How to apply

Applying to Somerville is simple. When you complete the UCAS application form, you will be prompted to either name a college like Somerville as your preferred choice, or to make an “open application” which leaves the decision up to the Admissions Office computer. Around 20% of Oxford applicants opt for an open application. If you are allocated to Somerville, your choice to make an open application will not influence any decisions we make about whether to interview or admit you. You can always contact us on admissions@some.ox.ac.uk with any enquiries you may have. Please note, however, that tutors should never be contacted directly by the applicants or their representatives.

So many people apply to Oxford that we can’t interview everyone, and therefore most courses use some form of admissions test to help us decide who to interview. 

It’s important not to worry about these too much. Our tests are deliberately structured so that they don’t require special preparation and can demonstrate your raw potential, and there are plenty of past papers and other resources available on the University’s admissions tests website to help you succeed on the day.

As the requirements vary from course to course, it’s important to check what you need to do for your subject as soon as you can. Don’t forget to register for any admissions tests that you require! UCAS will not automatically enrol you when you apply to Oxford, so don’t get caught out. To register, please see the University’s admissions test website to find out how and when you need to do this. 

Oxford University’s Admissions Tests Website

If you are shortlisted after your admissions tests, you’ll be invited to one or more MS Teams interviews. In the interview, our friendly and professional tutors will talk to you about areas of your subject or work through a problem or scenario with you. The interview may begin by giving you a short period of time to read through several problems, talking points, or short extracts of scholarship, before a discussion with two tutors on the problems or ideas. No special preparation or coaching is required, and no one will be trying to catch you out – the focus is less on what you already know and more on how you handle new ideas.

Many Oxford applicants worry about the interviews and what the tutors will expect of them. To dispel the myths that surround the process, we asked some of our first year undergraduates to give us their top tips for you.

You can apply before you’ve done your final school qualifications, or afterwards – we welcome applications from those taking a gap year. For some courses, you’ll need to be studying specific subjects in order to qualify, and whatever you wish to study, you’ll need an excellent academic record. If we make you an offer, this will either be conditional if you haven’t yet sat your final school exams, or will become unconditional if you have, and you meet all the necessary conditions.

We welcome applications from students with disabilities, including dyslexia, dyspraxia, and other Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLDs).

Oxford has a Disability Advisory Service whose role it is to provide information and guidance so that disability related study and work needs can be met by colleges, halls, University departments and faculties. They provide support from the point you are considering an application right up until graduation, and are always delighted to hear from potential candidates. Any additional support will be tailored to individual need but please read the DAS website for more information about the sort of support we are likely to be able to offer. Contact DAS on disability@admin.ox.ac.uk or + 44 (0)1865 280459. 

You might think that mentioning your disability or specific learning difficulty will affect your application: this is absolutely not the case! When making our admissions decisions, we are only interested in academic merit, and want to give you every opportunity to demonstrate your ability. Please tell us about any disability on your UCAS form, and perhaps ask your referee to mention it too, and contact us (via DAS) so that we have time to put in place any reasonable adjustments or respond to any requirements during the admissions process. With appropriate supporting evidence (e.g. an educational psychologist’s or specialist tutor’s diagnostic assessment report or a medical letter), arrangements such as extra time, rest breaks, and word-processing can be considered. While you do not need to tell us, we recommend you do so in order to give us time to prepare and arrange suitable support.

For more information about applying to Oxford with a disability or specific learning difficulty visit the University’s Guidance for Disabled Applicants. Visit the University’s Disability pages to read about the support we offer to students, and the Bodleian Libraries’ Accessible Resources Unit for information on study resources.