The Real Disadvantage of a State School Application (Expert Oxford & Cambridge Application Advice)
When I started Year 12, at the same comprehensive school I had been at for my entire high school education, I remember being told about a lunchtime meeting for students who were interested in applying to Oxbridge or Medicine. At the time, I was more interested in Medicine than Oxbridge; it was not something I had previously seriously considered. I attended this meeting where there were about 20 students; I was amazed there were so many people interested in Oxbridge.
In hindsight 20 people at the Oxbridge and Medicine meeting was actually a poor show; my sixth form had over 140 people each year.
After the meeting, I signed up for several access and outreach programmes for Medicine; these programmes were very good thanks to the medical school in Leeds. However, as time passed, I realised Medicine wasn’t for me and shifted my attention to Oxford and PPE. This is when the support and advice collapsed.
My school was an average state comprehensive; it got slightly above average grades nationally and had a much better record for behaviour than the more local inner-city schools. For these reasons, my parents sent me there. However, none of the staff at my school had attended Oxford or Cambridge and its location in the north of England with only 140 students per year group meant that is was not a prime target for outreach programmes. All of this meant that the advice I received came from teachers, who were more used to advising students whether university was right to pursue at all.
These teachers were well-intentioned, telling me often about the various disadvantages I would be faced with given I came from a state school. However, in reality, the real disadvantage was the bad advice they were giving me, often perpetuating damaging myths.
The first test of this bad advice was writing a personal statement. When it came to writing my personal statement, I was told I had to read a long list of books which represented what my teachers thought a typical PPE student would read and which did not represent my own interests. I was told I had to read Plato, Adam Smith, Disraeli and all the classics. I was also meant to do competitive debating and essay writing competitions, D of E, be Head of Year and so on. To them, my personal statement was to show that I fit the stereotype of an Oxford student. This is not the case. Instead, it should show your true passion for your subject and present evidence which shows that you go out of your way to work hard and explore these passions.
Following the personal statement, I had been told the most important part of the application was my grades. I was told getting 3 A*s in easier subjects was more important than poorer grades in the five subjects I had chosen, and my lack of A*s across the board at GCSE was going to mean I had a weak application. While all of this is important for any Oxbridge application, what my school failed to realise was the importance of the subjects taken at A-level, and in particular how crucial Oxbridge’s own entrance exams are.
Almost everyone who applies to Oxbridge has a good academic record. If you do not, then it isn’t for you. Yet what is meant by a good academic record depends heavily on where you went to school. Both Oxford and Cambridge use contextual data, comparing your grades to those achieved by others at your school. Therefore, not having all A*s is more damaging for a student who goes to an exceptional private school than it is for a student from a deprived state school. This is the same for your A levels, so long as you meet the minimum requirements and are a top student in your school.
If you achieve well compared to your peers, you have the foundation for an Oxbridge application.
If you have written a strong personal statement, meet the minimum requirements, and are one of the top students in your school, you now need to overcome the next hurdle: the entrance exams. Arguably the support provided for the entrance exams put me at the greatest disadvantage. The support simply did not exist, with my school placing the emphasis on grades and not realising the importance of this step.
While there had been 20 or so students at that first Oxbridge and Medicine meeting, after personal statements and early application, this had been whittled down to around 12 by the time of entrance exams. Having done the additional research myself, I was very well prepared for my exam; I had taken all the previous papers as mocks and nailed down my timing. In addition to this, I had persuaded a History teacher to give me some feedback on my essay writing. This feedback wasn’t great, but it had given me some confidence. I had practiced to the point where I was consistently getting over 75 in timed conditions; I was aware that applicants achieving under 60 were very rarely interviewed and those over 65 were almost always. One memory that stands out is waiting to go into the exam hall talking with other students; one of these students, who had been passionate about studying Geography at Oxford, had only done a couple of past papers and achieved a score in the low 50’s. What shocked me the most was how she didn’t realise that the score was far from what was needed and the importance of this exam. Inevitably, when offers of interviews went out, very few from my school were successful, the number now dropped down to five.
When it came to interviews the teachers at my school gave the same bad advice many of you will come across; they told horror stories of students being caught out with trick questions, stumbling to give quick enough answers and failing since they didn’t know answers that went way beyond the syllabus.
One teacher had told me a story about a student who applied 20 years ago; they apparently entered the interview to have a rugby ball thrown at them and then apparently were asked to leave since they failed to catch it. Another teacher told me a story about tutors who placed a chair facing the wrong way to test if the student was confident enough to turn it around. This is simply terrible advice.
Oxbridge interviews are in no way like this, and you are not expected to know everything. They will not be trying to catch you out, they are unlikely to test that you have read all the books on your personal statement (I still wouldn’t lie), they don’t want you to fire off quick answers and they don’t expect you to know everything.
The interviews should be one of the most enjoyable experiences of your life. As a state school applicant, this may be one of the first opportunities you have had to be around so many likeminded individuals, talk about your passions and enjoy yourself. The best way to prepare for an interview is to make sure you have the right process, not the right answers; find someone who knows what they are doing, get them to ask you some questions and make sure you are able to take your time, think through your answers and form a logical structured response.
Many different types of students apply to Oxford, and many different types of students are offered places. The reason applicants from the best private schools perform better is because they are taught how to think critically and given good advice from an early age. It is not because they fit some character stereotype.
The best advice for any state school applicant is for them to do their research and get information first hand from the university and students, rather than following myths and stereotypes.
This article was written by Emrys (Oxford - PPE).
If you find this content useful, please visit Emrys' profile for further information on applying to Oxbridge. Alternatively, book support now with Emrys, using the form below.
Author: Emrys - Oxford
BA Philosophy, Politics & Economics
I have provided tuition internationally to students from Dubai, China and Pakistan. Through this I have a wealth of experience offering support for Oxford applicants, providing help with interviews and the TSA, where I managed to achieve a score of 80+ which is considered exceptional.
