In 2024 - 24% of applicants received offers (vs 17% nationally)
We provide support for students aspiring to Oxbridge throughout their two years here. This includes:
What can I do if I want to apply to Oxbridge?
Get the best GCSE results you can in all subjects, not just the ones you want to study. Pick the right combination of subjects; engage with the variety of super curricular activities we offer at the College.
Oxbridge will expect high GCSE averages. Most of our successful students have GCSE averages above 8; however, Oxbridge colleges heavily contextualise based on your secondary school and other widening participation factors.
At the College we work to quickly identify students whose potential outstrips their GCSE scores and inspire and support them to reach top universities, including Oxbridge.
Course choices
It is essential that you pick the right courses to study at A level if you want to go to Oxbridge.
Tip: Look up the courses you are interested in. In addition to the minimum entry requirements, most subjects have a statistical breakdown of A levels studied by successful students in previous years. Use this to select your programme of study at College.
Further maths
Farnborough has one of the biggest and best further maths departments in the country and top universities will expect students who apply from Farnborough to have studied it despite it having been listed as preferred not required.
STEM (including psychology)
If you are aiming for STEM courses (including psychology), Oxbridge colleges will expect you to have studied maths A level. Most will also expect further maths. Generally, we find that students who study further maths have a vastly higher chance of securing an interview and a place (in 2024, only one of our 13 successful STEM Oxbridge candidates did not study A level further maths). This holds true for other competitive institutions such as Imperial College, Warwick and UCL.
Humanities
If you are targeting humanities courses for your Oxbridge studies, you should be studying at least two challenging, essay-based A levels.
For Economics & Management and Philosophy, Politics & Economics (PPE) courses, maths is also essential. In 2024, all students who received interviews for economics or PPE courses studied further maths too.
Music
If you are targeting a Music course for your Oxbridge studies, you can study a range of different subjects such as Maths, Physics and Music Technology amongst others.
Interview preparation sessions are run from September in Year 13 covering topics such as analysis, aural, composition and performance tasks culminating in a mock interview. Other preparation throughout the course includes having external speakers or alumni either in College or online to share their experience of studying at Oxbridge. We also provide a range of resources on the study directory.