In The Know

Supporting a young person aiming for Oxbridge?

We  know that for parents, guardians, and carers, supporting a young person through the university application process can be a daunting prospect. That’s why we have created In The Know, an online series of information sessions designed specifically to make sure that supporting adults have all the information they need. These will be evening sessions, run on Microsoft Teams.

There will be three sessions taking place in Summer 2026. Each of these will take place on Microsoft Teams, between 7.15-8.45pm. You are welcome to attend all of these sessions, or just one or two. 

Tuesday 12^th May – Choosing a course, university, and career

Navigating the world of university and career choices can be overwhelming, particularly given the wealth of options available, as well conflicting advice from different sources.

Join us for an evening demystifying the process and answering questions that are not always raised as part of conversations around study and careers. We will explain what choosing a course correctly actually means, and how it can help with future career plans (some details of this may seem counter-intuitive!). We will also explain the differences between universities, what to look out for when choosing, and what to be mindful of when using league tables. Finally, we will explain how course choice is linked to career prospects and point out the different competitiveness rates for different courses at top universities.

Tuesday 9^th June – Applying to Oxbridge: how it works

Guest speaker: Michael Nicholson, Director of Recruitment, Admissions and Participation at the University of Cambridge, and Fellow of Corpus Christi College.

Is your child or young person you are caring for thinking about applying to Oxbridge? If so, this session is for you.

The application process to Oxford and Cambridge is made up of multiple steps, several of which are not required by other universities. In this session we will explain how the application process works, what each of its steps is designed to do (and what it is not designed to do!), what admissions tutors are looking for, and how to put together a strong application. We will also focus on the question of choosing a college, as well as the option of an Open Application. We will share useful admissions statistics for both Oxford and Cambridge, and explain their relevance as well as provide the context in which they must be understood. In addition to talking about the admissions process itself, we will also dedicate some time in this session to sharing what life at Oxford and Cambridge is like for students, and what things are worth considering before applying here.

Tuesday 7^th July – Preparing for going to university

Whether staying close to home or moving farther afield for university study, the transition from school or sixth form college to undergraduate level is a time of change.

This session will explore the benefits and challenges of this process. Most importantly, we will help you find out what is worth noting in advance of sending your child to university, and how to prepare them (and yourself) for this. We will discuss financial considerations (including financial support available at Oxford and Cambridge, as well as how accommodation and food costs can vary a lot between universities although the tuition fees are the same). We will also turn our attention to the study and welfare support provision at university, and will cover some of the key questions you and your child should be asking of universities in advance of joining.