University of Oxford
College Choice
Open Application
Shortlisting
Reallocation and Redistribution
Multiple interviews
Open Offers
Sharing information across the University
Using contextual data
College choice
•Students can choose any college across the collegiate university to apply to as long as it offers the subject(s)
•Start by deselecting rather than choosing specifically •goldilocks approach:
•Not too big ... Not too small, Not too old ... Not too new, Not too far ... Not too near
•For some good and some more random reasons the numbers of applications to each college varies considerably
Initial number of applications by college
Next the Open Applicants are distributed to the colleges
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800
Open Applications
~10% of students make an open application c. 1750 apps
International students are much more likely to make an open app
The success rate for UK open applicants is equal to the UK average
Open applications are distributed centrally to ‘top up’ the initial direct applications
using an algorithm which attempts to equalise, as much as is possible, the number of applications per place, on a subject by subject basis
based on college places available for each subject
On the central system, college code is changed from Open to
College X
A college has no way of knowing whether a student has applied directly or has chosen an open app; they should not be asked at interview
Open Application Top-Up
Open applicants, once distributed, are informed of which college they have been assigned
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200
Shortlisting
Oxford’s approach
Resources concentrated on those with strong chance
Approximately 3 candidates per place for each course are interviewed
Interviews at two or more colleges common
Almost always by academics from chosen discipline
Medicine – c.30% Law – c.40%
English – c.65%
Biochemistry & Theology - >80%
Shortlisting and reallocation
When considering applications tutors may consider:
Academic profile of the student
Results in pre-interview tests
Submitted written work
Personal statement and reference
Different subjects have subtly different methodologies to this process, but with the same overall aim
To ensure the best students have a fair chance of admission an individual college tutor might see a large proportion, or none, of their applicants as prime for deselection.
‘Shortlisted’ field might not be evenly distributed across the colleges, relative to the number of places, once again.
Some subjects operate reallocation, whereby before candidates are invited to interview they are allocated to a different first choice interview college. This college then ‘owns’ that application.
Reallocation
-20 -10 0 10 20 30 40 Initial Apps Cherry Export/Import Final Some move from a reallocation exporting college to an importing
college
Cherry-picking ratios
Students who are reallocated should not view themselves as weak as lots of good candidates are reallocated.
The aim is to try and ensure that the strongest candidates all get interviewed and that the number at each college is manageable.
Redistribution and multiple college interviews
Shortlisted students will be interviewed at a first choice college
often consists of two separate interviews, with two tutors in each
They may also be interviewed at a second choice college
or even third/fourth choice on rare occasions.
Subject will affect the number of interviews particularly for Joint Schools
Variations at subject level:
Some subjects allocate 2nd college interviews prior to arrival in Oxford
Many subjects have a mid-interview period meeting (once the first college interviews have been completed, then tutors meet to discuss which
candidates might be given 2nd college interviews).
Some subjects operate smart second choice allocation, whereby the distribution of the ‘quality’ of the students is considered when deciding where to place them for their second, equalising quality again.
Open Offers
~90% of applicants are made offers for a specific college
Some, in certain subjects, are made Open Offers
College at which the student will study not confirmed until after results day
These students are not weak or marginal students,
simply allows Oxford to make a few more extra offers and avoid taking students who don’t end up making the grades!
Cover ratio is only 105% - so 21 offers for 20 places; but a college that has 4 places for Engineering can’t make 5 offers...
Open Offers
No places No offers College A 2 2 College B 4 4 College C 4 4 College D 6 6 College E 8 8 Open 1 24 25 One open offer is made, underwritten by College D
In August one of the College B’s applicants fails their offer, so the student with the open offer is placed at College B.
If all 25 make their offer then College D as the underwriter will take 7 students (6+1) and perhaps one fewer next year.
Sharing information across the University
Online database (ADSS) allows tutors to access data and compare students:
An electronic copy of the UCAS form
Admissions test results, including PDFs of essays
Contextual data flags and GCSE comparison statistics
Allows tutors to compare those students who apply to their college, but also how that group compare to the rest of the field
Some colleges net export over 50 students to other colleges during the admissions process whilst others import similar numbers.
Contextual data
Three aspects of contextual data will be considered for UK students applying for entry:
1) Prior Education:
The performance of the school or college that the applicant attended for GCSE or equivalent level and;
The performance of the school or college that the applicant attended for A-level or equivalent level.
2) Socio-Economic Circumstance
The postcode that an applicant gives as their home address, assessed using ACORN and POLAR2 information
3) Care Status
Whether a candidate has been looked after/in care for more than three months (determined from the UCAS application, and subject to later verification checks);
A complicated system... perhaps
Fairness for all applicants across the collegiate university is at the core of the process.
Chances of gaining a place at Oxford is almost equal