Oxbridge Conference March 2012

On Monday 26th March, a group of 26 high achieving students from Bacup & Rawtenstall Grammar School attended a conference about applying to either Oxford or Cambridge University

The conference, held at Haydock Park Conference Centre comprised of six presentations held throughout the day. All attended an introductory session which explained the opportunities on offer at these prestigious universities, with input from lecturers and current students from both institutions.

Following this the students could select from an array of seminars, some of which were focused on a variety of subject areas including Medieval & Modern Languages and Linguistics, Veterinary Medicine, Classics and Mathematics.

Some subjects were covered separately by the two Universities whereas others, such as Engineering, were presented jointly by lecturers from both institutions.

Other seminars were designed to provide useful information about how to make their application competitive and concerning student finance issues. Specific forums were also available to help teachers guide their students through the application process effectively.

At the end of the day, students reflected extremely positively on their experiences, commenting on what they had learnt about a range of issues such as what to include on their personal statements, which subjects they should consider applying for and which they no longer wish to (especially for those who had considered studying two subjects jointly) alongside learning about how much was on offer at both universities in addition to academic study.

The students reported that the day was very useful and in some cases had confirmed their intention to apply.

BRGS has a very strong record of Oxbridge success, with students gaining places every year since 1990. Two students took up places in October last year, and six students are currently holding conditional offers.

The conference was designed to provide up-to-date information on the application and
admissions procedure at both institutions as well as providing an insight into student life.

The event was aimed at students who have already completed their GCSE/Standard Grade
(or Intermediate 2) examinations and are now undertaking further study.

The conference covered:
Courses available at Oxford and Cambridge
Applying to Oxford and Cambridge
Student life
Student finance and careers
Interviews

Admissions tutors, academic staff and current undergraduates from both universities were
on hand to answer students’ questions.