Are your students considering Oxford?
Great news! We’d love to help out and suggest some pointers for supporting students in exploring this, even if they aren’t 100% sure yet. Many students here report that teachers have been hugely influential in supporting them to consider Oxford as an option.
Encourage them to find out more about us
Some students may have concerns about fitting in, having a good time, being away from home etc. If possible, it’s great to encourage students to come and visit, either on Open Days, or on a trip. Magdalen can accommodate self-guided tours for school groups. You can find out about visiting hours here, but drop us an email at outreach@magd.ox.ac.uk if this is something you’re planning.
Lots of colleges also have online video tours too. You can see ours below.
We’d also recommend our Youtube channel that has lots of resources for schools and teachers, including academic lectures and admissions advice.
If you are a state school, it’s worth finding out which Oxford College is your link college as they may be able to offer further opportunities.
If you are a state school from Barnsley, Brent, Nottinghamshire, Rotherham, Sheffield or Westminster, then we are your link college! Please see our Outreach pages to find out more.
Students can also ask our current students questions to get a sense of what it’s like to study with us here: Chat with Our Students!
Help them understand what we are looking for
Encouraging your students to consider what is that we are looking for in candidates is also a great start. Although there is no blueprint for the ideal Oxbridge candidate, we can summarise what we like to see:
– Academic ability and potential
– A passion and aptitude for their chosen course
– A learning style that suits our teaching methods
If they can explore our guidance on the admissions process, this is will help demonstrate quite how we are measuring these criteria. One of the best things students can do for themselves at any stage is start exploring their subject outside of the classroom and curriculum. This is both a great way for them to explore their interests, but these activities are also what we want to see a strong application. These activities don’t have to cost anything or be wildly elaborate (see more here), but it’s more about what a candidate makes of these activities. The more a student can engage with their subject and talk about it with someone, the better.
See our Resource Pack here (these are just suggestions of places to start, it’s not a tick box list!): Resource Pack
Assisting in the admissions process
If you have students who have decided to go for it and apply, helping them stay on top of the admissions timeline can be helpful. This can be found here.
You may also be involved in writing their academic reference. We’d encourage you to include any relevant contextual information about your school or area, or any extenuating circumstances or additional barriers a student may have faced that you are aware of. This information is really important for us in placing a candidates achievements in their context. If you would like to ask more about this, or discuss a particular case in more detail, please contact admissions@magd.ox.ac.uk.