Oxbridge and Competitive Courses
Early Deadlines
Some of the most competitive university courses require you to submit your UCAS application by an earlier deadline, this deadline is 15th October, the year before the course starts. The relevant courses are:
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All courses at University of Cambridge
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All courses at University of Oxford
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All Medicine degree programmes (including Medicine with additional Access/Foundation year)
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All Dentistry degree programmes (including Dentistry with additional Access/Foundation year)
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All Veterinary Medicine or Veterinary Science degree programmes
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This deadline is not just for your part of the UCAS form to be completed, but the tutor reference and for the college to have sent off the approved application. So you will need to agree an earlier date with your Personal Tutor for when you will finish, so that all steps can be completed by 15th October.
Early preparation is vital.
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Other competitive courses may not have this early deadline, but early preparation is still key to give yourself the best chance of reaching your goals.
Aren't all courses 'competitive'?
All Higher Education courses require an application, which will be assessed against entry requirements, and usually against other applicants, to judge who can be offered a place. In this sense you are competing for a place. While it is best to think about how you can make your application the best it can be, without worrying what everyone else is doing, familiarising yourself with what is expected of applicants is one way you can make your application a strong one.
Some highly competitive courses have particularly challenging entry requirements, including very high grade conditions, exceptional performance at interview and strong performance on additional entry tests.
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For Healthcare courses related to careers with patient contact, admissions officers are looking for certain personal qualities in the applicant, as evidenced via work experience; they are looking well beyond academic performance.
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The purpose of this page is to highlight key resources, and to signpost you to advice that can help you prepare for the specific demands of the pathway you're interested in. The early deadline mentioned above is a good example of information you need to be aware of, when application processes are slightly different to what you may be expecting.
Your responsibilities
It is your responsibility to check all the details of the entry requirements for the course you are interested in.
It is also your responsibility to check that the course you are applying to suits you and your goals.
This is one of the steps of the admissions process - you are being tested from the very start, that you can research well, take responsibility for your future, and ask for help when you need it.
We encourage you to lead the process, but not to feel like you should work on it by yourself!
Talk to your Personal Tutor about your plans, and find out how the Careers & Employability Service can help you to make important career decisions and make strong applications (click here).
Admission Tests
Does the course you are interested in require you to sit an additional admissions test?
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This is not about being invited for interview or even assessment test at a particular university after you apply (there is advice about these elements in the subject sections below). These Admissions Tests require you to register yourself, and arrange to sit the test without being invited to. It is important to know about because you may need to apply for these before applying through UCAS.
How to find out what you need to know :
1. Check the degree's entry requirements published on the course's information page, on the university's website.
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2. Use these websites for research:
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http://www.admissionstesting.org/for-test-takers/
3. Support preparing for Admissions Tests
Your first port of call is http://www.admissionstesting.org/for-test-takers/
For STEP Maths test - there is a great free resource here: https://maths.org/step/
Always check registration and booking deadlines to make sure that you register for tests on time. It is recommended that you register early.
It is the students responsibility to register and make arrangements to sit admissions test.
Oxbridge: Oxford & Cambridge Universities
"Oxbridge" is a short-hand phrase referring to "Oxford and Cambridge". You can only apply to one of these two prestigious universities in each UCAS cycle.
Usual entry requirements to are through A levels, but sometimes alternatives can be accepted. Contact the universities to find out what equivalents they can accept too.
You will need grades at AAA for both universities as a minimum, some courses will have higher minimum requirements. You will also usually need to pass an admissions test as well as a successful interview to be offered a place.
www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/applying-to-oxford
www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/applying
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To make a competitive application, it is important to have a clear passion and insight into your chosen subject beyond what you have learnt in college. You must be able to demonstrate high level understanding and knowledge, to include reading and research you have done independently. Above all, this high standard should show your passion to learn more about your chosen subject, through Higher Education.
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Additional help at college: There is a team of staff around you at college that can support you as you work towards making a strong application, but remember that ultimately you are responsible for your own application. Here are some of the ways in which the college can help:
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Keep in regular contact with your Personal Tutor, especially regarding the UCAS reference they will need to add to your application. Your tutor can also talk with you throughout the year about your progress at college, to help you keep on track towards your academic and personal development targets.
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Contact the Careers & Employability Service to find out what activities and events you can get involved with that support students with your interests and higher education goals. You can also get application support from a Careers Adviser in this team who will give you feedback on your Personal Statement, and run through mock university interviews with you. If you want to talk about whether this pathway is right for you, you can also book a Careers Guidance appointment. Click here.
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Join a student club relating to your career or university interests, contact Careers@westking.ac.uk . These clubs can expand your network of support and access to additional opportunities.
Medicine
Medicine is a challenge to get into due not only to its popularity, but the combination of needing to show both strong academic performance, and demonstrable people skills, empathy, decision-making skills and more.
Understanding and reflecting on the role of a health care professional is vital. You will show this through your personal statement and interviews, and means that you need good insights, especially those gained via work experience. Hence this experience needs to be gained before the final year of college, so that you can write about it in your UCAS personal statement. Remember to check for additional Admissions Test requirements.
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Here are some good starting points for advice about applying for Medicine courses:
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http://www.topuniversities.com/student-info/admissions-advice/uk-medical-school-admissions-advice
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http://university.which.co.uk/advice/personal-statements/personal-statement-advice-medicine-students
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Each university will have it's own perspective and policies. You should research extensively on the university's website who you are applying to, to find out their own tailored advice for applying. They give you more guidance than you might expect. Here are some examples:
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Application process information from University of Leicester:http://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/medicine/departments/medicine/applying/applying-to-leicester-medical-school
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Guidelines used by University of Cambridge Medical School for assessing applicants at interview:
http://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/files/publications/key_criteria_for_medical_admissions.pdf
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Additional help at college: There is a team of staff around you at college that can support you as you work towards making a strong application, but remember that ultimately you are responsible for your own application. Here are some of the ways in which the college can help:
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Keep in regular contact with your Personal Tutor, especially regarding the UCAS reference they will need to add to your application. Your tutor can also talk with you throughout the year about your progress at college, to help you keep on track towards your academic and personal development targets.
-
Contact the Careers & Employability Service to find out what activities and events you can get involved with that support students with your interests and higher education goals. You can also get application support from a Careers Adviser in this team who will give you feedback on your Personal Statement, and run through mock university interviews with you. If you want to talk about whether this pathway is right for you, you can also book a Careers Guidance appointment. Click here.
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Join a student club relating to your career or university interests, contact Careers@westking.ac.uk. These clubs can expand your network of support and access to additional opportunities.
Dentistry
As with Medicine (above) this degree programme will involve an assessment of your ability to work with people, as you are preparing for a caring role which demands key values, people skills and vocational skills such as decision-making. There are challenging academic requirements, and remember to check for additional Admissions Test requirements.
Understanding and reflecting on the role of a health care professional is vital. You will show this through your personal statement and interviews, and means that you need good insights, especially those gained via work experience. Hence this experience needs to be gained before the final year of college, so that you can write about it in your UCAS personal statement.
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Here are some good starting points for advice about applying for Dentistry courses:
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Each university will have it's own perspective and policies. You should research extensively on the university's website who you are applying to, to find out their own tailored advice for applying. They give you more guidance than you might expect! The application process is not meat to catch you out and they want you to be able to prepare. Here are some examples:
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Dentistry Interview preparation advice from University of Manchester:
https://www.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/dentistry/study/undergraduate/apply/interviews/
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University of Plymouth: Applying to Dental School Guide:
https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/uploads/production/document/path/8/8133/RFJ24611_Applying_to_Dental_School_A5_TD11200_v3.pdf
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Additional help at college: There is a team of staff around you at college that can support you as you work towards making a strong application, but remember that ultimately you are responsible for your own application. Here are some of the ways in which the college can help:
-
Keep in regular contact with your Personal Tutor, especially regarding the UCAS reference they will need to add to your application. Your tutor can also talk with you throughout the year about your progress at college, to help you keep on track towards your academic and personal development targets.
-
Contact the Careers & Employability Service to find out what activities and events you can get involved with that support students with your interests and higher education goals. You can also get application support from a Careers Adviser in this team who will give you feedback on your Personal Statement, and run through mock university interviews with you. If you want to talk about whether this pathway is right for you, you can also book a Careers Guidance appointment. Click here.
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Join a student club relating to your career or university interests, contact Careers@westking.ac.uk. These clubs can expand your network of support and access to additional opportunities.
Veterinary Medicine/Science
As with Medicine and Dentistry, this is a healthcare role, and you will be working with people, but of course you will also be working with animals. Hence skills and knowledge in both of these areas of patient care will be assessed throughout the admissions process. There are also challenging academic requirements. Remember to check for any additional admissions tests.
Understanding and reflecting on the role of a veterinarian is vital. You will show this through your personal statement and interviews, and means that you need good insights, especially those gained via work experience. Hence this experience needs to be gained before the final year of college, so that you can write about it in your UCAS personal statement. Some Vet Schools set very specific requirements about the range of work experience you need, and how you should communicate this in your personal statement. It is vital you find out the expectations from each university you plan to apply for.
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Here are some good starting points for advice about applying for Veterinary Medicine/Science courses:
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Each university will have it's own perspective and policies. You should research extensively on the university's website who you are applying to, to find out their own tailored advice for applying. They give you more guidance than you might expect! The application process is not meat to catch you out and they want you to be able to prepare. Here are some examples:
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University of Cambridge: https://www.vet.cam.ac.uk/study/vet/howtoapply
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University of Liverpool: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/veterinary-science/undergraduate/prospective-applicants/
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Additional help at college: There is a team of staff around you at college that can support you as you work towards making a strong application, but remember that ultimately you are responsible for your own application. Here are some of the ways in which the college can help:
-
Keep in regular contact with your Personal Tutor, especially regarding the UCAS reference they will need to add to your application. Your tutor can also talk with you throughout the year about your progress at college, to help you keep on track towards your academic and personal development targets.
-
Contact the Careers & Employability Service to find out what activities and events you can get involved with that support students with your interests and higher education goals. You can also get application support from a Careers Adviser in this team who will give you feedback on your Personal Statement, and run through mock university interviews with you. If you want to talk about whether this pathway is right for you, you can also book a Careers Guidance appointment. Click here.
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Join a student club relating to your career or university interests, contact Careers@westking.ac.uk. These clubs can expand your network of support and access to additional opportunities.
Russell Group universities
These universities are part of a group of 24 research-intensive UK universities who describe themselves thus:
"Russell Group universities have huge social, economic and cultural impacts locally, across the UK and around the globe:
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They produce more than two-thirds of the world-leading research produced in UK universities and support more than 300,000 jobs across the country.
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Their economic output is more than £32 billion every year.
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In 2015-16, 417,000 undergraduates and 192,500 postgraduates were studying at a Russell Group university."
Find out more here: http://russellgroup.ac.uk/for-students/
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Russell Group universities often have very high academic entry requirements, such as A*s and As at A level and Distinction/Distinction* at BTEC. An increasing number of these universities are also asking for additional Admissions Tests. Your Personal Statement is a good place to help you stand out, and prove your high level passion, insight and potential, given that many applicants will all be applying with the same high predicted grades.
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Final thought...
A university does not have to be 'Russell Group' or 'Oxbridge' to ask for high entry requirements, and a course is not only competitive in terms of academic entry requirements. Think for example about the challenge of getting into a creative course, where you have to present a portfolio of work to be judged, or a specialised course that does not have many places available.
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This advice is not intended to scare you, but to help you best prepare so that your application is the best it can possibly be!
The Careers & Employability Service supports your aspirations, please do come for advice so that we can tailor support for you! Contact us