The universities of Oxford and Cambridge, commonly referred to as Oxbridge, employ a detailed and unique admissions process. This includes a review of the applicant's academic record, personal statement, submitted written work, performance in written assessments, contextual data, and interview performance. Admissions tutors from the Cambridge Colleges assess each application comprehensively before making their decisions.
Oxbridge gives applicants multiple opportunities to demonstrate their strengths and potential. A holistic approach is adopted where no single component of the application is considered in isolation. While the most recent academic performance is given significant weight, the overall potential as showcased across various application parts is taken into account.
Each application is initially assessed by the College to which the applicant has applied or been allocated. Should a College find an application impressive but lack space, the pooling system allows other Colleges to consider the applicant. This could result in offers from Colleges other than the one originally applied to.
Applicants interviewed in December may have their applications reviewed by other Colleges in January. Some may require an additional interview. Decisions from this process are communicated by the end of January.
After A-Level results are released in August, Colleges may reconsider applicants who have narrowly missed their offer conditions or apply for the August Reconsideration Pool.
For mature students applying in March, the Spring Pool allows for their applications to be considered by other mature Colleges by the end of April.
Oxbridge typically sends out admission decisions in early January after a thorough review process. These decisions are based on a combination of the UCAS application, written assessments, and interviews. Each decision from Oxford and Cambridge is communicated separately to the applicants.
Should you receive an offer, it will likely be conditional based on achieving certain exam outcomes. If not offered a place, remember the highly competitive nature of Oxbridge and that there are many other universities where you can succeed.