Want to study at Oxbridge? Here’s what you need to know

Over the last few months I have been visiting various universities with a young person looking for the right next move. This included a nostalgic trip to Cambridge, where I studied Law at Queens’ College back in the 1990s. Over three decades after my own time at university, the visits had me thinking about the various institutions. What has changed over time? What has stayed the same? Among the ancient colleges of Oxford and Cambridge, what is part of the DNA of the place and what has moved on? This connects to questions about the Church of England and our individual churches. What changes over time and what remains constant? These issues are at the heart of many conversations about our theology and practice in the Church.

One thing I reflected on during our visits was that you cannot necessarily judge an institution by who visits on one of those days. You are not seeing the people who will actually study there; you are seeing people who may or may not decide to apply, and their families. Universities which want to give prospective students a good all-round view of what it might be like to study there, ensure that lots of current students are involved in an open day. They are normally easily identifiable in a single colour of T-shirt. Our most useful conversations on these days were generally with current students; they are best placed to say what their experience has been like, as against other people they know who are studying elsewhere.

Some features of Oxford and Cambridge Universities may surprise you. In general they are very socially mixed and meritocratic. We noticed a diverse ethnic, regional and social mix in the students we met, more so than some other universities. Cambridge has taken over 50% state school admissions for over 30 years. Both universities devote significant resources to reaching the sorts of students who may think Oxbridge is not for them. When I was at Queens’ it was relaxed and fun; that atmosphere has not changed. On the day we visited, they were giving out free ice cream on a hot summer day. The students we met were friendly and were clearly enjoying the day. The students we know at Oxford and Cambridge were all educated at state schools and have enjoyed their experiences. From the visits we have made, northern universities seem to attract more local students and the reverse is true for the south. This is not the case for Oxford and Cambridge, where there is more geographical diversity.

One bone of contention some people have with Oxbridge is that they do not get offered a place but they still get excellent A level results. This is an important thing to bear in mind about these universities: many times more students get top grades than they can accommodate. It follows that results alone are not enough; Oxford and Cambridge are looking for people who will thrive in their very particular environments. They are not for everyone. Academically they can feel like a pressure cooker, particularly when you begin to approach the summer exams. I remember seeing some very eccentric behaviour among my fellow students in exam term, most of whom went on to get much better results than me.

Every individual college is its own institution, many are quite small, and those selecting students at interview will have an eye for who will fit in well. If you are considering an application, it is very valuable to spend time researching the colleges to see which ones might be right for you. There are lots of random things to know. Who will accommodate you for all three years? How are rooms allocated? (Sometimes it is a ballot, but at least one Cambridge college allocates rooms based on exam results.) Who offers summer travel grants, book grants or other grants for living expenses? Who will do your washing for you? Subject choices work differently at Oxford and Cambridge. At Cambridge you can study just about any course at most of the colleges; at Oxford each college offers a limited choice. Fortunately all these fun facts and many more are available online and diligent research pays dividends. Both cities attract enormous numbers of tourists, and the number of visitors to the college is something to consider as well, particularly at the most centrally located ones. Fortunately colleges close to the public for several weeks around exams.

University is a fantastic place to explore all sorts of interests. British universities generally have a huge range of clubs and societies, where you can try a new sport or activity. I did not really enjoy sport at school, but tried new things at university and I have never looked back. With the Oxbridge colleges each being smaller institutions, it is worth knowing what their facilities are like. Almost all have a bar, many have gyms (some paid, some free), some have a squash court, cinema, theatre, swimming pool, access to punts on the river and so on. One thing I noticed in visiting a variety of universities was that the level of resources at Oxford and Cambridge are definitely in a different league to others. You are surrounded by new buildings and state of the art facilities; there is no talk about lecturers going on strike. Contrast this with sometimes disgruntled students we met in other contexts, who face university cuts alongside high fees and living expenses.

When I applied to Cambridge, I did not expect to get an interview, let alone to be offered a place. Perhaps the most important piece of advice I would give anyone considering an application is that if you do not try, you definitely will not stand a chance. The thing that persuaded me to go for it was the thought that I might get the grades and then never know if I could have got in. Life is too short to have regrets about your big decisions when you are only 18!

Just like Oxford and Cambridge, the Church of England is an ancient institution which combines ancient and modern. All over England, we worship weekly in buildings some of which date back to the Norman conquest. Many have been updated with flat screens, wifi and even inside toilets. We serve good coffee, welcome all kinds of people and sit at the heart of our communities. Every single neighbourhood in our country has a local parish church, mostly within walking distance. As well as worship services, we offer all sorts of groups and facilities, from parent and toddler groups to bereavement support, Alcoholics Anonymous, Christians Against Poverty, foodbanks and much more. The Church of England is the largest provider of youth work in England.

Many of these things would have been beyond the imagination of our ancestors even 100 years ago. But I suspect that if you walked in on a Sunday, much of what you experience would be similar in many ways: a warm welcome, a sense of God’s presence, something intangible and special in the worship. These leading institutions of British society change with the times and yet offer something immutable. At a time where we mistrust many of our traditional institutions, it is worth looking again at where to find truth, stability and hospitality.