Oxford University is one of the oldest and top universities in the world. As a globally recognized university, entering Oxford has been competitive and challenging. Most students always give up on pressing on with their admission to Oxford University with the preconceive mind that getting in is very hard. Admission may not be as hard as people think it to be as ways to get into oxford centers on intelligence and interest in the subject of study. In this article, the question of whether it is hard to get into Oxford will be answered.
What is Oxford University Known For?
What is Oxford University Known For?Oxford University is the dream school of many students at home and abroad due to its global recognition and impact on teaching, research, athletics, and societal development. The university is among the highest-ranking higher institutions that combine rich history and tradition for innovative and modern institutional learning. Oxford is known to have produced many great men, such as President Bill Clinton, Susan Rice, Elena Kagan, Cory Booker, George Stephanopoulos, Harper Lee, and many more.
Oxford operates an academic calendar divided into three eight weeks long terms. The first is Michaelmas in the fall, followed by Hilary in the spring and Trinity in the summer. The mode of learning is well-simplified at Oxford University. For instance, students meet for tutorials twice a week in a group of two or three students with a tutor who is an expert in the subject. In this tutorial, students get clarification on their thinking or the course work, ask questions, and get feedbacks that will help their learning.
Oxford has one of the best research facilities among globally recognized universities and has launched initiatives such as Enterprising Oxford. The initiative is meant to bolster students’ entrepreneurship and foster connections among students, alums, and the Oxford community of business leaders.
How Competitive is it to get into Oxford?
One thing that has made Oxford globally recognized is its age-long teaching, top-of-the-world facilities, and focus on producing people that will contribute immensely to their community. As a result of this, gaining admission into Oxford University seems to be highly competitive due to the criteria being considered in candidates before being offered admission. How hard is it to get into Oxford?
Over the past ten years, getting into Oxford has become more competitive than ever. In 2011, about 33,000 candidates applied to Oxford. Ten years later, the number of applicants increased to about 47,000 and had about 15,000 increases from 2011 to 2021. In 2011, there was an offer rate of about 21%, while in 2021, out of about 45,000 applicants, about 7,000 were offered admission, which is about 16%. These statistics tell you how competitive it is to get into Oxford.
The competitive nature of entering Oxford is not just in a vacuum. Some criteria are being looked into before candidates can be considered for the university. Once applicants cannot meet up with this, they become unqualified. Some of the criteria are;
- Academic ability of the applicants. As the university is known to have an academic heavyweight, it also considers the academic performance of applicants by looking at their grades and their genuine passion for the subject. Once candidates do not meet up with this, they won’t make it to the list.
- In the admission procedures, candidates who can think systematically and logically through complex problems are considered. And this is because Oxford runs based on tutorial groups that engage students in logical reasoning, and if you cannot measure up to this fit, you won’t be offered admission.
- The ability to communicate your point of view and defend them excellently with confidence is looked at. And this is one of the criteria that makes getting into Oxford competitive. Once candidates do not have excellent communication skills, such won’t be considered.
What are the Most Competitive Courses at Oxford?
Oxford University courses are significant and highly ranked. The rate of competition each of the courses has differs based on how important and viable it is. These competitive courses have a greater number of applicants’ input year-to-year, and it may contribute to how hard it is to get into Oxford.
These courses are mathematics and statistics, economics and management, computer science, medicine, mathematics and computer science, biomedical science, PPE, history and politics, physics, and law. In computer science, there is about 18.6% competitiveness, economics and management has 18.1, mathematics and computer science 12.5, medicine 11.8, biomedical science 10.9, mathematics 9.7, PPE, history and politics have 9.4, physics 8.8 and law 8.1
What is the Acceptance Rate at Oxford?
Most students check the acceptance rate of the university they want to apply to know their chances of being admitted. Seeing a university with a low acceptance rate, they try to avoid such a university. Oxford being a competitive University, is also highly selective. Oxford University’s acceptance rate ranges from 13% to 17% for applicants from the UK, while Oxford’s acceptance rate for international students is 9% and below.
Oxford University is a diverse institution with about 45% of its students from 160 countries, and attached to the acceptance rate are some barriers to only applying to Oxford or Cambridge. Another restriction of Oxford University is that applicants can apply to only 5 UK universities within an academic year.
Over the last five years, the acceptance rate has fluctuated between 17% and 13%. In 2017, the number of applicants are19, 953 and just 3,285 got an offer giving it an acceptance rate of 16.46%. In 2018, the number of applications was 21,516, and 3,310 got offers making the acceptance rate 15.38%. In 2019 and 2020, the applications were 23,026 and 23,414, respectively, with just 3,286 and 3,695 offers and acceptance rates of 14.27% and 15.78%. In 2021, the acceptance rate was 13.52%, with 24,388 applications received and 3,298 offers.
What GPA Do You Need to Get Into Oxford?
In getting into Oxford University, the Grade Point Average (GPA) measuring your academic achievement will be considered to offer you admission. To gain admission into Oxford University, whether as a UK resident or international student, you will need an impressive GPA. Oxford University GPA requirement for US students is a minimum of 3.7. This 3.7 in the UK is equivalent to having second-class upper honors.
Gaining admission into Oxford University requires that you are an A student, which will prove you to be a student above average. As a result, Oxford can be said to be a university that put into consideration your excellent academic performance. If you are applying for a competitive course, you will need more than a 3.7 GPA to be considered for admission. However, having a low GPA doesn’t mean you will not get an offer, and having a high GPA does not guarantee acceptance offers either.
5 Tips to Increase Your Chances of Getting Accepted into Oxford
In getting accepted into Oxford University, you need to get familiar with all the required processes that will increase your chances and poise yourself for it. Doing this will help you to surmount the hurdles being faced by many candidates asking how hard it is to get into Oxford. Although getting an offer is only competitive, it is not as complicated as you think. To increase your chances of acceptance, here are some holistic tips to help you.
Show High Interest in the Subject
If you aim to study at Oxford University, your preparation should start from high school. The reason for this is that Oxford places priority on academic performance more than any other thing, and your enthusiasm for the subject, together with your grade, will be considered. Therefore, it is essential to know the subject you would apply for at Oxford and focus on this subject showing optimum passion for it.
Extracurricular activities that align with the subject should be taken to show your level of interest in the subject. For instance, if you are interested in humanities subjects, you should join a debating club or Model United Nations that will bring out your oratory skill, argumentative, logical reasoning, and confidence in you.
Be a Voracious Reader
Oxford University is a highly academic institution, and to gain access there, one of those things being considered is the level of academic interest their potential candidates have. And it is evaluated through the number of books the student had read and how widely such also read outside the school academic syllabus. Once you pass this evaluation, it will guarantee that you can handle the stress and the voluminous academic work of Oxford University.
Aim for the best grades
Getting into a highly competitive university requires lots of things to be done by the candidate. One of the efforts is to have the best grades in high school. The grade range that Oxford considers is A*A*A-A*AA at the A level. Therefore, you must strive to meet this criterion in all subjects in high school if your dream university is Oxford.
Get relevant experience
To increase your chances of getting accepted into Oxford, you should have relevant professional experience in the field. And such experience can be gotten early in or after high school. Such professional experience can be obtained through high school internships. The internship will help you put your theoretical knowledge to work and exposes you to real-life experience in the field.
For instance, if you are considering going for a medical-related field while in high school, you should apply for internships in fields like nursing, pharmacy, laboratory attendant, and many more. It will propel your passion for the field and your eagerness to learn more about it.
Prepare adequately for the interview
Part of the prerequisite for getting into Oxford is an admission interview. The interview allows you to meet with your potential course tutors. The interview is interactive and friendly to discover your ability in different subjects. The interview will also put you into logical reasoning to know if you are the type of candidate that should be given the offer.
Scaling through the interview process and getting better chances of getting accepted into Oxford, it is essential to study the written personal statement thoroughly. Those areas you should master are the books you mentioned to have read and the projects you have carried out. Questions may revolve around this area, and your performance and communication ability will determine your qualification.
Wrapping things Up: How Hard Is It to Get into Oxford?
Applying to Oxford University, you should know that you are competing with other candidates for admission. And with this, position yourself well and brace yourself up for your academic performance. Other subject-related work or volunteering giving you better chances than others should not be ignored. Doing this will help you put an end to how hard it is to get into Oxford, which most aspirants always ask.
The University of Oxford, a high-ranking institution globally, is a selective university. That means not all applicants are considered for acceptance. Before you start your application, consider Oxford University tuition if it is affordable all through the required academic year. Oxford University fees vary from one course to another. If you are going for a competitive course, the fee may be more than the less competitive ones.
Getting into Oxford is not complex as people think it to be. Still, it is highly competitive because the institution looks for competence and intelligence in who will get the offer. Therefore, all the essential things we have discussed on getting a chance at Oxford University should be put to work right from high school.
Explore our other guides on university admissions and learn how to increase your chances of getting accepted! Check them out below.
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