MORE ABOUT YOUR SCHOOL

To put candidates’ achievement into a broader context, Oxford has amended its application form: it now asks schools what proportion of their students achieve top A-level grades and how many receive financial support through the government’s Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA) scheme. Students who do well despite attending a struggling school may now come across as more impressive, though the university has stated that they will not be made lower grade offers.

Unlike other universities, Oxford and Cambridge will not be drawing on the family background information to be available from UCAS. Knowing whether a student’s parents went to university is unhelpful, argues Oxford head of admissions Mike Nicholson.

The Oxford Application Support Form, in which candidates’ schools could mention a student’s individual disadvantages, has now been withdrawn. Its Cambridge equivalent, the Cambridge Special Access Scheme Form, though, remains in use. For help with filling in forms, see OXBRIDGE ENTRANCE: THE REAL RULES.

A COLLEGE PICKED FOR YOU

To make college choice less important, Oxford has made a further change. Although students applying to the university can still only express preference for one college, the university’s computer will randomly pick a second one that will consider them. Students who submit an “open” application, i.e. leave college choice to the university, will have two colleges picked for them.

Having your application considered in two places is likely to improve a student’s odds. However, colleges can vary in terms of academic expectations and individual preferences, as outlined in OXBRIDGE ENTRANCE (Tell Books 2007). So, making a good first choice still definitely helps.

IN THE MONEY

While not specifically related to Oxbridge, the recent rise in student maintenance grants will positively affect some of its candidates. While the full, annual grant of £2,800 was until now available only to students with a family income of up to £17,500, that figure has been raised to £25,000 for those starting in 2008. As tuition fees amount to £3,000 per year, this means that recipients will be studying almost for free. Students with a family income of up to £60,000 will still qualify for some grant money.

There are also changes in the repayment terms set for the additional government loans all students are entitled to. Rather than starting to repay the loan straight after they complete their course, graduates will be able to take a “repayment holiday” for up to five years. This will enable them to buy a home or start a family.

Many students are reluctant to consider a university place that would require them to live away from home because of the cost. Local universities, though, may not offer a specific course or may not teach it at a candidate’s academic level. These financial changes could turn even a university 200 miles away into a viable option. Chapters 1 and 2 of OXBRIDGE ENTRANCE: THE REAL RULES will tell you more about this.

THINGS TO DO IN THE SUMMER MONTHS

If you are a sixth former, July is for sleeping and making holiday plans. However, August comes sooner than you think and this is when most Oxbridge candidates draft their UCAS personal statement. To do that you need to be quite clear which course(s) you are applying for, which means delving deep into the world of online prospectuses for full details. No two English courses, for example, are the same. For help with course choice, read chapter 5 of OXBRIDGE ENTRANCE: THE REAL RULES.

You also need to start reading more intensively around your subject. So, don’t forget to buy/order/borrow at least one course-related, backpack-size book. Oxbridge admissions tutors expect potential students ”to engage with their university subject” and you won’t find the kind of publication that can help you with this in the Duty Free!