University of Oxford applicants' thread for 2027 entry

Hello all! I guess I will kick things off for the hopeful applicants then…
1) What A Levels are you doing (or other eligible qualifications)? A levels in Maths, Further Maths, Computer Science and Physics. Currently working at A* A* A* A*
2) What course at Oxford do you have your eyeson? And why? Joint Maths & Computer Science. CS and its applications are ubiquitous with all aspects of modern life and Mathematics is the foundation of CS. The more I understand computing the more I want to learn about maths!
3) What grades did you get/are you predicted toget at GCSE?
999999998888 achieved
4) Why Oxford specifically? And why notCambridge?
I want to do JMC which Cambridge don’t offer.
I also really enjoyed the maths institute and speaking with current students about their studies when I attended the ‘It all adds up’ maths day for Y12 so I thought I’d give it a whirl.
5) Which admissions tests do you have to sit, and when will you start preparing for them?
It has just changed to the TMUA which suits me as I will also be applying to Warwick. I have looked at a few questions for fun with friends, but will probably start with regular practice soon.
6) What are you doing to help your studies and
potentially your application to Oxford?
I am taking part in the Cambridge higher aspirations scheme with Gonville and Caius for CS and I am also doing StemSmart. I am currently arranging WE for the summer at a software engineering company near to me. I also have a few personal coding projects on the go, reading books, listening to podcasts and I have been to a few lectures. Plus the usual maths & coding competitions etc. This list will grow and develop as we get closer to applying.
7) What do you want to do with your degree from Oxford?
Just to continue learning, I’d love to do a PhD and go into research so I can keep following my interests. The more I learn, the more questions I have which can only mean I need to keep digging deeper.
8) Have you decided which college you’re applying to?
Absolutely no idea! I need to look into it a bit more closely, particularly as JMCS has such a low intake I would hazard I would need to be strategic?
I come from a state school and although we do send one or two students to Oxbridge it is usually Cambridge as it is nearer and easier to visit. I am hoping to get to an open day if it doesn’t clash with end of year exams.

Maths offer holder here! It's great you're getting started on the TMUA; it will serve you really well and save you stress later on. Let me know if you have any questions; I did it last year for Warwick (did miles better on it than I did on the MAT).
I'm also happy to help with interview advice and personal statements as I think those were the strong points of my application. You've got basically perfect GCSEs, so that already puts you in a really strong position.
Best of luck!

Congrats on your offer! Which college?
I am going to the department open day so I hope to be able to at least look at a college or two briefly then if there is time.
Thank you for you kind offer of help and advice. My school leave us to it until sept which seems a bit late to me to make sure I have TMUA , PS & supers organised for early application.
Any tips on how to nail the TMUA? My school haven’t really offered any advice so I’m kind of winging it. Will definitely be asking your advice on interview nearer application time too. PS is just starting to have bullet points made but I probably won’t draft anything until the summer as I still have a few things running atm.

Hello all! I guess I will kick things off for the hopeful applicants then…
1) What A Levels are you doing (or other eligible qualifications)? A levels in Maths, Further Maths, Computer Science and Physics. Currently working at A* A* A* A*
2) What course at Oxford do you have your eyeson? And why? Joint Maths & Computer Science. CS and its applications are ubiquitous with all aspects of modern life and Mathematics is the foundation of CS. The more I understand computing the more I want to learn about maths!
3) What grades did you get/are you predicted toget at GCSE?
999999998888 achieved
4) Why Oxford specifically? And why notCambridge?
I want to do JMC which Cambridge don’t offer.
I also really enjoyed the maths institute and speaking with current students about their studies when I attended the ‘It all adds up’ maths day for Y12 so I thought I’d give it a whirl.
5) Which admissions tests do you have to sit, and when will you start preparing for them?
It has just changed to the TMUA which suits me as I will also be applying to Warwick. I have looked at a few questions for fun with friends, but will probably start with regular practice soon.
6) What are you doing to help your studies and
potentially your application to Oxford?
I am taking part in the Cambridge higher aspirations scheme with Gonville and Caius for CS and I am also doing StemSmart. I am currently arranging WE for the summer at a software engineering company near to me. I also have a few personal coding projects on the go, reading books, listening to podcasts and I have been to a few lectures. Plus the usual maths & coding competitions etc. This list will grow and develop as we get closer to applying.
7) What do you want to do with your degree from Oxford?
Just to continue learning, I’d love to do a PhD and go into research so I can keep following my interests. The more I learn, the more questions I have which can only mean I need to keep digging deeper.
8) Have you decided which college you’re applying to?
Absolutely no idea! I need to look into it a bit more closely, particularly as JMCS has such a low intake I would hazard I would need to be strategic?
I come from a state school and although we do send one or two students to Oxbridge it is usually Cambridge as it is nearer and easier to visit. I am hoping to get to an open day if it doesn’t clash with end of year exams.

Congrats on your offer! Which college?
I am going to the department open day so I hope to be able to at least look at a college or two briefly then if there is time.
Thank you for you kind offer of help and advice. My school leave us to it until sept which seems a bit late to me to make sure I have TMUA , PS & supers organised for early application.
Any tips on how to nail the TMUA? My school haven’t really offered any advice so I’m kind of winging it. Will definitely be asking your advice on interview nearer application time too. PS is just starting to have bullet points made but I probably won’t draft anything until the summer as I still have a few things running atm.

If your school leaves it until September that sounds late for Oxbridge applications. Have you heard of Zero Gravity? It might be worth checking out and if you're eligible to join they aim to match students with mentors.

Hi! I've got an offer from Wadham.
I'd double check whether colleges will definitely be open on the departmental offer holder day, as that isn't always the case. Many are open to the general public anyway, but it’s probably worth calling ahead just to be sure. It helps to check out the colleges in advance so you have a sense of what you’re looking for and don’t waste time on the day. For example, I knew I wanted a central college, so I ruled out the ones further out early on. I’d also avoid applying to an extremely oversubscribed college like St John’s, as there’s a high chance of being reallocated elsewhere.
It's great you're starting early with preparation. I did the bulk of my entrance test prep over the summer as I was focusing on my a-levels during term-time, but if you can start now, that's even better. With TMUA, first step is making sure you've covered all the required maths content. Some of it is Year 2 content like the trapezium rule so you'll need to learn that independently .Once you’re confident with the content, it’s mainly about practising problem solving.
There are only a limited number of TMUA papers so use stuff like the Senior maths challenge questions (easier) or MAT multiple choice (similar level). STEP 1 or 2 questions might also be useful. Make sure you review difficult questions multiple times and let yourself struggle on questions before rushing to google solutions.
What I wish I'd done more of is practice emulating exam conditions. On the day, you're likely to be stressed and not thinking as clearly as usual. It's important you find a way to manage pressure and keep track of time. Also, learn how to guess strategically. It's almost inevitable that there will be questions you can't solve. Practise ruling out answers so your 12.5% chance of being right goes up to 30 or 50%. MAT multiple choice questions are particularly good for this as they really reward logical deduction.
I wouldn't worry too much about PS yet. For now, focus on reading maths books, watching lectures, or engaging with maths in whatever way you enjoy.The key is being able to show how you build on what you explore. Try to link what you read or watch to other areas, so it demonstrates that you’re consistently digging deeper into the areas of maths that interest you.

https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=6455188
https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=7655021#post101173215
Hopefully you will find these interesting reading.
Do not get too hung up on particular colleges ,many people are reallocated and it is not as important strategically as it is for Cambridge.There are 3 open days 2 in Summer and one in Sept.

If your school leaves it until September that sounds late for Oxbridge applications. Have you heard of Zero Gravity? It might be worth checking out and if you're eligible to join they aim to match students with mentors.