Thank you for visiting UK Summer School.
This course has been changed to the UK University Application Bootcamp. Please click on the link below for details of this programme, or alternative Oxbridge study programmes at both Cambridge and Oxford University.
>>> UK University Application Bootcamp (16-18)
>>> Cambridge University Advanced Academic Summer Courses (16-18)
>>> Oxford University Advanced Academic Summer Courses (16-18)
Taking place at Oxford University and partnering with Oxford International College – No.1 ranked for 2019 A-level results and university application success, Oxbridge Preparation Summer Course is designed for ambitious, high-achieving students who aim to apply to Oxford, Cambridge and Russell Group Universities.
The admission criteria to world class universities vary considerably. While academic strength is a pre-requisite, it does not guarantee acceptance. As a serious applicant to UK leading universities, you need to be well prepared. The two-week Oxbridge Preparation Summer Course is specifically designed to prepare students with the best possible chance of gaining a place at one of the UK’s top universities. The syllabus will focus on the two ‘Oxbridge’ Universities, but will also include aspects relating to applying to the UK’s top 30 institutions. Students will have at least three personal 1-to-1 supervisions with their tutor, to ensure their university application is progressing appropriately.
The syllabus has been designed by educationalist Yasmin Sarwar, co-founder of Cardiff Sixth Form College and now Oxford International College’s Chief Education Officer, who has developed a global reputation for providing unrivalled support in areas such as:
- Aptitude testing and careers advice
- Interview techniques and preparation
- Personal statement writing
- Understanding what attracts university offers
By the end of the course, students will:
- Fully understand dates, deadlines, content of the application and entrance requirements.
- Have been advised which degree courses they should apply for.
- Have written their personal statements for their UCAS application.
- Be prepared for any university entrance exams: UKCAT, LNAT etc.
- Have developed the confidence to perform well at interview.
- Understand how to continue the preparation for interviews to ensure they have the best possible chance of success.
The programme of Oxbridge Preparation Summer Course includes a mix of 1:1 tutorials, small-group classes, UCAS application workshops and university style lectures which guide students through the application system and provide an insight into life as an undergraduate at a top UK university. The course contents will cover UK university admission process seminars, cultural understanding lectures, aptitude and logic, and study skills. In addition to these group classes and lectures each student will benefit from a one-to-one tutorial with a personal tutor to discuss university study goals and personal study plan. Lessons on IELTs Exams, Critical Thinking and General Studies, which are all designed to prepare students for the reasoned thinking expected by leading UK universities.
Course essentials:
Oxbridge Preparation Summer Course includes:
- 20 hours of individual, small group and group tuition per week
- 1:1 counseling sessions
- Mock interviews with feedback
- Careers Guidance Assessment with a detailed report to help students determine which subjects they should consider at university
- Visits to top UK universities
- Full social and activity programme
- 3 full day excursions over 2 weeks
- Formal Hall at the Oxford University college dinning hall
- Maximum class size of 11 students
- Insurance and Airport transfers (Heathrow & Gatwick airports between 10:00-20:00 GMT)
Course Syllabus:
The course syllabus covers:
- UK University Admission Process Seminars
- The UCAS System & Requirements
- Interview Techniques
- Writing Personal Statements
- Applying to ‘Oxbridge’ for International Students
- Cultural Understanding Lectures
- The UK Educational System (Higher and Further Education)
- UK Examinations
- UK Student Life
- Shakespeare’s Life and Plays
- British Royalty & Political Systems
- Aptitude and Logic
- Critical Thinking
- General Studies
- English for Academic Purposes
- Morrisby Tests
- Study Skills
- How to Survive University Lectures
- Revision Techniques
- How to Write a University Essay
- One-to-One Tutorial
- Life goals
- University goals
- Short and long-term ambitions
- Personal study plan
Social Programme:
Students will also enjoy a full social programme including 3 full day excursions over a two-week course. Possible excursions include:
- Punting
- Buckingham Palace
- Houses of Parliament
- West End Musical
- Natural History Museum
- Hyde Park
- London Eye
- British Museum
- Southbank Walking Tour
- Oxford Street
- Stratford Upon Avon
- Warwick Castle
- Canterbury
- Oxford
- Ely & Ely Cathedral
- Thorpe Park
- Bury St Edmunds
- Bath
- Bristol
- Stonehenge
- Windsor Castle
Below is a sample timetable of Oxbridge Preparation Summer Course.
Boarding:
Students live and study in beautiful St Edmund Hall of Oxford University, 5 minute walk to Oxford city centre. The accommodation consists of twin bedrooms with shared bathrooms in separate male and female accommodation blocks. Gated campus with electronic fob and 24 hour Porter’s Lodge.
Meals:
Well balanced, nutritious three cooked meals are provided. Packed lunches are provided for excursions. At the end of the course, every student will also enjoy a traditional Oxford University Formal Hall meal – a set menu evening meal which lets students sample life as a real Oxford student.
Facilities:
Large, modern auditorium, TV room & common area, sports field, student computer room, wi-fi available throughout.
Laundry:
Coin operated washing and drying machines on college premises, paid by summer school.
University Application
- All applications to UK universities are made through UCAS, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (www.ucas.com).
- International students from non-European countries may be accepted on the basis of their school leaving qualifications, but most of them may have to do A-Levels, a Pre-University Foundation Course or the IB Diploma instead.
- A qualification in English such as IELTS is also required for international students.
- Students are able to apply to five universities online. Each of the five universities will consider their application separately.
All students attending UK University Preparation Summer Camp will have their academic records assessed and recommendations will be made where necessary if their qualifications do not meet the entrance requirements for leading UK universities.
Application Deadlines
- Deadline for receipt at UCAS of applications for Cambridge or Oxford or Medical Schools is 15 October.
- Deadline for receipt at UCAS of all other applications (except some art and design courses) is 15 January.
Oxbridge Universities
- Undergraduate applicants are not permitted to apply to both Oxford and Cambridge universities in the same year.
- Both Oxford and Cambridge are collegiate universities, prospective students are advised to select a college at Oxford or Cambridge when they apply.
- Graduate admission is first decided by the faculty or department relating to the applicant’s subject.
- Most applicants who are called for interview will have at least three A-grade A-level qualifications or equivalent, relevant to their chosen course.
- Gaining places at Oxford and Cambridge remains a central focus for many private and selective state schools in the UK.
- The overall success rate for Oxbridge applicants is around 20%.
All students attending the UK University Preparation course will get advice on which colleges they should consider. They will also get a chance to attend the Open Days of Oxford and Cambridge which are being held in the first week of the course.
Entrance Exams
Most Medical Schools, Law Schools and many subjects or colleges at Oxford and Cambridge universities have special entrance examinations in addition to A Levels / IB or school leaving examinations. The entrance exams include:
- Medicine – BMAT, UKCAT
- Law – LNAT
- Mathematics – STEP
- Thinking Skills Assessment – TSA
Preparation for these entrance exams is included in the Subject Tuition seminars.
Interviews
In addition to academic strength, a vigorous interview, as part of the application process to Oxford, Cambridge and Medical Schools is crucial for distinguishing between the most able candidates.
All students at the Oxbridge Preparation Summer Course will receive regular mock interviews with feedback on their performance, aiming to help students develop the confidence needed to succeed at interview.
Personal Statements
All applicants are required to write a personal statement (maximum 47 lines) in support of their application. Since most admissions tutors will have a large volume of applications cross their desk, how to make your personal statement stand out from the crowd is important.
Weekly workshops will be held during the course to help students write their personal statement. All students should have completed their personal statements for their UCAS application by the end of the course.
Individual University Guidance
It is very important that students apply to universities where they have a realistic chance of being made an offer of a place.
At the course, each student is allocated a Director of Studies who oversees the student’s university applications to ensure student the best possible chance of success.
