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MARLBOROUGH COLLEGE
Oxbridge Preparation at Marlborough As you will have noted from the description of an Oxbridge application and what Admissions tutors are looking for, a commitment and passion for your subject, an ability to address and verbalise areas of your chosen subject beyond the A level/Pre-U syllabus, and subject specific skills are all necessary for a successful application. Each of these key areas will be a focus in the preparation cycle moving towards an application.
When considering the key aspects of a successful application, researching beyond the syllabus shows an obvious passion and commitment to your subject. This should become evident in a Personal Statement that will centre around the research you have done. Additionally, exposing yourself to concepts and ideas beyond the syllabus with wider research will better prepare you to deal with challenging topics covered in an interview.
The Oxbridge Commitment
Whilst Marlborough can be a busy place, with a number of commitments in sport, music, and even prep, independent research must be prioritised if you are to be successful in an application to Oxbridge. Do not think that you can leave this to the last minute – you will need to finalise your Personal Statement by September of your Upper Sixth year, so you must engage with this extensively in your Lower Sixth year.
The successful Oxbridge applicant will be bright, indeed, but far more than this. They will take the initiative, they will seek out opportunities, they will be independent, passionate and determined. With this in mind, the preparation offered at Marlborough is not a spoon-feeding process. If pupils want to apply to Oxbridge, they will be expected to drive their own progress through independent research, being proactive and, importantly, prioritising academic matters over other commitments. With the decision to apply comes a commitment to prioritise this preparation, to fully prepare for department sessions, Admissions test workshops and mock interviews, and to be the creator of your own success.
Oxbridge Mentors Although the motivational and organisational onus remains on the pupil, each Oxbridge hopeful is assigned an Oxbridge Mentor at the beginning of their Lower Sixth year to guide their preparation, monitor their progress and answer any questions that the pupil may have. Meetings between mentor and pupil will occur twice termly, focusing on the keys to a successful application, how the pupil is working towards a successful application and what else they can do to further enhance their preparation.
Independent Research Quite simply, researching around your chosen subject or course is the most essential form of preparation for an Oxbridge application. Indeed, plenty of preparation will be offered by your beaks, but if you are not reading around your subject extensively in your own time, this preparation will be futile.
Your reading should be driven by your interests within your chosen subject, but your beaks will be more than happy to guide you in your research. In fact, most departments will have a recommended reading list for relevant courses, and Oxford also publish recommended reading for many subjects, which is also applicable for Cambridge courses. The link below will take you to these recommended reading lists, but these are by no means exhaustive or necessary. As mentioned above, your reading should be driven by your own passion and interests, which may lead you to books in the Memorial Library, articles online, magazines (many of which are subscribed to by the Memorial Library for you – see the e-Library page on Firefly), or even lectures and TED Talks online. Oxford Course Reading Lists Make sure that you keep a record of the things that you read, along with your notes on the key ideas, questions and thoughts you have when researching. Your research will be pointless if you cannot remember what you read about when it comes to writing your Personal Statement or attending an interview. Another way to expand and exhibit your research is by entering an essay competition, completing a relevant online course, or any work experience that directly relates to your course.
