Support Your Child's Journey To Oxbridge

As a parent, you have a large role to play in supporting your child through their Oxbridge application. However, it can be tough to know how you can help, especially when you don’t have the relevant experience to guide them.

At UniAdmissions, we’re here to help both applicants and parents through the Oxford and Cambridge admissions processes. On this page, you’ll find essential information on how you can ensure your child feels prepared and supported throughout their entire application.

Discover how our students’ parents have been supported through our Full-Blue Oxbridge Programmes.

What You'll Learn

When To Start Oxbridge Preparations

With so many different steps to consider during the process, it can be difficult to know when to start working on the application. At UniAdmission, we recommend starting the UCAS application process early—ideally from January—while also preparing for admissions tests and interviews.

Early starters are at a distinct advantage as they have time to build their application effectively, engage in impactful super-curricular activities and avoid burnout from cramming their work into a short amount of time. The performance of our programme students backs this claim up, with those starting in January having a significantly higher success rate than those who start in the second half of the year.

The timeline below showcases some of the key dates you and your child need to be aware of:

May

15th – UCAS application opens

June

18th – Admission tests registrations open

August

16th – Registrations to book your test centre open

September

15th – LNAT registration deadline

19th – Registrations to book your test centre deadline

October

15th – Deadline to submit your UCAS application

21st – Admission test dates begin

November

Mid Nov – Interview invitations are sent out

December

Early Dec – Interview invitations finish

How Can You Support Your Child’s Oxbridge Application?

Oxbridge is highly competitive — 2024 figures show just how tough the process is. The first thing you can do is make sure your child understands the success rates for their chosen course, so you can both assess how realistic their chances are.

2024 Acceptance Rates	Applicants	Offers	Acceptances	% of Applicants That Are Given an Offer	% of Applicants That Are Accepted
Oxford	23,061	3,793	3,245	16%	14%
Cambridge	22,153	4,760	3,632	21%	17%
Overall	44,656	8,274	6,776	19%	15%

Swipe left or right for more details.

You can find admissions statistics for every undergraduate course in our Oxford Acceptance Rate Guide and Cambridge Acceptance Rate Guide.

Despite these low admissions rates, at UniAdmissions, we more than triple our students’ chance of Oxbridge success, achieving a 59% success rate for the students who actively engaged with our Programmes in 2024:

16%

The Average Oxbridge Success Rate

59%

UniAdmissions’ 2024

Engaged Student Oxbridge Success Rate

Most courses at Oxbridge have extensive admissions processes, with the primary steps being:

Personal Statement

Submitted through UCAS

Admission Test / Written Work

To highlight their skillset

Interview

The final step of the application process

Not every course requires an admissions test or written work, and only shortlisted applicants are invited to interviews, but each stage of the application is important and helps determine whether your child progresses to the next. Some admissions tests must be taken before the UCAS deadline, so make sure your child is aware of these dates so nothing is missed:

Admission Test	Course(s)	University	Test Date
BMSAT	Biomedical Science	Oxford	21st - 27th October
ESAT	Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Engineering, Natural Sciences, Veterinary Medicine	Cambridge	9th October
LNAT	Law	Oxford and Cambridge	1st September - 15th October
MAT	Computer Science, Mathematics	Oxford	22nd - 23rd October
PAT	Engineering, Material Science, Physics	Oxford	22nd - 23rd October
STEP	Mathematics	Cambridge	11th & 16th June
TMUA	Computer Science, Economics	Cambridge	13th - 14th October
TSA	Economics & Management, Economics, PPE, PPL, Psychology	Oxford	21st - 27th October
UCAT	Medicine, Dentistry	Oxford and Cambridge	7th July - 26th September

Swipe left or right for more details.

Please note that the UCAS deadline for Oxbridge is earlier than other universities — applications, including the Personal Statement, must be submitted by 15 October for entry the following year.

Once they’ve completed their interviews, what happens next? Offers from each university are sent on set dates each year. Oxford sends out offers in mid-January, while Cambridge uses a different system where applicants may be accepted, rejected, or placed in the ‘Winter Pool’—a process to match strong candidates to available places across colleges. Cambridge offers are usually released by the end of January.

For international applicants, the process is largely the same, with applications being submitted through UCAS and the same additional steps being required. However, students from non-English-speaking countries will also need to submit proof of English proficiency with a test (such as the IELTS).

Support For International Parents

International students face additional steps in the Oxbridge application process, and parents often need to support their child through both academic preparation and practical planning for studying in the UK. Here are some of the key areas you will need to understand during this process:

Understand the UK system

UK university applications are different from other countries, so you both need to be aware of how the process works.

Support English proficiency prep

If needed, help your child meet prepare to meet English language requirements through exams like IELTS or TOEFL.

Early application

Like domestic students, international applicants must submit their UCAS application by 15 October, and prepare for early admissions tests.

Help with documentation

Assist with gathering and translating school transcripts or certificates, as these will be essential for gaining entry to the UK.

Prepare for travel and visas

Support your child in applying for a UK student visa process and timelines and understanding the necessary documents.

Encourage academic depth

Oxbridge values intellectual curiosity — support your child in exploring their subject beyond school, even if local resources are limited.

Cultural transition

Help your child adjust to a new academic environment and culture, as the move can be quite overwhelming at first.

Stay connected

Maintain regular communication with your child and seek guidance from the UniAdmissions International Support team when needed.

Understand the UK system

UK university applications are different from other countries, so you both need to be aware of how the process works.

Support English proficiency prep

If needed, help your child meet prepare to meet English language requirements through exams like IELTS or TOEFL.

Early application

Like domestic students, international applicants must submit their UCAS application by 15 October, and prepare for early admissions tests.

Help with documentation

Assist with gathering and translating school transcripts or certificates, as these will. be essential for gaining entry to the UK.

Prepare for travel and visas

Support your child in applying for a UK student visa process and timelines and understanding the necessary documents.

Encourage academic depth

Oxbridge values intellectual curiosity — support your child in exploring their subject beyond school, even if local resources are limited.

Cultural transition

Help your child adjust to a new academic environment and culture, as the move can be quite overwhelming at first.

Stay connected

Maintain regular communication with your child and seek guidance from the UniAdmissions International Support team when needed.

For more information on supporting you child access How To Support Your Child During The Oxbridge Application.

Are They a Realistic Oxbridge Candidate?

You should now understand how competitive Oxbridge courses are and how difficult the admissions process is. Therefore, the first question to consider before starting preparation is whether your child realistically has a chance for success at either university.

While it’s a tough question to approach, as you don’t want to diminish your child’s potential or reduce their confidence, it’s crucial that you both agree that an Oxbridge application is the correct choice to make.

Even highly-skilled applicants fail to get their offers from Oxford and Cambridge because of how competitive they are, so your child should only consider applying if they have the dedication and academic ability to compete.

Firstly, let’s consider the grade requirements for most Oxbridge courses:

Home Students (UK)

Oxbridge applicants are typically expected to have top grades at GCSE, while minimum grade requirements for courses range from AAA – A*A*A at A-level (or equivalent). Subject choice is crucial—most courses require specific subjects at A-level.

International Students

Many international applicants apply with the IB Diploma, APs, French Baccalauréat, Abitur, or equivalent qualifications. Competitive candidates should be on track for 776 at Higher Level in IB, or equivalent top scores in their national curriculum. Where GCSEs are referenced, this includes IGCSEs or equivalent year 11/10 exams.

Although these are the minimum grade requirements, most applicants who are admitted onto Oxbridge courses achieve higher grades, with the majority of students actually achieving A*A*A* (or equivalent).

Beyond predicted grades, your child’s application will also be assessed based on their admissions test score and interview performance. Therefore, it’s important that they are well prepared for both of these by practising regularly and meeting set targets as they progress.

These are mostly quantifiable requirements, but Oxbridge admissions tutors also look for set qualities in the applicants they assess. These include:

What is Oxbridge looking for:

Passionate, curious and eager to challenge
Creative analytical thinkers
Academic excellence and ambition
More than just grades and UCAS forms
Personal statements that shape interview questions
Genuine enthusiasm and self-motivation in interviews

Our Oxbridge Success Calculator is free to use and can help you determine how likely your child will be to get their offer based on their current performance.

How can you ensure your child is effectively preparing for all of these requirements? Here are some tips:

Help your child track their progress early—top universities expect sustained academic excellence, not just last-minute performance. Preparation should ideally start before GCSEs, not just in sixth form.

Encouraging subject-focused extracurricular activities like work experience and wider reading. To stand out, students must show a deep understanding of their subject and a genuine passion beyond the standard curriculum.

Ensure they have the necessary preparation materials for their Personal Statement, admissions test and interviews. This can include example Personal Statements, practice test questions, one-to-one tuition and mock interviews.

Discover UniAdmissions’ Full Blue Programmes

Everything we’ve discussed is extremely important for ensuring your child’s success in their Oxbridge application, but supporting them through this is very time-consuming and challenging. It’s a lot to do by yourself, which is where we can help.

For over a decade, we have been innovating in the Oxbridge space, creating new programmes and resources that maximise our students’ chances of getting their offer. As the world’s first Oxbridge Preparatory School, we’re 100% focused on getting students into their dream courses, so our support is the most effective way to prepare.

We cover every step of the Oxbridge application process, including additional factors like college selection and super-curricular activity management. Everything we do is in service of our students’ applications, so your child will be using their time wisely and with support from expert Oxbridge tutors and extensive resources.

What Makes UniAdmissions Different?

We’re the first school to focus entirely on supporting students with their applications to competitive universities like Oxbridge, or any competitive subjects such as Medicine and Law. Our support runs alongside our student’s existing schooling. Here’s what makes us different.

True Oxbridge Application Experts

From the first call until your offer, you will only ever deal with true Oxbridge application experts. When you work with us, you will more than triple your chance of success.

Expert Oxbridge Tutoring

We offer highly effective one-to-one tutoring, always with elite tutors with an Oxbridge background. With UniAdmissions, you will only ever work with the best tutors.

Tried & Tested Curriculum

We have carefully developed our Oxbridge application curriculum through a decade of research. You will walk on a path that has shown proven success over 10+ years.

We Are A Selective School

We will only work with students who we believe have a realistic chance of admission to Oxbridge. We are motivated by getting results rather than simply working with all students.

Limited Student Cohorts

We limit the number of students we will accept onto our Programmes each month to ensure that we can maintain the highest possible standard of teaching. We invest ourselves in your success.

Unrivalled Resources & Technology

We have written and published 10x more books than the rest of the industry combined and have developed our own Portal through a decade of Oxbridge application innovation.

How Can You Get Involved?

While our support is all-encompassing, your child will still need you for their emotional support, as well as to help facilitate any additional activities they may need to partake in.

You will also be able to fully monitor your child’s progress within your own dedicated tracking dashboard, found within your child’s Portal. This intuitive platform gives you real-time insights into their progress within the UniAdmissions programme.

Track completed tasks, monitor achievements, and receive timely alerts if your child falls behind, allowing you to step in and provide support when needed.

The Parents Dashboard empowers you to stay engaged in your child’s academic journey, helping create a supportive, collaborative environment for success.

Book A Free Consultation

If you feel that a UniAdmissions Programme would be right for you, the next step is to book a free consultation to learn more about what we offer.

An average consultation will last an hour, and should ideally include both you and your child. In the consultation, a member of our expert admissions team will speak with both of you to assess your child’s current position and determine if we would be able to offer support.

You will also be given more in-depth information about our programmes, including recommendations for which option may be best for your child. If your child is given an offer to join a UniAdmissions Programme, the enrolment process can then be initiated, ensuring your child gains access to their tutor and resources as quickly as possible.

Get the UniAdmissions' Prospectus

Not ready to book a consultation? You can learn more about our programmes within our prospectus, which you can download here.

FAQs

Have any questions about Oxbridge or our programmes? Check our list of common questions:

What are the most competitive courses?

The most competitive courses at Oxbridge are often the most popular ones, including Medicine, Economics, Law, Computer Science, PPE, Engineering and Mathematics.

Why do you limit the number of students?

We focus on quality and outcomes, not quantity. Keeping numbers low ensures personalised support and better results.

Will Oxbridge know my child has received support from UniAdmissions?

No. We are independent of Oxford and Cambridge, so they won’t know unless you choose to disclose it.

What does an average week look like?

We recommend 3-4 hours weekly, including 1-on-1 tutoring, homework, pre-reading, seminars, and independent study. We’re flexible—some weeks may require less time, but consistency is key. This may also change depending on how late in the process you decide to enrol.

How much does it cost?

Fees vary depending on the type of programme you select, but the cost of our Full-Blue Programme is about the same as a term’s fee at a UK private school.

What payment methods do you accept? Can I pay in instalments?

We offer secure payments via debit/credit card (Visa, Mastercard, Amex), bank transfer, Stripe, Splitit, or PayPal. Instalment plans are available for UK students only.

My child is an international applicant, and English is not their first language. Will they need to take an additional qualification?

Yes, most UK universities — including Oxford and Cambridge — require proof of English language proficiency to ensure your child can succeed in an English-speaking academic environment. If this requirement isn’t met at the time of application, it may form part of a conditional offer that must be fulfilled by August before the course starts.

For the most accurate and detailed information, please visit the official English language requirements pages on the Oxford University website and the Cambridge University website.

For more guidance, see How To Support Your Child During The Oxbridge Application.