For those who have been to either Cambridge or Oxford ...?

Question

How many As in your A-Levels are you expected to have? What are (if any) the other exams/papers you should to take to help you in the admissions? Are the interview's really tough? What do they ask in the interviews?

And how hard is it to obtain a full scholarship?

Answer 1

I went to Oxford and got 3 As in my A-levels.  To be honest, most people there had 3 or 4 As; Bs were pretty rare, although not completely unheard of.  I didn't take any other exams or papers and can't recall anyone else who did.  I'm not entirely sure what else there is that you could take anyway...

As for the interviews it's really hard to give a precise answer as all of the interviews are different depending upon the college you apply to and the subject you want to read.  The tutors interviewing you will know that you're bright enough to be there, so they just want to see if you have the right sort of thought process for Oxbridge and that you have a real passion for and dedication to your subject.  Reading around your chosen subject and gaining a knowledge greater than that which is taught at school will be a good start.

With regard to scholarships, I don't recall anyone having scholarships.  There were various prizes for things such as essays and papers, but I think the rationale is that when you leave Oxbridge you should be able to gain such a good job that there is no need to provide funding when student loans will be sufficient in the interim.