Getting into a Top UK University – a How To Guide

Part 3

Keeping all options open

It is worth noting up front that Oxbridge, for many children, and schools, does not even make their radar.

This can be simply because of an assumption that a young man or woman is simply not “good enough” or because Oxbridge is simply not “for normal people”. Often this can be because individuals and many schools simply have no framework of previous family members, or students, having an Oxbridge background, or previously securing a place. Despite the many myths about Oxbridge, it is the case today that Oxbridge is very welcoming of young men and women from all backgrounds, socio-economic groups – and international students certainly do not face a barrier to admission. The only barrier to a successful application is grades, a genuine unwavering passion for the subject to be studied – and an understanding of the application process.

Not all schools have expertise in the Oxbridge process or any history of having secured places for their school leavers. For academic children, the “Oxbridge Question” should be one that is asked up front to prospective schools – do you have the experience, expertise and history of securing places at one or more of the Oxbridge colleges – and for which courses.

We think that Oxbridge should be the very top of the list for many academic children.

For other young men and women, making any sense of “the best” universities, and why the choice of university matters may not a pressing issue given the plethora of draws on their time and focus from their academic studies and broader social and cultural interests.

Choosing the right university does matter. This means not only in terms of its eventual ability to open doors that meet the ambitions of each young adult – but also choosing the university that is best able to meet the needs and ability of each child – and which will offer a place.

 

In many cases a degree from a cluster of the world’s top universities, including Oxbridge, opens doors to future career opportunities that are not opened by lesser universities. In some cases, the brand of the university is just as important as the subject studied – maybe more so, in defining future career opportunities.

Conversely, the best university for a particular subject, can actually fall outside Oxbridge or any of the better-known university elite “brands.” To open industry doors into, for example, automotive design, Coventry University, rather than Oxbridge will be a far better option. Understanding each young man and woman’s individual career aspirations, and the complex landscape of university courses, admissions requirements and reputation, requires specialists in each school.

The best schools in the UAE, and this is particularly true of those offering specialised and dedicated Sixth Form provision, ensure that the options open to children on leaving school are tackled at the start of the Sixth Form journey, not at the end of it.

Choosing the right subjects to maximize the chance of winning a place at a chosen university in an increasingly competitive graduate market is simply one of many decisions that arguably need to be taken early. But once those subjects have been decided, the best schools in the UAE will begin working quickly on building each child’s individual package of studies and mentoring them on their journey in parallel with their core academic studies.

Parents, and young men and women, in considering where to study at this final crucial period between 16 and 18 – whether in a British Sixth Form, an IB school, or one of the many curricular alternatives – should be asking schools specifically about the quality of the careers and graduation support they can expect as a key element in weighting each school.

We cannot overstate the importance of weighting the quality of a school’s support programmes and the degree of investment each school makes in their career departments.

In the following we cannot do more than highlight why thinking about the ultimate university trajectory of each child, matters – and significantly so. If we do no more than encourage young men and women to actively engage in school career programmes at the earliest opportunity within their schools, and treat them seriously, rather than as a secondary matter, this guide will have achieved its purpose.

Next: League tables