How To Apply
Pembroke admits around 102 undergraduates each year across a wide range of subjects from all educational backgrounds and a wide geographical spread.
Entry is competitive with places awarded to the most able candidates judged on assessment of their academic merit and potential. Roughly 60% of students read for degrees in the Humanities and Social Sciences and the remainder in the Sciences. The proportion of women is about half the intake.
Applications must be made through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) by 15 October 2011. Full details of the procedure appear on the Oxford University and UCAS websites.
Note that particular subjects have special requirements. These can be seen in the courses section on this website, the specific requirements on written work and also on the University course pages.
Click here to watch a short step-by-step 'How to Apply' video.
Pre-interview tests
Many subjects now include a test prior to short-listing for interview. All applicants for Law or Law with Law Studies in Europe are required to sit the Law National Admissions Test (LNAT) between 1 September and 20 October 2011. You will need to register with LNAT to take this test. Economics & Management, English, Engineering, Experimental Psychology, History, Maths, Medicine, Modern Languages, PPE and Psychology & Philosophy also set pre-interview tests, which this year will take place on 2 November 2011.
You must ensure that you or your school has registered for these tests in advance. Click here for further details of all the tests, both prior to interview and during the interview period in December. Most tests are now administered by Cambridge Assessments. *Note that the deadline for registering for any test administered by Cambridge Assessments is 5pm BST, Friday 14th October.*
Maths and Modern Languages tests are administered by Oxford University's central admissions office. If you are applying through a UCAS-registered school or college the test papers will automatically be sent to the Exams Officer at your school, to arrive on the Monday immediately before the test takes place. Therefore you/your school does not need to register in advance for these tests. Candidates who are at schools or colleges that are not registered with UCAS can still take the test there but need to complete a Test Centre Declaration form to let the central admissions office know the details. Likewise, students who are no longer at school, or who cannot take the test in their school or college for any reason will need to find another suitable venue, and let the central admissions office know where this is by using the Test Centre Declaration form link above.
Click here for information on Pembroke's Deferred Entry Policy.
If you require further information, please ring the Admissions Office on: +44 (0) 1865 276412.
The Selection Process
All subjects publish their selection criteria which you are advised to view, and select candidates for interview. Selection is on the basis of your academic record, predicted grades, personal statement, references and test results or written work. Selected candidates in the UK and EU are expected to attend for interview in Oxford. Interviews are in early December: see the timetable for specific subjects. Selected overseas candidates are also now invited for interview in Oxford in December, although other arrangements such as telephone or skype interviews may be arranged if they cannot attend in person or arrange a visa in time. See the University pages for International students for further guidelines.
If you have chosen, or are allocated to, Pembroke and are invited for interview in Oxford, you will receive detailed information on the procedure in advance. In some subjects, the interviews are completed in a day, but in others it may be necessary to stay for one or two nights, possibly a little longer.
Accommodation and meals are free. Pembroke undergraduates act as hosts and can tell you more about the courses and the college. Please bring your mobile phone with you if you have one, so you can leave a contact number in case of last-minute changes or additional interviews.
Interviews
The interviews are an opportunity for you to get a feel for the College, and to meet tutors who may be teaching you. It is your opportunity to present yourself as you are. We understand that candidates feel nervous, but we do our best to make you feel comfortable. We genuinely want candidates to show their true potential. Candidates usually meet tutors in advance for a group meeting and an explanation of the interview process, which may vary a little depending on subject. You may have a longer interview with two or three tutors or two shorter interviews. Sometimes applicants will be given something to read in advance of the interview which will form part of the interview discussion. Interviews will often start with a more general discussion of the candidate's interests (often arising from the Personal Statement on the UCAS form), before moving on to a more focussed discussion on the subject. Remember that the interviewers are trying to draw out your ideas, not to "trip you up", so be willing to enter discussion with them. A very good way to prepare for interview is just to discuss aspects of the study you are interested in with family or friends so you become familiar with giving and responding to observations or arguments. Click here for further advice regarding interviews.
One recent applicant wrote to us: "Unlike some interview horror stories I've heard, students and academics I met at the College could not have been more friendly and helpful. It was a pleasure to be there and I can't wait to return as a student."
Results and Feedback
Decisions are communicated to applicants within two or three weeks from the interviews; usually before the Christmas holiday period but at the very latest by mid January. Successful applicants who have not completed their secondary schooling usually receive offers conditional on acquiring certain grades in their school examinations. Schools are provided with broad statistical information about the selection process in early January, but applicants (and schools, with the permission of the applicant) can receive more detailed feedback on the candidate's application by request to the Tutor for Admissions or the Admissions & Access Officer.