How to pick an Oxbridge College

December 18, 2018

• Advice for Parents
• / University and Higher Education

One of our interns has written down his words of wisdom about how to pick an Oxbridge college. Read onto find out more!

Oxbridge applicants must apply to a college within their chosen university. Choosing an oxbridge college should not be a stressful experience. The likelihood is that you will come to love your college, regardless of your choice. However, the following tips might help you to make a better choice:

Location, Location, Location: inevitably, some colleges will be closer to the city centre of Oxford or Cambridge than others. There are positives and negatives to being in a college in the either of the two cities’ centres and choosing how central you would like to be entirely depends on your own preferences. If you do feel especially strongly either way, check where your college’s accommodation is located because many colleges have some accommodation which is quite central and other accommodation which is further out from the city centre.

The bigger the better? Another difference between colleges is their size – some have far more students than others. In larger colleges, you are likely to have more anonymity and more people to meet. In smaller colleges, almost everyone will know everyone and you might feel the community aspect of your college is stronger than you would in a larger college (though everyone college does seek to foster a sense of community).

Atmosphere: some colleges certainly feel more or less formal and traditional than others. This is another personal choice and should be based on your own preferences. For example, some students enjoy engaging with Oxbridge traditions regularly while others prefer to have some time away from them (though almost everyone still enjoys them!). If you are from a state school background, do not be reluctant to apply for a more formal or traditional college. You may not be used to the atmosphere of these colleges, but you should always make the choice which you feel is best for you and remember, these colleges are less exclusive than they were in the past.

Visit. If possible, try to visit some colleges before you apply to Oxbridge. This can be an open day or at any time (most colleges allow prospective applicants and tourists to look around them). Visiting colleges is important, it will give you a feel for the atmosphere in that college and help you to decide whether that college is right for you.

We offer assistance with oxbridge preparation – our expert team of tutors have all been to either Oxford or Cambridge university and are brilliant when it comes to offering advice.