Support Your Child's Journey To Oxbridge

Essential guides, timelines and support to help you back your child’s application journey. You’ll learn:

When should they start their preparation?

At UniAdmission, we recommend starting the UCAS application process early—ideally from January—while also preparing for admissions tests and interviews.

For the 2026–27 cycle, applicants will submit a new UCAS personal statement, divided into three separate sections instead of one single statement.

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?

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

Applicants can choose a specific college or leave it open for the university to assign one.

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%

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.

15%

The Average Oxbridge Success Rate In 2024

59%

UniAdmissions’ 5-Year Average

Engaged Student Oxbridge Success Rate

Most courses will require:

Personal Statement

Submitted through UCAS

Admission Test / Written Work

Depending on the course

Interview

If shortlisted

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:

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.

What happens next?

If your child is shortlisted, they’ll be asked to submit written work or sit an admissions test (if they haven’t already). These usually take place in the last two weeks of October or early November, depending on the subject.

What’s next after the test?

If your child is successful at this stage, they’ll be invited to an interview in the first two weeks of December.

When will they hear if they’ve been accepted?

Oxford sends out offers in mid-January.
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 30 January.

International Applicants

All applications go through UCAS. Students from non-English-speaking countries may need to submit proof of English proficiency.

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

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:

Understand the UK system

The first school focused exclusively on Oxbridge applications, especially for Medicine and Law.

Support English proficiency prep

If needed, help your child 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.

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.

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?

Qualification requirements:

Home Students (UK)

Oxbridge applicants are typically expected to have top grades at GCSE and be predicted AAA 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.

Tip for all parents: 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. To stand out, students must show a deep understanding of their subject and a genuine passion beyond the standard curriculum.

How can you support them:

Encouraging subject-focused extracurricular activities.

Helping arrange real-world experience like volunteering or work placements.

Providing access to books and advanced resources.

What is Oxbridge looking for:

What are we looking for:

Please use the success calculator Oxbridge Success Calculator to check their eligibility.

Can I track their progress?

As a parent, you’ll have access to a dedicated dashboard through your child’s personalised 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.

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.

Get the UniAdmissions' Prospectus

For full details on our programmes, please download our prospectus.

FAQs

Please see a list of the most common questions about applying to Oxford and Cambridge.

What are the most competitive courses?

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 from 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.

How much does it cost?

Fees vary depending on the programme and start date.

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.