Ellie Whelan
An almost unspoken stage of the Oxbridge process is the submission of written work. Too many students believe it to be of little relevance. With the interview, admissions test and interview, how will a school essay be the grain to tip the balance from rejection to acceptance?
As a successful reapplicant to Oxford University, I bitterly discovered the importance of this forgotten stage. Feedback from my first and unsuccessful application outlined how my admissions test scores were strong, but my written work was repetitive and unimaginative. Prior to submitting the application, I would have never expected my school essay to make or break my chance to study in the city of dreaming spires. Thus, on reapplication, I spent more time choosing the essay to submit, which played a vital part in my success. From analysing the admission tutors’ criteria to ruthlessly criticising my own work, here are the three steps I took in deciding on my golden essay.
Deciphering what the tutors want
Although you may have a creative writing piece which challenges the Brontë’s, if it does not fit the written work criteria, it will have no bearing on your success. On the Oxford University and Cambridge University websites, there are criteria for what impressive written work contains. Analytical, imaginative and organised creep up in both. Clearly, the admissions tutors want someone who can think for themself and express their ideas clearly. Highlight and annotate these criteria to fully understand what the universities are looking for. Then, it is time to become your own biggest critic.
Rereading My Best Work
It may be tempting to send in any old essay which scored high, especially as during the pressure of A Levels and interviews, it is hard to carve out time to read through your entire repertoire. However, a perfect essay in an examiner’s eyes does not mirror that of an admission tutor’s essays. There is definitely an overlap between A Level and Oxbridge criteria, however, the former seems to prioritise fulfilling the criteria of a specification, rather than pushing the limits of creativity. Thus, when reading back your best-scoring essays, try to clamber into the mind of an Oxbridge tutor. Ask yourself if your work is creative and well-structured. Does it demonstrate your flair, or simply fulfil exam board requirements? If your essay fulfils the previously analysed criteria, then it is more than suitable to send off!
Justify, Justify, Justify
Written work is often used as an interview prompt. Tutors often ask students to elaborate and justify their ideas, or use the essay as a springboard to discuss another aspect of the topic. Thus, if your ideas are copied from Sparknotes or your teacher, this will be glaringly obvious. Only submit an essay on a topic that you are passionate about and prepared to discuss. Be able to justify every argument made and withstand a debate on the topic. By submitting written work on a topic you enjoy, you could be steering the interview in the direction of success. Don’t choose an intelligent topic, choose a topic that you are intelligent in.
To succeed at the written work stage is to understand what the admissions tutors are asking of you. Don’t undermine this stage: it is your chance to show off your creativity and passion, and prove why you are deserving of a place.
Featured image courtesy of Ben Seymour from Unsplash. No changes were made to this image. Image license can be found here.
