There are only a few hard-cut criteria which can not be changed. The overall grade is one of them. But contrary to common belief, you don’t need a straight 4.0 GPA to be admitted to an Oxbridge course. At the same time, a perfect GPA does not guarantee admission, as there are other factors which are also considered. But to give you some idea if your grades are sufficient, I tried to define 3 broad categories based on data retrieved by the universities directly.

If your overall mark from your previous degree is worse than a high upper second (2:1) which translates to roughly a 3.5 GPA, then I advise against applying to Oxbridge. In these cases it is sensible to complete a masters degree with higher grades at another university and apply to Oxbridge for a PhD instead.

If you achieved an overall mark of a high upper second (2:1) or roughly a 3.5 GPA or better, then an Oxbridge application is definitely worth a try. I would, however, highly recommend to 1) apply to more than one course and 2) choose courses which are less competitive.

If you achieved a grade first of at least a GPA of 3.7-3.8 then you have realistic chances to apply for the more competitive programs. It should be noted, however, that even with excellent grades there will be competitors with the highest possible grades. Therefore, it may be sensible to apply to a less competitive “back up” program as well.

A detailed breakdown of the admissions statistics of all the programs at Oxford and Cambridge can be found in Lecture 3. “The Right Choice”.

Especially for PhDs but also for Master-level programs research experience plays an important part in the admissions process. Often, the prospective Professors are part of the admissions committee and put a special emphasis on the research abilities of an applicant. The good aspect is that the barriers to gain research experience are low and are a great way to improve the chances! There are plenty of routes available, be it through a research assistantship, collaboration on a paper or even a research internship at Oxbridge! (See lecture 11. “Research Internship at Oxbridge”).

Yes! This course is not designed as a one-off process, but rather as a platform to collaboratively increase your chances of admission to your dream program. You can always send us your application documents so we can review them and provide feedback based on years of experience. Additionally, there is also a forum available where you can share thoughts and practise with other course members!

Don’t worry; the tuition fees are immense and many students can’t afford them on their own. Luckily, there are plenty of scholarship opportunities available to fund your studies for a masters or PhD! I personally couldn’t have paid tuition and maintenance myself and funded my studies through three different scholarships!
The whole course is designed to prepare you ideally for all parts of the application, including the application for funding! (See lecture 4. “Funding”).

This depends on your personal circumstances and where you stand in terms of academic experience etc. Generally speaking, the earlier you start the higher are your chances of admission. There are multiple critical points in your personal timeline, where specific admission-relevant factors cannot be changed after. Knowing that you want to go to Oxbridge two years before gives you a lot of control to achieve the necessary grades, get research experience and choose the right topic for your BA thesis. Especially for undergraduate scholarships, this course provides valuable advise and insights to maximise your chances. The actual application for an Oxbridge degree takes place approximately a year before the start of the program, and this is the time when this course is most important.

Therefore, I advise to get the course as early as possible. Ideally, at least one year before the program start. But don’t worry if you’re too late – this course will still be of significant value up until around February to April (depending on program), which is the time of the application deadline (be aware that the “Funding Deadline” is earlier around December, which you need to apply by to be considered for funding!). After the application deadline only the lectures on college choice and interviews are relevant to you (if this applies, please reach out. You don’t need to pay for the whole course then!).

Of course! The main incentive to design this course was not money, but to make high level education more accessible! So if you can’t afford the course fees, definitely just drop me an e-mail.

The lectures are tailored to the specific requirements of Oxbridge. But general strategies to write an excellent personal statement are transferable and also useful to some extent at other high level institutions. Especially for scholarships this course provides very valuable insights, even if you apply at a university other than Oxbridge!

This course is designed for postgraduate level applications (Masters & PhD). Some parts are certainly also relevant for undergraduate applications (e.g. the personal statement), but there are different, additional components (e.g. tests) which are not covered in this course and also the interview is very different.

Beyond studying in Oxbridge ourselves, we have gained extensive experience by mentoring many students during their Oxbridge admissions process. Additionally, multiple scholarships from Oxbridge specific funds but also external foundations equipped us with the necessary knowledge to guide students through the finicky admissions process. Lastly, our motivation is very much rooted in the commitment to accessible education. Coming from working class backgrounds, with grandparents that didn’t even know how to read or write, we experienced first hand what systematic disadvantages mean and are deeply committed to be a part of change.