Oxbridge remains one of the most prestigious universities that students dream of attending. While students clamor for their attention, a lot of mistakes can be made during the preparation process. At best, you waste a lot of your own valuable time as a busy student; at worst, you get yourself rejected! So, take a look at our very quick guide on easy mistakes to avoid.
1. Meaningless Internships
By nature, Oxford and Cambridge are academic institutions that prioritize academic achievement. The majority of the courses have no requirement for students to complete internships
For certain professional majors such as Law, Medicine, Architecture, and Engineering, some shadowing or internship experience may benefit students. Doing an internship signals to Oxbridge that you are committed to your course, that you have immersed yourself in the reality of the industry, and have concluded, despite your experience, that you wish to continue your pursuit of a degree in that field. Even with that said, we have had many students apply to Oxbridge for these courses and still get in without internship experience. Without an internship, there are other things you may have to do to convince Oxbridge of your suitability and commitment. If you wish to know more, speak to a consultant today.
However, for most other courses, including Economics, English Lit, History, Politics, STEM, PPE, and more, an internship is simply unnecessary. Your Oxbridge interview always focuses on testing a student’s academic and intellectual prowess. In humanities interviews, professors exclusively ask questions on academic texts and work, with no topics veering towards industry and careers. They are much more likely to ask about a student’s EPQ or Extended Essay. As such, an internship is simply irrelevant.
Don’t succumb to the fallacy that just because a certain degree is conducive to securing jobs in a certain industry means it’s helpful to do an internship during high school in that industry! For example, many people end up working at banks after graduating with an Economics degree, but that does not mean interning at a bank is a prerequisite. Think about it—a teenager has virtually nothing to offer a bank! And universities as smart as Oxbridge know that!

2. Picking the wrong college
Many school counselors tell students that there is no harm in applying as an Open Application applicant. Open Application means that you forgo your choice of college and let Oxbridge choose for you. In my experience as a consultant, this is not always in the best interest of the student. Oxbridge will always do what’s best for Oxbridge. Sometimes, students may be sorted into colleges that they have a demographic advantage in (e.g. insufficient international students of a certain gender at a certain college). But other times, students may be placed in a college in direct competition with a friend from the same high school/boarding school for the same course. This actually happened to one of my students! In the end, Oxford only accepted one of them, which isn’t surprising. The college was small, with only a handful of spots for his chosen course. It would have been unreasonable for multiple accepted candidates to be from the same prestigious boarding school.
Regardless of whether a student applies via Open Application, Oxford sometimes requests students interview at a different college than the one they had originally picked. In such a case, the student has no choice but to interview at the college they offer. Sometimes, this is to the student’s benefit; other times, their detriment. This is out of the student’s control. However, this does not mean that it matters less if you apply via Open Application for Oxbridge. They will always allocate students who applied via Open Application last and will always try to accommodate students who showed a preference for a college. As such, don’t forgo your chance to choose! It is always better to choose! And fight for a college you think is best for you! We recently published an article on how to pick the right college for you.
There are colleges designed for mature students only, and quite a few only admit postgraduate students. All colleges accept applications from mature students, but Harris Manchester College is solely for mature students. Campion Hall and Green Templeton, Kellogg, Linacre, Nuffield, Reuben, St Antony’s, St Cross, and Wolfson Colleges admit only postgraduate students. All Souls is unique among Oxford colleges because it has no student members; all are Fellows, except the Warden.
3. Wasting too much time on irrelevant extracurricular activities
Unlike U.S. colleges, Oxbridge is not looking for well-rounded students. First and foremost, they care about a student’s academic and intellectual capabilities and achievements. Being a sports team captain, MUN champion, violinist with distinction in their ABRSM grade 8 exam, and charity enthusiast is at most, a footnote for Oxbridge applications. We have had so many students get offers from Oxbridge who had little to no extracurricular engagement.
Remember Oxbridge’s priorities—they want smart kids who will excel at their chosen course. If the extracurricular does not demonstrate this potential, they will simply not remark upon it.
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By Antonia Chui, Managing Director
Published 14-01-2025