Wondering whether you should apply to the University of Oxford? This Ultimate Guide to Oxford University goes through everything you need to know, from admissions to student life.

Applying to Oxford

The Oxford acceptance rate is 17.5%, making it one of the most competitive universities in the world. As such, Oxford entry requirements are high - most courses require AAA, with some subjects, especially STEM subjects, demanding A*AA. Once you have a good idea of your target grades, applicants need to submit a personal statement and teacher reference via UCAS. The Oxford 2021 deadline is 15 October.

Hopeful applicants are also often required to sit entrance exams in October and November. Interviews are held in the first two weeks of December. Students are offered free accommodation at their chosen college. Unlike Cambridge, students are likely to have several interviews. In fact, many subjects, especially in STEM, require students to sit a second interview at a different college. Undergraduate students find out whether they have gained a place by early January. 

Where is Oxford? 

Located in the south-east of England, Oxford is within easy reach of London and major airports. The Oxford Tube runs coaches directly to Heathrow and Gatwick, while London is only an hour’s train ride away. With a population of 150,000, Oxford is considerably bigger than its closet rival, Cambridge. It’s a bustling, busy city. 

Central Oxford is dominated by historic colleges. There are plenty of cobbled side streets to explore - Logic Lane and Turl Street are among the prettiest - and the Radcliffe Camera, a library with unique domed architecture, is the pinnacle of Oxford style. There’s more to the city centre than historical buildings, though. The Westgate Shopping Centre opened in 2018. Packed with both high-street and high-end shops, the modern complex brings a 21st-century edge to the city. 

Oxford is famous for its green spaces. Christ Church Meadow, University Parks, and the Botanical Gardens are within walking distance of most colleges and are filled with students during the summer. A little further out of the city centre is Port Meadow, a huge expanse of green and a popular wild swimming spot. 

Go beyond the city centre and you’ll find lively neighbourhoods. Cowley Road is packed with great nightlife and bustling cafes and restaurants - it’s where you’ll find the best food in the city. Lots of students choose to ‘live out’ in the Cowley Road area in their second and third years. Jericho is in the north of the city and is also popular with students who choose to live out. It’s a more upmarket neighbourhood, home to the Oxford Wine Cafe and Raoul’s, a famous cocktail bar. Jericho is within easy walking distance of the Maths Institute, Blavatnik School of Government, and, soon, the Steph A. Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities. 

History of Oxford University 

Teaching at Oxford began as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world. When Henry II banned English students from attending the University of Paris, in 1167, Oxford started to attract more students. The first official college, University College, was founded in 1249. 

There are now 39 colleges. Some of these colleges, including Lady Margaret Hall, Somerville, and St Annes, were founded as women-only colleges. Women were first allowed to study at Oxford University in 1875 and were permitted full admission in 1920. Today, there are no women-only colleges - every college admits both male and female students. 

Oxford has a number of notable alumni. 28 British prime ministers attended Oxford, as well as many other major international leaders, including Bill Clinton and Aung San Suu Kyi. Stephen Hawking and Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web, are among Oxford’s most notable scientific alumni, and the university boasts 32 Nobel Prizes across chemistry, physics, and medicine. Writers such as J. R. R. Tolkien and Lewis Carroll studied at Oxford, as well as actors Hugh Grant, Rowan Atkinson, and Kate Beckinsale, among others. 

Oxford University Traditions 

As a historical institution, Oxford has many quirky traditions. When students start at the university, they attend a ceremony called ‘matriculation’. Students wear academic dress, which is called ‘sub-fusc’, and attend a ceremony held in the historic Sheldonian Theatre. 

Sub-fusc is also worn when students sit exams, along with carnations. Students wear a white carnation for their first exam, a pink one for the majority of exams, and a red carnation for their final exam. Once exams are finished, students are ‘trashed’ by their friends. This usually involves being sprayed with Prosecco, shaving foam, and silly string. Students then jump in the river in Christ Church Meadow. 

May Morning is a tradition celebrated by both students and Oxford’s general population. On 1st May, at 6 am, Magdalen College Choir sings from Magdalen Tower. Celebrations then continue throughout the morning, with Morris dancers and festivities to celebrate the coming of spring. 

Societies and Sports 

There are plenty of societies to choose from at Oxford University. The Oxford Union, founded in 1823, is a prestigious debating society, has hosted talks from Ronald Reagan, Winston Churchill, Malcolm X, Mother Teresa, and Michael Jackson. Other societies, such as the Media Society and the Women in Business Society, also host talks and debates from notable individuals. 
Drama thrives at Oxford. OUDS is the official university society that organises productions. There are several student theatres, including the Burton Taylor Studio and the Keble O’Reilly theatre. Student newspapers and magazines include the Cherwell, the Oxford Student, and ISIS magazine. 

Oxford Hub is a charity organisation that organises volunteering opportunities for students, while RAG is a fundraising society that runs events like Jailbreak. There are many cultural societies, too. There’s also a strong interest in climate issues at Oxford University. The Oxford Climate Society hosts a School of Climate Change, offering students from all the subjects the opportunity to learn from world-leading experts in the field. 

There are over 85 university sports clubs at Oxford, as well as over 200 college clubs. Rowing is one of the most popular sports at the university - Torpids and Summer Eights are rowing events that take place in the spring and summer terms. There are also more unusual sports on offer, including a Kpop dance society and a Quidditch club. 

University Facilities 

Oxford University is home to state-of-the-art facilities. The Oxford Science Park combines scientific research with entrepreneurial innovation, providing outstanding facilities for research into everything from cancer to AI. Each scientific faculty also has its own buildings and laboratories situated within the city centre. 

The world-famous Bodleian Library has over 13 million books, making it the second-largest library in Britain. It consists of three central buildings: the Old Bodleian, the Radcliffe Camera (known as the Rad Cam) and the Gladstone Link, a modern, underground library that links the Old Bodleian and the Rad Cam together. 

The Iffley Sports Centre is a state-of-the-art complex, with a gym, football pitches, tennis courts, a rowing tank and a swimming pool. It’s also home to the running track where Sir Roger Bannister became the first person to run a mile in under four minutes. 

Choosing an Oxford College

Choosing a college is one of the trickiest parts of the Oxford University application. Christ Church and Magdalen offer impressive architecture, while Brasenose, Lincoln, and Jesus have super central locations. Each college has an associated stereotype; St Edmund is a sporty college, Merton is an academic college, and St John’s is famed for being the richest college in Oxford. 

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