Balliol College

I’ve recently received a conditional offer to read mathematics at Balliol College. There are a lot of things I wish I knew sooner and as such I’m gonna share them here.

This post will summarise the admission process and the appropriate mindset, as well as the first steps to finding out more about Oxford! The other parts of the process are detailed in these blog posts:

Mentality

Your goal throughout the admissions process is to convince tutors they’ll enjoy teaching and interacting with you over the next two years. Every step should work toward answering this question.

While tutors may also aim to maintain academic standards or select candidates with future potential, these goals are secondary to the primary question: will they want to teach you? Oxbridge’s personal teaching model means tutors will spend significant time reviewing your work and discussing it in tutorials, so they want that experience to be engaging and rewarding.

Now how can you show them you’ll be a pleasure to teach?

First, demonstrate mastery of the basics. Tutors assess whether you know high school math by heart to gauge your commitment to learning foundational concepts independently. Throughout your degree, you’ll encounter new material, and tutors won’t have time to cover all the basics—they’re most valuable when guiding you beyond them.

Second, show genuine interest in mathematics. Imagine a tutor enthusiastically discussing their favorite aspects, only to find students just waiting for class to end—it’s discouraging.

Third, demonstrate commitment in mathematics. Studying math intensively over four years is challenging, and tutors want to see that you’re prepared to stay the course.

Finally, show openness to change. If you can’t change, what’s the point in teaching you?

Knowing more

The above is pointless if you do not desire what’s potentially at the end of the admission process–studying maths at Oxford.

As such it’s essential to concretely understand what studying maths at Oxford is really like. This can seem daunting, but investing time to assess whether math is the right subject could save considerable effort later. Changing subjects after starting at Oxford is possible but lengthy and best avoided.

Course Choice

Look at the syllabi for physics or computer science. Look at first-year course options, compare the courses, and examine their reading lists. Check how different books approach the same material to get a sense of each subject’s perspective. Carefully think about joint school courses. What first-year courses are you gaining or losing?

More information

Read the undergraduate handbooks for more details. Take a look at the glossary for terms to familiarize yourself with terms specific to Oxbridge.

Going further

If everything looks good so far, great! Here’s an outline of the next steps you’ll need to take:

  1. UCAS Application

    The first step is to complete your UCAS application. Plenty of official information is available, but one key point to remember is that the deadline for Oxford is usually mid-October, which is earlier than the standard UCAS deadline. You’ll also need to choose a college. College choice can be overlooked, so I’ve written some advice on it. I’ve also written some advice on writing the personal statement.

  2. Admission Test

    Next, you’ll need to take an admission test. Remember to register to take the test as early as possible. Registration typically opens in August and closes in October. For more details, refer to official information about the MAT. I’ve written some advice on the admission tests.

  3. Online Interviews

    Finally, there will be a couple of online interviews around December. That’s about it! I’ve written some advice on the interviews.

As a final touch

Sometimes in life, uncertainty is inevitable. Fear of rejection or other doubts can make you hesitate to take action at the right moment. In these moments, it’s essential to recognize the barriers holding you back and give yourself permission to move forward, even if everything isn’t perfectly in place.

Ultimately, don’t let the outcome of this process diminish your passion for mathematics. Remember why you were drawn to all of this in the first place.