Year 12 Taster Day: Applying to the Russell Group and Oxbridge

Dr Catherine Seed

Access Assistant

Wadham College, University of Oxford

Year 12 Taster Day:Applying to the Russell

Group and Oxbridge

Welcome to Wadham College

Founded in 1610 by Dorothy and Nicholas Wadham

One of the 38 Colleges that make up the University of Oxford

The Russell Group

University of Birmingham

University of Bristol

University of Cambridge

Cardiff University

University of Durham

University of Edinburgh

University of Exeter

University of Glasgow

University of Oxford

Queen's University Belfast

Queen Mary University, London

University of Sheffield

University of Southampton

University College London

University of Warwick

University of York

Imperial College London

King's College London

University of Leeds

University of Liverpool

London School of Economics

University of Manchester

Newcastle University

University of Nottingham

Top universities

- Evidence of high academic achievement

- Academic potential

- A clear interest in the subject you are applying for

- Entry requirements: e.g. Political Science at Birmingham - ABB

What are these universities looking for?

Picking a Course

Picking a course

• What do you enjoy?

• What about it do you enjoy?

• What are you good at?

• What jobs do you want to do?

Picking a course

Classics

English

History of Art

Oriental Studies

Modern Foreign

Languages

ClassicsOriental Studies

History

Archaeology and

Anthropology

ClassicsHistory of

Art

Oriental Studies

Philosophy, Politics and Economics

LawTheology

and Religion

Literature

LanguagesPhilosophy

History

Picking a course

Mathematics

Earth Sciences

Economics and Management

Engineering

Materials Science

Physics

Chemistry

Earth Sciences

Biomedicine

BiologyBiochemistry

Medicine

Materials Science

Biology

Biochemistry

Biomedical Sciences

Experimental Psychology

Human Sciences

Medicine

Mathematical Biological Chemical

Courses with no ‘Required’ A Levels

Archaeology and

Anthropology

Classical Archaeology and Ancient

History

ClassicsClassics and

Oriental StudiesFine Art

Geography HistoryAncient and

Modern HistoryHistory and Economics

History and Politics

Human Sciences Law Oriental Studies PPEPhilosophy and

Theology

PsychologyPsychology,

Philosophy and Linguistics

Religion and Oriental Studies

Theology and Religion

Picking a university

• Do your research:• Friends/Teachers/Year 13’s• Open Days• Which?University• Guardian University Guides• Times Higher Education

Medicine Cardiff University (5 year) Oxford University (3 years pre-clinical, 3 years clinical)

Year 1 Core science and clinical practice• 12 week course covering core knowledge and

behaviour required of a doctor. • The rest of the year is learned through clinical

scenarios. • One day most weeks spent seeing patients.

Lectures, Tutorials and Practicals (Pre-clinical)• Academic modules and a scientific research project

• Strong grounding of science behind clinical practice, and the research that drives advances in medicine.

• Students interact regularly with GP tutors.

• Opportunity to complete scientific project in research laboratories across the Medical Sciences Division.

Year 2

Year 3 Expand knowledge from years 1 and 2• Increased clinical time in hospitals and GP surgeries.• Clinical placement in Cardiff. • Optional Erasmus program.

Year 4 3 year clinical school at the Oxford clinical school and/or one of the medical schools in London.

• Clinical skills training

• Speciality rotations

Year 5 More active in clinical teams

Extra • Intercalated bachelors in years 3-4 or 4-5 in health related disciplines.

• Can alternatively complete bachelor in 1 year with other institutions in Wales.

Music The University of Edinburgh University of Oxford

Year 1 Core ModulesCompositionPerformance

Keyboard SkillsHistorical StudiesMusic Psychology

CompulsorySpecial topics, for example:

Machaut’s songsHistorically informed performance

Schubert’s last decadePsychology of everyday musical

experienceGlobal hip hop

Musical analysisTechniques of composition and

keyboard skills

OptionsIssues in the study of music

CompositionPerformance

Extended essay

CompulsoryTopics in music history before 1750Topics in music history after 1700

Optional topics studiedMusical analysis and criticism

Musical thought and scholarshipTechniques of composition

Solo performanceOrchestrationDissertation

Composition portfolioEdition with commentary

Analysis portfolioMusic ethnography

Chamber music performanceChoral conducting

Choral performanceSpecial topic papers.

Year 2

Year 3 Third and Fourth Year: Choose from courses in:

PerformanceMusicology

CompositionMusic Psychology,

Film Music, Music in community,

Music Analysis, Acoustics,

Options inScottish traditional music

Music history courses.

In 4th year, one independent supervised

study:Performance, dissertation, portfolio of composition,

edition or creative practice project.

What does university cost?

• Most universities (~90%) currently charge the maximum of £9,250 in tuition fees.

• Student Finance Tuition Fee Loans are available up to £9,250 per year.

• Student Finance ‘Maintenance’ Loans are available (see right)

Where you live and/or study

Maximum Maintenance Loan

Living with parents £7,529

Living away from home, studying outside

London

£8,944

Living away from home, studying in London

£11,672

Living and studying abroad

£10,242

• Tuition Fees

• Living Costs

Estimated living costs at Oxford

• Maximum Current Maintenance Loan: £8,944

• Estimated living costs if staying term-time only: ~£9000-£14000

Likely living costs per month

Lower range Upper range

Food £270 £385

Accommodation £630 £760

Personal items £130 £245

Social activities £45 £110

Study costs £40 £95

Other £20 £55

Total £1,135 £1,650

https://www.ox.ac.uk/students/fees-funding/living-costs

Support from Oxford

• Bursaries• Non-repayable money to support your studies.

• Up to £5000/yr depending on household income.

• Crankstart Scholarships and Oxford Bursaries.

• 1 in 4 UK and EU students currently receive a bursary.

• University Scholarships and External Scholarships

• Colleges• Travel awards, prizes and book grants.

• Cost of living and term length.

Paying back a student loan (Tuition Fees and/or Maintenance)

Salary Amount above

threshold

Yearly repayment

Monthly repayment

£15,000 0 0 £0

£21,000 0 0 £0

£26,000 275 25 £2

£30,000 4,275 385 £32

£35,000 9,275 835 £70

£50,000 24,275 2,185 £182

What you pay:

• 9% of the amount you earn over £25,725 will come directly out of your wage and will go towards repayment.

• If you ever earn below the £25,725 threshold, repayment will stop.

• If you do not repay your loan after 30 years, the debt is cancelled.

Student Loan Repayments

Debt Earnings Monthly repayment

£20,000 £35,000 £69.50

£50,000 £35,000 £69.50

£1,000,000 £35,000 £69.50

Source: MoneySavingExpert.com

Cost:

£27,000Is the average

annual starting salary of a recent Oxford graduate

£12,000A person with a

degree earns this much more a year

than someone without each year

Data Source: Gurney-Read, J. (2015) Oxbridge graduates ‘earn double £200,000 Russell Group premium’ The Telegraph. Retrieved from www.telegraph.co.uk. Data taken from Sutton Trust and the Boston Consulting Group.

The University of Oxford

www.ox.ac.uk/courses

Archaeology and AnthropologyBiochemistryBiological SciencesBiomedical SciencesChemistryClassicsComputer ScienceEarth SciencesEconomics and ManagementEngineering ScienceEnglish Language and LiteratureExperimental PsychologyFine ArtGeography

HistoryHistory of ArtHuman SciencesLawMaterials ScienceMathematicsMedicineModern LanguagesMusicOriental StudiesPhilosophy Politics & EconomicsPhysicsTheology & Religion

CoursesOxford Courses

Applicants don’t have to choose just one subject,

lots of these can be combined at Oxford

(adding up to nearly 250 courses)

Why Oxford?

World-class teaching

Excellent facilitiesand resources

Financial support

Broad range of courses

Wide range of extra-curricular options

Excellent career prospects

in the World (Times Higher

Education World

Rankings 2019)

Mathematical Physical and Life

Sciences

Medical Sciences

Social Sciences

Humanities

www.ox.ac.uk/study

The University of Oxford - Organisation

• Small groups of students with their tutor, discussing a topic in depth.

• Students face rigorous academic challenges. They learn:

• to present and defend their opinions• to accept constructive criticism• to listen to others• to think for themselves

• Encourages and facilitates individualised learning in a way that just isn’t possible in a lecture.

• Tutors can also provide additional academic support if a student needs it.

Oxford’s distinctive tutorial system means that every student at Oxford has a chance to meet with an

expert in their field of study approximately once a week.

Oxford Courses

Chemistry• About ten lectures (9am and 10am)• One or two tutorials in college with set work completed in own time• Two afternoons of laboratory work (11am to 5pm)• A problems class e.g. a mathematics class in the first year

Geography• Lectures in the morning• Seminars/practical classes in the afternoon• Tutorials: at least one college tutorial a week, and some college-based classes.

History• First year - five lectures each week, at least one essay a week, regular tutorials

with tutors to discuss work, independent research. • Second & third year – choice of lectures, tutorials, additional faculty classes. • Third year - independent research thesis.• Generally students are very much in charge of their own timetable throughout.

Oxford Courses - Timetables

Finding the course that suits you

Do we offer a course YOU

would enjoy?

Are YOU predicted

the right grades?

Would YOU find our teaching

style engaging?

Are YOU ready for the

academic challenge?

An Oxford degree is full-time. Most of our students spend 30-44 hours each

week studying.Courses are mainly assessed by exams

although depending on your subject, may also be through projects, extended

essays or dissertations, and there might be an oral exam.

Life as a student at Oxford

Financial support

Settling in- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=433n54llsec

Oxford as a city- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwIt68PVM_o

Perceptions of Oxford https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgDVIpMUbLw

Sport at Oxford- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQ5eSv58bxU

Workload at Oxford- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDIr4a5Q9hg

Developing independence- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1o-X43fpqU

Video links

Oxford Colleges

Financial support

• Location

• Size and age

• Accommodation

• Facilities

Picking a College

Financial support

Open Applications and Re-allocations

• You can make an open application by choosing campus code 9 on your UCAS application. Your application will be assigned to a college or hall that has relatively fewer applications for your course in the year you apply. In 2016, 19% of applicants made an open application.

• In 2016, 33% of successful applicants got an offer from a college they didn’t specify on their application.

Picking a College

What is important to me?

Open application?

Open application? What’s important to

me?

…how do I make the choice?

How do I make the choice?

What kind of student flourishes at Oxford?

• Strong fit with tutorial teaching system• Ability in & passion for subject• Enquiring / questioning mindset• Analytical / logical thinking style• Self-motivated & reads outside

classroom• KS4 (GCSE) academic record

• Not about personality type / confidence• Not looking for “all-rounders ”

Application Process

Academic achievement

Admissions tests

Written work

UCAS personal statement

UCAS teacher’s reference

Interview

Application Process

Contextual data and extenuating circumstances

Types of contextual data which Oxford and Cambridge uses include:

• An applicant’s school’s performance at GCSE• An applicant’s school’s performance at A Level• Whether an applicant has been in care • Whether home address falls into certain categories of ACORN, OAC and/or

POLAR3 postcode data

Extenuating Circumstances Form (Cambridge only). For Oxford, extenuating circumstances should be highlighted in the reference from your teacher/s

Personal Statement

• Part of UCAS application

• 4,000 characters (including spaces) or 47 lines of text

• The same one goes to every university you apply to

• Evidence of your preparation for university-style education

• Deadline for Oxbridge and medicine-related subjects: 15th October (15 January everywhere else)

Why do you want to study this course?• Current studies • Outside reading• What has inspired you?

80% Academic including super -

curricular

20% Extra-Curricular

Super-curricular• What have you read, watched, visited or listened

to that has inspired you?• Why was it interesting?• How do these support and compliment the

course you are applying for?

Extra curricular• Try and focus on transferrable skills• Selection criteria for other four universities

Structure

Super-curricular activity ideas

SAQ- Cambridge

• Email address from UCAS form: check your junk mail!

• Topics covered within A-level units

• Cambridge-specific personal statement

• Options within certain courses

• Photograph

Admissions Tests

• Most tests are sat in early November

• Most of Oxford’s courses require applicants to sit an admissions test before interview

• Testing academic knowledge as well as how students approach new and difficult problems

• Have a look at past papers

• www.ox.ac.uk/tests

Admissions Tests

Every motorist pays the same amount for road tax, regardless of how much they use the roads: someone who covers as little as 1,000 miles pays the same as someone who covers 20,000. This is unfair. Road tax should be scrapped and the money raised by an increase in the tax on car fuel. Making this change would ensure that those who use the roads more would pay more. This would not only be a fairer system, but could also bring in more revenue.

Which of the following statements best illustrates the principle underlying the argument?• A - People should receive free medical treatment only if they cannot afford to pay for it.• B – People who travel to work every day by train should pay a lower fare that those who travel only

occasionally.• C – People who earn more than double the average wage should be made to pay much higher charges for

dental treatment.• D – Television channels should be paid for by subscription so that only those people who watch them should

be made to pay.• E – Telephone charges should be higher for business customers than for domestic customers because they are

using the system only to make money.

Admissions Tests- Thinking Skills Assessment (90 minutes)

• D – Television channels should be paid for by subscription so that only those people who watch them should be made to pay.

Top Tips for Admissions Tests

1. Know what the tests look like (Length, sections, marking)

2. Practice under timed conditions

3. Skip questions you get stuck on and come back to them later

4. Use the question paper for your workings

5. If you are unsure of an answer, eliminate options that are clearly

wrong – and guess sensibly if necessary

Written Work

• Must be received by College in November• Arts/Humanities subjects• Think about your interests• A piece of marked work submitted as part of

A-Level• May be discussed at interview• www.ox.ac.uk/writwork

Financial support

• Academic ability and potential to succeed

• Self-motivation, commitment and enthusiasm for the chosen course

• Ability to think independently and critically

• Subject-specific selection criteria

• Will go beyond your current knowledge

Interviews – what are we looking for?

why they selected a particular college

a smooth performance

a good public speaker

extra curricular activities

What we are not looking for…

Do the research• Course choice is the most important decision –

research thoroughly, and think you their personal interests

Engage and explore• Be proactive in your learning – current studies and

also interests relevant to your intended degree• Supercurricular engagement

Results• Work hard to do as well as you can

Practise• Discuss your academic interests• Past/example admission test/assessment papers

Summing up

Any Questions?

Website: www.wadham.ox.ac.uk

Email: [email protected]

@WadhamAccess

@wadhamoxford

Oxvlogs - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nm1tS9orums

Geography - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_c6ItcSCmg

Biology https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LxcwMSQav4

Graduate Oxford- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0qVMjfvyfU