The following account is by Anna Durrant. Anna joined our Sixth Form from Burntwood School and is following the IB. Anna has aspirations to study Natural Sciences.

"The event was very helpful, particularly because it focused on multiple aspects of the application process while still looking at each in depth. It began with a talk discussing both Oxford and Cambridge in general, as well as the factors that should go into making a decision about which one to apply to. We were then split into groups depending on our preferred degree choices, so that we could take part in a subject-specific tutorial with an admissions tutor from either Oxford or Cambridge.

This was probably the most helpful part of the day, especially because of how small the groups were (3-6 students). Undergraduate tutorials tend to be 1-4 students, so the group sizes allowed us to have a good insight into what studying at these universities could be like. The tutorials were also aimed at challenging us and the way that we think by asking us questions that we may have never thought about or encountered before.

This was followed by a talk by an admissions interviewer, who discussed why Oxbridge conduct interviews, and what the interviewer is looking for in a candidate. In the last session, we each had a mock interview from the tutor that directed our tutorials. From this, we were given marks and overall feedback on how we performed and ways to improve on this. This was followed by a workshop that involved us moving between different tables in groups, each table being aimed at a different part of the application, such as personal statements. Overall, it was a very successful and helpful day and I think it has made us all feel more prepared for the application process.