How to Apply

Full information about application procedures is available on the University of Oxford website.

The following is a brief summary:

• In order to apply for admission to the University as an undergraduate you will need to complete a UCAS application online between 1 September and 15 October, for entry the following October. Please refer to the UCAS website for instructions.
• When making your application, you may choose one college of preference; alternatively you may submit an open application, in which case a college will be allocated to you by the Admissions Office computer.
• Candidates planning to take a gap year, and therefore wishing to defer entry, should specify this on their application form rather than after they have been offered a place.
• Depending on your chosen degree subject, you may have to submit some written work by 10 November. Some subjects ask candidates to take tests in early November, prior to the interview stage. You should check the arrangements for your subject in advance of making an application, as you must register for some of the tests in advance.
• St Peter's will consider applications based on any type of recognised secondary education qualifications from any country. For more information, please see here.
• If you are not a native speaker of English you will need to satisfy the University of Oxford's English language requirements.

The College runs a one-year Visiting Student programme for students from EU and overseas universities. Enquiries about the Visiting Student programme should be emailed to the Tutor for Visiting Students. You will find more information about arrangements for visiting students here.

The College also welcomes applications from students who have already completed a first degree at another university. See more information on Second undergraduate degrees on the University of Oxford website.

How do I pick a course?

Choose the subject that really interests you! We will expect you to work hard and we want you to enjoy your work. Don’t worry at this stage about your job prospects. You will learn all kinds of transferable skills during your degree course and these are what employers will value when the time comes.

Is it worth going to Open Days?

Yes, if you possibly can since we hope you will enjoy meeting tutors and other prospective students, but please note that it isn’t essential. It won’t make any difference to your chances of getting an offer. If you want to visit the college but can’t manage the official open days, do get in touch and we will try to find a time that suits you.

Can I take a Gap Year?

In principle, gap years are absolutely fine, and in general we think they are an excellent preparation for university, but in any given year we can’t offer too many deferred places so be prepared to try twice, i.e. once before you have taken your A Levels (or equivalent); then if you don’t get an offer try again after you have your results.

Any tips for my personal statement?

The main thing we are looking for is evidence of your enthusiasm for your subject. Show us your academic curiosity to study a subject in greater depth. Tell us where you have already explored around your course, e.g. have you read any extra material on your subject, or sampled any podcasts, watched any documentaries or online lectures?
Remember that this is just one part of your application – check that it reads well, is coherent and communicates to us why you would like to apply for your course, and then move onto preparing for your admissions tests and interviews

If invited, how should I prepare for an interview?

Not everyone gets invited to interview and this can depend on lots of things, such as the course you have applied to, your UCAS profile and your admissions test score. We are looking for potential, not perfection, so give yourself the best chance by applying!

If you are invited to interview, you can expect a couple of things:

• Interviews are an engaged academic conversation.
• They will happen online and you may have more than one.
• You will likely be interviewed by two tutors who run your course and they can last up to around 40 minutes depending on your subject.
• You might be asked questions on your personal statement, A-Level choices, your interests in your subject, and you may also be asked to interpret some unseen source material, or a problem.

To prepare, we have some key tips: 

• Practise talking about your interests in the course you have applied for.
• Practise looking at source material or problems from previous admissions tests under timed conditions and then ask someone to help you discuss them.
• Be confident that you know more than you think, relax and try to enjoy it.