UCAS application

  • UCAS application
  • Personal statement
  • Academic reference
  • Education
  • Special circumstances
  • Declaring your inability

If you want to report at Oxford, yous need to employ a twelvemonth before the start engagement of your course by completing an online UCAS application grade. Applications open in May so you lot can start work on the form from then. Yous won't be able to submit your application until early September. There is a strict submission deadline of 6pm (UK fourth dimension) on 15 October. Your application must be complete - including the academic reference - and submitted earlier the deadline. Late applications cannot be accepted.

The deadline for applications is 6pm (UK time) on xv Oct and this must be strictly adhered to. There is no modify to this deadline in light of COVID-19 and late entries cannot be accepted.

UCAS application

Completing a UCAS awarding for Oxford follows the aforementioned process as for other universities, we just have an earliersubmission deadline of 15 October.

Please note that y'all should not send us as part of your awarding whatever certificates, transcripts or other documents for qualifications which you take already taken. The only exception to this is if you already take a caste from a university – see Other forms below. We volition contact you for evidence of your qualifications if you are offered a place at Oxford.

Earlier you get-go:

  1. Cull which course y'all would like to study. You can only apply to one form at Oxford, and yous can't use to Oxford and Cambridge in the same yr. Come across information on all our courses.
  2. Check the access requirements for your course. Specific grades and subjects required are also shown on each class page.
  3. Decide whether to express a preference for a particular college or make an open application. If y'all brand an open up application, you lot will be assigned to a college which has had relatively fewer applications for your course in the year you lot apply.

The UCAS awarding will ask for:

  1. Personal details including an email accost. Make certain you cheque this address frequently.
  2. Details about your educational activity, and any qualifications you accept already achieved.
  3. A personal statement where you tell united states of america why you are interested in your chosen course. See our guidance on writing your personal statement.
  4. Your reference. Call back that your teacher or adviser will need some fourth dimension to complete your reference, and this must be completed earlier the deadline. Meet our guidance on bookish references.
  5. A fee payment to UCAS is required to complete the procedure.

Read guidance from UCAS on filling in your application.

Admissions tests

For most courses at Oxford yous are required to take a test as function of your awarding.Registration for tests is not automatic and is not role of the UCAS procedure. Please check the details for your course, including how to register.

Other forms

If you are applying for a second undergraduate degree, please ship a copy of the transcript from your first caste to the college that is considering your awarding, to go far by ten Nov. No other references, transcripts, or certificates are required or accepted except for students applying for Graduate-entry Medicine (A101) or Choral or Organ Awards.

Personal statement

One section of the application is called your personal statement. This is where you can write whatever y'all'd like to say about yourself and your motivation to study your course.

People sometimes think that there is a play a trick on to writing a personal statement for Oxford, or that we are looking for some special secret formula, simply this is not the case. It's important to retrieve thatyou can simply write one personal statement then the aforementioned diction volition be seen past all the universities y'all apply to. Your personal argument should therefore focus on the grade you desire to written report, not the universities themselves. Please read this helpful advice from UCAS.

Provided that your bookish referee can give us some background on the impact of COVID-19 on your education in their reference, you do not need to specifically refer to this in your personal statement. If the pandemic has shaped how you retrieve almost your subject or offered you relevant opportunities to show your interest in your subject area, you tin of form include this as role of your motivation for applying for the course. Otherwise, follow the advice given beneath.

How important is the personal statement?

Universities build a picture of you as a student from all the unlike data you provide, to help decide whether or not to offer you a place. The picture is made upwards of several different pieces: your personal argument, academic record, predicted A-level grades (or equivalent), and your instructor's reference. For most courses at Oxford yous will also need to take an admissions exam or submit written work (cheque the details for your course). If your awarding is shortlisted, your interview will also be taken into account. This means that your personal argument is important but information technology's not everything: it's just i part of the overall picture.

What are Oxford tutors looking for?

Tutors at Oxford are only interested in your academic ability and potential. They desire to see that yous are truly committed to the subject field or subjects you desire to study at academy merely it's not enough just to say that you accept a passion for something: y'all need to bear witness tutors how you accept engaged with your discipline, above and beyond whatever yous take studied at schoolhouse or higher. This tin can include any relevant extra-curricular activities.

Endeavour to avert writing your personal statement every bit though you lot are ticking things off a listing. There is no checklist of required achievements, and tutors volition not just scan what you have written to look for central words or phrases. Tutors will read your personal argument to attempt to sympathise what has motivated you to apply for their class. It's a good idea to evaluate your experiences, to show what yous take learned from them and how they have helped develop your understanding of your subject.

Where should I start?

Think almost talking to your friends about what you want to study at university: what would you tell them? What have you read or watched or seen that has inspired y'all? (This might have been at school, at dwelling, in a museum, on TV, in a book, on YouTube or a podcast or anywhere else. Y'all tin can also accept a wait at our suggested reading and resources.) Why was it interesting? What practise you want to find out adjacent? What did you do?

If you lot find this difficult, it might exist time to think nearly whether or not you've really chosen the right form. If you tin't think of anything that has inspired yous, this lack of enthusiasm will probably come beyond in your personal argument, or it volition become articulate at interview, and y'all're unlikely to gain a place at Oxford. If you find information technology like shooting fish in a barrel to answer these questions, you will have a long listing of ideas to assistance yous write your personal statement.

When you start to write, call up not just to list your achievements but show how they have affected you, how you lot have benefited, and what you'd like to learn next. Exist honest about yourself and what has inspired y'all, whether that's been text books, museums and literature, or websites, podcasts and blogs. Be certain to tell the truth, as tutors might cheque later, and so don't exaggerate and certainly don't make any faux claims. Don't hold dorsum either – this is no time for modesty.

When y'all've written a commencement draft, have a await back at the selection criteria for your course and think about the bear witness you've given for each of the criteria. Have you covered everything?

Should I include extra-curricular activities?

Nosotros typically suggest that you focus around 80% of your personal statement on your academic interests, abilities and achievements. This tin include discussion of any relevant extra-curricular activities. The remaining 20% can then cover any unrelated extra-curricular activities.

There'due south a myth that Oxford is looking for the nearly well-rounded applicants, and that y'all volition only be offered a identify if you have a long list of varied extra-curricular activities. In fact, extra-curricular activities are only helpful in then far as they demonstrate the option criteria for your course.

If you are applying to other universities as well as to Oxford (you lot can make five choices on your UCAS grade) and then yous may need to find out whether the other universities take different pick criteria. If they do, and then you might want to provide some data nigh your extra-curricular interests – but keep it to a minimum. The space in your personal argument is limited, so remember carefully nigh what yous desire to include.

Do I need experience of work and travel?

We understand that not everyone has the opportunity to practise piece of work feel or to get travelling so these activities are not a requirement for any of our courses. Tutors won't be impressed by your connections, or the stamps in your passport, but they will be impressed by how you've engaged with your subject.

For example, some of our applicants for Medicine may take had work experience placements in prestigious hospitals but non be able to evaluate their time at that place. If you have no more than experience than some simple voluntary piece of work, or even just discussing medical matters with your friends and family, you tin can even so write an effective personal statement by reflecting critically on what you have learned and discussed.

To requite another case, for the History of Art course, tutors will not want to hear nearly all the galleries and exhibitions that you lot have visited around the world if yous cannot discuss the art that you lot saw. Y'all can come up across more effectively in your personal argument by evaluating fine art yous accept seen, even if you've but seen it online or in books without always leaving the school library.

Don't be put off by any friends who you think accept more impressive things to say in their personal statements. Think that tutors practise not take a checklist of achievements that they are looking for: they want to see how you have engaged with your subject.

I'm applying to dissimilar courses at dissimilar universities – how should I write my personal argument?

If you lot are thinking of applying for completely unlike courses at different universities (eg Physics and Accounting, or Biology and Music) we'd encourage you to reconsider. It's important to cull a discipline expanse that you lot really want to study, and focus on that one area when making your applications. Also, you tin can only write one personal statement which will be seen past all the universities to which you employ, and then it needs to be relevant for all your courses.

If yous are thinking of applying forrelated courses at unlike universities then nosotros suggest that y'all avoid using course titles in your personal argument. We recommend that you lot write virtually your interest in the general form themes, and how you lot have engaged with relevant subject areas, and then that your personal statement is as relevant for each of your course choices.

Does my personal argument need to stand out?

Students sometimes feel that they need to say something dramatic to stand up out from the crowd and be actually memorable in their personal statement but this is not true. Applying to Oxford is non like a talent show where you may only have a few seconds to make an impression. Tutors consider each awarding carefully on its individual merits, looking for evidence of your delivery and ability. If yous use your personal statement to demonstrate your bookish abilities and your engagement with your bailiwick or subjects, then your application will be memorable for all the right reasons.

How many versions should I write?

Ask a teacher to read through what you've written, listen to their feedback and then make any updates that they propose. You may need two or three tries to get information technology right and information technology tin can accept longer than y'all retrieve, especially with the limited number of characters. It tin be tricky to make it everything you want to mention, just don't spend as well much fourth dimension trying to make your personal statement completely perfect - it's simply one of the things that the tutors will consider.

Some dos and don'ts

DO:

  • DO apply for a course you really want to report.
  • DO be yourself: tell the truth about your interests.
  • Practice sell yourself: this is not the time for modesty.
  • Practise re-read your personal statement before an interview – the tutors may enquire you to talk almost things you've mentioned
  • Do read the UCAS guidance on personal statements.

DON'T:

  • DON'T be tempted to make anything upwardly, every bit you might be asked about it at interview.
  • DON'T copy anyone else's personal argument. UCAS uses plagiarism detection software.
  • DON'T list qualifications like your GCSE grades or anything else that's covered elsewhere on the application.
  • DON'T merely listing your other achievements: you need to evaluate them.
  • DON'T feel the need to exist dramatic in order to be memorable.

Academic reference

A reference from a teacher or someone else who is qualified to comment on your academic power is an essential function of your awarding. Your application volition be incomplete without a reference and we volition not exist able to consider information technology.

UCAS have now published guidance for how bookish references should explicate the impact of COVID-19. Please refer to this guidance in addition to the information provided here.

Communication for candidates

  • The procedure is unlike for those applying through a schoolhouse/college/middle and those applying after they have left school or as an individual. Run across how to get a UCAS Undergraduate reference.
  • The reference must be in English. If your referee is not confident writing in English, they can enquire an English-speaking colleague to aid them. Alternatively, you can have a certified translation made for them to upload. Please ask them not to submit a reference in any language other than English, and to make sure that they accept uploaded a reference in English language to UCAS by the xv Oct deadline.
  • Your reference must be from someone who tin can write about your bookish potential; it can't be from a family unit member.

Communication for referees

  • Encounter how to write UCAS Undergraduate references for general information about writing an academic reference for a pupil'southward UCAS application also as specific guidance for how to explain the impact of COVID-nineteen on this candidate.
  • We strongly recommend post-obit the UCAS advice to publish relevant information nigh schoolhouse closures and disruption to whole cohorts on a specifically created web folio on your school website. You can so link to this webpage in your bookish references to ensure that most of the reference give-and-take count can nevertheless be dedicated to the academic potential of your student.
  • At that place is more data about writing a UCAS reference for a educatee applying to Oxford on our Communication for Teachers page.
  • If the candidate is currently studying or awaiting results you will be asked to include predicted grades for these qualifications. This is an important role of the application, then please do include predicted grades.
  • It may be helpful get-go for y'all to refer to the selection criteria and admission requirements for your candidate's called course.
  • Please also include information on whatever mitigating circumstances that you call up nosotros should know nigh. Alternatively, if for whatsoever reason this is inappropriate, you may similar to contact the higher considering your candidate's application.

Education

This is the section of the UCAS form where y'all list all your qualifications forth with the grades you take already achieved and any standardised exam scores. You also need to list any educational qualifications yous are currently working towards.

Please list everything as the admissions tutors need to see the whole picture of your academic studies so far. It doesn't matter if y'all have taken a lot of qualifications, a few, or none, we ask you to tell united states nigh them.

Note: exercise not send u.s.a. transcripts for the qualifications you've already taken; you volition only demand to produce certificates or transcripts if you are offered a place here. Still, if you are applying for a second undergraduate degree, you will need to send a transcript from your beginning degree separately, to the college that is considering your application. You lot do non upload this equally part of your UCAS grade.

For any futurity exams, whoever writes your academic reference must tell us how they remember yous will perform in them. These predictions help the admissions tutors understand your academic potential and volition allow them know if you are going to meet the admission requirements for your course.

Nosotros appreciate that many educational systems around the world do not commonly predict a student's grades in this way; still without these predictions from your teacher nosotros are unable to consider your application. There'due south lots of advice for teachers in the teachers' section of our website and on UCAS about writing references and predicting grades.

Why do nosotros ask for predicted grades?

Using predicted grades ways you lot can apply to study at Oxford earlier you have finished schoolhouse (or equivalent) and you don't accept to look until all your exams are complete and your results are known. If you are made an offering of a place, it will be conditional on your achieving the required grades (based on the entrance requirements for your course) in whatsoever outstanding exams.

What if y'all can't provide predicted grades?

If yous have listed any exams or qualifications as non yet taken on your UCAS class, and then you must get your teacher to provide predicted grades for them.

If you can't get predicted grades, and so your only alternative is to await until you have got the last results for all your exams and qualifications before applying to Oxford.

Delight call back that you can only employ to Oxford between early September and 15 October every year.

How do I declare international qualifications in the UCAS form?

You should self-report all details of your qualifications, standardised test scores, and grades on the UCAS application course under 'Education'. It will need to exist articulate from your application that you lot are on track to achieve the admission requirements for your course. Please run into our international qualifications page for the international qualifications nosotros accept and the level of academic attainment we would crave.  For whatsoever exams yous are yet to take, y'all volition need to inquire your referee (normally the teacher supporting your application) to predict your results and submit these as role of your UCAS application. Please refer your referee to our advice on writing references and predicting grades.

You may choose to declare the results of whatever private modules or internal exams in the 'Education' section of your UCAS awarding, but this is not essential. You lot may instead like to ask your bookish referee to mention the results of any internal schoolhouse exams in the reference, if you lot feel that these results will assist to demonstrate your academic power and potential.

For further communication on how to enter your qualifications on the UCAS form, please see the UCAS website.

Special circumstances

If you have personal circumstances that you lot'd like to tell us about please include them in your personal statement, or inquire your instructor to include the information in your reference. If for any reason this is not appropriate, then please wait until you have had confirmation that your awarding has been received past a college and then contact them direct. This is probable to be around the stop of October. Y'all can contact our Admissions Office for further data and advice if you're not sure what to include. If you are applying for Medicine, please read the Medical School'south guidance on submitting information about extenuating circumstances.

Usually special circumstances are something that you as an private have experienced, something that is unique to you. So nosotros would not, for instance, expect y'all to let us know nigh your school being closed due to COVID-19. Nosotros are extremely aware of the widespread disruption to education during the pandemic and will be asking your bookish referee to tell us how this has affected your year group.

Students with disabilities

Delight see the tab Declaring your disability and read our Guidance for disabled applicants to find out about the back up we offer our students.

Other extenuating circumstances

We are sympathetic to the fact that sometimes candidates under-perform at school or college because of extenuating circumstances. If you feel that your operation has been affected in this way please let united states know. You should allow us have this information in your UCAS application as we need to receive this information before admissions decisions have been made.Information received later on admissions decisions have been made will only exist considered in infrequent circumstances and if this was not bachelor earlier.Examples would include disruption caused by change of schoolhouse or organization, astringent discontinuity of teachers (but not if this was due to nationwide schoolhouse closures due to COVID-xix), bereavement, and debilitating illness. We accept care to treat each application individually and would always have such mitigating circumstances into account, if they are brought to our attention earlier admissions decisions take been fabricated. You could include this information in your personal statement or your instructor could mention this in their reference. If for whatever reason this is non possible, then nosotros would advise y'all to contact the college y'all applied to (or are assigned to if making an open awarding) once you have had confirmation that your application has been received. This is likely to be around the terminate of October.

Teachers and other academic referees should follow the guidance provided by UCAS in order to explain the touch of COVID-xix on your education.

Whatever your particular circumstances, the earlier we know about your private requirements, then the sooner we can brainstorm to see them. We are committed to making certain that all our students can do good from the bang-up opportunities at Oxford and then delight do tell the states about any inability, whether seen or unseen, on your UCAS application. This should include any long-term illness, mental health status, an autism spectrum status or specific learning difficulty.

Delight be assured that admissions decisions are made on academic grounds solitary.

By telling u.s. now, you volition help us put in place any agreed support early and to make reasonable adjustments to facilitate your admission to your course and our University. It will also hateful that we can provide appropriate arrangements during the admissions process, and so for any test or interview. While you exercise non demand to include this data at this phase, we strongly recommend you do so in gild to give united states time to set and adjust suitable support.

Yous'll find the relevant section at the lesser of the Personal Details tab of your UCAS application

  • Click 'run into list' to select the relevant category
  • Fill in the 2d box beneath Category to give details of any facilities or special provisions required.
  • UCAS also has some expert advice about how to tell united states nearly your disability.

See also our further Guidance for disabled applicants. This includes data on contacting our Disability Informational Service and how to put in place any necessary arrangements for our admissions tests, if this is one of the admission requirements for your called class.