Good enough for Oxbridge?

i applied to oxford this year and got to interview (but was rejected). i would honestly say to just apply and spend some time developing your personal statement. oxford aren't that interested in extracurriculars anyway as they want to see your interest around your subject. i applied for history and most of my personal statement was about books i'd read around areas i find interesting (outside of alevel) and historical things that i'd done as well (volunteering etc)

i felt a bit like you when i applied and thought it was a longshot but i knew i'd regret not at least applying and seeing where i got. if anything the whole experience just made me a better historian as prepping for the hat exam and my interviews meant that i had to spend time challenging myself.

Most of those things aren't really relevant and may not even be considered - several times, including in print media interviews, Oxbridge admissions tutors have expressed puzzlement at applicants listing completely irrelevant extracurricular activities like Grade 5 violin for a maths application etc. They want to see what you have done that is relevant to your course, and that you have done very well in your studies in general. Anything unrelated is of little concern to them, and they realise not all applicants have equal access to "relevant" extracurricular activities (commonly called "supercurricular" activities) and so won't advantage someone who e.g. was able to attend a masterclass at a college during the summer, or whose parents were able to get them some very relevant and hard to get work experience in the area, vs someone who "just" did wider reading and demonstrate insightful analysis of that reading.

Provided you did well in your GCSEs generally, are on track for the standard criteria for PPE (AAA I think) and are taking A-level Maths (not explicitly required but more than 90% of successful applicants each year are taking A-level Maths or equivalent), and engage in wider reading of those subjects and demonstrate thoughtful engagement with what you have read, you have as much chance (if not more) than anyone else. The major caveat is that you will also need to do well on the TSA to secure an interview, so do prepare for that too.

Thanks for this, congrats for getting a safe as the interview. Another thing I was worrying about was how to get though the number of books I want to read. Some are massive and old which means they take quite a while to get through. Do you think skimming books and reading relevant chapters is as effective? Asking as I’m assuming historians must do a lot of reading so I’m wondering if you have advice on this.

hiya - I studied PPE at Oxford and honestly they don't care about your extracurriculars at all. The most important things are
1. personal statement
- if you're going to mention books, READ THEM - also don't mention too many. I mentioned three, and tried to focus them on intersectional points between the three subjects. also worth noting that there's very predictable choices (Freakonomics is an absolute classic) so might be worth thinking and reading outside of the box a bit and trying to find an area that really interests you. For instance I talked about behavioural economics a lot (Nudge by Thaler and Sunstein is a good intro) and how it made me want to study econ. For Ox your PS wants to be a lot more academically focused than it will for other unis - extracurriculars really should be max a paragraph and even then it should be how they taught you skills - 'I play the piano, this taught me resilience and dedication', 'I enjoy doing jigsaw puzzles as they stretch my brain and reinforce attention to detail' etc

2. TSA, TSA, TSA
- there are loads of old papers online, my best advice is to do as many as possible. Take your time on the first couple and figure out what kind of questions there are and how to answer them, and then the most important bit is TIMING. practice in timed conditions and learn when to give up and move on from a question, because in the real thing you don't have much time at all. It would also be good practice to write out some mini practice essays to get used to part 2.

3. Interviews
At interview they want to know HOW you think as well as WHAT you think - they want to know if you'd thrive in the tutorial system, so think of it like a mini-tute rather than an interview per say. The best advice I got was to think out loud where you can, and make sure you're talking them through your though process. Basically, at interview they will have a list of topics/things they want you to notice and talk about, and the interviewers will guide you through them if you get a bit stuck by redirecting your thinking. You can practice the talking out loud in mock interviews, even if it's just your friends asking you questions!! If you do get through to interview, try your best to enjoy it - after all, it's a chance to talk to world class thinkers about subjects you're genuinely passionate about. If you can show that passion you will be in a really good place to thrive at Oxford, which is the main thing they're looking for.

PPE is an incredibly competitive course, and you've got to be prepared for that - Oxford interviews less people than Cambridge and makes less offers, but the upside is when you get the offer it's much more achievable than the A*A*A* the tabs sometimes demand. However it's totally achievable to get in! I went to a below average state comprehensive and managed to get in, and I came out with a 2i whilst doing a lot more extracurriculars than my actual degree. Basically, keep your head high and trust in yourself that you ARE good enough and you CAN get in - that confidence will carry you a long way.

hiya - I studied PPE at Oxford and honestly they don't care about your extracurriculars at all. The most important things are
1. personal statement
- if you're going to mention books, READ THEM - also don't mention too many. I mentioned three, and tried to focus them on intersectional points between the three subjects. also worth noting that there's very predictable choices (Freakonomics is an absolute classic) so might be worth thinking and reading outside of the box a bit and trying to find an area that really interests you. For instance I talked about behavioural economics a lot (Nudge by Thaler and Sunstein is a good intro) and how it made me want to study econ. For Ox your PS wants to be a lot more academically focused than it will for other unis - extracurriculars really should be max a paragraph and even then it should be how they taught you skills - 'I play the piano, this taught me resilience and dedication', 'I enjoy doing jigsaw puzzles as they stretch my brain and reinforce attention to detail' etc

2. TSA, TSA, TSA
- there are loads of old papers online, my best advice is to do as many as possible. Take your time on the first couple and figure out what kind of questions there are and how to answer them, and then the most important bit is TIMING. practice in timed conditions and learn when to give up and move on from a question, because in the real thing you don't have much time at all. It would also be good practice to write out some mini practice essays to get used to part 2.

3. Interviews
At interview they want to know HOW you think as well as WHAT you think - they want to know if you'd thrive in the tutorial system, so think of it like a mini-tute rather than an interview per say. The best advice I got was to think out loud where you can, and make sure you're talking them through your though process. Basically, at interview they will have a list of topics/things they want you to notice and talk about, and the interviewers will guide you through them if you get a bit stuck by redirecting your thinking. You can practice the talking out loud in mock interviews, even if it's just your friends asking you questions!! If you do get through to interview, try your best to enjoy it - after all, it's a chance to talk to world class thinkers about subjects you're genuinely passionate about. If you can show that passion you will be in a really good place to thrive at Oxford, which is the main thing they're looking for.

PPE is an incredibly competitive course, and you've got to be prepared for that - Oxford interviews less people than Cambridge and makes less offers, but the upside is when you get the offer it's much more achievable than the A*A*A* the tabs sometimes demand. However it's totally achievable to get in! I went to a below average state comprehensive and managed to get in, and I came out with a 2i whilst doing a lot more extracurriculars than my actual degree. Basically, keep your head high and trust in yourself that you ARE good enough and you CAN get in - that confidence will carry you a long way.