Oxbridge College Choice Series, Part 2: A 5-Step Guide to Choosing the Best College

In this 2-part series, we dive into the college system at Oxford and Cambridge (‘Oxbridge’). In the first article, we looked into why ‘college’ and ‘university’ do not mean the same thing, why colleges are academic institutions within the universities as well as centers of social life, and how they differ.

If you have not yet read part 1, start by doing that here.

Once you have read part 1, continue here to discover the 5-Step Guide to Choosing the Best College.

5-Step Guide to Choosing the Best College

STEP 1: Eligibility

The first thing to consider would definitely be the eligibility requirements for each specific college. This can already help you rule out some colleges. This can include age, level of study, gender and subject. For instance, Anna could have applied to Murray Edwards, a female-only college, but her brother Karl would not be able to do so. On the other hand, Anna is applying at the age of 18 so she cannot apply to the so-called “mature” colleges for older students. Given that Karl spent a few years travelling and volunteering before deciding to go to university, he is 22 years old and he can therefore apply for Hughes Hall, a mature college, unlike his younger sister. Some colleges might also require some extra tests, examples of previous written work, or different minimum grades. 

Aspiro tip: Start by shortening the list

Your first step is therefore ruling out all of the colleges that you are not eligible to apply to. Since there are so many colleges to choose from, this is the best way to narrow down the list – i.e. start by writing out all of the colleges and crossing out the ones that you are simply not eligible to apply to. 

STEP 2: Housing type, facilities and location 

Next, many students choose based on the college accommodation opportunities. Given that you will likely spend most of your time in your college, choosing a place that you like is very important. You can make this choice based on what is important to you. The colleges differ in their location (how far they are from the city centre or the department where you will study), in their age (some are very old and historical, some are newer and more modern), in the size and prices of the rooms, the food that they offer, etc.  

It might also be worth considering if there are any facilities that are particularly important for you. For instance, if you are a keen tennis player, it is better for you to choose a college which has its sports grounds on the main site (close to where you would live), as opposed to some colleges which own sports grounds far away from the accommodation sites. 

Aspiro tip: Go beyond the maps

If you type the name of a college you are considering into the maps, the result will likely be the location of the main site. In reality, this might not be where you would live, or at least not for the entire duration of your studies. Some colleges have a historical main site in the city centre, yet most students live in accommodation sites in different parts of the city. This is especially true for graduate students pursuing a master’s degree or a PhD. We would therefore encourage you to look at where the sites that you would actually live at are. If the location is still one that you are happy with and that enables you to easily access the facilities of your college, such as the canteen, the library, the sports grounds, and so on.

STEP 3: Costs and funding

As we just saw, the facilities that colleges have to offer vary a lot. This is also reflected in the prices of their accommodation, food, sports facilities, etc. Have a look through the college’s website to see and try to see what your living costs would be. This can typically include:

• Accommodation fees for college rent

• Food in college 

• College fees for international students – bear in mind that this does not cover your accommodation

Aspiro tip: Look at the college’s wealth and funding

The amount of wealth that the different colleges have varies massively – and so does the amount of money that they offer to their students. This is something that few applicants consider as it is hard to see before you enter the system. However, it is important to consider this. Most colleges will have some book funds, travel funds, some have contributions to electronics purchases, subsidised college meals, college bursaries, funds for medical students’ training abroad, etc. Try to see how much the different colleges have to offer as this can add up to thousands of pounds of potential support. 

STEP 4: Personal fit and impressions

Now that you have reviewed all of the ‘rational’ reasons based on which you can choose a college, you probably have a short list of a few favourites. Don’t worry if you struggle with choosing the perfect one, you will likely have a great experience either way, even if they differ. If you get a chance to visit Oxford/Cambridge and see the colleges in person, we would definitely recommend doing so. This can help you evaluate your choices based on the impressions that you have of the colleges in person. 

Aspiro tip: Listen to your gut feeling

Trust your intuition when choosing a college – your rational checklist will probably take you down to a selection of a few colleges that are very suitable for you and choosing the best one might come down to a gut feeling. Bear in mind that you are choosing a place where you will live and study for multiple years, so it is crucial to choose a place that feels right to you.

STEP 5: Can’t choose? Thinking of an open application?

If you are struggling with choosing the right college, you can also submit an ‘open application’ where you apply without choosing a specific college. However, this was you are leaving the decision to an algorithm which will likely assign you to a college with fewer applications. That college will then consider your application as if you had applied there directly. Instead, we would recommend trying to get more information about the colleges that you are considering and choose one of them.

Aspiro tip: Consider open applications very carefully

We generally don’t recommend open applications. If you submit an open application, you leave the choice to chance and given how different the colleges are and how much time you will spend living and studying there, we really encourage you to choose a college which suits your preferences. You can talk to current and past students, visit at open days, go through the website, the college’s social media, etc., and hopefully you will find your dream college!

Stuck with making the best choice? Need help? 

Aspiro is here to help if you need support with your college choice, as well as any other aspect of your application. We will match you to a current or past student of the university or college that you are considering so that you get the insider insights of what life there is really like which can help you make the best possible choice. 

Feel free to reach out at info@aspiroadmissions.com, we are here to help!

Any questions? Ask here and our experts will reply to you by email.