Some first hand experiences from current undergraduates
Before their arrival in Oxford in October 2012, we asked some incoming first-year students to explain their reasons for applying to Oxford and to Trinity College, and also to look back over their experience of the application process.
Hazel will be reading Materials Sciences, and comes from Queen Elizabeth School, a state school in Cumbria.
Niklas will be reading PPE. He is an international applicant from Freiburg, Germany, and was educated at the Berthold-Gymnasium.
John will be reading Modern Languages (Spanish and Beginner’s Russian), and went to school at Bishop Wordsworth School, a grammar school in Salisbury.
Michael will be reading Law, and went to Nottingham High School, an independent school in Nottingham.
Why Oxford?
Part of what attracted me to Oxford was that the application process for Law seemed refreshingly transparent. At a September open day I went to a law talk at Trinity; along with a few other prospective applicants, I met a tutor who explained the whole process to us and answered various questions.
Michael, Law
The main reason I applied to Oxford was that the Materials Science course offered was exactly what I wanted to do. It enabled me to keep my options open by carrying on with chemistry and physics but let me keep my language and business skills going. I also wanted to make use of the excellent facilities at Oxford and learn my subject from leading academics.
Hazel, Materials Science
Living and working in a College together with a few hundred other students creates a completely different atmosphere than the one you find at other Universities. Especially at Trinity, this became quite obvious to me, even at the Open Day.
Niklas, PPE
Aside from the beauty of the city and colleges and the presence of academics who are leaders in their field and the very personal approach of the tutorial system, I was attracted most to the ethic of the university: I enjoy languages greatly and the intensity of the course would force me to develop this passion.
John, Modern Languages (Spanish and Beginner’s Russian)
What was the application process like?
The process was rigorous, with the extra reading for my personal statement and the requirement to complete a language test for the university added to my burden of A-Level stress. The interviews, when they arrived, were actually rather enjoyable. The tutors themselves were very friendly, the interviews relaxed but stimulating and I felt throughout the period what can only be described as the ‘Oxford buzz’.
John, Modern Languages (Spanish and Beginner’s Russian)
When applying, I was nervous about the interview. However, I ended up really enjoying it. I would advise prospective applicants to prepare well for the interviews by asking teachers at school to give you mock interviews, by reading around what you learn at school and, if you have done an EPQ or any other project, by making sure you know it inside out as it can provide a good talking point. Practicing talking to people about your subjects and interests can greatly improve your fluency and confidence.
Hazel, Materials Science
The format was explained to everyone in advance, and the interviews themselves were very much focused on Law. No prior knowledge or preparation was required and there were no curve-balls, which made the whole experience much less stressful. At no stage were rugby balls or any other weirdness involved, despite the stereotype.
Michael, Law
The interviews themselves confirmed what I thought about conditions of study and the atmosphere at Trinity. After returning from Oxford, whenever I had any questions, they were answered in due course. The only thing that proved difficult was that I had already received my examination results before applying and therefore was made an unconditional offer. This meant that while most people were waiting for their results, I was already thinking about many things that I might have to do such as applying for funding etc.
Niklas, PPE