Northern Ireland and Oxford:

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1 NORTHERN IRELAND TEACHERS NEWSLETTER October 2017 Northern Ireland and Oxford: LOOKING TOWARDS GARDEN QUAD, NEW COLLEGE (IMAGE: ADRIAN MALLEVAY) October: New starts & deadlines by Daniel Powell encourage your students to consider Oxford, and that our paths may cross again at the Open Days albeit at a different College. Wishing you all the best with the rest of the school year, and those to come. Autumn signals the start of a new academic term at Oxford. Here at New College, our Freshers are now settling in to life in Oxford and are busy making the most of the opportunities that are given to them. From my perspective, October is the beginning of a series of deadlines. The first deadline of October 15 th 2017 has now passed. This UCAS deadline signals the start of the admissions period at Oxford and there then follows a series of deadlines, culminating on December 15 th which signals the end of the interview process. The decision day for Oxford decisions falls on Wednesday January 10 th at which point the deadlines begin to become less frequent! If you have any questions, about any of the upcoming deadlines, please do let me know. I hope you have a successful remainder of this half-term, and wish you a restful and relaxing half-term break! In this edition: - Farewell from Charli - Hello from Misha - Life in Oxford: Conleth Burns - Key deadlines - Admissions Tests: Key information - Scholarships & Fees: Update - Upcoming events in Oxford Farewell from Charli: New beginnings at Worcester College. It is with mixed feelings that I let you know that I will shortly be leaving my post at St. Catherine s College. I will be staying within the outreach and admissions community at Oxford, but will be moving to Worcester College. Meeting and working with students and teachers from Northern Ireland has been a genuine highlight of my current role. I am extremely grateful to you all for the consistent energy, enthusiasm and kindness that you have put into supporting our efforts to widen participation from Northern Ireland. I hope that you continue to Hello from Misha: Access & Communications, New College. I grew up in Oxford and attended a local state comprehensive (Cheney School) and returned there as a Teaching Assistant before going to university. I decided early on that I didn t want to go to Oxford, wanted to go somewhere different for the new experiences and independence that would offer. I strongly considered Cambridge but eventually decided not to apply, worried that I might not fit in as a state school student, and wanting a more social university experience than the one put in front of me during Cambridge Open Days. I ended up studying History at the University of Bristol, which was great, but I have wondered ever since about what would have happened had I chosen to apply to Oxbridge. It is my hope to ensure that no state school students are put off applying to Oxford due to the fear that they may not fit in the way I was, educating them about the realities of the University and just how many state school kids there are here!

2 NORTHERN IRELAND TEACHERS NEWSLETTER October Please do get in touch if you have any questions my address is communications@new.ox.ac.uk Life in Oxford: Conleth Burns, New College In June 2015, I took part in the first Northern Ireland Schools Residential at New College and St. Catz College, here in Oxford. To be perfectly honest, I had gone for a free trip to Oxford having no desire to study there. I had the impression that Oxford was for people: far smarter than me, far richer than me, and far posher than me. Three days staying in Oxford changed my whole perspective. I spent three days spiralling up staircases, dining in impressive halls and being taken aback by the wonder and magnificence of the city of dreaming spires. This was a place of ideas, a place of debate, and a place where you could really come to learn. On the way home from that trip, I had decided that it could be the place for me. Being the first person from my school to apply, I had a huge amount of help from the community at Cross and Passion College. I drafted and redrafted my personal statement 10 times and prepared for interview by debating with my friends and my family at home. I got the interview, offer and grades and made my way to Oxford, a year ago this week. I won t lie that the reading lists are long, the tutorials tough and the expectations high. Yet, the last year has been filled with so many rich experiences. It s punting on the river, being trashed after exams (trashed = covered in shaving foam, confetti etc.), competing in the croquet championships, and having a college community that supports and cares for you that makes the reading lists shorter, the tutorials easier and the expectations more manageable. The Law Faculty in Oxford (image: ). The Law Faculty at Oxford is just a five minute walk from New College. As you can see, it is one of the more modern buildings here at Oxford. Deadlines: Please note that all Law applicants must take the LNAT between 1 September and 20 October They will need to register by 5 th October 2017 at November 2017: Submission of written work for some courses. The dates for this will vary from college to college. For exact requirements for each subject, and to download a cover sheet, please visit December 2017: Interviews. Students will find out if they have been shortlisted in late November or early December. If shortlisted, students will be invited to come to a college in December. For more information visit Wednesday January 10th 2018: Decision day. If offered a place, you will have until August 2018 to achieve the required grades. Spring 2018: Student finance applications open from early 2018.

3 NORTHERN IRELAND TEACHERS NEWSLETTER October Admissions Tests at Oxford Why test? The main reasons for Oxford s use of admissions tests are: Differentiate between well qualified applicants. In 2016, the University had over applications for 3200 places. A common set of data with which to compare applicants. Can help concentrate interview resources on those most likely to achieve an offer Assess the aptitude and potential of applicants To stretch and challenge applicants. Some tests assess candidates aptitude, i.e. TSA. Others test knowledge i.e. PAT & MAT. However, all test for potential. Candidates are pushed beyond what they may have studied at school. Which tests are used?

4 NORTHERN IRELAND TEACHERS NEWSLETTER October How can students prepare? All tests are testing for potential & students are pushed beyond what they may have studied at school. Whilst also testing for potential & aptitude, the MAT & PAT test the knowledge of applicants as well PAT test syllabus available from the ATS website. Remember that all departments publish past papers for practising. The more factual and content knowledge that is required in the test, the more past papers are available. It would be beneficial for students to practice at least one test paper Balliol is one of the oldest and largest colleges. In the 19th century it led the University reforms that resulted in the selection of students solely on academic ability. This remains the cornerstone of the University s admissions policy: we are committed to attracting women and men of exceptional potential regardless of their social, cultural or educational background. (Information and image from

5 NORTHERN IRELAND TEACHERS NEWSLETTER October Refugee Scholarship: Balliol College, Oxford Opportunity for applicable students Balliol offers a Students Scholarship, which intends to support a student ordinarily resident in the UK with either refugee status or leave to remain in the UK on the grounds of humanitarian protection in studying for an undergraduate degree at the University of Oxford commencing October The Scholarship aims to provide a talented undergraduate with a fully funded opportunity to study for a degree without disruption, so that they can achieve their full academic potential: it covers full tuition fees and a full maintenance award, sufficient to cover accommodation, food and other living costs. Further information can be found here: Information on University fees: No change for 2018 / 19 On 9 October the UK government confirmed that the full-time tuition fee cap for Home/EU students will remain at 9,250 for the 2018/19 academic year. The relevant areas of the University website have now been updated to reflect this. Details of the written ministerial statement can be found at Upcoming events in Oxford: It All Adds Up: A Maths Conference for Girls: 9 th & 11 th January The Mathematical Institute and Department of Statistics are pleased to welcome girls in Years to our annual conference. The event will include inspirational talks by female mathematicians mathematical activities and games hands-on workshops 9th January 2018: Years (limit 12 per school) Bookings are limited to 12 places per school in the first instance. An adult must accompany these students and the booking should be made by a teacher. Additional students may be placed on a waiting list up to a maximum of 15 in total please submit a second form if you wish to do this. 11th January 2018: Years (limit 5 per school) Bookings are limited to 5 places per school in the first instance. Students may book on and attend by themselves provided they are over 16. Any students over the allocation will be placed on a waiting list up to a maximum of 10 in total. BOOKINGS ARE NOW OPEN and will close on Friday 8 th December, or when we are fully booked. Waiting list places will be released at this time. Please see for more information.

6 NORTHERN IRELAND TEACHERS NEWSLETTER October Teacher Events These events aim to equip teachers with the best possible advice for their students on applying to Oxford and the programme covers all aspects of the admissions process from identifying candidates to writing references and preparing candidates for admissions tests and interviews. Applications for teachers to attend these events open early next year. Sutton Trust Teacher Summer School A two-day residential conference for UK state schools. There are 80 places available and both humanities and science teachers are welcome to apply. Monday 9 and Tuesday 10 July, Oxford Regional Teachers Conferences These conferences are open to any UK school or college and will take place on: Thursday 21 June - Innside Hotel, Manchester Friday 22 June - The Studio, Birmingham Monday 2 July - Hilton Templepatrick, Northern Ireland If you d be interested in attending one of these conferences please do let me know. International Guidance Counsellors Conference A two-day conference for guidance counsellors, careers advisers and teachers employed by a high school from outside of the UK. Applications are now open and the deadline to apply is Friday 3 November. Friday 23 and Saturday 24 February, Oxford Student Conferences These travelling open days are designed to provide up-to-date information on the application and admissions procedure at both Oxford and Cambridge, as well as student finance, careers, and providing an insight into student life. There is also a half day of sessions specifically for Teachers and HE Advisors which covers the admissions processes in depth. Friday 16 th March Glasgow Monday 19 th March Swansea Tuesday 20 th March Birmingham Wednesday 21 st March Aintree Thursday 22 nd March Newcastle Monday 26 th March Lisburn Tuesday 27 th and Wednesday 28 th March Greater London (Epsom)

7 NORTHERN IRELAND TEACHERS NEWSLETTER October Social media & contact details: Helping you to keep in touch Daniel: admissions@new.ox.ac.uk Telephone: Charli: admissions@stcatz.ox.ac.uk Telephone: Next issue: November 2017