Advice

Encourage your students to do their own research on how to make a successful application using all the resources we make available, especially our advice on choosing a course, choosing a college, suggested reading and how to apply.

Course choice is the most important decision students have to make at this stage. As you know your students best, challenge them to consider courses that they might not be aware of but that might ultimately lead them onto careers they are well-suited to. For example a student doing science A-levels who loves Physics, might indeed wish to study Physics at university, but may also like to consider Engineering, Earth Sciences or Materials Science. Visit our course pages for full details.

Competition for places is high, and so those considering an application need to be realistic about their chances of being offered a place.

We are looking for candidates who have a strong academic background: generally this will mean a good performance at GCSE (or equivalent) and predicted A-level (or equivalent) grades that meet the entrance requirements for a particular course.

Many successful candidates are predicted and go on to achieve grades that exceed the entrance requirements for their course. Candidates do not need to have an immaculate record of top grades, but they do need to be amongst the best achieving students from their school.

You can find more information on a range of qualifications on our admissions requirements pages. In addition, if required for a candidate's chosen course, the quality of submitted written work and/or performance in an admissions test will affect their chances of being shortlisted for interview. 

All applications must be submitted online via UCAS. There is a wealth of advice on the UCAS website and on the UCAS application page of our website. Remember that Oxford has a much earlier deadline than most universities: 15 October of the year before entry - unless this date falls on a weekend - in which case it will be the 16 or 17 October.

References

We are aware that UCAS has announced some changes to the format of academic references this year. There is no specific character count for each section but there is a limit of up to 4,000 characters (including spaces, headings and line breaks) or 47 lines of text (whichever comes first) to be spread across three sections. Further guidance is available on our UCAS application page.

The reference does not need to be written by the head teacher or head of sixth form; it is more important that it is written by someone who knows the student well enough to comment on their academic abilities and any personal qualities that will help them to succeed. Often the subject teacher in the most relevant field to the applicant’s chosen course is best suited to write the reference.

Ideally, the content in Section three should focus on the academic skills and experiences of the student, with the reference giving prominence to the subjects the student is undertaking that are most relevant to their chosen degree. If this means that the information on the candidate’s A-level Biology course is twice that devoted to their A-level in English Literature because they are applying for a degree in Biology, that is highly appropriate.

If the school or college uses a standardised template and/or it is traditionally completed by the head teacher or head of sixth form, it is still useful to receive comments from the most relevant subject teacher which can subsequently be included in the reference.

The reference is a good opportunity to focus on the individual applicant and their particular strengths relevant to their chosen subject.

Tutors at Oxford, like other universities, are interested to find out if the student is expected to flourish in an intensive academic environment and how they may cope with a sustained workload; specific examples are useful here. Relating the relevant selection criteria to specific pieces of work, activities, experiences or interactions with the students are helpful indicators and bring the candidate’s qualities to life.

The University is aware that, in line with the Data Protection Act and General Data Protection Regulation, students can obtain a copy of the UCAS reference if they choose to do so and sometimes this can have an effect on the overall nature of the reference. Whilst it may seem difficult for a reference to include comments which, although accurate, do not portray the applicant positively, it is important to recognise that it is ultimately not in the interests of either the candidate or the referee to overstate a candidate’s suitability for study on a demanding course.

Section three of the UCAS reference should be used to address the individual applicant and their skills, achievements and qualities relevant to the student’s chosen subject. The particular strengths and achievements of the school the student attends should be mentioned only in Section one of the reference. Please note these have more limited value unless they have a direct impact on the particular applicant.

UCAS's website guidance advises schools and colleges on how to use Section one to make a general statement about their institution.

Oxford uses information on the educational context of an applicant’s school or college to help assess applications, but this is not derived solely from the reference. You can find out more about this on our contextual data webpage.

Section one should also be used to mention if there are particular issues that may have had a direct impact on the applicant (e.g. high staff turnover, major disruption because of rebuilding work which closed the labs for a term). However, given the overall limitation of 4,000 characters for the reference, if there is more required then it is best to include a more detailed statement on the school website and then include the URL link in the reference. 

Predicted grades

Predicted grades are an important part of applications so please do include these alongside any 'pending' qualifications your students have entered in the Education section of their UCAS application. 

When predicting grades, the details you give in the reference on how you (or your school or college) are determining what differentiates this candidate and, for example what makes them an A* or A grade student, are really helpful to tutors.

Methods of making predictions will of course vary from institution to institution but tutors value the key role teachers play in providing reliable information about a student’s academic potential in a particular subject.

Predicted grades for international candidates

In the UK most students apply to university at the beginning of their final year of school and before they have taken their school leaving exams. Teachers are asked to predict their student’s grades in any exams they are yet to take. If their application is successful they will be made a conditional offer, the condition being to achieve the required grades in any outstanding exams.

We understand that this is different from the way things are done in other countries and this may be new to you. However it is an important part of the application process to Oxford, and if you do not include predicted grades alongside any pending qualifications listed by the student in the Education section of their UCAS form, this will significantly decrease your student’s chance of getting a place. Please check our international qualifications page.

Disabilities or extenuating circumstances.

Please use Section 2 of your UCAS academic reference to tell us about any disability or specific learning difficulty that may affect your student's application. Our Disability Advisory Service provides support from the point of considering an application right up until graduation. If your student needs extra time or other support for exams, please make sure that this is noted when registering for admissions tests.

Sadly some students have to deal with a serious illness, bereavement, a challenging home life or other extreme difficulty. If your student has experienced extra challenges and yet is still getting top grades and would like to study at a top university, we would like to be made aware of this. Please make sure the situation is mentioned in Section 2 of the academic reference. If for any reason you feel it is not appropriate to give this information on the UCAS application or because your student needs to provide further details or evidence, in addition to the information provided in the reference, it is best to contact the college that is considering their application (this can be done after the deadline, if the student is making an open application).

Personal statement advice

From Oxford’s point of view, the purpose of the personal statement is to provide additional information in the applicant’s own words about why they have chosen the subject and why they think they are suitable for the course. Please direct your student(s) to our guidance on writing your personal statement.

Tutors understand that the UCAS personal statement is written for up to four other university choices and therefore it cannot be tailored specifically for Oxford, especially for those subjects, and combinations of subjects, that few other universities offer. Nevertheless, it is helpful if the student applies to courses that are similar in nature at their university choices, otherwise writing the personal statement becomes more challenging.

Unlike some other universities, Oxford does not use the personal statement alone to make offers, or reject applicants, as tutors have access to a wide range of more detailed additional information beyond the UCAS application. 

Candidates can find lots of advice about the interviews process and how to prepare on our interviews pages. They will also find demonstration interviews for many courses. 

Offering practice interviews

Giving candidates the opportunity to discuss their motivation for the course and their academic interest in the subject for which they are intending to apply will be of great benefit to them.

Often students are experienced in expressing themselves coherently and with enthusiasm on paper (as will be demonstrated in their personal statement), but some students may have greater difficulty in vocalising their opinions and academic interests in an academic interview context.

A practice interview will help the candidate to gain more experience of talking about themselves and their academic interests in an unfamiliar environment. 

However, drilling students and asking them to memorise large amounts of pre-rehearsed material or answers will be of little use to them in the interview context, as the Oxford tutors leading the interviews are able to spot this kind of approach very quickly.

Other ways to prepare: revision and wider reading

If students have studied the subject that they are applying for at school or college, then a solid knowledge of the field will be required, particularly in science subjects. Students should therefore aim to revise topics they have covered at school or college in the past year.

Candidates are encouraged to explore their subject widely and outside their school or college study, as well as developing and extending their knowledge on topics that may have interested them within their A-level (or equivalent) course.

Candidates should develop their own curiosity and commitment for their subject and should undertake further reading and exploration to foster that interest. This will help them demonstrate their motivation for the proposed course of study at interview.

Wider reading can include newspaper articles, websites, journals, magazines and other publications that relate to their subject, and exploration of their subject could also involve watching relevant TV documentaries or films, visiting museum exhibitions or attending public lectures. They may also wish to explore examples of their subject area in the wider world, such as taking an interest in the scientific or economic theories that underlie news stories. If you know your student has enjoyed a particular aspect of their subject with you at school, then we also encourage you to suggest further resources for them.

It is important to note that reading widely on its own is not enough; students should be encouraged to take a critical view of ideas and arguments that they encounter at school or college, or in the media and think about all sides of any debate. It is better to read fewer books or articles but read them critically and in depth, than read more materials but in a shallower way. Keeping a reading journal can be a useful way of recording their thoughts.

Forming discussion groups of students with similar subject interests can be a good way for your students to gain experience of talking about issues and themes within their subject. If there are not many interested students at your school, consider collaborating with other local schools. Online forums can also be useful places for discussion.

How can students show their passion for a subject they haven't studied before?

If your student is applying for a subject they have not studied before, they should carefully think about the reasons for choosing this new subject, and may wish to undertake some preparatory reading to explore their interest in that area and to ascertain whether it might be the right course for them. However in-depth knowledge of the field is not a requirement. When tutors are assessing candidates who intend to study a subject they have not formally studied at school, they are predominantly looking at the candidate’s skills and aptitudes rather than any specific knowledge.

Competition for places is very strong. It is very competitive to get a place at Oxford. The success rates are published on each course page.

There are three stages when candidates find out about the progress of their applications:

• In late November or early December when they hear whether or not they have been shortlisted for interview
• By mid-January, shortlisted candidates will be informed if their application has been successful or not
• Most offers are conditional and so confirmation of a student's place typically depends on achieving the required grades in their A-levels or other exams.

Applicants can ask for feedback, but must do so from the college which considered their application (unless they applied for Medicine or Biomedical Sciences, in which case they should ask the department). Contact details can be found for each college admissions office on each of our college pages.

Feedback may also be provided to the referee or to the Head or Principal of the school/college, either in general terms or in relation to a specific application. However, please note that specific feedback in relation to an applicant can only be given in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and our Undergraduate applicant privacy policy. 

We hope that students whose applications are not successful will go to other excellent universities and enjoy their studies. Some may then wish to consider a graduate degree at Oxford.

We run many events for teachers. Colleges and departments organise many study days and other events, which are listed on our outreach events page. Keep up to date with news by signing up for our teachers’ newsletter.