It has been a while since I posted on education and most children (and their parents!) are missing the support of school at the moment so this is excellent timing for the publication of The Oxbridge Formula by Paarul Shah, Jessica Grindlay and Chris Parker.
If you have a child in years 11 or 12 likely to do well/ or having done well in their GCSEs then this book is well worth your time. Although principally aimed at those planing on studying sciences and the more mathematical subjects such as economics there is much good advice here for any student in lower 6th (year 12).
Applying to Oxford or Cambridge brings challenges that applications to other universities do not - the entrance exams and admissions interviews. These can be daunting to point of putting students off even considering an application, and can also be a minefield to navigate even if they do decide to go for it. Here, then, is your answer, clearly organised and full of sound good sense.
It is a much weightier tome than you might think but is well designed for dipping in an out of the relevant sections to you. Courses are explained with "what it's like to study x" sections and explanations of how the subject differs between school and university, or what a day or week in the life of a student of that subject is like. It also summarises what you need to apply for the courses at Oxford or Cambridge in terms of A level results, or specific A level subjects. The various different entrance exams are explained - this is something of a sea of acronyms but that's hardly the authors' fault. There is plenty of depth of detail with styles of questions and the nature of the different papers discussed and QR code links for more information, sample or past papers, and free guides. I am also impressed by how many joint honours courses or courses that more interdisciplinary are considered: PPE, or Economic History for example.
The book adds to its strengths with really useful annotated sample personal statements and candidate interviews transcripts, as well as spot the successful candidate sections which compare different approaches to preparing for the exam and interview. The former show what is good to include, and how to display your experiences and interests to your advantage. Although the letters are subject specific the advice could easily be applied to any subject and would make useful reading if you're stuck on writing your personal statement (or advising your son or daughter) for any Russell Group university not just Oxford and Cambridge.
The interview transcripts show how the tutors are looking for teachability and an informed, enquiring mind. The amount of backtracking and "uming and erring" in the transcripts show how good candidates think on their feet and engage with what the tutor is asking them, but should also help nervous future applicants realise that they don't have to get everything right first time to be successful. I also like the focused sub-sections such as what a candidate without an Economics A level might get asked in an interview to study for a degree in Economics for example.
The third significant feature, the candidate profiles, are just brilliant. You can see immediately (perhaps more so if you're the parent) what are the useful ways for you (or your young person) to be spending time in the run up to the entrance exams and then the interviews. Clear differences are shown between targeted useful preparation, ill-thought out preparation or over-confidence or over-ambition, and candidates that work very hard but in the wrong way mis-directing their energies in someway, or applying for the wrong courses for their talents and interests. I think this feature as much as the more academic parts of the book is the real social leveller: it invites all candidates, whatever their background, to the world of what used to be called middle-class know-how.
Lastly there is much recommended further reading to help you prepare for the exams and most importantly for the interviews. These are potted reviews of the books not just lists. There is even recommended reading for you once you have an offer, to help you keep up to speed for your first year at university (again useful for students applying elsewhere). This latter is particularly useful if you are taking a gap year. With maths and science where so much knowledge is cumulative, you will slip back a little in your year-out and this advice will keep you on track.
As an arts graduate I asked myself was there enough here to help me understand the differences in the application systems if I was supporting a child to apply for science, medicine or maths (ie a subject far removed from mine), and there was. You can see the pathway if even if you don't understand the subject!
After closely reading the bonus chapter on studying philosophy (something I did read as an undergraduate!) I thought it balanced and informative. The suggested reading was demanding but very much in line with what I might expect to be recommended to a bright 6th former.The interview sample was thought provoking and you could see the way the student was thinking their way around the problems posed and what the tutor was trying to get out of it.
As for criticisms my biggest gripe is the sample letters are a bit London/private school-centric. Debating societies and work experience in Parliament for example are in one letter, though to its credit the notes explain that the key thing is to mention how the work experience fits with your subject choice which could apply to a much great range of life experiences. Another mentions spending a gap year working for a publicly listed software company when applying to study computer science, again unlikely to be available to you if you live in, say, rural Wales. I would like to have seen more of how a student whose background is a comprehensive school in a deprived area or a rural area, and whose out-of-school experiences might have been looking after younger siblings or working on a supermarket till might make the most of those experiences in their statement. It is fairly easy to see how working in parliament can be made to apply to the PPE course but more imaginative examples here and there would have been good. Equally though the same letter mentions doing an Open Yale course - providing ideas of something the reader could do to add to their CV with enough notice.
Overall, this is a five star guide with much to recommend it to a broad range of students. You can read more on their website here. You may also find the Russell Group website regarding the best choices for A level subjects here.
Notes:
PPE is Philosophy, Politics and Economics. A degree much beloved by future politicians, city workers and journalists.
The Russell Group is a group of 24 leading research universities (which means they prioritise academic research as well as teaching). There are many well respected universities outside of this group but it would be foolish to pretend other than that attending one of these does help graduates in the jobs market for some employers/industries.
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