The Ultimate Guide to

Oxford & Cambridge

Admissions
Everything students in Singapore need to know
about getting into the most competitive
universities in the UK!

A CRIMSON EDUCATION PUBLICATION

Content
Introduction p.03
Making the Choice: US vs UK Education Systems p.04
UK Application Requirements p.06
An Overview of the UCAS p.07
Grade Requirements (Singapore A Levels / IB / GPA) p.08
Oxford vs. Cambridge: How do you choose? p.09
The Personal Statement: Everything You Need to Know p.11
Sample Essays: What Makes A Good Personal Statement? p.12
Acing the Interview p.13
Your Application Timeline p.16
Student Stories from Singapore p.19
Crimson Exclusive: A Former Oxford Admissions Officer Answers Your FAQs! p.28
How Crimson Can Help p.33
Final Thoughts p.36
Introduction
The UK is one of the world’s top study
destinations for international students —
the allure of its prestigious and long-
established institutions is undeniable. Every
year, hundreds of students from Singapore
apply to the most competitive universities
in the UK, drawn to the unparalleled
opportunities that a top UK university
education offers.

But how do you get started on the path to

your dream university? What are the UK
university requirements? What deadlines
should you be looking out for? What
should your personal statement look like?
What about the interviews? How should
you start preparing now, regardless of
which grade you’re in, to kickstart your
journey to your dream school?

If you’re a student applying for

undergraduate studies in the UK, this
eBook will answer all your questions, and
then some! We’ll give you guidelines on
application timelines and entrance exams,
insider tips on building your portfolio, the
differences between Oxford and
Cambridge (you can only apply to one!),
and more.

By the time you’re done reading this

eBook, you’ll be well on your way to your
dream university.

Happy reading, and good luck!

Making the Choice:
US vs UK education
systems
US Education System UK Education System
For the first four years of a student’s US The UK educational system places
university education they attend more emphasis on in-depth knowledge
‘college’ where they undergo a liberal of a specific area of study. But while
arts (or in some cases science and they are more traditional and less
engineering specific) undergraduate concerned with a student’s non-
degree. academic pursuits, they do want to see
evidence of a student’s passion — what
Determined to allow students to matters to them, why it matters to
explore study options and access a them, and how they intend to pursue
broad and comprehensive education these passions to make academic
during these four years, most progress and contribute to the
universities do not require their university.
students to choose a ‘major’ — or area
of study — until the end of their second By including a personal essay question,
year. asking for a supporting reference and
interviewing most of their candidates,
This process of academic variety and top UK universities gain a greater
flexibility enables students to expand insight into the ‘human’ qualities of
their high school knowledge and make their applicants - qualities which are
an educated decision as to the course often key to gaining acceptance in an
of their future career. increasingly competitive academic
field.
Liberal arts courses are interdisciplinary
and cover a range of topics, allowing More specifically, in the case of Oxford
students to explore different academic and Cambridge Universities, the
avenues which both expand upon their tutorial system takes this desire to
knowledge in favoured areas of study examine a specific area of study in
and uncover hidden passions before a great detail to a new and highly
decision on a major has to be made. The stuff you really
individualised level.need to know
In these weekly
Even then, students can take ‘minors’ tutorials – which are often as small as
or ‘certificates’ in other areas of study one faculty member with three or four
to both compliment their major and students – students have the
offer diversity in their final two years at opportunity to explore, enquire, share
college. and discuss their thoughts and ideas
with world leaders in their chosen field
of interest.
How do you decide?
Of course, both the US and the UK
boast some of the most famous and
respected educational institutions on
the planet. In the US, there are the
eight Ivy League universities (Harvard,
Princeton, Yale, Columbia, the
University of Pennsylvania, Cornell,
Dartmouth and Brown) as well as
Stanford, MIT, Caltech and the
University of California ‘family’
including UCLA and UC Berkeley.
Meanwhile in the UK, there are Oxford
and Cambridge, along with the ‘Russell
Group’, which consists of 24 prestigious
institutions including the University
College London, King’s College London,
London School of Economics and
Political Science and Imperial College
London.

Ultimately, only you know which kind

of educational environment you thrive
in. Would you prefer the broad-based
flexibility of the US “liberal arts” model
of education, or would you fare better
with the in-depth, subject focused style
of learning in the UK?

Both US and UK universities offer a

plethora of choices — and Crimson
Education helps narrow these down for
each and every one of our students. In
fact, the ‘best fit’ university philosophy
is key to Crimson’s personalised
application/tutoring approach to
overseas university acceptance. If
you’re interested in learning more
about which education system might
fit you best, schedule a free
consultation with one of our Academic
Advisors here!
Application
Requirements
Every year, hundreds of students from Non-Academic Requirements
Singapore apply to top universities in the + Extracurricular activities related to
UK. In 2020, UCAS reported a 14.74% your intended course of study
increase in international applicants this + Competitions, awards and leadership
application round, from 63,690 applicants positions related to your course of study
in 2019 to 73,080 in 2020 (excluding
medical school and Oxford or Cambridge Personal Statement &
applications).
Interviews
+ Demonstrating competency and
curiosity about your intended field of
For medical school and Oxbridge
study
applications, there was an increase of 6.52%
+ Putting your achievements in context
in international applicants from 2019 to
2020 - suggesting that across the board,
interest in a top UK university degree Dates to keep in mind:
remains as high ever.
UCAS Application
What this also means is that the + 15th October - Oxbridge, Medicine and
competition is also higher than ever; Veterinary Science application deadlines
meeting the minimum entry requirements + 15th January - all other UCAS
is now no longer enough to guarantee a applications
spot at a top university. Universities are now Oxbridge and other
looking for qualified applicants that have admissions tests
gone above and beyond to distinguish
Oxbridge/ Imperial: generally late
themselves both in and out of the
October/ early November
classroom - however, fret not! Achieving
your dream university goals is not
Interviews
impossible, with the right preparation and
+ Oxbridge interviews are generally held
guidance.
in December
+ Certain CS/STEM interviews, particularly
Keep reading to find out what UK
for Imperial College London, are held
universities look for when making their
from November- February
admissions decision, and what deadlines to
+ Location: UK, SG or online (increasingly
remember!
so, given travel restrictions in place due
to COVID-19)
Academic Requirements
+ School Grades (A-Level, IB or GPA)
+ Admissions Tests
(LNAT/BMAT/UCAT/Oxbridge entrance
exams etc)
+ Teacher Recommendation
An Overview
of the UCAS
In the UK, applications are completed and Applicants are also required to sit tests
submitted online through the Universities associated with their chosen courses of
and Colleges Admission Service, or UCAS. study. For example, the Biomedical
The UCAS system requires the input of Admissions Test or BMAT is required for all
information into various sections including students applying to medicine, biomedical
personal details, course choices, details of science and dentistry at both universities.
the student’s education to date, their They must also, when invited, attend a
employment/extracurricular history, a university course-specific interview.
personal statement and a teacher (or
similar) recommendation. The deadline for applications to Oxford and
Cambridge is mid-October and results are
Much like applying to Singapore released in mid-January.
universities, the UK system requires
applications to specific universities and
courses, with each applicant allowed up to
five course/university choices. The key here
is for your child to shape their application
and profile to the specific courses they are
passionate about applying to. Once again,
Crimson Education experts specialise in
helping students build their UCAS profile to
maximum advantage, with the application
deadline for most courses being mid-
January.

Oxford and Cambridge

The great majority of UK universities have

similar application demands and processes.
However, it is worth noting that while
Oxford and Cambridge universities use the
UCAS system, they also have their own
individual application processes and
deadlines.

Firstly, a student must choose between the

two, meaning they can apply to either
Oxford, or Cambridge, but not both.
Secondly, students must choose a course
and a college to apply to (what they want
to study and where they want to live).
Grade
Requirements
Broadly speaking, there are three main Do note that minimum entry requirements
university “clusters” that are popular are only the threshold you need to cross to
among students applying from Singapore: get your foot in the door — for instance, on
their website, Oxford states that students
Oxbridge need a minimum total score of 38, 39 or 40
The University of Oxford and the University points (depending on the course) including
of Cambridge core points, with 6s and 7s in subjects taken
at the Higher level for the International
G-5 Universities Baccalaureate. However, in our experience,
A group of 5 public research universities, the typical offer is much more demanding:
established in 2004, comprising Imperial successful students often score higher than
College London, the London School of the minimum requirement set out by the
Economics, the University of Cambridge, university.
the University of Oxford and University
College London Typical offer based on our experience:

University IB Singapore
Russel Group A-Levels
A group of 24 leading research
universities in the UK, established in Oxbridge ≥43 AAAA
1994, comprising the following: (all 3 As at
minimum H2 level)
University of Birmingham
University of Bristol
University of Cambridge
Cardiff University G-5
Durham University ≥40 - ≥42 AAB - AAA
Universities
University of Edinburgh (Note: Most G-5
University of Exeter schools also require
University of Glasgow at AAA for popular
courses like
Imperial College London
Engineering, Law,
King's College London Economics)
University of Leeds
University of Liverpool
London School of Economics & Political Russel ≥36 AAB - ABB
Science Group
University of Manchester
Newcastle University
University of Nottingham
University of Oxford
Queen Mary, University of London
Queen's University Belfast
University of Sheffield
University of Southampton
University College London
University of Warwick
University of York
Oxford vs
Cambridge:
How do you
choose?
Oxford and Cambridge are two of the opportunities and degrees! It’s important to
most prestigious and historical do your research before sending in your
universities in England. Not only are they application.
both a few hundred years old, but they
hold some of the highest academic Before starting your application, you must
standards in the world. decide on your course. Some courses are
offered at Oxford, but not Cambridge, and
When applying, remember you can only vise-versa.
choose one. Their teaching methods and
application processes are fairly similar, View chart to understand key differences:
but both universities offer different

University of University of
Cambridge Oxford

Economics Offers an Economics course and Does not offer pure Economics –
a hybrid Land Economy course. students can take hybrid courses
like Economics and
Management, Philosophy,
Politics and Economics (PPE) or
History and Economics.

Law Does not require the LNAT – All undergraduate students

however, students will have to applying to read Law at Oxford
take an equivalent Cambridge must take the LNAT.
Law Test.

Natural Sciences Students cannot focus on a Students can choose to directly

specific field right at the outset. pursue a concentration within
Instead, they study a broad- the Natural Sciences – i.e Physics,
based Natural Sciences Chemistry etc.
curriculum before specializing
in concentrations like Physics,
Chemistry, Materials Science
etc.

Computer Offers a Computer Science Offers a Computer Science

Science course but no hybrid or course.
interdisciplinary courses.
Also offers interdisciplinary
courses like Computer Science
and Philosophy, and Computer
Science and Mathematics.
Other Considerations

University of University of
Cambridge Oxford

LOCATION
A university with a city around it A city with a university in it

City City
Cambridge is relatively small and mostly Oxford feels like a big city with the
dominated by students. university sprinkled throughout. It is a lot
more urban.
Time to London
The university is less than an hour to London Time to London
by train so going into the city for the day is London is also only an hour away by train.
an easy possibility.
Weather
Weather The weather at Oxford is not as windy or
The city is foggier and windier than foggy, but it is still in the UK, so bring an
Oxford. Bring a windbreaker. umbrella. Or three.

Bottom Line
Both cities are great college towns but the best fit depends on what you are
looking for. If you want to live in a quaint, student-run city, Cambridge is for you. If
you are more interested in living in a big, busy city where your uni doesn’t feel like
the entire city, Oxford is for you.

ACADEMICS
Supervisions Tutorials
Cambridge’s supervisions are just like Oxford’s If you’ve ever dreamed of being in a class
“tutorials” with only one other student and the professor
once a week, you’re in luck! Tutorials allow you
Courses to discuss your work in a small setting in order
Cambridge, like Oxford, offers a wide variety of to get really personalised critiques and advice.
courses and is especially well known for its natural
sciences courses, offering a flexible natural science Courses
degree so you can combine any biological and Oxford is reputed to be slightly stronger in the
physical science to create your degree. Additionally, humanities and social sciences. However, if
unlike Oxford, you can study education as an you do choose to study science, you have to
undergraduate at Cambridge. pick one subject; there are no flexible science
degrees available. However, you can get a
Assessments joint degree.
Like at Oxford, you will be informally assessed Assessments
weekly during your supervisions. However, you
Throughout your time at Oxford you will be
will also have exams throughout your time at
assessed informally through the work you
Cambridge, not only in your final year.
produce for your tutors. In your final year, you
will take about 30 hours of exams that will
determine your degree classification.

Bottom Line
Academics are the best differentiator between the two universities — not in quality, as
both are world-renowned, but in style and approach. Consider what you want to study
before you decide where to apply. Luckily, both universities offer “Open Days” where you
can visit the departments you are interested in and figure out which ones you like best.
Check out the full course listing for Oxford and Cambridge if you cannot attend an "Open
Day". The subject you wish to study will help you determine which uni to attend.
The Personal Statement:
Everything You Need to Know
When applying to UK universities, you will This essay is of pivotal importance when
have to write one personal statement that assessing your candidacy. In some cases, it will
goes to all 5 schools you apply to. You will be be the deciding factor for an interview offer
given a word limit of 47 lines of text, or 4000 when it comes to candidates who have
characters. This equates to roughly 500 words. comparable grades and extracurricular
qualifications.
Your personal statement should
demonstrate the following:

Your academic aptitude and

commitment to the subject you are Meet Our
studying
Your specific interest in the course you
Strategist!
are applying for, including what drives Meet Evelyn, one of Crimson's Admissions
your passion for the subject Strategists! She has a BA and an MA in Mathematics
Your career aspirations and long-term (with Honors in both!) from the University of Oxford,
goals for how you plan to use your and a Cambridge CELTA qualification. Evelyn's
university education in your chosen field students at Crimson have previously gotten into top
schools like Oxford, Cambridge, LSE, Imperial and
of study
more! In this section, Evelyn will go over some top
tips for writing your application essays.

WHAT YOUR PERSONAL STATEMENT SHOULD INCLUDE

Honesty: UCAS screening algorithms flag For instance, if you are applying for an
personal statements showing signs of Aerospace Engineering course, your Math
plagiarism - so make sure your work is your own Olympiad experience is applicable - but your
and that you haven’t copied sections of text football championships are not!
from other sources.
Clear and understandable language: Be genuine
Subject related focus: The primary objective of and truthful! Do not overuse flowery language -
your personal statement is to demonstrate your it is better to be concise and clear rather than
commitment to and proficiency in your chosen trying to impress with elaborate language,
subject. which in most cases actually makes your key
points harder to understand!
No list: Do not include a list of your
accomplishments; instead highlight those that Deferment: Singaporean students serving
are most applicable to the subject you are National Service should clearly state the reason
applying for. you are deferring your entry.

ESSAY TIPS broader subject, and justify your interest in that

field.
UK Universities look for intellectual engagement
with the subject you are applying for Remember that you cannot develop this kind of
subject engagement overnight — so it is
For instance, UCAS Personal Statements for important to start investigating your areas of
STEM subjects are often technical and focus on passion early.
1-2 distinct areas of the STEM subject you are
most interested in. Therefore, if you are applying Read widely on the subjects that interest you
for a course on biomedical engineering, for and get involved with relevant extracurriculars
example, you will need to focus on a specific so that when it’s time to write your personal
topic area (eg: epigenetics), within the statement, you will be able to do so
knowledgeably and with ease!
Sample Essays:
What Makes A
Good Personal
Statement?
Wondering what kinds of personal
statements make the cut? Here’s an
example of a winning personal statement
by one of our stellar Crimson students.

It’s important to understand that there is

no single, foolproof approach to writing
the perfect personal statement. To read
more personal statement examples,
check out our Crimson Education blog
where we post sample essays each week
from students that have gotten into top
universities, including Oxford, Cambridge,
King’s College London, Exeter and more!

University of
Cambridge
Economics
by Emma T.

I first came across economics in 2015 whilst searching for a topic for a project on sustainability. 

While others focused on the environment, I found researching how to maintain sustainable
debt in the third world far more interesting. This made me realise the critical role of economic
policy in global welfare, particularly in supporting the most vulnerable, which is why I wish to
pursue the study of economics. 

I further explored my interest in economics during the Future Problem Solving competitions
nationally and then internationally in the US in 2017. Through this, I searched for solutions for
hypothetical future problems, which led me to research Public Choice Theory to try to reconcile
effective economic policy and political motivations, which were often at odds. I found that if we
deem public image as a positive “good” for politicians, market theory can be applied and such
analysis could be used to develop economic policies that are politically viable. I am eager to
learn how other factors besides politics could be accounted for in a similar way, improving the
use of economic tools. 

In order to understand economic developments on a global level, I participated in Model EU in

2018 where I was elected the Trade Commissioner for New Zealand. Here, I negotiated a trade
agreement with the EU where their protectionist policies on agricultural products were a key
issue due to NZ’s heavy reliance on these exports. A free trade agreement would benefit NZ far
more than the EU due to the respective proportion of trade with one another. Through this, I
learnt that globalisation is not always the most rational choice for countries, even if there are
expected future benefits - which is something that I hope to analyse further.
As I am especially concerned with the impact of globalisation on communities, I researched the
adverse economic impact of anthropomorphic climate change and ocean acidification on the
New Zealand seafood industry. This made me curious about whether Green GDP may be
required to direct economic policies. However, there is no accurate method of calculating the
value of environmental degradation which means government policies based on GDP may
become ineffective. Alternatively, NDP, which takes into account the depreciation of human
and physical capital, could capture the degradation of natural resources more accurately, but is
not widely used to inform policy.

I then became aware of issues related to the current use of GDP as an economic tool after
reading ‘The Value of Everything’ by Mariana Mazzucato. The exclusion of productive unpaid
work by the production boundary made me reflect the likely ramifications in the developing
world as a large proportion of work is unpaid. Therefore, displacement of productive unpaid
workers could be misinterpreted for an expanding labour force. I am excited to learn how
current economic tools such as GDP and concepts for the future such as Green GDP can be
developed in order to tackle the issues society faces.

I realised the importance of cultural systems in regards to income distribution after the
Christchurch terrorist attacks, which happened only a short distance from my home. The
victims were predominantly male and sole providers for their families, which led to immense
financial difficulties. Because of this, I organised a school fundraising event, raising over 6000
NZD for the Muslim community. This experience demonstrated that there are inherent
vulnerabilities in cultural systems to certain unforeseen events and that, ultimately, traditional
economic models ignore cultural norms which may obscure otherwise predictable outcomes.

Economics is evidently at the forefront of guiding international action in order to help those
most affected by global developments. I wish to study how the tools and models found within
economics can be used to achieve this, and hope to apply the knowledge and skills I gain in a
career in organisations such as the World Bank or IMF.
Acing the
Interview
It is common for UK universities to invite The important thing to note is that UK
you to an interview as part of the interviews are content-based and designed
application process — and if you are to evaluate your aptitude for the subject, as
applying for a course like medicine, or to well as your attitude towards learning and
Oxford or Cambridge, the interview is a critical inquiry.
compulsory part of the application
process.. The interviewers will not expect applicants
to possess university-level theoretical
So, what should you expect? knowledge of the subjects. Instead, they
will want to test how you can think critically
First — take a deep breath. If you’ve made and apply more basic principles and
it as far as the interview, that means knowledge to theoretical questions and
you’re already well qualified for the course situations. This will test your skills at logical
you’re applying to! reasoning and problem solving, which they
look for in potential admits.

Here are a few sample interview questions to give you a sense of

what to expect on the big day:

University of University of
Cambridge Oxford

+ What techniques could be used to + When given a drawing of the nerves

date how long a disease has existed in from the ear to the auditory canal -
a population? (Medicine) explain the image shown. (Medicine)

+ Would you rather be a seedless or + Is it morally wrong to attempt to

'non-seedless' grapefruit? (Natural climb a mountain? (Theology)
Sciences)
+ If the punishment for parking on
+ If a wife had expressed distaste for it double yellow lines were death, and
previously, would her husband’s habit therefore nobody did it, would that be
of putting marmalade in his egg at a just and effective law? (Law)
breakfast be grounds for divorce?
(Law) + Do you believe in fairies at the end of
the garden? (Engineering)
+ Is the moon made of cheese?
(Veterinary Science)
So, how do you prepare for
the interview?

Here are some key tips to help you tackle At the end of the day, the best way to ace
challenging interview questions: your interview is to practice, practice and
practice! Make sure you have several mock
These interviews are designed to
interviews to familiarise yourself with the
simulate the experience of being in a
interview situation and the stress. Informal
tutorial at university. That means that it
practice will also help — practice speaking
is okay to not know the answer —
about your subject and your thoughts
interviewers are looking for how well
about what you’ve seen or read in informal
you can deal with uncertainty, and what
settings with teachers, parents or peers.
your thought process looks like in each
scenario.

Always try to clarify information or

technical terms that you do not know or
understand. Be sure to reason out loud
— this allows the interviewer to
understand your rationale, and evaluate
your critical thinking abilities.

Ensure that you’re also confident with

using scientific or technical language in
your answers (depending on your
course) — this shows that you know
your stuff, and also makes it easier for
them to visualise you as a student in
one of their classes!

Read over your personal statement and

any written work submitted, and read
widely around your chosen subject,
including newspaper articles, websites,
journals, magazines and other relevant
publications.

Take a critical view of ideas and

arguments that you encounter in your
reading, at school or college, or in the
media: think about all sides of the
debate.
Your Application
Timeline
The path to your dream university is years We’ve crafted a handy timeline for you to
in the making. You should be spending the keep in mind as you plan towards your UK
3-4 years before your application exploring university aspirations — but keep in mind
your options, deepening your knowledge that this is not meant to be a checklist.
of your intended course of study, and Rather, this timeline is meant as a guide for
building hands-on experience that will you to think about how to build up a strong
allow you to succeed both at university and foundation of knowledge and experiences
beyond. that will come in useful when applying to
your top choice universities.

Non-Application Years
(Sec 3 / Grade 9 onwards)

Think about what academic subjects interest you, and read

up on them outside of class to develop your knowledge
further.

Explore a variety of extracurricular interests, including

Sec 3 / Grade 9 volunteering. Try out different things and see what
interests you most.

Continue to do well in school — a strong academic record is

important!

By now you should know what extracurricular activities fit your

profile best. Start focusing on 3-4 activities to demonstrate your
genuine passion towards your subject area as well as your
academic proficiency through different competitions. Also look
into subject related activities that will help you develop
important skill sets such as critical thinking skills, resilience,
teamwork spirit, leadership etc.

Sec 4 / Grade 10 Choose your A-Level and IB subjects wisely — make sure you
have checked entry requirements at the schools you want to
apply to. It’s crucial to think ahead to what you might wish to
study at university, and plan your subject selection around that.
If you get this step wrong, you might find yourself in a position
later on where you want to study a subject at university, but do
not meet the requisite subject requirements for it!

For instance, if you want to pursue medicine you should focus

especially on your science subjects — and remember, don’t drop
Chemistry and Biology! You can’t apply to many medical schools
without them.

Aim for good grades across all subjects!

Source volunteering/community service opportunities that you

find meaningful — and stick with it!
 At this stage, you should have narrowed down your
extracurricular interests to 2-3 activities that you excel in.
You should actively try to aim for leadership positions and
have contributed positively to your organisation(s) at this
point.

You should foster strong relationships with your teachers,

so that you can count on a favourable reference from them
in your year of application.

In addition to possible internships/job shadowing, you

should also have a strong track record of volunteering,
JC 1 / Grade 11
having built up this commitment over the last few years.

Brainstorm your personal statement ideas — think about

what you want to say, and how you will back it up.

Start preparing for university applications — this means

thinking about standardised tests (BMAT, LNAT, etc),
interviews, and so on.

Continue to focus on your grades — you need nothing less

than excellent academics to make it into top UK
universities!

Application Year
JC2/Grade 12

Consider your options — which universities do you want to

apply to? Which courses interest you? Are you applying to
Oxford or Cambridge? (You can only apply to one! Remember
you only get 5 choices, so choose wisely!
All year around
Focus on improving or maintaining your school grades — you
will need a predicted AAA at the A-Levels or a 42+ on the IB to
have a competitive shot at most top schools.

Find out whether the universities you are applying to

require standardised tests — for example do you need to
March - May take the BMAT, the UCAT, the LNAT etc.

Start brainstorming ideas for your personal statement.

Start approaching your teachers for your reference letters.

August
 Application Year
JC2/Grade 12

Cambridge application due if you wish to be interviewed

(remotely) from Singapore or Malaysia.

September You will have to submit your UCAS and your Cambridge
Online Preliminary Application (COPA - a Cambridge
specific supplement), typically by 20 September.

October 15th — All Oxford/Cambridge and medical school

October
applications are due.

Interview offers for UK universities start rolling in, and will

continue until March of the following year.

November
Entry examinations for Oxbridge will typically be held
during this time.

Oxbridge interviews as well as those for medicine and

December
certain CS/STEM courses are generally held in December.

If you’re not applying for medical courses or to Oxbridge,

January the UCAS deadline for most other UK universities is mid-
January.

You’ll start receiving admissions offers! Keep your fingers

January - May
crossed!
Student Stories
from Singapore:
From Singapore to the
University of Oxford: How
Bryan Secured a Spot at His
Dream School!
Bryan always knew that he wanted to
specialize in Chemistry. His passion for
the subject is self-evident; in his free time,
he likes to translate chemistry texts and
scientific papers into Mandarin Chinese!
There was no question as to what he
wanted to study at university -- in fact, it
was this certainty in his chosen field, as
well as the potential for global exposure,
that led Bryan to apply to courses in the
UK.

In the end, with Crimson’s guidance

Bryan received an offer to study
Chemistry at the University of Oxford --
and what’s more, he received offers from
every other university he applied to as
well! “I applied for Chemistry at five
different universities, but with slight
variations. So for King’s College London, I
got an offer for Chemistry with Industrial
Exposure. For the University of
Manchester, it was Chemistry with a
specialization in Medicinal Chemistry. I
also got offers for Chemistry with
Management Studies from both
University College London and Imperial
College London.

”However, the journey wasn’t without its

challenges. Applying to UK universities
while still fulfilling his National Service
(NS) obligations made it a lot harder for
Bryan to juggle his Service duties
alongside his application deadlines.That’s
where Crimson came in.

“Crimson helped me with the balancing

act; my tutors were very flexible and they
adjusted their schedules to mine. We
scheduled our Skype calls during the
pockets of free time that I had in between
my NS training. As I was in a military
camp, we couldn't have a regional call
due to security reasons. So my personal
statement was actually written over an
audio call as well as through shared
Google documents.”
How Crimson
Helped Bryan

Essay Mentoring
Bryan knew that he needed direction with “Beck also helped me a lot with my personal
his application to UK universities. Crimson statement. She was really helpful -- after I
helped him by first focusing on the personal drafted my personal statement, her
statement, followed by the interviews. comments helped me to improve it by quite
Bryan's strategist, Isaac, as well as essay a lot. My tutors were actually constantly
mentor, Beck, worked closely with him to supportive of me.
ensure that his passion for Chemistry really
stood out in the personal statement. ”As a busy NS-man, Bryan appreciated the
effectiveness of remote meetings and virtual
“I think the most daunting thing was the sessions that were held while he was serving
personal statement because I actually had his duties in the military camp.
no idea how to go about writing it. There
were all these ideas in my head but I “The coolest thing about working with
couldn't organize them into a coherent Crimson was the Skype calls that I had. I
format. But with Isaac and Beck’s help, I wasn't expecting tutoring sessions over
think I demonstrated my interest in the Skype to be that useful because we are very
subject.” used to being taught in person; I wasn't sure
being taught over a video call would be just
as effective. It turned out to be very good.”

Passing the Oxford

admissions test with
flying colours
Bryan had to clear another hurdle once on
top of his personal statement -- the
notorious Oxford assessment test. The stakes
were high: in order to advance to the
interview stage, Bryan first had to ace this
test. To do this, Bryan received tutoring from
Hannah, a current Chemistry student at
Oxford. In the end, he far surpassed the
average score -- and secured an Oxford
interview!

“I think from what was written (in the official

email) is that the average Oxford applicant
who gets called up to interview would
usually get around sixty points. I got 77.7, so I
knew going in that I had quite a good
chance.”
Acing the Oxford Skype
interviews
Bryan also received specialised training for Bryan also realised that virtual interviews are
his Oxford interviews. He feels that the completely different from physical
guidance was extremely valuable in helping interviews, and thus that expert training was
him prepare confidently for the UK interview a necessary part of his preparation.
format which was vastly different from
anything he had experienced in Singapore. “I think something that wasn't (known to me
previously was that) an interview over Skype
“(The interview preparation) was more about was different than an interview in person.
getting used to the interview format and to There are certain things which you might
gain confidence. Something that is quite need to do, or look out for, that we might not
different is that local universities tend to ask have to do for a physical interview. That was
questions such as ‘Why are you applying for what having a tutor taught me.”
each subject?’ or ‘What are your future
career aspirations?’” ‘I had to get used to the process of saying
my interview answers out loud and writing
“But for the UK universities, they asked me (more responses to complex questions). We
more Chemistry-related questions like about talked about things that I could do to keep
the electron methods and chemicals. the interviewer engaged because the
Questions that are something that I think interviewer is going to be able to see me
most of us are not used to.” writing things down while I am speaking
over Skype.”

Bryan's advice to Oxford

hopefuls?
“I would still do plenty of research first
because even though I started working with
Crimson quite late, I think it does help. One
of the main reasons why my application was
relatively good was because I did my own
research before working with Crimson. I
Research,
already knew which course I wanted to research, and
apply for and I already knew the courses that
I'm applying for had this entrance test. And I
research!
was already aware of the necessary
preparations I needed as well. So, it made it
much easier to work with my tutors.”
How Anya
Landed An
Offer from the
University of
Cambridge
“You Don’t Have
to Be a Genius!”
Anya grew up in a family of lawyers. It
was only natural then, that she too
followed in their footsteps and pursued a
career in law. Still, she always felt like her
dream of studying at Oxford or
Cambridge Law was a little far-fetched;
according to her, you’d have to be a “real
genius” to get in.

Her doubts were amplified by the fact

that she started the application process
for Cambridge quite late, with only a
month left to go before the deadline in
October. And yet, with Crimson’s help,
Anya landed an offer from her dream
school - Cambridge!

“I’m the second person in my school to go

to Cambridge, and definitely the only
person in my year to go to Oxford or
Cambridge. It was a shock for me and my
parents because A, I did the whole thing in
such a rushed manner and B, I’m not the
best student in my year. That student also
applied to Cambridge and didn’t end up
getting a spot.”

“I thought that to get into

Oxford/Cambridge you have to be like a
real genius...but when I talked to everyone
who was helping me with my law test and
my interview and my personal statement,
they seemed so relatable and real -- it
made me feel like my dream was more
achievable.”
How Crimson
helped Anya
Crimson’s team of tutors taught Anya how
to handle the Cambridge interviews,
prepare for the Cambridge Law Test, and
write a winning personal statement.
Having experienced the application
journey themselves, Anya's mentors at
Crimson were very generous with their
advice.

“What makes Crimson different is the fact

that the team has gone through the
process themselves. They’re all friendly and
young, so that makes it quite relatable --
rather than having a professor come in and
tell you how to do an interview, it made a
difference knowing that my tutors had
done this themselves.

”With Crimson, everything was made

possible. Anya managed to pull off a last-
minute application despite having to deal
with exams, essays, and science
experiments -- all crammed into a month
and a half!

Personal Statement
Anya had a Crimson essay mentor to help
her with her personal statement -- Bianca,
a Law graduate from Oxford. As a former
law student herself, Bianca was able to help
Anya realize her genuine interest for the
subject; this really allowed Anya to be
sincere and thoughtful when articulating
her intended course of study in her
personal statement.
“Bianca really found a way to make it [the
essay] both personalized but still make it
very polished and sound very professional.
And she really understood what I wanted to
write, instead of telling me what to write.
She allowed me to come up with my ideas,
and then she helped as to how I could use
my ideas in the essay. So overall my essay
was just a lot more polished than it
would've been otherwise.”
Interview and Law Test
preparation
Multiple mentors are involved in the “I sort of knew what was going to happen on
Oxford/Cambridge interview preparation the day of the interview. And also there's
process at Crimson. These interview security knowing that you've practiced and
practices, coupled with great tutors who have gotten good feedback. I think that
taught her different answering techniques, definitely made me more confident in the
gave Anya just the confidence she needed to interview.
ace the interview.
”On top of the interviews, the Cambridge
“I think I had six hours of help with the Law assessment is another key component
interview and three mentors altogether. in the Cambridge applications. For the Law
That’s two hours with each mentor, and in admissions test, Ananya had five hours of
that way, I received different perspectives essay help and received constructive
and different opinions on my performance. I feedback from her tutor, Alec.
think each approach had something that
was quite valuable, and that was quite nice.” “Alec was actually really good at analyzing
the essay and giving me feedback. Not only
The preparation for the Cambridge interview was he effective, but he was also able to
itself really pushed Anya to think critically, accommodate me despite being busy. “
and gave her a sense of security when
walking into her actual interview.

Anya's advice to aspiring

Oxford/Cambridge
applicants?
“Start early - don’t try and cram everything in
at the last minute like I did! And I would say
to just apply because I thought you had to Start early, try your
be a genius to get in, but you really don't.
Just apply no matter what you think of
very best and just
yourself and if you think your application apply -- you might be
isn't very strong, try your very hardest and
apply. You might be surprised at the results.”
surprised at the
results.
Crimson
Exclusive:
A Former
Oxford
Admissions
Officer Answers
your FAQs!
One of the main reasons why families
choose to work with Crimson is our vast
global network of admissions strategists,
tutors and experts — including Former
Admissions Officers from some of the
most competitive universities in the
world!

In this section, Hannah Rowberry, a

Former Admissions Officer at the
University of Oxford answers all your
burning questions about studying at a
top UK university.

About Hannah Rowberry

After graduating from Cambridge with a
degree in Natural Sciences, Hannah
worked as a scientist, science teacher
and College Outreach Officer for the
University of Oxford. She has also been
an Academic Registrar and an
Admissions Officer there, experiences
she now draws upon in supporting
Crimson students in preparing for
university life.
Beyond academic
performance and
admissions tests, what
else are Admissions
Officers looking for?

In addition to your academic ability,

the key selection criteria are: your
interest in and commitment to your
subject, your ability to think
independently, and your academic
potential. These can be demonstrated
through your personal statement,
your reference, your interview, and
potentially in admissions tests too.

For example, you could use

supercurriculars (course-relevant
extracurriculars, such as reading) in
your personal statement to
demonstrate that you have developed
your interests in your chosen course,
and reflect upon your learning from
these. Your performance during the
interview could also demonstrate your
thinking skills and potential, as you
will be showing how you respond to
an unfamiliar problem, using your
existing knowledge and skills, and
demonstrating your potential to
flourish in an Oxbridge teaching
environment (interviews are
effectively a mock tutorial).

There also may be course-specific

selection criteria, which you will
likewise need to demonstrate in your
application. These may be fairly
simple, but can be quite extensive,
particularly for highly competitive
subjects like medicine, where you will
need to show strengths in a wide
range of relevant skills and qualities.
What are some common
mistakes you’ve seen from
otherwise qualified applicants?
The most common mistakes are often
strategic. Applicants may have chosen to
apply to courses where they would not be
a viable or competitive applicant, or may
have been overly ambitious in their choices
overall and not chosen a good spread of
reach, target, and safety schools across
their 5 UCAS choices. Applicants also may
make errors in their course choice, often
not thoroughly exploring all the available
options (potentially hundreds of courses at
each university, and tens of thousands
across the UK), and picking very
oversubscribed options with lower chances
of success. That’s not to say a student
shouldn’t apply to a popular course if, after
researching all options, that’s their best fit;
but a great first step in thinking about
university is broadening your academic
horizons — the subject you’d love to do
may be something you haven’t even heard
of yet!

Other errors may arise in the personal

statement. For example, not
understanding what the course you’re
applying for is really about: I’ve seen
otherwise strong applications where the
personal statement indicates a student has
misunderstood what they will be studying.

Students may list impressive-sounding

supercurriculars and achievements in their
personal statement, but fail to add depth
to these, such as explaining what they’ve
learnt from an experience or providing
their own reflections and insights.

In the interview, a common error is the

failure to demonstrate intellectual curiosity
and flexibility — students may wrongly
assume that it will be impressive to argue
their opinions and stick to them at all costs,
whereas interviewers may actually want to
see that they can take onboard new
information and come to a reasoned
conclusion having done so.
Are extracurricular activities
important for UK applications?
UK selection criteria tend to be
predominantly academic, with much less
emphasis on extracurricular activities than
the US. General extracurricular activities
tend to be discussed briefly in the
personal statement, to demonstrate skills
and qualities such as leadership or
teamwork. However, ‘supercurricular’
activities — things you do to explore
subjects and develop your academic skills
beyond your school studies — are very
beneficial to UK applications. These
include things like reading, podcasts,
online courses, research, relevant work
experience or volunteering, competitions,
writing, projects, debating, and even just
enjoying talking about your academic
interests with friends and family.

Hopefully, these are things you are

naturally doing in pursuit of your interests,
and feel excited and motivated by. They
can be very helpful in exploring and
broadening your academic horizons, and
as you explore in more depth, narrowing
down your course choices. They enable
you to develop academic skills that will
help bridge the gap between high school
and university, and demonstrate the
interests, skills, and qualities universities
are looking for. You shouldn’t do them just
for the sake of your personal statement,
but they will certainly come in handy
when you’re writing it!
What are Oxbridge interviews When should I get started on my
really like? UK university application?
Oxbridge interviews assess your academic It’s never too early to start preparing your
potential and “teachability” — they aren’t application. There are strategic decisions
meant to be some scary test with lots of that are important several years in advance,
difficult and bizarre questions, but rather such as choosing your high school
a mock tutorial, seeing if you’re suited to qualifications and subjects, to ensure you’re
the kind of teaching that takes place in able to meet the university and course
the university. They’ll be looking to see entry requirements and can build an
how you approach a problem you’ve not impressive academic profile. It’s also great
come across before, and whether you can to have time to explore your academic
apply existing skills and knowledge to a interests and broaden your horizons!
new scenario. They’ll see how you take
onboard new information, prompts, and Supercurriculars take time to develop too,
questions to work towards an answer. and for the most competitive courses such
as medicine, universities would like to see a
Oxbridge interviews assess your academic long term commitment to exploring
potential and “teachability” — they aren’t relevant experiences. It is also
meant to be some scary test with lots of advantageous to familiarise yourself with
difficult and bizarre questions, but rather the admissions process early on, so that you
a mock tutorial, seeing if you’re suited to feel comfortable and confident with it when
the kind of teaching that takes place in the time comes. I was seven years old when
the university. They’ll be looking to see I first visited the Cambridge college I would
how you approach a problem you’ve not eventually apply to — you don’t have to
come across before, and whether you can start quite so young of course, but early
apply existing skills and knowledge to a inspiration and aspiration is key!
new scenario. They’ll see how you take
onboard new information, prompts, and
questions to work towards an answer.
Ultimately they’re trying to find out
whether you will flourish in the academic
environment at Oxbridge. The
interviewers are nice people who will be
trying to put you at ease, and will be
pleased to meet someone who also loves
their subject! It’s a wonderful opportunity
for you to meet the absolute experts in
your field, and talk to them about
interesting topics and challenging
ideas — this will probably be the most
exciting interview you’ll ever have!
Crimson Education offers intensive, holistic,
personalised support for students applying
to universities in the UK.

All support is delivered 1-1 by a team of

expert strategists and mentors. It covers
every step of the UK admissions system:

Admissions Written Work

Test (Additional essays)

Extracurricular Personal
Development Statement

Interviews

On top of this, each student receives

bespoke guidance from a top Strategist,
allowing them to effectively plan their
application journey, choose the schools
that best fit their skills and goals, and
ultimately fulfil their potential.

Our Results

Offers to Offers to Oxford Offers to US Offers to the UK

the Ivy league and Cambridge Top 50 universities Top 10 universities
Why work
with Crimson?

In recent years, the goal posts have

moved regarding the level of student
who secures offers to top universities.
Now more than ever before, students
must do more to stand out.

Our mentors are experts on university

admissions who attended the top
universities in the UK themselves.
Through a combination of support from
the Strategist, Application Mentor,
Admissions Test Tutor and Interview
Tutor, our services ensure students are
prepared – academically, emotionally, Crimson’s comprehensive and
and personally – to reach their maximum personalised admissions support has
potential in secondary school, during the everything students need to maximise
university application process, and their chances of admission to Oxbridge
beyond. and beyond.

Strategist Application Mentor Extracurricular Mentor

Strategists guide a student’s The Application Mentor Extracurricular Mentors give
development, acting as a provides targeted support students all the guidance and
source of knowledge, across several areas of the tools they need to undertake a
encouragement, motivation application process. range of impressive
and advice. extracurricular activities.
WHAT THEY DO WHAT THEY DO WHAT THEY DO
In particular, the Strategist will Your Application Mentor will: EC mentors are assigned based on
support a student to: Provide focused support as your intended course of study. Each
Strategically choose the student writes their programme is tailored to the
universities and courses Personal Statement, individual student, but follows the
that suit the student’s ensuring it reflects the same three stages:
personality and strengths student’s strengths and
so that they have the best passion 1. Activity strategizing - your EC
chance to thrive at Oversee the selection and Mentor assesses the areas of your
university and in their editing of written work or application profile that
chosen career supplementary essays extracurriculars can enhance and
Ensure every element of the extend before identifying relevant
application, from activities to undertake
recommendation letters to
preparation for the 2. Activity engagement - your EC
admissions test, is mentor guides the steps you take to
optimised and submitted engage and helps you communicate
early! progress, building key written and
verbal skills

3. Activity reflection - after an activity

has ended, your EC Mentor will guide
the writing of an in-depth evaluation
that can subsequently be used in a
personal statement
Additional Support for Oxbridge /
Medical School Applicants

Interview Mentors UK Admissions Test Tutoring Mentors

The UK Interview Mentors prepare students Test Tutoring Mentors provide invaluable 1-
for the final and arguably the most 1 support for what is notoriously one of the
challenging part of the application process. hardest parts of the UK application
process.

WHAT THEY DO WHAT THEY DO

The service comprises realistic and rigorous Crimson boasts a wealth of experience and
interviews sold by the hour. All interviews are resources in the range of tests required by
conducted by our expert interviewers who Oxbridge universities and medical subjects
specialise in the student’s subject area. Each including but not restricted to:
interview takes the same format and provides BioMedical Admissions Test - BMAT/UCAT
the opportunity for constructive feedback: Thinking Skills Assessment - TSA
40-45 minutes - mock interview Law National Aptitude Test - LNAT
15-20 minutes - feedback Mathematics Aptitude Test - MAT
Physics Aptitude Test - PAT
During the mock interview, students are given
new material to analyse and discuss, such as a Our programme is delivered by one of our
graph, a problem-set or a written extract. In experienced Admissions Tests Tutors. The service is
addition to testing students on their relevant split into three stages:
knowledge, the mock interviews allow students
to develop the critical soft skills needed to 1. Test introduction - this first session covers the
perform convincingly, namely: format of the test and introduces the key skills that
Communication skills are required.
Problem-solving skills
Adaptability 2. Test breakdown and approaches - these sessions
Independent thinking deal with common questions and strategies to
Engagement employ. They also determine which areas the
student is less confident with and ways of
Note that our Tailored Admissions Support overcoming them.
provides initial interview support, including a
general introduction to interviews, what 3. Test practice and review - these sessions review
interviewees are looking for, guidance on questions that students have tackled in their own
tackling difficult questions, improvising, getting time, analysing the thoughts processes displayed
personal, and more. Nevertheless, it’s the true- and subsequently improving them.
to-life practice that will truly ensure a student is
fully prepared—even if the rest of the Crimson’s proprietarily developed practice
application is perfect, the interview is the key to questions allows students to immediately apply
the final lock in securing a great offer. skills and strategies taught by their tutors. Our UK
admissions test tutoring ensures you’ll maximise
your chances of securing an offer to a great UK
university.
Final Thoughts
We hope this eBook gave you the pointers
you need to start planning your journey to
your dream university! If you made it this
far, you’re probably serious about pursuing
a degree from a top UK university — and
we’re ready to help.

Standing out from a crowd of tens of

thousands of other applicants isn’t easy. As
you know from reading our overview of UK
admissions, there’s a lot to do (and to
perfect!). Don’t embark on this process —
one of the most important journeys of QUESTIONS?
your life thus far — alone.
Send us an email or call us -
we’d love to connect with you!
To learn more about your university
options and what a top UK university 541 Orchard Road,
education can do for your future, visit our 15-03 Liat Towers,
website to schedule a free consultation 238881, Singapore
with one of our expert academic advisors.
From finding your best fit university to +65 6909 2004
clicking “submit” on your applications,
we’ve got you covered! ✉ [email protected]
Book in a free one hour consultation with one of our expert
Academic Advisors who can answer all your individual
questions and create a plan for you or your child.

Talk To Us

CRIMSONEDUCATION.ORG