Oprettet af Camilla Bech Kjeldahl den 06. november 2018
The breath of history in Oxford
On a grey October day, 30 talented youths from the Academy walked through the doors to Queen’s College in Oxford – a college that is not usually open to the public. We walked through beautiful courtyards and majestic buildings. Together with students from our other ATY departments, we got a special introduction to the university, where the students were given the opportunity to ask questions and receive advice on the admission process.
On the look for the brightest and best students from all over the world
The admission process to Oxford University is quite comprehensive. It involves both a personal statement, references from your teachers and a personal interview. The individual elements of the admission process contribute to creating an overall picture of each applicant – both their academic skills and their potential. Student recruitment officer, Charlotte Hamilton explains:
“We are looking for the brightest and best students irrespective of where they come from and their background. What unites students at Oxford is their academic ability and intellectual curiosity. Admissions decisions are based solely on an applicant’s ability and potential. Everyone is assessed individually but essentially Admissions Tutors are looking for students with great academic ability and potential, who will benefit from and flourish in the Oxford learning environment and who are best suited for the course they have applied for”.
Oxford provides a tutorial method of teaching and hence, students who are resourceful and can contribute to the style of teaching would benefit highly. It’s a vibrant environment with ambitious and curious students. The students are part of a fast changing, global environment and their ability to adjust and process information is of great importance.
Charlotte Hamilton summarizes that they are looking for potential, self-motivation and the ability to think critically and independently in the students. She was very impressed with the students from ATY as she emphasizes the importance for students to take part in activities that challenge them academically, and sees ATY as an important way to develop extracurricular skills:
“I enjoyed meeting the students on their trip to Oxford. They were engaged and asked excellent questions about applying to Oxford and the student experience here. We do encourage all of our applicants to engage in activities that allow them to further their academic interests beyond the curriculum and to engage in discussion of their ideas. ATY is an excellent opportunity to acquire these important skills demanded by highly competitive universities”.
Head of Secretary at ATY East, Ellen Smidt-Nielsen is very pleased with the cooperation with the university. “Oxford is a great opportunity for our ambitious, knowledgeable and curios students. We can all learn a lot from Oxford – from their focus on the personal abilities, critical thinking, passion and flexibility to the outstanding lecturers and way of teaching, and – not least – the global, high spirited, social environment that Oxford offers their students”.
No. 1 University in the world
Oxford is ranked no. 1 university in the world by “Times Higher Education World University Rankings” in 2017/18. At Oxford every student is a member of a college as well as their subject department and the University. In this way, the students will have both the benefits of belonging to a large, renowned institution and to a small academic community. The students take part in lectures and seminars, but they also get tutorial teaching every week – something that is unavailable at most universities. Tutorial teaching offers a personalised attention from academic experts. The students get feedback on prepared work and cover a topic in depth together with one or two tutorial partners.
“I was so excited by the idea of studying the subject I loved with the absolute world experts in the field, and at Oxford, you have the opportunity to learn from the very best. One of the things I love most about the college tutorial system is the close contact you have with tutors; you really feel that they’re invested in you as a person, and it’s amazing how much confidence you build up within just a few tutorials” – Lily, student at Oxford.