Oxford or Cambridge?

hewey
Fri, 25 Apr 2008 10:53:18 +0000

If you’re lucky enough to get an interview you’ll also need to show an incredible passion for your subject. My cousin got into Oxford for history, and one reason she believes she was accepted was because of the enthusiasm she has for the subject. Before finishing high school she’d already been on two volunteer archaeology digs in Egypt and Israel, an 8 week WWI-based tour around Europe and the UK, had two internships at the Australian War Memorial, gained months of high school work experience with two different anthropologists, a history professor and an archaeologist, worked for two years at a top museum in Sydney and taken a range of history-based courses both in Aust. and overseas during her school holidays. And those are just the ones I can remember. I’m not even going to attempt to venture into her academics and awards.

Keep in mind you’ll also most likely need to take additional, Oxford-developed examinations. In applying for history, my cous needed to take the “HAT” test (broad essay-based history exam). I’m almost certain there are similar ones for medicine, law and the like.

Either way, I’d try and improve your scores and make sure you can some how prove your enthusiasm for your subject. From what has been described to me, both from my cous and grandfather (who attended for medicine), they basically want you to prove to them that you’re going to (or at least going to attempt to) go on and change the world in some way or another. They really only want to accept people who are brilliant enough and passionate enough to do so.