« A Common Mistake | Back to Archive | Key Oxbridge Application Dates »

What Happens After My Oxbridge Interview?

Sucedo Ltd. | 15 October 2009

The Cambridge Pool

Of its 14,000 applicants, Cambridge University typically makes around 3,000 offers for preferred Colleges and a further 600-700 offers for other Colleges allocated via a its Pool system.

Over a 2 day period in early January, application forms and papers of each pooled applicant (i.e. applicants not having secured their chosen college but not having been rejected either) are available for consultation by Admissions Tutors and Directors of Studies. This is an opportunity to further scrutinise applications until applicants are re-interviewed or offered a place without re-interview.

Admissions Tutors use the Pool to look at applicants from other Colleges before confirming all their offers. A small number receive offers from the Colleges that interviewed them in December. If a candidate is pooled, it is advisable to wait and not contact the College.

For re-interviews, Colleges make contact in early January (by telephone and/or e-mail) and request applicants to return to Cambridge for second round interviews. Between 5-10 January, some offers are made to pooled applicants without further interview , Between 8-10 January most pooled interviews are held in Cambridge. Between 8-31 January, pooled applicants who are not called for further interview hear about the final outcome of their Cambridge application from their original College. Decisions based on re-interviews are communicated to candidates typically between 12-31 January.

In 2008, 29 Colleges pooled applicants. There were 3,174 pooled applicants in total. Of these, 794 were made offers (285 following a Pool interview - 548 pooled applicants were re-interviewed in total). Some 93 pooled applicants received offers from the College that pooled them.

Oxford

In Oxford, in 2008, out of the 12,623 applicants, 2,443 students were accepted by their first choice college and some 727 applicants were accepted by another college. There is a significant reshuffle over the interviewing period, though how it's done is less clear than in Cambridge.

For Oxford and Cambridge, it is important to try to research the College and potential tutors who will re-interview you. Sucedo can provide a range of services to assist you with coaching on this front.

Acceptance and Terms of Offer

Applicants reply within the UCAS requirements and deadlines. If applicants do not meet the conditions of offer, it is possible that they will still be offered a place - either at the original College or at another College, as a result of a small 'summer Pool'.