'Preparing to Apply' - online sessions for prospective applicants
This summer we will be running 'Preparing to Apply' a series of sessions aimed at helping guide prospective applicants through the process of applying to the University of Oxford and prepare their application over the summer holidays before Year 13.
These sessions will be held online between the 7th July - 17th July 2026.
These sessions are free to attend and open to any UK student in Year 12 who is considering applying to the University of Oxford.
Choosing the right subject
Tuesday 7th July 2026 (5pm-6pm)
Deciding what you want to study at university can be a difficult process and can be determined by many factors.
Successful applicants to Oxford are students who are studying subjects they genuinely enjoy thinking and reading about, and who want to be immersed in their subject for three or four years.
This session will explore the range of courses offered at Oxford, tips on how you can narrow down your subject choice and how you can start engaging with your subject in preparation to make an application.
Super-curricular activities
Wednesday 8th July 2026 (5pm-6pm)
And how you can use them in your application...
The summer holiday is a great time to start doing independent academic research around your subject and start recording everything that you are doing outside of school that you could use as evidence on your UCAS application.
We call these "super-curricular activities" and they are an umbrella term for a range of different activities that you can do that demonstrate an enthusiastic engagement with your chosen subject.
In this session, we will be discussing what can count as a super-curricular activity and how they can be used to make an application to Oxford.
Our study skills lecturer, Dr Dyedra Morrisey will then discuss top tips for goal setting, time management and note taking. She will also speak on how practising these skills during the application process can also prepare you for university study.
Physics Taster Session
Monday 13th July 2026 (5pm-6pm)
Interested in studying Physics at Oxford?
Meet Professor Tim Woolings who will be discussing his research on the 'Thermodynamics of Rainfall in a Changing Climate'
This is an hour-long session, with a Q&A at the end to ask Professor Woolings any questions about his research or studying Physics at Oxford.
History Taster Session
Tuesday 14th July 2026 (5pm-6pm)
Interested in studying History at Oxford?
Meet one of our history tutors, Catherine Jenkinson who will be discussing her research about the Tower of London: Myth and Memory.
This is an hour-long session, with a Q&A at the end to ask Catherine any questions about her research or studying History at Oxford.
Wednesday 15th July 2026 (5pm-6pm)
Medicine Taster Session
Friday 17th July 2026 (5pm-6pm)
Interested in studying Medicine at Oxford and wondered what the course is like?
Dr Lois Brand will be discussing 'The Case of the Unzipped Woman'
Using the real case of a critically ill patient presenting to the Emergency Department, this talk will follow the patient's diagnostic journey from initial assessment to definitive diagnosis.
It will highlight how key learning from the Oxford Undergraduate Medicine Course will prepare you to manage such a patient - from a thorough grounding in the basic medical sciences covered in the pre-clinical course, to diagnostic reasoning, communication skills and practical procedures in the latter years.
This is an hour-long session, with a Q&A at the end to ask Dr Brand any questions about her research.
