Product Description

There is no such place as Oxbridge, but it features in many families' dreams. The reality, meanwhile, can be full of questions and doubts. What, a student might ask, is so different about an Oxford or Cambridge education? And is it enough if your son works hard for his exams, or must
he do something else? What if your daughter is keen on an Oxbridge course, but nervous about being grilled by a roomful of dons? This book makes you understand what sets the two universities apart and why it is worth going
there. It then guides readers towards the qualifications and qualities that help candidates to succeed. There are chapters about A-levels, personal statements and college choice. New, detailed advice shows students how to expand their knowledge base to the level Oxbridge expects. Readers are taken through the key interview skills, so they can fully display their abilities.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #128740 in Books
• Published on: 2008-06-30
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 230 pages

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH, 10 December 2003
A thorough, well-researched guide to the two universities' rather daunting entrance procedures.

TES Times Educational Supplement, 24 October 2003
Wit, flair and the kind of down-and-dirty detail students,
teachers and their families need...excellent.

THE INDEPENDENT, 16 September 2004
A book which inches you through the admissions process, while also scrutinising how Oxbridge really works.

Customer Reviews

Brilliant for those niggling doubts
Before reading it, you feel like a bit of a stalker asking teachers this that and the other every which way.. however, after reading the specific sections that you always query and unnecessarily fret about; those worries you find are so unfounded and you've spared yourself the embarrassment of feeling a bit of an idiot even though you shouldnt.
The book is a fantastic and realistic guide on how students should prepare, conduct and eventually perform in their attempts to enter oxbridge. It really helped me personally to get going on reading around my subject as well as to stop worrying about those things that are really out of my control.

THIS BOOK MOVES YOU ON
I was totally confused about whether to apply to Cambridge and about the kind of preparation it takes, but this guide cleared my head. The historic bits were a revelation and the chapter telling you how to" read all around it" proved incredibly useful. Later on, there is tons of stuff about how to draw up your own reading list for different subjects. The interview advice, which is very detailed, stopped me from panicking. I also liked the author's take on ethnic minority students. Although he is sometimes critical of the entrance process, he gets you in a very optimistic, can-do mood. The book really moves you on and I would recommend it to anyone looking at the Oxbridge option.

witty and subversive
This clever 'how-to" book, aimed at students, parents and teachers who want to get themselves or their kids into Britain's elite universities, does much more than offer useful advice about how to survive interviews with snooty admissions tutors. It provides a nuanced and witty snapshot of the country's educational divide, showing how difficult it is for smart students from poor backgrounds to compete for places with the minority of students educated at private schools where social savoir faire often passes for scholarly aptitude