Oxbridge vs. Ivy League (Application Process)
Oxbridge admissions - an introduction
An individual capable of making a competitive application to an Ivy League school is capable of making a competitive application to Oxford and Cambridge as well. Although the requirements of an Oxbridge application are different than the requirements for Ivy League universities, the core documentation for both applications is the same. In addition to the application itself, there are a number of differences in how Oxbridge evaluates applicants, most critically the absence of any legacy consideration.
American applicants to Oxford and Cambridge must submit their SAT or ACT scores and some combination of SAT II Subject Tests and AP exams. In addition, they must submit a short personal statement through the UCAS application portal. Applicants must then sit a proprietary exam, with different exams required for different subjects. Should the applicant’s test scores be deemed sufficient, they will be invited to interview at the college to which they applied. This interview may be conducted in person, with the applicant flying to Oxford or Cambridge, or via Skype. The applicant may then be asked to sit for another interview. Applicants will learn whether they have been accepted, either conditionally or unconditionally, in January.
Key differences
There are a number of key differences between an Ivy League and Oxbridge application. Ivy League schools consider applications holistically, considering a number of factors outside of a student’s academic performance when determining whether to grant admission. As such, these universities do not require a minimum GPA or test score to apply, only supplying the average SAT/ACT scores and GPA of admitted students. Ivy League schools do consider an applicant’s extracurricular activities as a part of their application. In contrast, Oxbridge is entirely uninterested in a students extracurricular pursuits. The minimum SAT score to be considered for Oxbridge is 1470, and the minimum AP exam is 32.
There is no significant essay requirement for Oxbridge applications. Although applicants do need to submit a personal statement, this 5 paragraph submission is largely irrelevant in comparison to the test score elements of an Oxbridge application. As anyone who has applied to Ivy League universities will attest to, this is not the case for Ivy applications. While many students excel at these extended essays, others do not. Students with strong test scores but who have trouble with the open-ended essay prompts of Ivy applications are better placed to apply for Oxbridge than Ivy League universities.
Oxbridge applicants must apply directly into a subject. US applicants will be accustomed to an application environment in which they apply to a university, and then declare for a major within a year of matriculating at their university. This means that Ivy League applicants are competing against all other applicants when applying, whereas Oxbridge applicants compete only against others applying for their particular subject. Applicants to Oxbridge must also sit for a proprietary exam in order to prove they are qualified for their particular subject. These exams are only offered in a handful of locations across the United States, and preparations must be made in order to ensure that applicants sit for their exam by the October 15 application deadline. Oxbridge students who decide to change subjects once they have arrived at their university will have to reapply to the university.
It should be noted that many subjects at Oxbridge do offer a great deal of specialization and customization. For example, politics, philosophy, and economics, or PPE, is a multidisciplinary degree in which students may choose two of the aforementioned subjects to specialize into. Similarly, history subjects are able to tailor their degree towards the particular period in history they are most interested in. Applying into a degree does force a prospective student to make a firm choice, but it does not completely eliminate choice from the student’s academic career.
The Interviews
Finally, the interview. Should an applicant have sufficiently high SAT or ACT scores, appropriate SAT Subject Tests and AP exam scores, and score highly enough on their proprietary exam, they will be invited to interview at their prospective college. The applicant may either fly to Oxford or Cambridge or conduct the interview via Skype. If possible, the applicant is strongly encouraged to attend their interview in person. Anecdotal evidence, supplied by both students and tutors conducting the interview, supports the notion that in-person interviewees have a higher chance of earning an offer to study at Oxbridge than those who interview via Skype. Nevertheless, students who are not able to attend in person should not despair: a Skype interview does not spell doom for qualified applicants.
Beyond the logistics of the interview, applicants must understand that an Oxbridge interview is very different from an Ivy League interview. Interviews at American universities tend to mirror the holistic approach of those universities discussed above. Applicants are asked to detail their interests, both academic and extracurricular. They discuss why they are interested in attending a university, and the interviewer extends a recommendation if they feel the applicant would be a beneficial addition to the university and campus community. The Oxbridge interview is quite different. Applicants are presented with documents and problems related to their subject, and asked to talk through their thinking and answer them in front of tutors for their subject. An inability to answer a particular problem does not mean that the student has failed their interview. Rather, if an applicant shows that they are able to think logically, support their arguments, and respond appropriately to guidance from their tutor they will likely be judged positively.
Differences in education
Beyond the logistics of the application, prospective students should consider the differences between an Oxbridge and Ivy education. As mentioned, Oxbridge applicants must apply directly into their subject of choice, and a change of subject requires a complete reapplication to the university. For students unsure of what they wish to study, an American university and its freedom of choice would seem to be a more rational choice. In contrast, students who have been interested in a particular program for years should apply to Oxbridge, and not waste time in general education classes.
Next, potential Oxbridge applicants should understand that the method of teaching is very different from American universities. Oxford and Cambridge practice a tutorial system of education, in which students attend weekly tutorials. These tutorials consist of the student, one tutorial partner, and a tutor (professor). These tutorials are intense academic sessions in which a student is made to demonstrate that they possess a strong grip on the week’s material. This can be a difficult adjustment for American students, who are used to large classes in which they are paid little personal attention. While there are lectures at Oxbridge, much of the work is done entirely independently. Depending on the subject, students must hand in either an essay or some piece of work every week. This work is reviewed and critiqued in tutorials, but students are expected to complete it independently.
Exams
This relationship between the student and tutor is reinforced by how exams are administered at Oxbridge. Tutors, or rather almost all tutors, do not write exams. Exams are written by a select few members of the appropriate department, and only an incredibly select number of tutors will be members of this group. As such, tutors teach their students not according to some test, but rather in accordance with a module syllabus, blind to the content of the actual test. This allows for a more honest relationship between the student, tutor, and exam.
The logistics of exams at Oxbridge are also very unique. Students must attend all exams dressed in Sub-Fusc. Sub-Fusc consists of a black suit (or skirt), a white shirt, a black bow-tie (or black ribbon), black shoes, black socks, and the student’s gown. All first year students wear commoners’ gowns, which are easily identified as the shortest and smallest robes. Second and Third Year students who were awarded First and Exhibitioner’s status after their first year wear Scholar’s Gowns, which are longer than commoners gowns. Students must also wear Sub-Fusc during collections: a bi-termly evaluation of a student’s performance.
At the beginning of all terms after their first, students will sit collections. These mock exams do not have any bearing on a students ultimate degree mark, but they do offer tutors an opportunity to monitor a student’s progress. Some tutors will set certain standards, such as an Upper Second Class mark, that all students must obtain in order to avoid re-sitting the collection. Collections occur in -1st week, or the week before tutorials begin. Students also attend collections at the end of every term. Unlike beginning of term collections, these collections do not feature mock examinations. Rather, they are tutor’s or dean’s collections, and usually consist of a brief conversation between the student and their tutors. In the case of dean’s collections, the dean is also present. These collections are usually just a confirmation that the student is doing either well or fine. Should the student’s performance be deemed unsatisfactory tutors may offer either a warning or recommend that the student rusticate.
To conclude…
As stated, students capable of making strong application to Ivy League schools should have no problem constructing a similarly strong application to Oxford and Cambridge. Ivy League applicants will almost certainly have the standardized testing scores necessary, and with prudent planning most applicants should be able to travel to one of the few testing centers in the United States. Oxford and Cambridge are world-class universities, and in many cases students may find they are able to construct an even stronger application for the two than for some Ivy League schools. Further, the style of individualized teaching and emphasis on individually-directed work at Oxford and Cambridge may allow students to flourish in a manner they would not be able to at American universities.
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