Oxford University Extracurriculars

You don’t need extra curriculars - Oxford does not care whether you do sport, music, or Duke or Edinburgh. They do like super curriculars, ie showing an interest in your subject beyond the school curriculum. This doesn’t have to involve anything fancy or expensive, it can be as simple as wider reading, listening to podcasts. The important thing is that you can reflect upon what you have done and integrate it into your thinking about your subject (a personal statement that reflects maturely on one or two books and shows real intellectual engagement is going to be better than one that just lists a ton of stuff without any analysis, however impressive the achievements). For the time being, just try to immerse yourself in your subjects as learn as much about them as you can. Ask your teachers for recommendations of further reading.
Tutors don’t care if you mix Humanities and STEM subjects as long as any admissions requirements are met. They will judge the application on its merits, not on what it would have hypothetically been like if you had done different subjects.

Hi,
I've finished my GCSEs this year and am starting college in late August. My A-level choices are chemistry, history and German (and results depending how it's gone I may consider taking a 4th A-level in biology). Anyway, I was wondering if anyone has any advice or feedback from these subjects and I'm also aiming (currently - may change) to study a joint degree in modern languages and history at Oxford university and I was wondering if any applicants or offer holders have any advice on what work experience / extracurriculars I could do to give myself a better chance at getting in as I feel like I don't have any now and I want to collect some experience and skills for my application over the next two years without also getting to overwhelmed by A-levels. So any advice on either topic mentioned in this waffle would be much appreciated!

Hi!
I'm an undergrad student at Oxford reading History!
I did Biology, English Lit and History at A Level.
So in terms of extra curriculars I would just say that Oxford care a lot about academics, and when I applied my personal statement spoke more of my academic interests that extra activities. Do consider doing DofE - you can volunteer and discuss this in your application. Maybe doing something like helping at a school subject specific club, or volunteering as part of a local museum or something relevant to your degree.
E.g., helping at a library if you wanted to do English or a local museum or heritage thing if you want to do History.
I had helped with a researcg project as part of a volunteer organisation and I spoke about this in my application. I also discussed any history books or magazines I had read. For example, you could listen to the In Our Time podcast and reference this, or the BBC History magazine... They really like knowing what you are interested in, and you can show this with your enhtusiasim for studying your subject outside of school too!
Hope this all helps! Best of luck!!

Hi!
I'm an undergrad student at Oxford reading History!
I did Biology, English Lit and History at A Level.
So in terms of extra curriculars I would just say that Oxford care a lot about academics, and when I applied my personal statement spoke more of my academic interests that extra activities. Do consider doing DofE - you can volunteer and discuss this in your application. Maybe doing something like helping at a school subject specific club, or volunteering as part of a local museum or something relevant to your degree.
E.g., helping at a library if you wanted to do English or a local museum or heritage thing if you want to do History.
I had helped with a research project as part of a volunteer organisation and I spoke about this in my application. I also discussed any history books or magazines I had read. For example, you could listen to the In Our Time podcast and reference this, or the BBC History magazine... They really like knowing what you are interested in, and you can show this with your enhtusiasim for studying your subject outside of school too!
Hope this all helps! Best of luck!!