Admission to Oxbridge remains the pinnacle of British education. This has led to fierce competition for places prompting many parents to ask: how do I get my child into Oxbridge?
In contrast to other UK universities, which simply require the personal statement, grades and reference, Oxbridge conducts their own admissions process which is designed primarily to test a candidate’s academic ability.
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This is to ensure that they are suitable for the notoriously demanding environment that they would enter should their application prove successful. Designed to stretch aspiring students and test them to their intellectual limits, prospective undergraduates are always looking for ways to prepare for the academic challenges posed by the admissions tests and interviews, as well as for a guide to the wider process.
The first steps for an Oxbridge application
For some the preparation can start early, with parents enrolling children at top preparatory schools as the beginning of a journey with a single destination: Oxbridge.
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However, education experts often advise against this approach. Roland Witherow, co-founder of Witherow Brooke, noted: ‘If it’s extremely targeted towards Oxbridge success, that is too early. Admissions test and interview preparation should happen in Sixth Form.’
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Alex Sever, founder of Pegasus Tutors, agreed, adding: ‘The key would be finding a school that not only nurtures and develops their interests but also gives them the best chance at getting into a top senior school.’
Choosing a secondary school can in many ways be a more daunting task for parents than helping with university admissions, with the range of factors including day/boarding, single-sex/co-ed, UK/international and many more.
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It can be reasonably argued that the school you attend will be the single most important factor affecting admissions chances, with certain schools admitting a disproportionately high number of students to Oxbridge. The top independent schools will already have infrastructure in place to direct prospective Oxbridge applicants, and support will be given to those wishing to apply. As a result, admission to a leading secondary school can play a crucial role in bolstering your child’s chances of going on to study at an elite university.
However, it should be noted that a concerning recent trend for those wishing to attend Oxbridge from the elite independent schools has been the collapse of admissions rates. Over 67 per cent of successful applicants to Oxbridge hail from state schools – a sharp increase from the under 50 per cent that it was at the turn of the millennium, a process which has been accelerated recently with the number still below 60 per cent in 2017. This has been particularly conspicuous at some of the most prominent schools in the country, such as Eton College, where 99 students were awarded an Oxbridge spot in 2014 but only 48 a decade later. This is not as a result of a decline in the standard of education there or at similar schools, with large numbers instead opting to attend other top universities, including those in the Ivy League.
What can pupils do while at school?
Top grades in school are a prerequisite when applying to Oxbridge, with students expected to have achieved straight A*/A’s (or equivalent) across their GCSEs and A-Levels. Although Oxford, for example, claims to require only 3 A’s at A-Level, the reality is that successful candidates will far exceed this. Sever said: ‘Even for the subjects that are AAA requirement I would expect that many applicants will be getting at least one or more A*.’
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Beyond this however, the expectation is that candidates that are serious about applying to Oxbridge will have engaged in super-curricular activities relating specifically to the subject that they wish to apply for. This primarily includes reading around the syllabus and developing a deeper understanding of the subject matter they might encounter at university. This can be demonstrated in a plethora of ways, including by entering competitions, publishing pieces and many more.
Additionally, some students might seek out additional tutoring to support their application. Witherow commented: ‘Schools generally don't like for students to be seeking additional Oxbridge prep. I mean, the top independent schools, for example, normally have special Oxbridge stream classes that prepare students, and it's very subject specific. And it's very good. But it often is not enough.’
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Jenny McGowan, director of Asia at Keystone Tutors, explained the emphasis should be placed on developing a ‘genuine interest’ in the subject ‘beyond the school curriculum’. She continued: ‘Many students focus solely on test and interview preparation, when actually we're big proponents of engaging with super-curricular activities sooner rather than later through guided reading programmes, academic competitions and independent research projects to name a few examples.
‘I would recommend students start this process during their GCSEs and then dedicate significant time to this during Year 12.’
One way to do this is through ‘guided reading’, where tutors help direct students on how to read around their chosen subjects and then lead discussions on the material in a style that mimics an Oxbridge tutorial or interview.
Witherow agreed, saying: ‘It can help just to work on tutorial style learning and independent thought and critical thinking, all of these things which will be examined in the interview and will also form the basis of university study.’
How to start on the Oxbridge application?
As with other UK universities, students must apply to Oxford and Cambridge via UCAS. Students must submit their predicted grades, personal statement and reference, as they would with traditional applications. However, there is an earlier deadline of October 15 for Oxbridge applications.
Students applying for the 2026-27 academic year will be the first to provide the new personal statement outlined by UCAS. Instead of a single piece of writing, students will provide a statement divided into three separate sections.
The subject of study must be chosen in advance, and submitted in the application. In some cases, Oxford and Cambridge offer highly specific courses that cannot be found elsewhere (think Natural Sciences at Cambridge or PPE at Oxford).
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For those struggling to decide what to study, William Brooke, also co-founder at Witherow Brooke, explained Oxbridge might not be the right fit, as the application process and the rigour of the curriculum require a deep passion for the chosen subject.
However, there are also a number of idiosyncrasies with the Oxbridge application. Firstly, a student must apply to a specific college. There are 43 at Oxford and 31 at Cambridge (although not all admit undergraduates), each of which offers a slightly different university experience and number of places per course.
Students initially apply to colleges through the UCAS interface, either by selecting a specific college or by making an open application. The college can then get in touch via email to confirm that they have received the application, and potentially to offer an interview later on in the process.
Applying from overseas
The number of overseas students has been steadily rising at Oxbridge, with many parents now wondering about how applications work from abroad. The process remains the same for both domestic and international students, with the official application submitted through UCAS.
The only additional requirement when applying from abroad is a test proving proficiency in the English language, although only for those not applying from a majority English-speaking country.
The main differences occur post-acceptance with changing regulations surrounding Student VISAs, dependants and overseas fees casting uncertainty on logistical issues for international students.
Admissions tests and interviews
Ultimately however, the process boils down to the two-key stages; the admissions test followed by the interviews.
Admission tests are required in almost every subject and each one is different. The intention is to determine whether the prospective student has the necessary skills for the course. They are now largely online written tests, designed to help demonstrate a student’s ability to think clearly. Experts explained the secret to success is simply a case of thorough practice and preparation.
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The interviews are the most difficult part of the process, according to Witherow. This is why tutors and admissions experts focus heavily on making sure that candidates are suitably prepared for their interviews, and are able to accurately demonstrate their academic prowess and potential.
He said: ‘I think that they [schools] can be quite good at preparing for the tests, but they're not so good at preparing for the interviews. Lots of people arrive at an Oxbridge interview, and they just freeze. Or, on the other hand, they may be over prepared, or have prepared in the wrong way so that they're either talking too much and not demonstrating their thought process, or they're not demonstrating that they're particularly teachable. And those are things that can be practised.’
Acceptance into Oxbridge
Oxford and Cambridge both have much-fêted ‘decision days’, where they release all their undergraduate offers. This occurs in January, roughly a month after the completion of the interview process. For those lucky enough to be offered a place, the job is often not finished there. The offer will be conditional on final grades. For the majority of domestic students this will be dependent on A-Level results, which are released on ‘results day’ in August.
Provided a student meets the requirements, the college can then send an official confirmation of the acceptance.
