All Saints RC School

Oxford and Cambridge Application Process

Information for Students & Parents

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This pack of information is provided for any of our able students who are considering applying for a place at Oxford or Cambridge.  Much of the preparation and information we provide is also relevant to students of Medicine, Law and Veterinary Science.  At All Saints’ we are committed to facilitating access to as wide a range of courses as possible, including courses at the most prestigious universities.  We recognise that our most able students can make a number of equally good choices in other good universities but we want to do everything possible to encourage students to consider all the options open to them.

How do I know if Oxbridge preparation is appropriate for me?

Oxford and Cambridge universities explicitly state that their main aim is to select the most able students who will make best use of their superb resources and their very particular teaching styles.  The most important criteria for entry are high examination scores, a demonstrable ability and interest in a field of study and a robust enough personality and work ethic to cope with very demanding courses.  They do take account of rounded experience in other aspects of home and school life and some weight is given to performance at interview.  As a rough guide, students who are achieving consistently high A grades in A Level courses are likely to thrive in fast paced university courses.

In our experience, about 20 of our year 12 students have demonstrated enough skill at GCSE to be credible applicants.  We provide activities open to about that number and students tend to opt in or out of the process as they progress through the AS and A2 years and A Level performance becomes evident.  It is not always students with the very highest examination marks who are offered places so we encourage applicants to apply if they are estimated A grades and are more or less matching these targets.  It is a demanding selection process that is designed to eliminate lots of people, so the school support programme involves helping students to cope with the consequences of acceptance and rejection.  Our able students who do not gain places still find the preparation helpful as it keeps them focussed on high grades, successful study strategies and very good research on possible courses and universities.

Why does the preparation process have to be different?

 We help all students with university application and career choices but students who apply to Oxford or Cambridge courses, or to Medicine, Veterinary Science and Law, usually have an earlier schedule to meet and they usually have to go through selection interviews.  We try to get ahead with thinking through the application process in the summer term of year 12 because the school deadline for Oxbridge applications is the end of September.  Students often benefit from interview preparation and practice and guidance about enhanced reading or enriching experience in their chosen subjects and the summer between year 12 and year 13 is a good opportunity to work on these areas.

What events and activities are arranged for this year?

Many of our able students have already had access to gifted and talented events and activities and there are additional opportunities to learn about Oxford and Cambridge life and studies.

Ampleforth College kindly invite a small number of our most able students to join them in a higher education conference.  We can’t take all of our really excellent students so we do our best to take one objective measure of the highest GCSE scoring students and we inform students of this through sixth form assembly and Oxbridge meetings.  Most of the other activities we offer are much less restrictive in terms of numbers so we advise students to opt in to all events, even if they did not to go Ampleforth.  Things change from year to year, but we follow the following schedule:

Schedule of key events for Oxbridge Applications

What are my responsibilities in this process?

• Make sure you are in assemblies and registration classes so you can pick up notices about meetings, interviews and open days that are relevant to you.  Come along to all sessions for Oxbridge candidates.
• Find out for yourself about courses, colleges, entry requirements (grades and subjects), application processes, including set essays, portfolios or assessments or tests or work experience.  We can help with checklists and encouragement, but requirements change from year to year and it is your responsibility to find out what is needed for your proposed course.
• Obtain your own copies of general and subject prospectuses and study them.  Find out about open days or conferences and attend any relevant ones.  Some applications to open days are done through school, so see Mrs Montgomery if you have not found one and you wish to attend an open day.
• You need to ask subject teachers to mark pieces of work if any are needed for submission.  You need to keep to the schedule set by school so that teachers have time to give proper attention to setting and marking suitable work.
• Obtain a sample copy of the admission test, if applicable, and practice the questions and revise the format well before these are due.
• Students should research costs and fees in the same way as for other courses.  We may be able to help with advice and information about bursaries and grants, but it is your responsibility to do the research and look at options.  The local authority advice is to apply for a student loan in plenty of time, even if you are not sure you need it.
• The application process is in itself a test of organisation skills, proactive approach to problems and good management of time.  Some find this first hurdle a lot to manage while others are ready to embrace the challenge.  We will do all we can to support, but we will expect you to keep to the set schedule, including school deadlines for personal statements, set work and application forms.
• Interviews and visits are just as much a chance for you to look at these colleges as for them to look at you.  Ultimately you need to decide whether their approach is right for you.  Most of our students go to visit other very good universities too so that they have attractive alternatives in the case of an unsuccessful Oxbridge application.  The “numbers game” means that many really excellent candidates won’t achieve places so we need to be prepared for any eventuality.
• You need to read advanced texts in your subject area.  This is difficult in school terms so take all opportunities to keep up to date with subject journals and challenging texts in a few areas of particular interest.  Some knowledge of how your subject relates to world events and to other issues may be expected in interview.  Although General Studies grades are not part of most offers in terms of points, the content of these lessons is very useful for interviews and for your continued intellectual development.  It makes sense to opt in to these learning experiences and to share your high level reading and vocabulary with our other students.  in All Saints’ we have a keen sense of the responsibilities of talents as well as the rights and privileges we enjoy.  We are very pleased to receive feedback on intellectual excellence of our candidates but also on their sense of community and service.

Where can I get more help and advice?

• Teachers are available in General Studies time to help you find information.  Open days are the most useful source of good information about the life as well as course content.  Visiting speakers and former students of this school who made successful applications sometimes come and talk to us.
• Mrs Montgomery and Mr Jackson are able to provide more individual advice for students and parents.  If you have any particular worries at any stage of the process you can come and talk to us.
• Admissions tutors in colleges are also able to answer queries if necessary.
• Our little group of prospective candidates is a good source of support.  Your application, personal statement and interview are very much you own responsibility, but many of our preparation sessions are collaborative and mutually supportive.  We continue to support each other even after interviews and offers.  Many students share the initial disappointment or euphoria and we all adjust to find ways to go forward and enjoy whatever good options are still open to us.  This process is a wonderful opportunity, but by no means the best or only option for able students who will go on to be “high fliers” wherever they study as undergraduates.

Mrs Montgomery can usually be found in her office or classroom on the top floor of the main building, and is able to speak to students during the day and to parents by arrangement.  Subject teachers and heads of department in our school are always happy to help with suggested reading and advice about courses and careers.

© 2008 All Saints Roman Catholic School, Mill Mount, York, YO24 1BJ