WHAT TO NOT SAY IN AN OXBRIDGE-GEARED UCAS STATEMENT

Reading through your finally completed UCAS draft? Now check that you have managed to avoid three common mistakes illustrated below:

1.      BRAGGING

“Having followed world politics for a number of years, I like to think of myself as a bit of an expert now."

This is will not just mark you out as an arrogant brat. Given the time and effort spent by Oxbridge dons on becoming subject experts, such an overarching claim may also cause them to suspect that you lack the patience to succeed.

2.      MENTIONING TOO MANY SUBJECT AREAS

"My physics interests include quantum mechanics, electromagnetism, thermodynamics  and relativity."

 

This may well be true, but you are spreading yourself too thinly here.  As interviewers like to base at least a few of their questions on your own interests, it is better to mention only those you have actually explored at some depth. This way you’ll be able to give thoughtful, detailed answers.  

3.      BEING TOO MODEST

“I hope I shall be able to cope with the demands of a university education.”   

While modesty can be a virtue, a remark like this, sometimes made by students from non-university backgrounds, can suggest you are not academic enough for Oxbridge. Do you really want admissions tutors to think that?

If you were encouraged by your teachers to apply to a top university and have obtained impressive grades, you have a lot to be confident about. So, try to dwell on your enthusiasm for the course now, not your doubts. For further reassurance, listen to an Oxbridge lecture in your field, such as this online one by a Cambridge biologist: http://t.co/3M3rYOC1

You'll find more comprehensive advice on how to write a strong, memorable UCAS statement on p. 110 of  OXBRIDGE ENTRANCE: THE REAL RULES.