Connect

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 autumn/winter, focused around preparing a strong Oxbridge application, and preparing for admissions tests and interviews. You are welcome to sign up for as many of these sessions as you would like.

How to sign up for the sessions

1.  Click on a session below to complete the registration form
   • Registration for all sessions will open at 9am on Friday 22nd August!
   • 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.
2.  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.

12^th September – Oxbridge Personal Statement Clinic

In this session, we will recap top tips for writing a strong Oxbridge personal statement, and answer last-minute personal statement queries. Additionally, attendees will be able to receive feedback on a short extract (100-150 words maximum) of their draft statement from current Oxford students.

26^th September – Oxford Admissions Tests 1: Information and top tips for preparing

In this session, we will explain the purpose of admissions tests and all the logistics of sitting them (such as registration, test dates, test locations, etc.). Our student ambassadors will share their own experiences of sitting the admissions tests and give you top tips on how to prepare. Please note that admissions test question practice will take place in the subsequent session – Oxford Admissions Tests 2, taking place on 10^th October.

10^th October – Oxford Admissions Tests 2: Subject practice

In this session, attendees will practice test questions in small groups with student ambassadors. Please note that we will endeavour to cover all Oxford-specific admissions tests, but will not cover the UCAT and LNAT or other tests non-specific to Oxford. When you register for this session, you will be asked to indicate which admissions test(s) you will be sitting so that we can allocate you to the correct break-out room, subject to availability.

31^st October – Interviews 1: Information and top tips on preparing

In this session, we will demystify the Oxbridge interview process, explaining what admissions tutors are looking for, and offering valuable guidance on techniques and preparation. Our ambassadors will talk about their own experiences, and give their advice on how you can begin to prepare.

14^th November – Interviews 2: Subject practice

In this session, attendees will practice interview questions in small groups with student ambassadors. When you register for this session, you will be asked to indicate which course you are applying for so that we can allocate you to the most relevant student ambassador.