Why Oxford?

For centuries, Oxford has been one of the most distinguished centres of education in the world. Its facilities and teaching are consistently top-notch and it has an academic reputation to match. Not only that, Oxford is a vibrant, exciting city to live in, as you’ll hopefully see from reading the later sections of this prospectus.

However, to many potential applicants, Oxford is shrouded in enough myths and archaic tradition that they’re dissuaded from applying on the basis that Oxford “isn’t for them”. Many people assume that alongside academic rigour must be staunch tradition, and that the applications procedure is wrought with public school snobbery and Old Boy glory.

Well, it’s not true. That may have been the case years ago, but today, what makes it a realistic entry on your UCAS form is that your application only ever depends on your potential to succeed and your willingness to work hard. The school you went to, how much money you have and how many of your ancestors went to Oxford count for nothing; getting into Oxford is about academic potential.

Don’t be put off applying by thinking you’re not a “genius” or an “Oxford type”. Too many talented students don’t give Oxford enough consideration. If you’re passionate about your subject and have the ability to do very well at university, you’re most of the way there.

If you need convincing, read on. Oxford’s catalogue of “reasons to apply” is long and compelling, and academic rigour is only the tip of the iceberg.

Tutorials

Unlike most universities, teaching is at Oxford built around the tutorial system. Tutorials are a meeting with your tutor, alone or with one or two other students, and are generally an hour long. They involve discussion of the week’s work, building on the independent work you’ve completed throughout the week (generally in the form of essays or problem sheets). This might sound a bit daunting at first, but everyone gets used to the system and learns to appreciate it very quickly.

It’s the immediate feedback of the tutorial system that makes an Oxford education so sought-after. Often, your tutor will be the person who literally “wrote the book” on the subject you’re studying, and being able to discuss topics with them in depth every week is an invaluable experience.

Libraries and Research

Oxford students have access to the Bodleian, a copyright library, which means it has a copy of every book, pamphlet, journal, magazine – you name it – ever published in the UK. It’s also non-lending, so you’ll never have to wait more than twenty-four hours to get your hands on what you need. From The Economic History Review to Cosmopolitan (and a rumoured Playboy collection in the stacks), you’ll have library resources that virtually no other university can compete with. There are also more than a hundred other libraries in Oxford, including at least one for each faculty and college.

The subject departments in Oxford consistently achieve the highest grades for both teaching and research, making us reputedly the top research university in the country.

People

It’s not just about academia. Oxford will give you the best education you could hope for, but just as important are the people you’ll meet, and Oxford is unlike anywhere else in this respect. Oxford students run the gamut of diversity, whether in background, interests or personality – you’ll find people who are into art, music, sport, going out, staying in, working hard, playing hard or even not doing much at all. You’ll find people who are rich, poor, black, white, from private or state schools or from abroad; you’ll find people who want to live the Oxford dream and people who hate the idea of traditional Oxford (but who are enjoying themselves nonetheless).

Wherever you turn, you meet some really fascinating, intelligent and fun people, with something interesting to say. Whoever you are, whatever you’re into, there’ll be people like you – and people decidedly not like you.

Location

There’s a reason Oxford city centre is so touristy. It’s beautiful: most of the city centre is built around the college buildings, many of which are hundreds and hundreds of years old. The colleges are stunning, whether you’re into ancient architecture or modern chrome and glass. But Oxford is also a thriving modern city with lots going on. Unlike Cambridge, which feels like a town attached to a university, Oxford feels like a University set inside a city.

The college system

Hand-in-hand with the tutorial system goes the college system. Explained in more detail here, the college system makes it much easier to meet people and settle in.

Employment

Having a good degree will improve your employment prospects more than anything else. Employers are always impressed by an Oxford degree, as in studying for it you’ll have gained skills not taught at other universities. Oxford graduates have the confidence, intellect and skills that employers are looking for, as well as the benefit of at least three amazing years behind them before entering the world of work.

If you look hard enough while you’re here, you’ll still find traces of the stereotype that you see in the media: boater-wearing, rowing, punting, Pimms-drinking rah students. This isn’t what regular life here is like, though, unless you want it to be – and in fact, by the time you’ve settled in, you might even find that a summer term hanging around the river in the sun isn’t so bad anyway.

Oxford is definitely worth your best shot. Many people think they have no chance of getting in when they apply. Huge numbers of those people are proved wrong every year.