Applying to Oxford or Cambridge

LEAPS eligible students, please get in touch with LEAPS between the end of June and August in the year in which you are planning to apply to Oxford or Cambridge so that we can schedule a LEAPS Pre-UCAS (phone) Interview to support you. This is due to the early (October) UCAS deadline for Oxford and Cambridge and additional application steps.

Oxford and Cambridge universities offer a unique student experience. Class sizes are often smaller than at other universities, students spend more time on independent study and receive highly personalised teaching time. Oxford and Cambridge are both made up of colleges, and every student is a member of a college (as well as the university). 

Find out more about student life at Oxford and Cambridge at the links below.

The process for applying to Oxford or Cambridge is different to other university applications. See below for the key points.

• You can only apply to either Oxford or Cambridge, not to both of them (in the same year).
• The UCAS application deadline for applying to Oxford or Cambridge is 15th October each year.*
• An admissions test is often required as part of the application process. Check if you need to register for a test in advance.
• You may be asked to submit samples of written work as part of the application process.
• If you progress though the application process, you will likely be invited to an interview.
• You can specify a college preference on your application, or you can make an open application (if you can't decide on a college).

*You have up to five choices on your UCAS application. Your UCAS application is submitted as one single application form, meaning you’ll also be applying to universities other than Oxford or Cambridge. This means you’ll need to do your research for all of your choices in time for the 15th October deadline, which is an earlier deadline than for most other universities. 

The application process can vary slightly between Oxford and Cambridge. Please take a look at the resources below for further information.

We hope these links will be helpful to you.

Please find below links to further information about admissions tests, assessments and interviews at Oxford and Cambridge.

(Note: Cambridge and Oxford never recommend you pay for additional interview preparation support!)