Connect with St Hugh’s undergraduate students
St Hugh’s Connect is an online engagement project which has been running since 2021, consisting of one-hour sessions led by student ambassadors. These take place once every two weeks (usually on a Friday at 5pm) during key stages of the UCAS and Oxbridge application processes. During these sessions, Sixth Formers have the opportunity to talk directly to St Hugh’s current undergraduates about various aspects of the application process; to receive some top tips on preparing a competitive application; and also to hear about the undergraduate experience from a range of authentic student voices.
Connect brings current students and Sixth Formers together into a virtual space where they are able to discuss all things to do with university. Sessions are held on Teams, which is the software Oxford uses for all its admissions interviews, and are not recorded. The idea is that everyone who comes along takes part in the discussions; our ambassadors are trained volunteers who run the Connect sessions quite simply in order to support Sixth Formers in state schools in an informal and very friendly environment.
Like all of our outreach activities, Connect is completely free of charge and students can attend as many sessions as they like. The sessions are intended as an additional level of regular digital engagement to complement our in-person talks and workshops delivered by St Hugh’s outreach staff. Please note that Connect sessions are aimed at students at state-funded schools or colleges.
There are five upcoming sessions this spring/summer, focused around choosing a course and university, and preparing a strong application for top universities. You are welcome to sign up for as many of these sessions as you would like.
How to sign up for the sessions
- Click on a session below to complete the registration form
- Registration for all sessions will open at 9am on Friday 25th April!
- Sign-ups for each session will close at 5pm the Friday before the session takes place (see below for a table of registration deadlines).
- Please note that if you wish to attend multiple sessions, you must sign up for each of them individually.
- A few days before the session takes place, you will receive an email from us asking you to complete an attendance confirmation form. Once you have confirmed your attendance at the session via that form, you will receive the Teams link for the session. The deadline for confirming your attendance is 5pm the day before the session takes place (see the table below for a summary of these deadlines).
Please get in touch with outreach@st-hughs.ox.ac.uk if you have any questions about the sessions or the sign-up process.
16th May – How to… Choose a course and a university
In this session, we will discuss how to go about deciding which course and which university are right for you. Our student ambassadors will provide insight into how they made up their minds on what and where to study.
30th May – How to… Prepare a competitive Oxbridge application
In this session, we will explain the different elements of the Oxbridge admissions process and how they are used to assess your application. Our ambassadors will provide some tips on what you can do to make your application as strong as possible.
In this session, we will discuss why super-curricular activities are important for preparing a strong application to top universities, and where to access useful resources to get started with your exploration. We will talk about different types of super-curriculars, and how to incorporate them into your personal statement to help make your application stand out.
27th June – How to… Write a strong personal statement for high-tariff universities
In this session, we will talk about writing your personal statement, including what content to cover and how to structure your writing. We’ll also provide some top tips on editing, and discuss common mistakes and things to avoid.
11th July – How to… Prepare for admission tests and interviews
In this session, we will give an overview of how Oxford admissions tests work, and the interview process. Our ambassadors will talk about their own experiences, and give their advice on how you can begin to prepare.
Registration and confirmation deadlines for each Connect session
| Session title | Session date | Registration deadline | Confirmation deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| How to... Choose a course and a university | 16th May | 5pm, 9th May | 5pm, 15th May |
| How to... Prepare a competitive Oxbridge application | 30th May | 5pm, 23rd May | 5pm, 29th May |
| How to... Find and make the most of super-curricular activities for your personal statement | 13th June | 5pm, 6th June | 5pm, 12th June |
| How to... Write a strong personal statement for high-tariff universities | 27th June | 5pm, 20th June | 5pm, 26th June |
| How to... Prepare for admission tests and interviews | 11th July | 5pm, 4th July | 5pm, 10th July |
