"Extra Support" for Oxbridge applications

Today my head of sixth-form gave me a website called www.oxbridgeapplications.com, which seems to be (I haven't looked at it very closely) some sort of resource offering books, seminars and courses on making the most of yourself throughout the application process, writing a good PS and doing well in interviews. It all sounded a little phoney to me (how much would this stuff cost, for instance?) but I was just wondering if anyone had taken part in these training days/courses or something similar and if they felt it made any difference to their applications. Is it necessay to 'train' for the application and interviews? Surely if you're a suitable student then that would be apparent even if your interview wasn't polished and perfected?

How can you find out if your school is on the Access Scheme? I suppose I would have heard about it already if mine is or isn't, but you never know. My school isn't exactly what you'd call prestigious o_o;

The Access Scheme isn't nessecarily something that your school has to permanently be on (mine sent about 1 pupil for year to one of the two of oxbridge, it wouldn't seem that worth it), BUT you individually can get your school to send off forms to get your application considered under the access scheme. If you're successful in convincing them that your school's a dump (the things asked are: how many people have gotten into oxford (NB, this is all for Oxford, it'll all probably be different for Camb) in the past 5 years, number of free school dinners, whether your school counts as an inner city school, I think results and that sort of thing).

If you are decided eligible for the access scheme, you'll probably be invited to attend a day where you're told about interviews, get to witness mock interviews and can have practice interviews with present students in your subject. I think if you're borderline the fact that you're from a worse school can also count in your favour when they're deciding after interviews.

I can probably find you a link...

Oooh, google turns up a tsr wiki article: http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/Oxford_Access_Scheme

Well, my school is not inner city, but it is in Greater London, and also in a borough which has a lot of grammar schools so comparatively students at my school achieve very badly. For most of the local grammar schools nearby the GCSE A*-C pass rate is 99%, my school's is 49% lol. I didn't get fantastic GSCE grades, but they were still among the best in my year.
I'll definitely look into it, though I doubt it will make much difference. My aunt went to Oxford to study Law, and my Grandma went as a mature student to do Philosophy, so its not like a completely new thing to my family. I might get them to do a mock interview for me xD

It was the same with me: I'm from Greater London (west side! ), but my school was still part of it.

I didn't realise that schools could apply to have their applicants considered under the Access Scheme, but you should definitely do it. That's what the Access Scheme form is for: to put your results into the context of a) your school's GCSE A*-C rate and general (under)achievement in GCSE/AS/A2 results and b) in terms of the schools in your area. So if the tutors look at it (I don't think they have to, it's just extra information for them), they'll see that though you may not have x amount of A*s or whatever, that you did extremely well, given your school's pass-rate etc

My older sis is doing a doctorate at Oxford and also did her undergrad degree here, so it wasn't a new thing for my family either, but I still applied via the Access Scheme, because it meant I could get lots of good advice for free. My sister is a scientist and I'm doing a creative arts subject, so she couldn't help me, but if your relatives did similar subjects to the one you're hoping to apply for, it's worth getting their help

PS. Don't let rubbish people doing your application put you off/stop you: I was told by my person not to apply! Good thing I didn't listen

You should come to Oxford on one of the upcoming open days. If you book in to a college open day you will get a chance to talk to students and probably an admissions tutor and subject tutors.

Info is here:
http://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate_courses/open_days/

DtS

Today my head of sixth-form gave me a website called www.oxbridgeapplications.com, which seems to be (I haven't looked at it very closely) some sort of resource offering books, seminars and courses on making the most of yourself throughout the application process, writing a good PS and doing well in interviews. It all sounded a little phoney to me (how much would this stuff cost, for instance?) but I was just wondering if anyone had taken part in these training days/courses or something similar and if they felt it made any difference to their applications. Is it necessay to 'train' for the application and interviews? Surely if you're a suitable student then that would be apparent even if your interview wasn't polished and perfected?

That said, if you can get some interview practice,... it'll probably be to your advantage. Not in the sense that practice will help you learn answers by rote in order to reel them off in your interviews; but having a bit of experience at voicing your thoughts and defending your viewpoints will make the real interview a bit less daunting.

What you need who is someone who is ready and able to give you a pretty in-depth academic discussion / argument for half an hour*. Someone who just says "tell me about..." and then more-or-less sits there, or who goes into stuff on your UCAS form at length, or your ECs, won't fill the bill, because your interviewers won't do any of those things.

DtS

(* "Is that the 5 minute argument, or the full half -hour?")

I've got a place booked on the Magdalen open day :3

Alas, whilst academic people would make the best mock-interviewers, I found them pretty hard to come by! So perhaps some practice with a less-than-ideal mock-interviewer is better than no practice at all...? *shrugs*