Year 12 aiming for Oxford.

Im planning on applying to Oxford for English, what should I be doing rn and throughout the rest of year 12 to prepare?

Im planning on applying to Oxford for English, what should I be doing rn and throughout the rest of year 12 to prepare?

Im planning on applying to Oxford for English, what should I be doing rn and throughout the rest of year 12 to prepare?

some pointers:

Just wondering, does reading wider also count as supercurriculars, or is it more like essay competitions, etc?

Just wondering, does reading wider also count as supercurriculars, or is it more like essay competitions, etc?

Hey. I'm in S5 (equivalent of Year 12 in Scotland), so I'll share some of what I've been doing.
I've been trying to read a wide range of literature, especially in terms of getting into more plays and poetry. From what I've heard and some of my own research, lots of English applicants nearly exclusively mention novels.
Additionally, I've been reading books about literature. One that I found really useful was 'Much Ado About Numbers' by Rob Eastaway. It was a bit waffly at times, but it's general point that there can be many (often unconsidered) influences on a writer's work is something that was interesting to explore.
I think having a bit of a theme or a link is good. "I read Eastaway's 'Much Ado About Numbers' and I learnt .... This lead me to read .... ect" Obviously, that's simplified, but having one activity lead on to another is something that you will ideally need to do in your personal statement.
One thing that really helped me when trying to figure out what I should do is by looking into how to write a personal statement and making a 'plan' based on what I had already done. This let me see what I still need to do, allowing me to be more focused in my supercurriculars instead of doing everything under the sun.
I hope this helps, and if you have any more questions, feel free to ask me. 😊

Brilliant reply.This is exactly how to do it.Where are you aiming for?😊

Thank you! I'm aiming for English at Edinburgh, St Andrews, Strathclyde, Glasgow, and Aberdeen. I had considered Oxford, but the high fees put me off.

Thank you! I'm aiming for English at Edinburgh, St Andrews, Strathclyde, Glasgow, and Aberdeen. I had considered Oxford, but the high fees put me off.

Please don't let the fees put you off. Oxford is one of those unis with a net positive impact through the education, network and community fostered there.
I’d suggest that you swap one of your options and give it a go. I am not pressuring you and you don't have to follow my suggestion, but the experience could be worth it.
Good luck

This is not always true as for some degrees the lack of a placement year puts you at a disadvantage in the job market.
Scottish students don't pay fees in Scotland so that's a huge consideration for many ..

I understand that Scottish students don't pay fees for Scottish unis. The suggestion still stands.

So does my point about Oxford not being the best for all degrees and, in fact, putting you at a diasdvantage in some cases.

Best to agree to disagree and let the OP make their choices. I don't have a dog in this fight.

I wasn't aiming my comment at the OP but at your reply to the Scottish student!

Please don't let the fees put you off. Oxford is one of those unis with a net positive impact through the education, network and community fostered there.
I’d suggest that you swap one of your options and give it a go. I am not pressuring you and you don't have to follow my suggestion, but the experience could be worth it.
Good luck