In this article, U2 mentor, Blanca (1st Class History & Politics graduate, University of Oxford), leads you through her top recommendations for successful preparation for a history degree at a top Russell Group UK university or Oxbridge. If you want to know about extracurricular activities to make your application stand-out, current trends and ‘must-knows’ in history, history book recommendations, an overview of the Oxbridge history interview structure, and examples of past history interview questions, this blog is for you!

In this blog, 1st Class History & Politics Oxford graduate, Blanca, leads you through her key recommendations for those thinking of applying for a Politics degree, as well as prospective applicants approaching personal statement writing, Oxbridge admissions test and interviews. Read on for past Oxbridge Politics interview questions, reading suggestions for a Politics personal statement, and important debate topics

At some point, all English students will be given a passage of literature and asked to ‘analyse’ or ‘respond’ to it. You answer will illustrate to an examiner or interviewer, what techniques you have learnt throughout your studies, and how you can apply your knowledge to new materials. Useful for: GCSE & A-Level English candidates and Oxbridge Humanities applicants.

Learning German is hard. Reading books in German is even harder. But reading literature in the original language is not only wonderful for learning grammar, vocabulary and increasing your fluency, but it will also expand your literary horizons, especially in preparation for university applications. German literature, just like English literature, is a vast and multi-faceted corpus and it can be hard to know where to start. So if you want to branch out from re-watching ‘Goodbye, Lenin!’ for the fiftieth time and make sure you stand out as a German linguist and literature student, here are some books to start with and ideas for your personal statement and interview preparation if applying for German at university/ Oxbridge.

An interview is a high-pressure environment – but it can also be a rewarding one. Oxbridge interviews, though notoriously challenging, are designed to mimic the kind of tutorials which you will be taking should you be successful in your application. Tutors aren’t trying to trip you up or confuse you. Find out some strategies to stay calm and confident come interview day with successful Oxford English applicant, Sarah.

Interviews can seem scary and hard to prepare for as you never quite know what to expect. However, they are extremely important, with many selections for school and university applications made almost entirely on interview performance alone. Luckily, there are a number of things you can do during the interview and in preparation that can really help you stand out. Check out Poppy, Oxford Psychology graduate and DPhil researcher’s top sips for success.