GOT ANY OXBRIDGE-GEARED INTERESTS?

Both your UCAS statement and any further engagements with Oxbridge will, as their subtext, have the seemingly harmless question: “And what are you most interested in?”  Football, clubbing, clothes, finding a girlfriend/boyfriend or computer games obviously won’t do. Even a computer sciences don is looking for someone interested in more than World of Warcraft.

So, having been made to focus on your exams so far, how do you acquire a convincing Oxbridge-geared interest between now and October? If you’re still unsure where to even start, one way is by finding out which fascinating topics Oxbridge dons are currently researching. They are happy to tell you all about those on their university’s website, often adding links to further reading.

Oxford’s latest science blogs and arts blogs allow you to share new insights into the origins of the Big Bang, the importance of our oceans and the fate of WW1 deserters. The Cambridge homepage reveals that its scientists are trying to create robotic limbs by imitating the behaviour of neurons.  Some of its economists, meanwhile, are reassessing the usefulness of the dominant economic theory, neoliberalism, for crisis periods. 

 

Already got an academic interest of your own? Great , but it should now be deepening. While a taste for Victorian literature certainly helps,  showing that you have independently read around a topic such as women in Victorian fiction (or 20th century Spanish poetry) is even better.  Historians need to explore a favourite period in some detail and beyond its most famous figure.  An architecture applicant may want to think about the impact of housing types on communities, not just about building styles.  

 

Oxbridge might never ask about your interest, but it shows you mean business.  Feel you could do with more advice or suggestions on this? The just out, fully updated edition of OXBRIDGE ENTRANCE: THE REAL RULES* is the place to go.
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*Readers should note that the alleged downloads of this book offered online are invariably just extracts of outdated editions. Avoid!