THE
OXBRIDGE LAUNCHPAd
APPLICANTS
A pool of resources to guide you through the admissions process
ADMissions timeline and resources
EXPLORING OXBRIDGE
What can I study at Oxbridge, and would I even want to go there? Before you start thinking about your application, it's worth taking some time to explore what it's like to study at these universities. Our team of current students have put together some resources to demystify what it's actually like to live and study here.
YOUR SUBJECT - DIG DEEPER
Once you've decided you'd like to apply to Oxbridge, it's time to dig deeper into the subject you're applying for! This will both help you decide you're set on studying that subject, and provide valuable material for your personal statement and interview - Oxbridge are very keen on people who have gone beyond the curriculum to read about their subject.
The Oxbridge Launchpad's student team have built up a blog of posts that we call 'the Oxbridge Intelligence': articles about university-level specific areas of your subject you might not have studied before, aimed at applicants and with details of further reading if something really interests you. Check it out below!
ESSAY COMPETITION
February
We run an essay competition (deadline 15th April) that is a great way to research more about your subject and have your work read and commented on by Oxbridge students.
OPEN DAYS AND COLLEGES
June and September
Oxford and Cambridge both run Open Days in June and September that are a great way to get a better feel for the cities and talk to real students about their experiences. You won't have time to look around all 30 colleges, so we've collated some student reviews and advice of picking a college.
Dates for the diary for 2023:
Oxford: 28/29 June and 15 September
Cambridge: 6/7 July and 15 September
PERSONAL STATEMENT
Summer
Your personal statement is a chance to show why you want to study your subject at university, and why they should pick you. It's not always that clear what Oxbridge actually want you to talk about though, so we've collated some advice from students on how to approach it.
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OXBRIDGE UCAS DEADLINE - 15th OCTOBER
Get your application in by this date (earlier than the regular January UCAS deadline), or it won't be considered! This includes the references from your school, so make sure they know about this deadline too.
Some courses also require written work to be submitted by this date - the best place for information on this specific to your course is your course page on ox.ac.uk or cam.ac.uk.
ADMISSIONS TESTS
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Your school needs to register you for most of these tests by 30th September - check your course page for exact details (some courses don't have an admissions test), but make sure they know that you need to sit this test!
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Your course page will have the most details about these tests, how to prepare and how they're marked, but our best advice would be to do as many as you can so that you feel as prepared as possible on the day. We've collected some advice from current students on how to approach these tests.
October / November
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INTERVIEWS
December
The final hurdle - Oxford and Cambridge interviews run in early December. We run a mock interview week with current students in the week beforehand to help you get a feel for what to expect. Check back here later in the year for more details on how to sign up!
OFFERS
January
All your hard work's paid off - you're going to Oxbridge!