Oxbridge Entrance: The Real Rules

by Elfi Pallis

There is no such place as Oxbridge, but it features in many families dreams. The reality, meanwhile, can be full of questions and doubts. What, a student might ask, is so different about an Oxford or Cambridge education? And, if you yourself only graduated from the university of life, will they want your bright child amidst all that period splendour? Is it enough to tell your son to work hard for his exams, or must he do something else to get into Cambridge? What if your daughter is keen on an oxford course, but nervous about being grilled by a roomful of plummy-voiced dons? This book starts by helping you to understand what sets the two universities apart apart and why it is worth going there. It then unpacks the "kitbag" of qualifications, qualities and activities that candidates must bring when them to succeed. There are chapters about A-level choice and grades, personal statements and access initiatives. Readers are taken through the key interview skills and the rigid entry rules of the Oxbridge medical schools. Minor mysteries, too, like what to wear to your Oxbridge interview, are resolved. Most importantly, the book also examines the arguments for making candidates jump through all these hoops. Designed to help pupils to succeed, it contributes new, critical ideas to the wider education debate in Britain.

188 pages, Paperback

First published June 30, 2008

Reviews

[anthropomorphism · Rating 4 out of 5]

Outdated (published in 2008) at times, yes, but still a good read to get into the whole system of things and actually readable, unlike so many books similar to this.