EPQ

Would universities at oxbridge prefer doing an epq based around the course I want to take or would it be better to spend that time doing supercurriculars instead? Im already doing 4 alevels (none of which I want to drop) and I feel like also doing an epq will leave me no time to read around my course.

Reply 1

vnayak

16

Original post by Katy_Parker12

Would universities at oxbridge prefer doing an epq based around the course I want to take or would it be better to spend that time doing supercurriculars instead? Im already doing 4 alevels (none of which I want to drop) and I feel like also doing an epq will leave me no time to read around my course.

What do you mean universities "at" Oxbridge? Oxbridge is a portmanteau for the universities of Oxford and Cambridge. Reading around your course is pivotal as it will provide you with something to talk about in your application. Whilst doing an EPQ will indeed increase your workload to the point where you have no time for further reading (and I completely agree with this statement as that is what is happening to me currently), if anything, I was able to do more wider reading. Choose an EPQ title that is closely linked to your area of further study will aid your further learning as you are reading content that is related to your course. To give you an idea, I am doing mine on a topic related to AI and I am going into Computer Science at university.

You ask whether Oxford and Cambridge prefer super-curricular activities over EPQ related to your course. I'm afraid to tell you that competition at these esteemed universities has heightened so much to the point that you more or less NEED an EPQ to put yourself in with a good chance. However, it's not a dealbreaker. I still managed to do several super curricular activities whilst managing the workload of Maths, Further Maths, Computing and Chemistry by doing some EPQ work but not go over the top with it. My school released the EPQ project in March of this year. I looked into some sources obviously for my Research Record but I didn't actually do too much work on it. I had mocks in May so May was a no go zone. June was NEA season for CompSci.
You're probably wondering when did I do my super-curricular activities - at the start of year 12 when I decided I want to build a competitive application to university. I did loads (and I mean LOADS) of courses, published a few entries into a peer-reviewed school journal, started a subject society in school, personal projects, took part in academic competitions with reasonably good success in these areas, represented my school against other schools in academic competitions, a school house captain, relevant extracurriculars which have aided my critical thinking and problem solving skills (I play chess at the national level), essay competitions (where I was highly commended for my entry in one of them), attended subject webinars led by industry experts and read around my subject using a magazine that releases 8 issues every months concerning pressing issues in the world of Computer Science just to name a few.

I decided that I would put more or less all schoolwork aside when I'm at home so I can prioritise my application instead. I stayed on top of things (barely) but then it meant that as I approached application season, I was less stressed in deciding what I was to do to make my application more competitive. Plus, because my school released EPQ in March of 2023, it meant that I had 6 months (September to March) to do relevant super curricular activities to strengthen my application and when the time came round, I stayed on top of my EPQ and NEA as well. I finished my research and everything to do with it in the first month of the summer holidays and I have now finished my first draft. I have almost finished the longest section of my NEA and there isn't that much stuff left to do. And in addition to this, I was also preparing for my admissions tests at Imperial and Cambridge from June onwards.

My advice to you: Make sure you do as many things as you can. Just because you do EPQ doesn't mean you shouldn't do supercurriculars. If you are interested in your subject, by doing 4 +EPQ and lots of supercurriculars, you demonstrate to university admissions tutors that you truly have passion and if you can't find time, you make time for yourself. The other thing is you don't have to do an EPQ, provided you score well on your admissions test for your chosen course at Oxbridge (this score has to be REALLY high to be in with a high chance of receiving an interview, relative to the rest of the cohort applying that academic year as well).

Also, are you applying for 2024 entry? If so, I'm afraid to inform you that you have missed the deadline for applying to Oxford and Cambridge. The external UCAS deadline was the 16th of October. If not, good luck for next year (or for whenever you are applying) !

Reply 2

Wired_1800

20

Original post by Katy_Parker12

Would universities at oxbridge prefer doing an epq based around the course I want to take or would it be better to spend that time doing supercurriculars instead? Im already doing 4 alevels (none of which I want to drop) and I feel like also doing an epq will leave me no time to read around my course.

Supercurriculars would be better than EPQ since you are doing 4 subjects.

Reply 3

sachnalalalal

3

Original post by Katy_Parker12

Would universities at oxbridge prefer doing an epq based around the course I want to take or would it be better to spend that time doing supercurriculars instead? Im already doing 4 alevels (none of which I want to drop) and I feel like also doing an epq will leave me no time to read around my course.

epq is hell dont do it, its not even worth it

EPQ

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