Just got the rejection letter. As an applicant from Hong Kong where medicine is a highly-respected profession, I believe many local applicants are simply interested in the subject because of the financial stability it offers. Being invited to interview helped me rediscover my passion for medicine, and motivated me to learn so much more beyond the syllabus! I wanted to thank you for all of the videos that you've made - this and the one that you've posted last year, that taught me to focus on the positives of the experience and - hopefully - come back for a postgraduate degree!
Both my husband and I were students at Jesus College, Oxford in the 1990s and now our daughter is waiting for her interview result, though not at Jesus as they don't offer her subject. Thanks for these excellent videos which have offered such great advice throughout the application process. We love Jesus, the best college.... don't tell our daughter!
Hi Matt! I was rejected today and whilst my heart initially sank, I know and trust that all will work out for the best. I have so appreciated your videos throughout the process. Thank you so very much. I have just firmed my place at another uni I love so I’m excited to see what this year will hold! Best wishes :)
Are you from the UK? A UK student who get's the same or higher level of attainment will have a lower chance of gaining a place than an international student because they will be paying less fees. Further to that a UK student who goes to a Public School will have a lower chance of securing a place than a Student who went to a Comprehensive School if they achieve equal or higher level of attainment. Politics and Capitalism play a far bigger role in whether you will be able to go to an Oxbridge university than anything ridiculous like actual capability or academic ability. Universities in the UK are a scam who have sold increasingly larger generations of Young Adults in the UK down shit creek for the sake of profit, forcing many who would have previously received a high class degree into Poly technics fostering mickey mouse degrees on UK students whilst giving places in high tier subjects to foreign students who pay higher fees, it's a disgrace.
@@nimbledick9869 Oxbridge is one of the few UK universities who are exceedingly tough on international students. (The government kinda forces them to be harsher on them despite them offering more tuition. Oxbridge has to comply because of how much money the government gives them)
@@nimbledick9869 Nope it's the opposite for Oxford regarding home vs international students. They have very few places for international students and expect them to have better results. Home students have a better chance and can get in with lower grades tbh.
My daughter is anxiously waiting for her MAT results and also as school doesn’t tell students their predictive scores ,she is not certain if she has met the entry requirement as mentioned in the website of Oxford …she watched today this video with me.Undoubtedly it has lifted her spirit and made her realise that being rejected by an university won’t be the end of the world rather it will open a new path in life towards success .Thank you so much for all these informative videos.
You are an absolute legend Matt. I’ve just got an offer for PPE at Hertford, with massive thanks to your videos. Particularly for the TSA, you helped massively, and I managed to get 46/50 on the day. Genuinely, I am so grateful for all your content.
Thanks so much for repeatedly giving crucial support and help for free, my school hasn't been very helpful at all-but since finding this channel, I have been able to effectively work towards my application, which will be this year!
First things first: what an absolutely dashing tie you're wearing! Secondly, I wonder in what way, if at all, graduate applications deviate from the points you presented here. Thank you so much for these lovely videos.
I have never thought of studying and I know that part is my fault but I did had my own issues that never gave me a chance to think of wanting to get into such remarkable universities. I never was as lucky as other kids to have friends to hear about dreams. What's past is past, currently I'm at second half of my bachelor's. I didn't do great. I have a 2.91 GPA but I'm willing to start from right today. I have wrote down my exam plan, I'll try my best to have a chance, the confidence of applying to Oxford. I hope there's a chance for me to do better, I have 4 semesters left. I hope to get a better GPA by the end. I hope growth counts as something. I'm writing this to promise right here that I will at the very least have my resume uploaded.
The quality of the information provided in your videos is consistently good. Thank you for all your sustained efforts in providing in very in depth advice about the application process for Oxford, as well as life at Oxford more generally! :D
me, a Cambridge applicant hearing deadline day for Oxford was today, thinking it was Cambridge, and momentarily freaking out!!! best of luck to everyone finding out today
I applied for the foundation in history and got rejected. No academic experience in English and still thought I had a chance. No education in English, apart from language school experience. Who did I think I was?! Haha they were very kind and suggested a introductory course at Cambridge. The reality is if you don’t have a strong academic willingness and enjoys reading a lot then it might be a bit difficult to be accepted there and of course be very intelligent. I think these requirements are not difficult to spot. Congratulations to you!
Ahhhh, what a nice video! I could have done with this when I got rejected from Lincoln for English in 1995. Still, better late than never! 🤣 It actually made me feel good about my rejection all these years on! I went on to get an English degree from Royal Holloway, whose English department was pretty highly ranked at the time. It still is, but not as high as then. Afterwards, I got a master's in English from the University of Sussex, chosen because I'm from Brighton and my dad was a lecturer at Sussex Uni, so we got a discount. Therefore, each time, I couldn't have gone to Oxford. And now I work at a famous book publisher, for an old and highly respected imprint, editing famous, household-name authors. So I'm probably exactly where I would have been if I'd got into Oxford, because my aim was always to work in book publishing. This tutor is right; not getting in to Oxford really does not hold you back. Sidenote: I married a Cambridge man. I have found that if you don't get into Oxbridge, you can marry someone who went there and be Oxbridge-adjacent always. 😂😂😂
Thanks for all your support, got rejected yesterday which resulted in an uncountable amount of tears and upset. Your videos have been fantastic though, for the whole process, and I thank you for that. I know you don't have to make these videos at all, or give all the lovely advice that you do (or even read the comments!), but you do - and it's made the whole experience a little less isolated. :) Thanks a lot!
Thank you for your comment. I really appreciate it. I'm sorry to read that you were rejected, but I hope that you feel better soon and take the best out of this experience.
Thank you for your advice! I may be a bit behind compared to others for others have more opportunities of getting into Oxford. However, I am extremely hard working and bright minded. With your advice, I can use it to my advantage to succeed in getting into my Oxford so I can pursue my goal in the either writing or science. Thank you very much.
I applied to Exeter College to do music for 2011 and was lucky enough to get an interview. Whilst the experience was really exciting, I felt it wasn't entirely for me. I didn't get in, but i was so grateful to have had that experience, and I went to a really great university. It worked out in the end. Hope this helps someone.
This year is my baccalaureate and I happen to be a Tunisian student who's aiming for the sky. I do have a feeling that this goal is far away from my grip and that I am just a child who dreams of getting to the moon! But man has made it to the moon and so shall I. I will work hard and I will do my best to achieve greatness. I refuse to die without making a change to benefit humanity during and after me. Although I faced hardships of every kind, financial was it or health concerned, my ambition is still standing proud deep within my soul pushing me to keep going and to never give up. I do hope to make an academic success this year and to get accepted into Oxford in the future; however, even if I failed, I shall never give up on my ambitions, on my dreams, on my solest human purpose.
Thanks Matt, awaiting my Cambridge application for next week. Although I didn’t do an admission test and my interview was half an hour long, it was very enjoyable and your videos were very helpful in my preparation.
For many applicants to Oxford, I suppose most important aspects might be the special opportunities Oxford could offer after graduation especially about equality. So the important must be the possibility for the relaxation of cultural strictness different according to Colleges. Thank you my friend for introducing me to your atmosphere. Good day to you.
Absolutely brilliant video! I’m eagerly waiting for Tuesday (interestingly enough Jesus is one of two colleges that interviewed me). I know it’s going to hit quite hard if I get rejected, but this video has helped a huge amount. Thanks to you, I can see the positives in either outcome!
Thank you for making yet another very informative video! Just one question: How does Oxford contextualise the performance/grades of international students? How are they being compared to applicants from the UK?
I do not know about UK system. But I have to say the requirements for US students are quite low. I think any decent students who put half heart into study would have qualified to apply, then of course being mercilessly murdered at Oxford subject tests. I noticed US students have lowest admission rate.
It's a good question. We are not able to contextualise international qualifications to the same degree that we can for domestic qualifications. This is because we utilise socio-economic and educational data that is specific to the UK. But, international students can make references to their context in the personal statement when applying, and they can (should) encourage teachers to make any relevant statements on context in the teacher reference, if they think it's of importance.
@@JesusCollegeOxford1571 I assume the goal of contexualising a student is to discover raw intelligence which might otherwise be hidden under grade and tests. Tutors will be in best positions to judge a student's potential through interviews. I wonder what would tutors decide if a student did extremely well in interviews, but average in the test or vice versa. Does one discount the other or simply follow the standards of calculation, each student receive one score in the end and rank them by number.
This video is brilliant , absolutely love your video, give us a lot of insight. However I wonder if you could do a video how post graduate selects its student in Oxford? I think that will be a great aid
I got into Oxford to do my post graduate this year. It has been a really long journey for me. I am close to my 40s. Have tonnes of life and work experiences. I am an asian mtf transgender. I been through the army. Worked in strip clubs and all to support myself and joined the international transgender pageant Miss International Queen. Proud of myself that I have gone so far, after all the surgeries, emotional pain. But yet also contributing to academia and speaking on forums and all to educate others about problems faced by the lgbtq community not only in terms of surgeries but also in legal issues. Other than these, I read a lot and I am a super hardworking person and gotten a First Class in my undergrad and First Class for masters too. And I have also a lot of various work experiences. Work experiences include being a DJ, teaching scuba diving, adult entertainment and porn industry, stripclub, waitress, visitor experience assistant. Til now I am so happy to be selected and I am so excited to enter Oxford in the fall so that I can contribute my knowledge and experiences to academia.
Thanks so much for the clarification provided in the video. I was wondering if gcse grades would account for the “minute differences amongst applications”. I attended a day at Oxford via school in which they explained that gcses are looked at in context, but are very rarely the deal breaker, so i am just curious how much significance they hold. Thank you
GCSEs matter, but are taken with all other data. If someone had the required A-levels predicted, and had strong admissions test and interview scores, I would not be troubled by a mixed bag of GCSEs.
I applied to Oxford for this January deadline for Physics and I am quite anxious about the upcoming deadline. This video was a very concise and fun way to calm my nerves slightly. Cheers!
As an American professor (Ph.D., Stanford) and Oxford alum (M.A. [Greats], Campion Hall) who's sat on numerous admissions boards, I found this instructive. Question: are postgraduate admissions decided by the subject area tutors as is the cade in the U.S.?
I'm not smart, nor am I in the best position to get into Oxford. I live very far away, etc but I want to try as hard as I can to get into Oxford! If I don't get in, thats ok but I will still try as hard as I can. Thats what its all about!
Exactly! Try hard and you will take loads out of the process regardless of whether you get in or not. Btw, no one is born smart, and it's all about how hard you work (and admittedly a lot of luck) as to how smart you end up. Trying hard is certainly the best approach to take. Good luck to you! Let me know if you need any help.
how does the admission officers contextualize international schools. Do we need to provide context or do they go on their own and learn about the school in which I attended?
We're not able to contextualise International applications in the same way as domestic applications. If you have contextual information you'd like us to know about, you can ask your referee to include it in their reference on your UCAS form, and/or you can submit a letter to the college you apply to.
they should have pathways that enable people like me who got 2:2 to have a chance to apply to a Masters or DPhil at the uni of oxford … there is absolutely no chance, but there should be a pathway designed for us to let us work hard and prove we can, tragic events made me get this and the dean of my uni wrote me a letter vouching i would have gotten 2:1 or first if not for several tragic events in my life …. do you think oxford would ever be inclusive in the future? not everyone has a perfect golden life or health, this should be something that a holistic and inclusive eligibility criteria should consider. Oxford does NOT do this at all. its a clear cut first of strong upper second class atm …
Our daughter goes to a top private independent school in the Northeast in USA. She is thinking of applying to Oxford for linguistics. How difficult is it for Americans to have a reasonable chance for acceptance. She is half English, half Spanish American. Many thanks
Hi there, we have students from 140> countries, including many from the US. Please see here to find out what sort of high school performance would be competitive: www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/applying-to-oxford/for-international-students/international-qualifications All best, Matt
Just wondering if I still have a high likelihood of receiving an offer for Oxford’s law course if I only achieved average grades- mostly 5s and 6s and no 8s and 9s? I’m mainly asking because I saw a previous response saying it would be preferable to have achieved high in maths and English for the law course. I achieved a 7 in both English literature and language, but a grade 5 in maths.
There are no specified GCSE requirements for Law, although most successful applicants will have strong GCSEs. Your results will be contextualised, meaning that if there are extenuating circumstances to explain the results, these will be considered with all seriousness. Your predicted (or obtained) A-level results will be more important than your GCSEs, as will your performance on the admissions test. In short, you can still make a competitive application.
Hi Matt, if an individual has lowerer GCSE grades but due to extenuating circumstances, do they still stand a chance of applying if they have high predicted grades?
Yes. If your A-level predictions meet the entry requirements, and you perform well on any admissions tests/interviews, then you can certainly be competitive.
This video was very insightful and important for candidates. Thank you. But what do you think about international students? Can you explain the process for accepting international students?
Thanks! The process for international students is almost identical to that for domestic students. We don't have so much data on social context for international students, and we have to be sure that their qualifications are eligible: www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/applying-to-oxford/for-international-students/international-qualifications But, otherwise, the process is the same: www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/applying-to-oxford/for-international-students
Hello Matt! Thank you so much for the video, it certainly demystified a big chunk of the process. However I was curious about what additional interviews mean (specifically for international applicants applying for law) as well as what are the 4-6 different reasons a candidate may receive an additional interview invite. I only received two interviews from my allocated college and this is worrisome for me because the past trends indicate a higher offer rate for candidates who got an additional interview. Any advice would be extremely helpful!
You shouldn't be worried. Receiving an interview at all is an excellent sign. It wouldn't be helpful for me to outline the scenarios, because it is very complicated. It is simply the case that having more interviews is neither a good nor bad sign. You just need to go along with it. All best.
The acceptance rate does vary, yes. More competitive degrees include computer science and medicine, less competitive degrees include modern languages and history.
Thank you, very informative! So, things which are irrelevant must also include AGE - you did not mention that! I am near 72 years old, fit & healthy, & want to apply for a course at Oxford, what are my chances, given that I am academically proven? Is it a criteria that you go on after your degree to do some sort of good for people or the country? In that case then if you are old you don't have much time left to do those things.
The image of the tutors shoving the applications into a huge tombola has just made me crack up 🤣 I remember a couple of boys at my school in the late 80's went for interview at Oxford and received Unconditonal offers of 2 E's ,does that still exist?
No, that has been dropped, because it was used so unevenly. It also became clear that students without strong A-levels really struggle at Oxford and end up not enjoying it. That's why we don't use unconditional offers ever, but have introduced a foundation year to support the most disadvantaged: www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/increasing-access/foundation-year
How about international students? Is the admission procedure the same? If there are a few different steps, it would eagerly be appreciated if you could mention them. Thank you in anticipation.
Hi there, the qualifications may be different, but see here for a conversion: www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/applying-to-oxford/for-international-students/international-qualifications Otherwise the process of admissions is identical for international and domestic students.
This refers primarily to educational and economic disadvantages. We have data on the relative performance of schools, and the relative poverty of different postcodes.
Brilliant videos thank you! My daughter is in lower sixth and applying for Music at Oxford for 2024. Her GCSE results were excellent, predicted A level grades are above what is required, she is Grade 8 in three instruments. However, she does get very nervous and anxious and worry the interview part may let her down. She would thrive in the tutorial setting but the intensity of interview is a challenge. She does have to submit work and an audition which will be fine. How much weight will the interview carry as part of the whole process. Apologies for the long question!
Thank you! This playlist should help with regards to interviews ruclips.net/video/f-zLEdKcesY/видео.html it's not at all unusual for students to be nervous about interviews. It's also important to recognise that interviews are one source of data amongst many that we use to determine which students we will take. In other words, given the strengths in your daughter's application, the interview would just be one of several bits of information used.
Academic is anything produced by a university. An easy guide is if the publication is produced by a university, or the authors are university affiliated. Pretty much everything on Google Scholar is academic.
Thank you for the video! Does Oxford distinguish between types of qualifications (e.g. IB vs. A-Levels vs. others listed on the "international qualifications" page)? Specifically, if an applicant is taking the IB but already meets the criteria for international qualifications (three APs at grade 5 and a sufficient SAT score), would an offer still be conditional on the results of the IB results? Or would it likely be unconditional (based on the USA qualifications)? Or would a case like this be dependent on the particular college making the offer? Thanks again, these videos are always brilliant!
Good question. I would assume that your offer would be made on your existing US qualifications, as these seem to be sufficient. It will depend on the course you're applying to, and the particular qualifications you have, but we do accept US qualifications.
You mentioned not taking into account school types. Does that also apply to grammar schools ie. schools that might require sitting a test to get into, or that might have higher grades required at GCSE to study A Levels??
Yes. We consider school type as a form of contextual data, but recognise it is vastly less reliable data than individual-level data on socioeconomic status. Even then, our decisions always come back to academic ability and potential.
I was looking at the entry requirements and found that GCSEs account for 15% of the application. I know that entry completely depends on the tiny differences between the candidates, especially for competitive courses like Law. Do you know what GCSE grades most people who get into Oxford for Law have, because I was looking on the student forum and many candidates who were rejected had 8 grade 9s, 8 grade 8s and so on. Do you need so many high grades because my school didn't allow me to take more than 8 subjects and told me there was not enough space on my timetable.
Thanks for the video! For PPE, what percentage weighting would you say is approximately given to the TSA s1 and s2, and then the interview in the final decisions?
TSA section one typically counts for more than section two. The interview usually counts for more than the TSA. It's impossible for me to be definitive on this question, because each college will weight things slightly differently. Broadly speaking, you will have needed to have done well on the TSA to have been invited to interview in the first place.
You may do, depending on your level of English. Please see here: www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/applying-to-oxford/for-international-students/ELR
Hi, does Said Business School use the same 'Decision Algorithm' in assessing applicants for their graduate programs especially the EMBA? Thanks in advance for the help!
It's similar, but the algorithm described in this video is for undergraduate admissions. For graduate admissions, there are many more applicants from overseas, meaning that contextualising academic performance becomes much more difficult. This is because we don't have enough useful data on the sorts of schools and other academic environments that people will have come from. As a consequence, for graduate admissions, we lean more heavily on grades and letters of recommendation.
As always, thank you so much for your video! It's really helped me put things in perspective and now I'm less scared for Tuesday. Though I was wondering whether receiving additional interviews means anything in terms of decisions - are they a good sign?
In my reading as an amateur observer, it means schools can not make up the mind about you. Obviously if you are definitely proven to be a pleasant teachable genius, no more interviews needed, but then if they know they do not want you, why wasting time on you. They are super busy. I would say your chances are good if you did well during the extra interviews.
Yes, multiple interviews is a good sign. It can be indicative of about four or five different scenarios, but all of which scenarios involve you being competitive.
Hello Dr. Matt. Your video is really helpful and inspiring, as always. I have looked up the PPE website and saw they list A-level, IB and Advanced Highers certificates in Admissions Requirement. I’d like to ask whether I will need to acquire all of them for application because I, a free candidate, cannot sign up to take the IB exam (My high school is not licensed to teach IB). Thank you.
Hi, I'm an international student. I can't find tests center to take admission tests. There are some centers for A-Levels, but they said they don't offer admission tests like MAT. Admission tests are required for my application, what do you recommend me to do? Thanks in advance for your answer!
Details on how and when to register are still to be determined for this year. Please check here for updates, www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/applying-to-oxford/guide/admissions-tests/mat Also, please contact the Maths Institute if you'd like further updates: www.maths.ox.ac.uk/about-us/contact-us
I was just wondering how important are GCSE’s specifically after applying on a gap year with your A-Level results (wanting to apply for law but mine are incredibly low, but hope to achieve A*A*A) will my GCSE’s still weigh in as an important factor to determine my future academic potential or will they be wholly discarded as My achieved A-level grades are now a more helpful indicator in the admissions process for Oxford? I prefer the law course here but I’ve heard they care more about GCSEs than Cambridge and feel as though I shouldn apply they’re next year as I could just be wasting my hopes on Oxford? Really appreciate your videos :)
GCSEs will be considered, but alongside all other data. If there's a reason your GCSEs don't represent your abilities -- such as because you faced health or personal difficulties, or simply because you didn't get on with the subjects -- then your teachers can say as much in their reference on you for UCAS. A-levels are more important than GCSEs, but GCSEs are not irrelevant.
How does age affect the application? Will it be counted towards contextualising the application content? Are younger applicants more likely to get in than people in their late twenties, early thirties, or forties?
Applications are most common from students just finishing school. But, we do receive applications from students older than this, and their applications are taken just as seriously.
Thank you Matt for this informative video As an international student is it possible for me to write A levels independently because my country's high school senior qualifications are not accepted
I think so. Although I'm not entirely sure how that would work. This website has some information: www.studyin-uk.com/study-options/a-level/ no doubt there will be more options, however.
State schools represent 93% of the pupils in the UK yet Oxford intake is currently running at approximately 67% state school pupils. Irrespective what is said in this video it is clear that something is wrong with their selection process. I say this as someone with a son in an independent school in the UK and a brother who went to University College having attended a grammar school in the 70s.
Please see an overview of relevant data here: ruclips.net/video/DYVQkd6HeF0/видео.htmlsi=39OtfST9n9eQ0wll There is a problem of under representation, for sure. It’s what I have committed my life to solving. There is no clear evidence that this problem comes mainly from our processes, however. If there was such evidence, we’d be open to endless litigation, and I wouldn’t work here! The problem is more that state school applicants don’t apply on sufficient numbers to be properly represented, and they crowd into the most over subscribed courses. I’m afraid it is particularly unhelpful to accuse the process of being at fault, as this discourages applicants when so many already feel discouraged.
Please see an overview of relevant data here: ruclips.net/video/DYVQkd6HeF0/видео.htmlsi=39OtfST9n9eQ0wll There is a problem of under representation, for sure. It’s what I have committed my life to solving. There is no clear evidence that this problem comes mainly from our processes, however. If there was such evidence, we’d be open to endless litigation, and I wouldn’t work here! The problem is more that state school applicants don’t apply on sufficient numbers to be properly represented, and they crowd into the most over subscribed courses. I’m afraid it is particularly unhelpful to accuse the process of being at fault, as this discourages applicants when so many already feel discouraged.
@@JesusCollegeOxford1571 Firstly, thank you for taking the time to respond. Yours would be a reasonable point were it not for the actual numbers. Oxford received 10,150 applications from state schools 2023 and 3,797 from independent schools. Ultimately, 1662 state school students were awarded places compared to 796 independent school students. Being charitable, I will accept that the previous 5 years were in the same ballpark in terms of state / independent applications vs places awarded. I find it impossible to believe that of the 10,150 state school applicants only 3,797 were considered suitable and that the remaining 796 were, by necessity, taken from the independent school system purely because their ability, factored down by their circumstance, was greater than their state school counterparts. Particularly given, as you openly acknowledge, state schools are less likely to encourage students to apply which would lead one to reasonably expect that those that do so are more likely to exceptionally gifted in the first place. To throw a little (slightly unrelated to Oxford but I think appropriate) cynicism into the mix I am closely associated with an independently wealthy family whose members have, over many decades going back to the 19th century, attended independent schools - mostly Eton - and gone on to attend Cambridge with a rate of success in receiving a place at university that defies mere chance or genetically inherited intelligence. You may draw your own conclusions from this state of affairs. Whilst I genuinely believe that Oxford is working to improve their intake from the state school sector, as is demonstrated by your personal efforts, and that there has been a demonstrable improvement over recent years progress is still too slow and it is clear from the numbers that a bias, whether deliberate or subliminal on the part of the institution or the individuals who are responsible for the decisions at a working level, still exists.
Totally agree with this post, good intentions on paper simply don’t transfer to those actions in practice, conscious bias and unconscious bias will be producing these figures that the previous post cites. Maybe one day entry to these institutions will be based on merit/talent/potential alone, but obviously there still some way to go.
So with the extra curricular activities not been looked into would that include D of E or not as they do seem to go on about that quite a lot but I’ve never actually heard of it ever meaning anything?
No, D of E will not help someone get into Oxford. It's nonetheless very worthwhile, for a number of reasons. But it isn't obviously relevant to academic ability and potential.
I'm not sure if I should ask this here, but how does Oxford generally consider classes taken at community colleges or two-year universities? Would a graduate school applicant be disqualified if they took classes at a community college and later transferred to a four-year university?
Hi there, you just need to meet any entry requirements for the course you're applying to. The type of university you've attended, or whether you've attended community college before then transferring to a university, is unlikely to affect your application, so long as you have whichever qualifications are needed for the course. Information on what qualifications are required will be available on the website for the course you are interested in. Best of luck!
Good question. I have taught homeschooled students, so I know it's possible. Is there a college you're thinking of applying to? If so, your best bet is to contact the admissions officer at that college.
Thank you so much for this! It really gave terrific insight into the admissions process. I was just wondering, regarding admissions tests, why it is considered such a level playing field? I know some ‘public school’ students that have had special tutoring in the admissions tests, where others get no support from their school whilst working a part time job, as an example. It just seems a bit strange how the admissions test, despite still being a test like that of A-levels, is considered as such a level playing field when in actuality there are still inequities varying between schools/wealth/resources available? :) Thank you!
Thanks for your comment. It’s a fair point. The admissions test are more of a level playing field, but I would agree that they are not a complete level playing field. That’s why I’m trying to provide as many resources to help with admissions test on this channel in order to make the process as fair as possible.
@@JesusCollegeOxford1571 Thank you for this. What you are doing is really incredible, I wouldn’t know where to start when applying to Oxford without your videos.
It is better to have a test than not. One would never want a system like US which has no objective measurement. Life has never been fair and the test reflect that. But a test at least offer a self driven student a chance to shine. If one get rid of test, what will be resolving to is to use completely subjective opinions to judge a student, which in my view more unfair. US cares about extracurricular, but the extracurricular is much more tied to familiar circumstances than a test. Furthermore, to succeed at college, one do need certain acquired knowledge and possess certain level of intelligence. How a student acquired those is not a college's business, but it is college's business to ensure its students able to complete the study. My son applied for oxford last October. He chose not to prepare for the test, and only did one past paper to be familiar with the format. He certainly shall not be treated differently because he was lazy. Internet made many things possible, one shall make the best use of his circumstances and not fall into the pit of demanding equity. Equity is actually the most unfair system, and most demotivating system.
Hey! Two years late but two questions, do A-Level grades have a high baring on your consideration of a masters applicant if they performed exceptionally well in their undergraduate (particularly if said individual had teacher-assessed A-Level grades during lockdown), and do you take into consideration areas of deprivation? I was bumped down the grades required by several universities as I live in an area of deprivation in the UK, and I'm wondering if Oxford do the same? Cheers!
U stated that extra curricular activities won't count at all so even if those are parliamentary debates, MUNs and stuff it won't be of any help at all??
No, I’m afraid not. That’s not to say that such activities are not valuable. They are good for your CV, confidence and more. We do value super curricular activities, such as reading, listening and thinking around your subject. Of course, something like MUN could entail some super curricular value. But books, lectures and problems are the best forms of super curricular exploration.
Hello, I was reading a post from an oxford professor on reddit, he said that If I was to apply as an undergrad mature student in my 30's, I would not be considered because a 30 year old is considered low on teachability? He also said , the tutorials are 2 to 3 students...how do you pair up a 30 year old with a 17 year old? Is any of it true?
No, that's not true! We have an entire college full of mature students, many of whom are older than 30. "Teachability" does mean that an applicant would need to meet the entry requirements and perform well on admissions tests and interviews. But it would be both potentially unlawful and preposterous to suggest that someone over 30 could not be teachable! I have taught tutorial pairs of 18/19 year olds with 40 year olds. It works brilliantly. The older students bring so much life experience and maturity to bear. Please see here for further details: www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/applying-to-oxford/mature-students
Hi Matt, I just wanted to ask whether Oxford colleges consider the admissions tests before or after interviewing you? I feel as though I struggled thoroughly with my LNAT, yet I was recently shortlisted for an interview in Law, and was honestly quite shocked! Also. what would you suggest I do now to maximise my chances of getting an offer, if (for example) I was correct in that my LNAT results aren’t so good?
Hi there, the LNAT result is considered before and after interviewing. All data from the application are considered holistically. Be sure to practice for the interview. There are resources here: ruclips.net/video/f-zLEdKcesY/видео.html
as a US student, school starts in September and applications are due in October. my teachers don't feel they'll know how to accurately predict my grades within the first month of me being in their class. how should I proceed?
Good question. I'm not sure I'm afraid. I think you should contact the following email address in the first instance: student.information@admin.ox.ac.uk
the only question i have is: does oxford value an increasing trend of marks? if i got a little less marks but graduated senior year with the highest marks, would that be recognized?
Thank you for the video. Regarding shortlisting process for medicine, I read from Oxford website that "The first stage of our shortlisting process has in previous years used a combination of contextualised GCSE performance (for those candidates with GCSE grades) and BMAT score, whereas this year we used a contextualised measure of BMAT performance." Would 2022 have similar process (not using GCSE grades) since there was no national examination for GCSE in 2021 either?
I suspect that the admissions process will be similar in 2022. Because of centre assessed grades, GCSEs are a less reliable source of data than they have historically been. This has promoted the BMAT as a more stable data source. The aim throughout is to be as fair as possible in our admissions process.
Thank you for the words! I was rejected by Oxford 2 days ago. But I'm just really curious, how they proceed the admission in detailed,whereas I got the rejection less than 10 days after I submit my application?
I'm sorry to read that you were not offered a place. This video is about undergraduate admissions, and I'm guessing that you applied as a postgraduate. The processes are a little different. But even if it appeared to be a quick decision, it will have been taken with great care. No admissions tutor wants to dismiss a candidate without careful consideration.
Hey matt! I unfortunately missed the deadline to apply this October, is there any way I can still apply? If not no worries I was thinking of applying in 2026, only problem is I heard that the courses I take in college here in the U.S will have no value if im accepted admission. Should I just give it up? I'm really not keen on doing that but I will be years behind where I couldve been. thank u
The deadline for 2025 admission has now passed, so you’d need to apply in 2025 for 2026 admission. Don’t give anything up, would be my advice, until you have something new secured.
We have lots of students that require a range of different treatments. It would not be held against you, and you would not even need to tell us if you didn't want to.
Hi, What do additional interviews mean for chemistry? Does this mean my first college did not want to give me an offer and so I was pooled to another? Thanks!
I have taught homeschooled students, so it's certainly possible. You should contact the college you plan to apply to for guidance on submitting a recommendation. Best of luck
As someone who is anxiously waiting to find out if I’m been rejected from Oxford, this video has definitely helped calm my nerves! Thank you Matt!
Same here! Good luck for Tuesday - fingers crossed we'll both get good news 😊
@@Nearly_Impossible thank you! You too! Hopefully it works out in our favour lol
Which course did you apply for ?
@@ahmedgulshankhaled7471 law 😊
@@niamhjones3628 same! which college?
I'M GOING TO OXFORDDDDD, FOR ENGLISH LIT!!!
Yaayyy!!!! Congrats!!! Me tooo!!!🌈🌈🌈🍾🍾🍾🎉 What college?
O. Knight-Catalinete Congrats to you too 🥳🎉!!! My college is Regent’s Park (it’s so small; I haven’t met anyone going here yet). What’s your college?
Yay!!! Congrats!!!!
@@o.knight-catalinete6934 Yay!!! Congrats!!!
@@elinor5551 Christ Church!!!🍾🌈 Are you on the discord server? I know a few Regents Park people on there
Just got the rejection letter. As an applicant from Hong Kong where medicine is a highly-respected profession, I believe many local applicants are simply interested in the subject because of the financial stability it offers. Being invited to interview helped me rediscover my passion for medicine, and motivated me to learn so much more beyond the syllabus! I wanted to thank you for all of the videos that you've made - this and the one that you've posted last year, that taught me to focus on the positives of the experience and - hopefully - come back for a postgraduate degree!
Just got rejected too
Thank you for your message. Stay positive, and all best wishes to you.
I'm a second year Oxford Student who loves your video because it is helping me answering the questions:
How the hell did this place let me in
Thanks for your comment! I hope you're enjoying Oxford?!
It’s a challenging choice of tie but I applaud your commitment.
Thanks!
Both my husband and I were students at Jesus College, Oxford in the 1990s and now our daughter is waiting for her interview result, though not at Jesus as they don't offer her subject. Thanks for these excellent videos which have offered such great advice throughout the application process. We love Jesus, the best college.... don't tell our daughter!
sorry I accidentally told ur daughter😬
Thanks for your comment! All best wishes to your daughter, who, judging by your username is Simon Cowell's granddaughter?!
It's a beautiful college. I have to go there at the start and end of term. Parking is terrible 😂
Did she get in?
Thank you very much for sharing your experience,
But how did you conjectured , that
JESUS College is best .
?
Hi Matt! I was rejected today and whilst my heart initially sank, I know and trust that all will work out for the best. I have so appreciated your videos throughout the process. Thank you so very much. I have just firmed my place at another uni I love so I’m excited to see what this year will hold! Best wishes :)
All best wishes to you. Stay positive. You've got a fantastic attitude and it will serve you well.
Are you from the UK? A UK student who get's the same or higher level of attainment will have a lower chance of gaining a place than an international student because they will be paying less fees. Further to that a UK student who goes to a Public School will have a lower chance of securing a place than a Student who went to a Comprehensive School if they achieve equal or higher level of attainment. Politics and Capitalism play a far bigger role in whether you will be able to go to an Oxbridge university than anything ridiculous like actual capability or academic ability. Universities in the UK are a scam who have sold increasingly larger generations of Young Adults in the UK down shit creek for the sake of profit, forcing many who would have previously received a high class degree into Poly technics fostering mickey mouse degrees on UK students whilst giving places in high tier subjects to foreign students who pay higher fees, it's a disgrace.
Veronica Donahue sounds Irish Catholic. That wouldn't help.
@@nimbledick9869 Oxbridge is one of the few UK universities who are exceedingly tough on international students. (The government kinda forces them to be harsher on them despite them offering more tuition. Oxbridge has to comply because of how much money the government gives them)
@@nimbledick9869 Nope it's the opposite for Oxford regarding home vs international students. They have very few places for international students and expect them to have better results. Home students have a better chance and can get in with lower grades tbh.
Not the point here but your tie is fantastic lol
Thanks!
My daughter is anxiously waiting for her MAT results and also as school doesn’t tell students their predictive scores ,she is not certain if she has met the entry requirement as mentioned in the website of Oxford …she watched today this video with me.Undoubtedly it has lifted her spirit and made her realise that being rejected by an university won’t be the end of the world rather it will open a new path in life towards success .Thank you so much for all these informative videos.
Thank you for your kind words. All best wishes to you.
Thank you for your words.and l have been rejected three times but l am still working.being rejected is not the end of the life
Wishing all the best for all those waiting to hear back from Oxbridge 💗💗good luck !!
You are an absolute legend Matt. I’ve just got an offer for PPE at Hertford, with massive thanks to your videos. Particularly for the TSA, you helped massively, and I managed to get 46/50 on the day. Genuinely, I am so grateful for all your content.
Congratulations!
how are your studies going!!
When I chuckled when he said do-do I pretty much knew Oxford maybe isn’t the place for me
Thanks so much for repeatedly giving crucial support and help for free, my school hasn't been very helpful at all-but since finding this channel, I have been able to effectively work towards my application, which will be this year!
I'm glad it's been helpful. Best of luck.
Mine too!!
Such a heart-warming message for those who are rejected...
Impressive.
Far beyond my expectations.
Thanks!
First things first: what an absolutely dashing tie you're wearing!
Secondly, I wonder in what way, if at all, graduate applications deviate from the points you presented here.
Thank you so much for these lovely videos.
Thank you! Graduate applications are similar but rely more of letters of recommendation, which are not used for UG admissions.
I have never thought of studying and I know that part is my fault but I did had my own issues that never gave me a chance to think of wanting to get into such remarkable universities. I never was as lucky as other kids to have friends to hear about dreams. What's past is past, currently I'm at second half of my bachelor's. I didn't do great. I have a 2.91 GPA but I'm willing to start from right today. I have wrote down my exam plan, I'll try my best to have a chance, the confidence of applying to Oxford. I hope there's a chance for me to do better, I have 4 semesters left. I hope to get a better GPA by the end. I hope growth counts as something. I'm writing this to promise right here that I will at the very least have my resume uploaded.
Good luck to you!
The quality of the information provided in your videos is consistently good. Thank you for all your sustained efforts in providing in very in depth advice about the application process for Oxford, as well as life at Oxford more generally! :D
You're welcome! And thank you for your kindness
me, a Cambridge applicant hearing deadline day for Oxford was today, thinking it was Cambridge, and momentarily freaking out!!! best of luck to everyone finding out today
What did you apply for at Cambridge?
I applied for the foundation in history and got rejected. No academic experience in English and still thought I had a chance. No education in English, apart from language school experience. Who did I think I was?! Haha they were very kind and suggested a introductory course at Cambridge. The reality is if you don’t have a strong academic willingness and enjoys reading a lot then it might be a bit difficult to be accepted there and of course be very intelligent. I think these requirements are not difficult to spot. Congratulations to you!
Good luck for Tuesday everyone!
Ahhhh, what a nice video! I could have done with this when I got rejected from Lincoln for English in 1995. Still, better late than never! 🤣 It actually made me feel good about my rejection all these years on! I went on to get an English degree from Royal Holloway, whose English department was pretty highly ranked at the time. It still is, but not as high as then. Afterwards, I got a master's in English from the University of Sussex, chosen because I'm from Brighton and my dad was a lecturer at Sussex Uni, so we got a discount. Therefore, each time, I couldn't have gone to Oxford. And now I work at a famous book publisher, for an old and highly respected imprint, editing famous, household-name authors. So I'm probably exactly where I would have been if I'd got into Oxford, because my aim was always to work in book publishing. This tutor is right; not getting in to Oxford really does not hold you back. Sidenote: I married a Cambridge man. I have found that if you don't get into Oxbridge, you can marry someone who went there and be Oxbridge-adjacent always. 😂😂😂
everyone who’s waiting for a decision, good luck!! i got rejected this year unfortunately but i will try for post graduate!!
Thanks for all your support, got rejected yesterday which resulted in an uncountable amount of tears and upset. Your videos have been fantastic though, for the whole process, and I thank you for that. I know you don't have to make these videos at all, or give all the lovely advice that you do (or even read the comments!), but you do - and it's made the whole experience a little less isolated. :) Thanks a lot!
Thank you for your comment. I really appreciate it.
I'm sorry to read that you were rejected, but I hope that you feel better soon and take the best out of this experience.
Thank you for your advice! I may be a bit behind compared to others for others have more opportunities of getting into Oxford. However, I am extremely hard working and bright minded. With your advice, I can use it to my advantage to succeed in getting into my Oxford so I can pursue my goal in the either writing or science. Thank you very much.
Best of luck!
I applied to Exeter College to do music for 2011 and was lucky enough to get an interview. Whilst the experience was really exciting, I felt it wasn't entirely for me. I didn't get in, but i was so grateful to have had that experience, and I went to a really great university. It worked out in the end. Hope this helps someone.
Thank you. It's great to read that you found the experience positive.
Sir, expecting you as the professor for coming years as well, always with you and understand ur struggle as well..... Can not write more
This year is my baccalaureate and I happen to be a Tunisian student who's aiming for the sky. I do have a feeling that this goal is far away from my grip and that I am just a child who dreams of getting to the moon! But man has made it to the moon and so shall I. I will work hard and I will do my best to achieve greatness. I refuse to die without making a change to benefit humanity during and after me. Although I faced hardships of every kind, financial was it or health concerned, my ambition is still standing proud deep within my soul pushing me to keep going and to never give up. I do hope to make an academic success this year and to get accepted into Oxford in the future; however, even if I failed, I shall never give up on my ambitions, on my dreams, on my solest human purpose.
All best wishes to you!
Coming from the US, hearing that extracurriculars have no bearing on admission is absolutely wild!
from the us here too, and I completely love their system so much more.
Thanks Matt, awaiting my Cambridge application for next week. Although I didn’t do an admission test and my interview was half an hour long, it was very enjoyable and your videos were very helpful in my preparation.
Good luck!
How come you did not do an admission test?
@@starrynight3482 some course don't require one
watching this five years until I have to go to collage (oxford is my dream)
I missed the audio of the first few seconds of this video, so I looked up your subject and I was not surprised.
Good luck for tuesday everyone. My OXFORD OFFER REACTION 2021 is on my channel ahh!! Manifesting the same energy for everyone!
For many applicants to Oxford, I suppose most important aspects might be the special opportunities Oxford could offer after graduation especially about equality. So the important must be the possibility for the relaxation of cultural strictness different according to Colleges. Thank you my friend for introducing me to your atmosphere. Good day to you.
Absolutely brilliant video! I’m eagerly waiting for Tuesday (interestingly enough Jesus is one of two colleges that interviewed me). I know it’s going to hit quite hard if I get rejected, but this video has helped a huge amount. Thanks to you, I can see the positives in either outcome!
I'm very glad the video was helpful. Best of luck to you.
did you get in?
@@joshwylie1772 Yep - currently in my second year as a physicist!
@@willfahie nice bro how you finding it?
@@joshwylie1772 Hard work but really enjoying it
Thank you for making yet another very informative video! Just one question: How does Oxford contextualise the performance/grades of international students? How are they being compared to applicants from the UK?
I do not know about UK system. But I have to say the requirements for US students are quite low. I think any decent students who put half heart into study would have qualified to apply, then of course being mercilessly murdered at Oxford subject tests. I noticed US students have lowest admission rate.
It's a good question. We are not able to contextualise international qualifications to the same degree that we can for domestic qualifications. This is because we utilise socio-economic and educational data that is specific to the UK. But, international students can make references to their context in the personal statement when applying, and they can (should) encourage teachers to make any relevant statements on context in the teacher reference, if they think it's of importance.
@@JesusCollegeOxford1571 I assume the goal of contexualising a student is to discover raw intelligence which might otherwise be hidden under grade and tests. Tutors will be in best positions to judge a student's potential through interviews. I wonder what would tutors decide if a student did extremely well in interviews, but average in the test or vice versa. Does one discount the other or simply follow the standards of calculation, each student receive one score in the end and rank them by number.
This video is brilliant , absolutely love your video, give us a lot of insight. However I wonder if you could do a video how post graduate selects its student in Oxford? I think that will be a great aid
Great suggestion! Thank you
I got into Oxford to do my post graduate this year. It has been a really long journey for me. I am close to my 40s. Have tonnes of life and work experiences. I am an asian mtf transgender. I been through the army. Worked in strip clubs and all to support myself and joined the international transgender pageant Miss International Queen.
Proud of myself that I have gone so far, after all the surgeries, emotional pain. But yet also contributing to academia and speaking on forums and all to educate others about problems faced by the lgbtq community not only in terms of surgeries but also in legal issues.
Other than these, I read a lot and I am a super hardworking person and gotten a First Class in my undergrad and First Class for masters too. And I have also a lot of various work experiences. Work experiences include being a DJ, teaching scuba diving, adult entertainment and porn industry, stripclub, waitress, visitor experience assistant.
Til now I am so happy to be selected and I am so excited to enter Oxford in the fall so that I can contribute my knowledge and experiences to academia.
Fantastic -- congratulations! Wishing you all the best.
I got rejected by Bristol. Ended up at the LSE
Thanks so much for the clarification provided in the video. I was wondering if gcse grades would account for the “minute differences amongst applications”. I attended a day at Oxford via school in which they explained that gcses are looked at in context, but are very rarely the deal breaker, so i am just curious how much significance they hold. Thank you
GCSEs matter, but are taken with all other data. If someone had the required A-levels predicted, and had strong admissions test and interview scores, I would not be troubled by a mixed bag of GCSEs.
@@JesusCollegeOxford1571thank you very much for the clarity
I applied to Oxford for this January deadline for Physics and I am quite anxious about the upcoming deadline. This video was a very concise and fun way to calm my nerves slightly. Cheers!
@Hamad thank you!
Best of luck!
@@JesusCollegeOxford1571 thank you so much! Under 24 hours now haha
@@epicsheep6658 I can’t imagine how you feel rn 😭 let me know how it goes !!! GOOD LUCK
@@salicylicacid9945 thank you! I'll be sure to update this thread with the result! Fingers crossed lol
Can I just say, your oratory skills are fantastic. I’d be happy to study under you. Could I have an offer based on that compliment alone?
Well, that's very kind of you! But I'm happy to write that our admissions process is incorruptible!
@@JesusCollegeOxford1571 well that is a surprising shame!
Nice to be here, some day i wanna be there for My Doctoral degree.
If I solve the Riemann Hypothesis on my iphone 8 (with a cracked screen) could you guarantee my place on the applicant list? Pinky swear I will apply.
As an American professor (Ph.D., Stanford) and Oxford alum (M.A. [Greats], Campion Hall) who's sat on numerous admissions boards, I found this instructive. Question: are postgraduate admissions decided by the subject area tutors as is the cade in the U.S.?
Many thanks for your comments. Yes, postgraduate admissions are led by subject specialists.
I'm not smart, nor am I in the best position to get into Oxford. I live very far away, etc but I want to try as hard as I can to get into Oxford! If I don't get in, thats ok but I will still try as hard as I can. Thats what its all about!
Exactly! Try hard and you will take loads out of the process regardless of whether you get in or not.
Btw, no one is born smart, and it's all about how hard you work (and admittedly a lot of luck) as to how smart you end up. Trying hard is certainly the best approach to take. Good luck to you! Let me know if you need any help.
I love your tie.
Thanks!
what a brilliant man
how does the admission officers contextualize international schools. Do we need to provide context or do they go on their own and learn about the school in which I attended?
We're not able to contextualise International applications in the same way as domestic applications. If you have contextual information you'd like us to know about, you can ask your referee to include it in their reference on your UCAS form, and/or you can submit a letter to the college you apply to.
they should have pathways that enable people like me who got 2:2 to have a chance to apply to a Masters or DPhil at the uni of oxford … there is absolutely no chance, but there should be a pathway designed for us to let us work hard and prove we can, tragic events made me get this and the dean of my uni wrote me a letter vouching i would have gotten 2:1 or first if not for several tragic events in my life …. do you think oxford would ever be inclusive in the future? not everyone has a perfect golden life or health, this should be something that a holistic and inclusive eligibility criteria should consider. Oxford does NOT do this at all. its a clear cut first of strong upper second class atm …
Our daughter goes to a top private independent school in the Northeast in USA. She is thinking of applying to Oxford for linguistics. How difficult is it for Americans to have a reasonable chance for acceptance. She is half English, half Spanish American. Many thanks
Hi there, we have students from 140> countries, including many from the US. Please see here to find out what sort of high school performance would be competitive: www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/applying-to-oxford/for-international-students/international-qualifications All best, Matt
Just wondering if I still have a high likelihood of receiving an offer for Oxford’s law course if I only achieved average grades- mostly 5s and 6s and no 8s and 9s? I’m mainly asking because I saw a previous response saying it would be preferable to have achieved high in maths and English for the law course. I achieved a 7 in both English literature and language, but a grade 5 in maths.
There are no specified GCSE requirements for Law, although most successful applicants will have strong GCSEs. Your results will be contextualised, meaning that if there are extenuating circumstances to explain the results, these will be considered with all seriousness. Your predicted (or obtained) A-level results will be more important than your GCSEs, as will your performance on the admissions test. In short, you can still make a competitive application.
Hi Matt, if an individual has lowerer GCSE grades but due to extenuating circumstances, do they still stand a chance of applying if they have high predicted grades?
Yes. If your A-level predictions meet the entry requirements, and you perform well on any admissions tests/interviews, then you can certainly be competitive.
@@JesusCollegeOxford1571 Thank you so much for your response.
This video was very insightful and important for candidates. Thank you. But what do you think about international students? Can you explain the process for accepting international students?
Thanks! The process for international students is almost identical to that for domestic students. We don't have so much data on social context for international students, and we have to be sure that their qualifications are eligible: www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/applying-to-oxford/for-international-students/international-qualifications But, otherwise, the process is the same: www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/applying-to-oxford/for-international-students
Hello Matt! Thank you so much for the video, it certainly demystified a big chunk of the process. However I was curious about what additional interviews mean (specifically for international applicants applying for law) as well as what are the 4-6 different reasons a candidate may receive an additional interview invite. I only received two interviews from my allocated college and this is worrisome for me because the past trends indicate a higher offer rate for candidates who got an additional interview. Any advice would be extremely helpful!
You shouldn't be worried. Receiving an interview at all is an excellent sign. It wouldn't be helpful for me to outline the scenarios, because it is very complicated. It is simply the case that having more interviews is neither a good nor bad sign. You just need to go along with it. All best.
Does the acceptance depends on type of bachelors degree or not ?
The acceptance rate does vary, yes. More competitive degrees include computer science and medicine, less competitive degrees include modern languages and history.
Thank you, very informative! So, things which are irrelevant must also include AGE - you did not mention that! I am near 72 years old, fit & healthy, & want to apply for a course at Oxford, what are my chances, given that I am academically proven? Is it a criteria that you go on after your degree to do some sort of good for people or the country? In that case then if you are old you don't have much time left to do those things.
I don't think there's any such criterion. Some collèges don't accept mâture students, which might be à disadvantage, but otherwise I think go for it!
The image of the tutors shoving the applications into a huge tombola has just made me crack up 🤣
I remember a couple of boys at my school in the late 80's went for interview at Oxford and received Unconditonal offers of 2 E's ,does that still exist?
No, that has been dropped, because it was used so unevenly. It also became clear that students without strong A-levels really struggle at Oxford and end up not enjoying it. That's why we don't use unconditional offers ever, but have introduced a foundation year to support the most disadvantaged: www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/increasing-access/foundation-year
How about international students? Is the admission procedure the same? If there are a few different steps, it would eagerly be appreciated if you could mention them.
Thank you in anticipation.
Hi there, the qualifications may be different, but see here for a conversion: www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/applying-to-oxford/for-international-students/international-qualifications
Otherwise the process of admissions is identical for international and domestic students.
Can you explain in more detail "particularly disadvantaged backgrounds" what exactly does this mean.
This refers primarily to educational and economic disadvantages. We have data on the relative performance of schools, and the relative poverty of different postcodes.
I got an offer from Jesus for philosophy and theology on Tuesday! :)
Congratulations!
Brilliant videos thank you! My daughter is in lower sixth and applying for Music at Oxford for 2024. Her GCSE results were excellent, predicted A level grades are above what is required, she is Grade 8 in three instruments. However, she does get very nervous and anxious and worry the interview part may let her down. She would thrive in the tutorial setting but the intensity of interview is a challenge. She does have to submit work and an audition which will be fine. How much weight will the interview carry as part of the whole process. Apologies for the long question!
Thank you! This playlist should help with regards to interviews ruclips.net/video/f-zLEdKcesY/видео.html it's not at all unusual for students to be nervous about interviews. It's also important to recognise that interviews are one source of data amongst many that we use to determine which students we will take. In other words, given the strengths in your daughter's application, the interview would just be one of several bits of information used.
Many thanks for the information and reassurance. We’re proud of her for simply trying!
Does published research count as “academic” or publishing a solution to an open problem in maths?
Academic is anything produced by a university. An easy guide is if the publication is produced by a university, or the authors are university affiliated. Pretty much everything on Google Scholar is academic.
Thank you for the video! Does Oxford distinguish between types of qualifications (e.g. IB vs. A-Levels vs. others listed on the "international qualifications" page)?
Specifically, if an applicant is taking the IB but already meets the criteria for international qualifications (three APs at grade 5 and a sufficient SAT score), would an offer still be conditional on the results of the IB results? Or would it likely be unconditional (based on the USA qualifications)? Or would a case like this be dependent on the particular college making the offer?
Thanks again, these videos are always brilliant!
Good question. I would assume that your offer would be made on your existing US qualifications, as these seem to be sufficient. It will depend on the course you're applying to, and the particular qualifications you have, but we do accept US qualifications.
You mentioned not taking into account school types. Does that also apply to grammar schools ie. schools that might require sitting a test to get into, or that might have higher grades required at GCSE to study A Levels??
Yes. We consider school type as a form of contextual data, but recognise it is vastly less reliable data than individual-level data on socioeconomic status. Even then, our decisions always come back to academic ability and potential.
@@JesusCollegeOxford1571 thank you!!
I was looking at the entry requirements and found that GCSEs account for 15% of the application. I know that entry completely depends on the tiny differences between the candidates, especially for competitive courses like Law. Do you know what GCSE grades most people who get into Oxford for Law have, because I was looking on the student forum and many candidates who were rejected had 8 grade 9s, 8 grade 8s and so on. Do you need so many high grades because my school didn't allow me to take more than 8 subjects and told me there was not enough space on my timetable.
There’s no specific tariff for GCSEs, so it’s fine to apply with the number of GCSEs you have.
Thanks for the video! For PPE, what percentage weighting would you say is approximately given to the TSA s1 and s2, and then the interview in the final decisions?
İ would love to know this as well!
TSA section one typically counts for more than section two. The interview usually counts for more than the TSA. It's impossible for me to be definitive on this question, because each college will weight things slightly differently. Broadly speaking, you will have needed to have done well on the TSA to have been invited to interview in the first place.
Do you have to be superposh and speak in received pronunciation to be admitted?
No not at all
Definitely not.
Students from other countries ( like Tunisia) do we need more tests than just our bac? Like TOFEL or IELTS or any other exam?
You may do, depending on your level of English. Please see here: www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/applying-to-oxford/for-international-students/ELR
Hi, does Said Business School use the same 'Decision Algorithm' in assessing applicants for their graduate programs especially the EMBA? Thanks in advance for the help!
It's similar, but the algorithm described in this video is for undergraduate admissions. For graduate admissions, there are many more applicants from overseas, meaning that contextualising academic performance becomes much more difficult. This is because we don't have enough useful data on the sorts of schools and other academic environments that people will have come from. As a consequence, for graduate admissions, we lean more heavily on grades and letters of recommendation.
As always, thank you so much for your video! It's really helped me put things in perspective and now I'm less scared for Tuesday. Though I was wondering whether receiving additional interviews means anything in terms of decisions - are they a good sign?
In my reading as an amateur observer, it means schools can not make up the mind about you. Obviously if you are definitely proven to be a pleasant teachable genius, no more interviews needed, but then if they know they do not want you, why wasting time on you. They are super busy. I would say your chances are good if you did well during the extra interviews.
@@zengjanezhu Thank you so much! That makes a lot of sense. I think I did okay in my second one so hopefully I'll have good news on Tuesday 😊
Yes, multiple interviews is a good sign. It can be indicative of about four or five different scenarios, but all of which scenarios involve you being competitive.
@@JesusCollegeOxford1571 Thank you so much! That makes me feel so much better about today. Ooooo just a few more hours and I'll know!!
Update, I got in!! Thank you soooooo so much!!
What about applying internationally? How would one go about doing that?
www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/applying-to-oxford/for-international-students
9:10 so if someone wants to study physics, being good at art wont help at all am i right?
That’s right.
Hello Dr. Matt. Your video is really helpful and inspiring, as always. I have looked up the PPE website and saw they list A-level, IB and Advanced Highers certificates in Admissions Requirement. I’d like to ask whether I will need to acquire all of them for application because I, a free candidate, cannot sign up to take the IB exam (My high school is not licensed to teach IB). Thank you.
POV: you are 15, not planning on going to university never mind Oxford, but still watching the video
Hi, I'm an international student. I can't find tests center to take admission tests. There are some centers for A-Levels, but they said they don't offer admission tests like MAT. Admission tests are required for my application, what do you recommend me to do? Thanks in advance for your answer!
Details on how and when to register are still to be determined for this year. Please check here for updates, www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/applying-to-oxford/guide/admissions-tests/mat Also, please contact the Maths Institute if you'd like further updates: www.maths.ox.ac.uk/about-us/contact-us
I was just wondering how important are GCSE’s specifically after applying on a gap year with your A-Level results (wanting to apply for law but mine are incredibly low, but hope to achieve A*A*A) will my GCSE’s still weigh in as an important factor to determine my future academic potential or will they be wholly discarded as My achieved A-level grades are now a more helpful indicator in the admissions process for Oxford? I prefer the law course here but I’ve heard they care more about GCSEs than Cambridge and feel as though I shouldn apply they’re next year as I could just be wasting my hopes on Oxford? Really appreciate your videos :)
GCSEs will be considered, but alongside all other data. If there's a reason your GCSEs don't represent your abilities -- such as because you faced health or personal difficulties, or simply because you didn't get on with the subjects -- then your teachers can say as much in their reference on you for UCAS. A-levels are more important than GCSEs, but GCSEs are not irrelevant.
How does age affect the application? Will it be counted towards contextualising the application content? Are younger applicants more likely to get in than people in their late twenties, early thirties, or forties?
Applications are most common from students just finishing school. But, we do receive applications from students older than this, and their applications are taken just as seriously.
@@JesusCollegeOxford1571 Thank you for your reply!
Thank you Matt for this informative video
As an international student is it possible for me to write A levels independently because my country's high school senior qualifications are not accepted
I think so. Although I'm not entirely sure how that would work. This website has some information: www.studyin-uk.com/study-options/a-level/ no doubt there will be more options, however.
W video. I dont know if British people know what W means, but it means great video in hifi text language
State schools represent 93% of the pupils in the UK yet Oxford intake is currently running at approximately 67% state school pupils. Irrespective what is said in this video it is clear that something is wrong with their selection process. I say this as someone with a son in an independent school in the UK and a brother who went to University College having attended a grammar school in the 70s.
Please see an overview of relevant data here: ruclips.net/video/DYVQkd6HeF0/видео.htmlsi=39OtfST9n9eQ0wll There is a problem of under representation, for sure. It’s what I have committed my life to solving. There is no clear evidence that this problem comes mainly from our processes, however. If there was such evidence, we’d be open to endless litigation, and I wouldn’t work here! The problem is more that state school applicants don’t apply on sufficient numbers to be properly represented, and they crowd into the most over subscribed courses. I’m afraid it is particularly unhelpful to accuse the process of being at fault, as this discourages applicants when so many already feel discouraged.
Please see an overview of relevant data here: ruclips.net/video/DYVQkd6HeF0/видео.htmlsi=39OtfST9n9eQ0wll There is a problem of under representation, for sure. It’s what I have committed my life to solving. There is no clear evidence that this problem comes mainly from our processes, however. If there was such evidence, we’d be open to endless litigation, and I wouldn’t work here! The problem is more that state school applicants don’t apply on sufficient numbers to be properly represented, and they crowd into the most over subscribed courses. I’m afraid it is particularly unhelpful to accuse the process of being at fault, as this discourages applicants when so many already feel discouraged.
@@JesusCollegeOxford1571 Firstly, thank you for taking the time to respond.
Yours would be a reasonable point were it not for the actual numbers. Oxford received 10,150 applications from state schools 2023 and 3,797 from independent schools. Ultimately, 1662 state school students were awarded places compared to 796 independent school students. Being charitable, I will accept that the previous 5 years were in the same ballpark in terms of state / independent applications vs places awarded. I find it impossible to believe that of the 10,150 state school applicants only 3,797 were considered suitable and that the remaining 796 were, by necessity, taken from the independent school system purely because their ability, factored down by their circumstance, was greater than their state school counterparts. Particularly given, as you openly acknowledge, state schools are less likely to encourage students to apply which would lead one to reasonably expect that those that do so are more likely to exceptionally gifted in the first place.
To throw a little (slightly unrelated to Oxford but I think appropriate) cynicism into the mix I am closely associated with an independently wealthy family whose members have, over many decades going back to the 19th century, attended independent schools - mostly Eton - and gone on to attend Cambridge with a rate of success in receiving a place at university that defies mere chance or genetically inherited intelligence. You may draw your own conclusions from this state of affairs.
Whilst I genuinely believe that Oxford is working to improve their intake from the state school sector, as is demonstrated by your personal efforts, and that there has been a demonstrable improvement over recent years progress is still too slow and it is clear from the numbers that a bias, whether deliberate or subliminal on the part of the institution or the individuals who are responsible for the decisions at a working level, still exists.
Totally agree with this post, good intentions on paper simply don’t transfer to those actions in practice, conscious bias and unconscious bias will be producing these figures that the previous post cites. Maybe one day entry to these institutions will be based on merit/talent/potential alone, but obviously there still some way to go.
So with the extra curricular activities not been looked into would that include D of E or not as they do seem to go on about that quite a lot but I’ve never actually heard of it ever meaning anything?
No, D of E will not help someone get into Oxford. It's nonetheless very worthwhile, for a number of reasons. But it isn't obviously relevant to academic ability and potential.
I'm not sure if I should ask this here, but how does Oxford generally consider classes taken at community colleges or two-year universities? Would a graduate school applicant be disqualified if they took classes at a community college and later transferred to a four-year university?
Hi there, you just need to meet any entry requirements for the course you're applying to. The type of university you've attended, or whether you've attended community college before then transferring to a university, is unlikely to affect your application, so long as you have whichever qualifications are needed for the course. Information on what qualifications are required will be available on the website for the course you are interested in. Best of luck!
@@JesusCollegeOxford1571 Thank you!
What if I’m homeschooled and have no predicted grades? How would I be able to apply?
Good question. I have taught homeschooled students, so I know it's possible. Is there a college you're thinking of applying to? If so, your best bet is to contact the admissions officer at that college.
Thank you so much for this! It really gave terrific insight into the admissions process.
I was just wondering, regarding admissions tests, why it is considered such a level playing field? I know some ‘public school’ students that have had special tutoring in the admissions tests, where others get no support from their school whilst working a part time job, as an example. It just seems a bit strange how the admissions test, despite still being a test like that of A-levels, is considered as such a level playing field when in actuality there are still inequities varying between schools/wealth/resources available? :)
Thank you!
Thanks for your comment. It’s a fair point. The admissions test are more of a level playing field, but I would agree that they are not a complete level playing field. That’s why I’m trying to provide as many resources to help with admissions test on this channel in order to make the process as fair as possible.
@@JesusCollegeOxford1571 Thank you for this. What you are doing is really incredible, I wouldn’t know where to start when applying to Oxford without your videos.
It is better to have a test than not. One would never want a system like US which has no objective measurement. Life has never been fair and the test reflect that. But a test at least offer a self driven student a chance to shine. If one get rid of test, what will be resolving to is to use completely subjective opinions to judge a student, which in my view more unfair. US cares about extracurricular, but the extracurricular is much more tied to familiar circumstances than a test. Furthermore, to succeed at college, one do need certain acquired knowledge and possess certain level of intelligence. How a student acquired those is not a college's business, but it is college's business to ensure its students able to complete the study.
My son applied for oxford last October. He chose not to prepare for the test, and only did one past paper to be familiar with the format. He certainly shall not be treated differently because he was lazy. Internet made many things possible, one shall make the best use of his circumstances and not fall into the pit of demanding equity. Equity is actually the most unfair system, and most demotivating system.
Hey! Two years late but two questions, do A-Level grades have a high baring on your consideration of a masters applicant if they performed exceptionally well in their undergraduate (particularly if said individual had teacher-assessed A-Level grades during lockdown), and do you take into consideration areas of deprivation? I was bumped down the grades required by several universities as I live in an area of deprivation in the UK, and I'm wondering if Oxford do the same? Cheers!
Hi, no A-levels are not typically factored into masters admissions decisions, because the undergrad degree is far more useful data.
U stated that extra curricular activities won't count at all so even if those are parliamentary debates, MUNs and stuff it won't be of any help at all??
No, I’m afraid not. That’s not to say that such activities are not valuable. They are good for your CV, confidence and more. We do value super curricular activities, such as reading, listening and thinking around your subject. Of course, something like MUN could entail some super curricular value. But books, lectures and problems are the best forms of super curricular exploration.
See you soon!!!
Hello, I was reading a post from an oxford professor on reddit, he said that If I was to apply as an undergrad mature student in my 30's, I would not be considered because a 30 year old is considered low on teachability? He also said , the tutorials are 2 to 3 students...how do you pair up a 30 year old with a 17 year old? Is any of it true?
No, that's not true! We have an entire college full of mature students, many of whom are older than 30. "Teachability" does mean that an applicant would need to meet the entry requirements and perform well on admissions tests and interviews. But it would be both potentially unlawful and preposterous to suggest that someone over 30 could not be teachable!
I have taught tutorial pairs of 18/19 year olds with 40 year olds. It works brilliantly. The older students bring so much life experience and maturity to bear.
Please see here for further details: www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/applying-to-oxford/mature-students
Hi Matt, I just wanted to ask whether Oxford colleges consider the admissions tests before or after interviewing you? I feel as though I struggled thoroughly with my LNAT, yet I was recently shortlisted for an interview in Law, and was honestly quite shocked! Also. what would you suggest I do now to maximise my chances of getting an offer, if (for example) I was correct in that my LNAT results aren’t so good?
Hi there, the LNAT result is considered before and after interviewing. All data from the application are considered holistically. Be sure to practice for the interview. There are resources here: ruclips.net/video/f-zLEdKcesY/видео.html
I have no clue why this came up in my recommended, I'm still working towards my GCSEs! But still, nice to know I guess!
as a US student, school starts in September and applications are due in October. my teachers don't feel they'll know how to accurately predict my grades within the first month of me being in their class. how should I proceed?
Good question. I'm not sure I'm afraid. I think you should contact the following email address in the first instance: student.information@admin.ox.ac.uk
the only question i have is: does oxford value an increasing trend of marks?
if i got a little less marks but graduated senior year with the highest marks, would that be recognized?
Yes it would. You would need to be on course to meet our entry requirements, but we certainly can recognise an upward trajectory.
And at the end of this grueling selection process, you’re rewarded with a ceremony just for passing the admission process. It’s called matriculation
Thank you for the video. Regarding shortlisting process for medicine, I read from Oxford website that "The first stage of our shortlisting process has in previous years used a combination of contextualised GCSE performance (for those candidates with GCSE grades) and BMAT score, whereas this year we used a contextualised measure of BMAT performance."
Would 2022 have similar process (not using GCSE grades) since there was no national examination for GCSE in 2021 either?
I suspect that the admissions process will be similar in 2022. Because of centre assessed grades, GCSEs are a less reliable source of data than they have historically been. This has promoted the BMAT as a more stable data source. The aim throughout is to be as fair as possible in our admissions process.
Thank you for the words! I was rejected by Oxford 2 days ago. But I'm just really curious, how they proceed the admission in detailed,whereas I got the rejection less than 10 days after I submit my application?
I'm sorry to read that you were not offered a place. This video is about undergraduate admissions, and I'm guessing that you applied as a postgraduate. The processes are a little different. But even if it appeared to be a quick decision, it will have been taken with great care. No admissions tutor wants to dismiss a candidate without careful consideration.
Hey matt! I unfortunately missed the deadline to apply this October, is there any way I can still apply? If not no worries I was thinking of applying in 2026, only problem is I heard that the courses I take in college here in the U.S will have no value if im accepted admission. Should I just give it up? I'm really not keen on doing that but I will be years behind where I couldve been. thank u
The deadline for 2025 admission has now passed, so you’d need to apply in 2025 for 2026 admission. Don’t give anything up, would be my advice, until you have something new secured.
Taking adhd medication, could you tell me does it effected?
We have lots of students that require a range of different treatments. It would not be held against you, and you would not even need to tell us if you didn't want to.
Hi, What do additional interviews mean for chemistry? Does this mean my first college did not want to give me an offer and so I was pooled to another? Thanks!
Not necessarily. It can mean one of about four different scenarios. It's certainly not a bad sign. All best wishes.
How does grade prediction exactly work?
Your teachers typically predict your grades based on how well you have done on any assessments up to final exams.
Okay, thank you very much!@@JesusCollegeOxford1571
can homeschoolers from Poland also apply? I do not have teachers who can write a recommendation
I have taught homeschooled students, so it's certainly possible. You should contact the college you plan to apply to for guidance on submitting a recommendation. Best of luck