Oxford summer school helps critical thinkers win top college spots

Local secondary school students with hopes of a place at Oxford, Cambridge or one of the Ivy League universities in the United States know that it takes more than good grades and a well-rounded résumé to gain admission.

Academic results and extracurricular activities will, of course, receive due scrutiny. But generally the tutors and interview panels are on the lookout for something extra. In short, they want students with the ability to think, who can analyse problems and articulate ideas, no matter what subject they are reading. Their aim is not simply to find candidates capable of passing exams, but individuals who are intellectually curious about the world and, as a result, have the potential to be a real “asset to the university”.

To familiarise prospective students with these expectations and enhance their chances of impressing, the Oxford Summer College, an independent not-for-profit organisation, runs programmes which combine teaching and a range of horizon-broadening activities.

The two-week residential courses, operating since 2011, provide intensive coaching in two preferred academic subjects, including one-to-one tutorials in the university style. There are also discussion groups, debates on themes of general interest, interview practice sessions and, to maintain an element of fun, quiz nights and excursions to museums, London sights, and to visit Cambridge.

James Gold, Oxford college director

“Getting into the top universities is increasingly difficult,” says college director James Gold. “Therefore, our aim is to help by teaching students in small classes of four to six, in as close to an undergraduate setting as possible, and to prepare them more generally for the admissions process and university life.”

Designed for 16- to 18-year-olds, the courses are held each summer at Pembroke College, Oxford, and are now open to international applicants. In total, each intake consists of around 60 students. The academic subjects on offer include history, maths, English and the sciences, as well as law, and give a taste of what the early weeks of a degree would be like.

These subjects are taught in the mornings, with afternoons mostly given over to a series of workshops to develop skills such as critical thinking, the art of negotiation, and persuasive writing, which is important for the preparation of personal statements.