serious interview you have ever had and, unlike other nerve-wracking events in your life, imagining your interviewer naked or consoling yourself with the thought that they are just as scared as you are is unlikely to help.  

Nerves are your friends

Nerves, however, can serve you well and be useful!  Any Medic or Biologist can tell you that the adrenaline pumping through your body makes your mind work faster to process ideas and fish out, from the recesses of your mind, relevant pieces of information and pertinent examples. The historians amongst you will be able to reel off acts of bravery and resourcefulness that have resulted from leaders being subjected to great stress and anthropologists might explain to you exactly how and why this reaction developed over the millennia. Just remember – nerves are your friends.  The key – as with all friends – is not to let them rule your head. 

A masterful approach to your interview

A good exercise is to consider why Oxford and Cambridge interview. This will not only give you a good idea of what your interviewers may be looking for, but also how you can adjust your behaviour to show these qualities.   The interview period is costly and time-consuming for the colleges and you can bet your bottom dollar that, just as you would rather be at home eating mince pies and Christmas cake, so would your interviewer.

Oxford and Cambridge interview partly because of the unique way in which they teach their students.  It’s really important that their students respond well to one on one teaching and that they are willing to try out new ideas, work with new information and carry on unfazed if they make mistakes or have to ask for help in their answers.   Unless you can demonstrate that you are going to be a good student, they cannot offer you a place. 

Try and avoid the following at all costs during your interview:

Crying

Lying

Panicking

Reverting to silence

Arguing belligerently (in an unconstructive way)

Claiming to be the fount of all knowledge

Closing your mind to new ideas and suggestions

Things to remember about interviewers

They are not looking for someone with all the answers.  You should know your A level or IB syllabus and what you’ve written on your personal statement, but there are still going to be gaps in your knowledge.

 If your interviewer asks you a tricky question, they are not trying to catch you out, but rather they are offering you the scope to show what you can do.  It’s worth continuing to think about what the interviewer is wanting from you at interview. Try talking about it with your friends who may also be going for interview in different subjects.  Then try to get as much subject-specific interview practice as you can, putting what you’ve thought about into practice.

Remember, the admissions tutors want to see that you are right for the course for which you are applying. Ensure you understand the course and that your answers illustrate your understanding of the complexity of questions in light of the course.

On the day of the interview

You should be feeling rested, clear-headed and confident.  In other words, you should have done all your preparation in good time so that you can get a few good nights’ sleep before interview. Interviews are not the time to take advantage of cheap drinks’ prices.  Ever hear of a guy who got really drunk at interviews, got into trouble at College and got made an offer? No, us neither.

Have a look at our tried and tested check list and hopefully it will help you to feel confident and excited about the prospect of your interview:

1)      What should I wear?

You need to be smart yet comfortable.  This isn’t a job interview so you don’t have to wear a suit. In fact, very few Oxbridge tutors do.   Boys should wear smart trousers and a shirt and girls can wear a smart top and skirt or trousers or a smart dress.  Make sure that the skirt is not too short – especially when you sit down.  You should remove any jewellery that might make a noise when you move your hands, or that you might be tempted to play with and tie up your hair if you may be tempted to fiddle with it.

2)      How do I find my way round?

Oxbridge colleges can resemble rabbit warrens to the outsider.  Your interviewer’s room could be in the basement, in another building, up an unpromising flight of stairs or even on a different site.  It’s worth finding out where you are going before your interview – maybe even the day before – so that you don’t run the risk of showing up late. You can speak to the porters, who will be very happy to point you in the right direction if you get lost.

3)      How should I sit at interview?

Beware of squishy sofas!  There’s nothing worse than sinking deep into them and being forced to look up at your interviewer from a rather unflattering angle.  You should be sitting leaning slightly forward, facing your interviewer, on the hard part of the seat.  Even if what you are saying is brilliant, if you are slumped or sprawled across an armchair, you won’t be able to establish the rapport and the atmosphere that you want. Be comfortable but formal and as poised as you can possibly be.

4)      Who do I look at during the interview?

There may be more than one person in your interview.  This might be because it is a panel interview, with more than one person asking you the questions or there may be someone, usually a graduate student, taking notes in the corner.   In both cases, you should address the person who asked you the questions, but also glance across to the other interviewers to include them in your answer.  Play it by ear and ensure that you are a polite and formal version of yourself.

5)      What should I say?

You need to remember that you are in an academic situation, so you need to speak eloquently and articulately.  Try, as much as possible, to avoid using words such as ‘like’ ‘kind of’ ‘you know’ etc, but not to the point that you are more conscious of avoiding them than of what you are saying.   Practice makes perfect - so try avoiding these words in every day conversation.  Stick a post-it note to the mirror in the bathroom or inside your diary or pencil case to keep reminding you of what you are doing throughout the day.  

You should also be sure that you are answering the question you are asked.  Don’t waffle on for ages if you’re asked how your journey was – this is really just an ice-breaker.  At the same time don’t always answer with just a couple of words – it won’t make the conversation flow and the interviewer will find it very hard work.

6)      How can I justify my answers?

You need to give good, pertinent examples to back up your claims.   You could try making a spider diagram of everything that you’ve read and everything you have seen in the news recently and thinking about the complexities in all of the issues.  It would be a real shame to not mention some extra reading you had done because you weren’t thinking properly and so used a really basic example instead of a rather good one.   At the same time, you shouldn’t mention your reading just for the sake of it.  It needs to come in naturally.

7)      What impression do I give?

You should be demonstrating that you are an interested, open-minded, intelligent young person with a passion for their subject who will make the most of their time at Oxford or Cambridge.   If you’re not doing so in your interview practice, you need to think about why and what you can do to convey enthusiasm and interest for your subject and the dedication to learning that you truly feel.

Best of luck to you!

For further answers and more useful tips for your subject, give Sarah, Charlotte or Jane a call on 0207 499 2394.

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...

The A level enigma

It’s that time of year again:   The days are hot and more or less sunny; the jingle of an ice cream van rises on the wind and a familiar question sweeps the broadsheets of our fair land.  Are A levels getting easier?

When the results come in on Thursday morning certain cynics will roll their eyes at yet another record breaking year.  Even as an impartial outside observer, it can be difficult not to see some truth in the accusations.   How can each successive year out-do the previous one if it isn’t something to do with the exam?   Surely the chemicals in the water can’t be that effective. 

So what is going on?

The UK’s three major exam boards, AQA, Edexcel and OCR, which set the A level papers are in turn moderated by Ofqual, the government’s Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation.   Ofqual states that the levels of questions is roughly even between all three boards and roughly equivalent to the exams of previous years.   Chief Executive Isabel Nisbet says “Whatever grades candidates achieve, they can be confident that they have not been unfairly disadvantaged, or advantaged, because they took their exam with one board and not another.”   It seems that the A levels themselves aren’t getting any easier.  So where does the negative press come from?

Andrew Gilligan’s article in the Telegraph this weekend delved deeper.   Edexcel, now owned by the giant publisher Pearson, runs seminars in some subjects for teachers and students designed to show how to ‘structure’ the ‘perfect’ answer and ‘meet the requirements [of] the generic mark scheme’ - all for a not so small fee.  The problem, it seems, is not that the exams are getting easier, but that schools and pupils are simply being given the answers; that once elusive A grade is fast becoming the norm.  A win-win situation for schools and exam boards perhaps, but those who are really losing out are the brightest students, who find it harder and harder to stand out academically and win their place at the best Universities, such as Oxford and Cambridge.

If this is the case, could there be an easy remedy?   The government could send their meanest looking suits over to Edexcel HQ and tell them to up their game – or else! They could then pop round to give Ofqual a clip round the ear for missing the problem and be home in time for tea.  But although it is frustrating for students, who work hard for two years only for it to be implied that they were spoon fed the answers, it isn’t as simple as that.   Instead each successive Schools’ Minister imposes a new set of changes on the A level system.  First they introduced AS levels, then modules and coursework, all of which have been criticized for lowering the standard. A more recent change is the A* grade at A level, an introduction that brings me out in a cold sweat when I think about my own results.  The A* was introduced to distinguish the top students from the hordes who get straight As, but even here there is a disagreement between the top institutions:  Cambridge requires it, whilst Oxford ignores it.   Now Michael Gove, the current Minister for Schools is planning another shake up: getting rid of AS levels all together.  These changes along with the periodic threat of IB invasion is enough to make even the best teacher’s head spin and again it seems it’s the brightest students who are losing out. Whilst the government may have big plans for the future, A level students are, for the moment at least, stuck with the current system and all its problems.  

So what can you do?  If you’re thinking about applying to Oxbridge, your will already be armed with an impressive academic record.  But how can you ensure that your clutch of As and A*s stand out from the rest and you make the strongest application you can? 

Do your research on the course you are applying for to make sure it is really what you want to do, read around your subject to find out what really interests you and make sure your personal statement is as good as it can be by checking out our useful guide to writing your personal statement.  Admissions tests have become an important part of the Oxbridge admissions process in recent years so make sure you know what will be required of you by looking at our handy test guides.   Above all, be confident in yourself that you can succeed.

Best of luck for your A level and AS level results on Thursday!   And if any one gives you any stick, just pat them kindly on the arm and tell them that this year’s record breaking A levels are just further proof of Darwin’s Theory of Evolution!

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...