HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF AN OXBRIDGE OPEN DAY OR SIMILAR EVENT

Magdalen College, Oxford

Still unsure which Oxbridge course to aim for or college to pick? Most of the university events designed to help you make that choice used to be held during a few days in July, but course-specific sessions  and college open days are now spread over the year. Also, the number and variety of options hosted by Oxford and Cambridge cost-free is larger than ever.

This is particularly good news for Year 11 and mature students who can now leisurely develop a relationship with an academic subject and attend more than one event.  A still undecided Year 12 student, though, needs to check out the Oxford and Cambridge timetables for events held this June and July this week at the latest. Even someone already set on a specific degree subject may discover at such an event that the Oxbridge version differs quite a bit from that offered elsewhere.

Course-specific events, listed under headings like Open Days, Departmental Events, Taster days and Study days, are the most useful.  Attending one will not just help you make the right choice, but also enable you to work in the summer months on becoming  a stronger applicant. This usually means sharpening  specific maths skills or broadening your reading.  A wise Oxbridge hopeful is by now definitely moving on from school textbooks to challenging adult non-fiction or fiction, keeping up with developments in their field through a science journal or following subject news through broadsheet or magazine reports (see my Oxbridge tweets for topical feature links).

Most Oxbridge events include Q&As, but do try to read at least the relevant course chapter in the Oxford or Cambridge prospectus before going up. Not only will this spell out the formal entry requirements of each course in terms of A-level subjects and grades, thus clarifying a student's real options, but it also lists the wide range of careers it may lead to. As some course names  (think Land Economy or Materials Science) will mean very little to parents, this could reassure them that you are making a sound choice.

A College Open Day talk is usually less course-specific,  but may include information about its rents and any grants it offers in addition to the university-wide ones, as well as about its learning facilities and tutors' special interests. A woke speaker may even point out  that all major parties are now committed to lowering tuition fees.  

As for how to make the best of your Oxbridge visit, my advice is not to be over-awed by the beauty of the two towns. It may certainly prove an advantage to have encountered those scary, palatial buildings and lush formal gardens first now, rather than when you are (hopefully) returning for your interview. So, it's OK to spend some of your visit taking selfies outdoors or  roaming  the streets until each member of your group has found their perfect college, as long as you prioritise the academic side. This can mean not just attending a talk but also taking advantage of a lab tour or library visit on offer.

A student who has arrived alone or from a not Oxbridge-geared school may feel a bit intimidated and want to go home straight after the official part of the event. This too is understandable, but try to stick around and bravely ask for individual advice. Which book, journal or website could help you at this stage? Is there a similar course more suited to your ambitions or abilities? One of the academics present might well know about a  master class or online talk that would deepen your understanding. Are there any course-geared skills you could be honing in the meantime? If an event does not include a Q&A session, it's fine to approach the speaker directly at the end.

What you'll find out is likely to inspire you to work hard towards an impressive application. Getting advice at this stage matters because many Oxbridge dons admit that what characterises successful applicants is not just natural brightness but also  a willingness to engage with extra-curricular (i.e. non-school) sources already in Year 12. Doing so makes the transition to a challenging Oxbridge course much less painful for both tutor and tutee.

If the sheer amount of information given has left you feel swamped, it's worth asking one of the friendly Oxbridge student volunteers about their own course. What is it they like best about it? Does this match any of your own interests? What did they do to prepare, and what are their Oxbridge friends studying? A course you never considered before may turn out to be just up your street.

Sixth formers feeling encumbered in this quest by accompanying parents can usually send them off to a separate event, often focused on financial issues. This will  leave you free to chat to at least some visitors from other schools, Don't worry about their accents. You'll discover that prospective Oxbridge applicants come from all over the country and the world. Whatever their social background, some are certain to share your enthusiasm for archaeology, Russian literature or maths. Chances are that they, too, like Ed Sheeran. This could be the start of a life-long friendship.

Meanwhile, relax if you find that a prospective applicant has read utterly obscure books or done a Mandarin course in Beijing. Most admissions tutors accept that there are other, cheaper ways in which a smart, hard-working student can prove their ability. 

Above all, don't make college choice the sole focus of your visit: for a start, you are likely to discover that most Oxbridge students think their own college is vastly superior to others in terms of atmosphere, tutors and club nights. Moreover, you may well be allocated a college other than the stunning one you picked. 

Lastly, be aware that even two equally beautiful colleges can have somewhat  different entrance standards or visions of their ideal student. BAME students thus may want to look at a table recently published by Oxford's student newspaper,  The Cherwell, which shows that a few of its colleges are considerably more likely to offer places to white students than others. There are similar discrepancies at Cambridge. 

You´ll find lots more college tips, the most crucial academic advice, course-specific notes and a detailed preparation checklist in OXBRIDGE ENTRANCE: THE REAL RULES.