It’s now that time in the application year when you need to start thinking about Open Days and narrowing down your university choices to five. If you are applying to Oxbridge, you have the added decision of which college to apply to. Check out the Course & College Zone of our free resources for further guidance on this.
Oxford and Cambridge run their Open Days slightly differently. Oxford tend to hold more faculty-based events, whilst Cambridge’s are more college based. Both universities hold general Open Days, when you’ll be able to turn up and pop in on most of the colleges.
However, we strongly advise that you do your research and book on to specific department and college Open Days that interest you, so that when you come to fill in your UCAS form, you’re making informed decisions. With over 60 colleges and 80 courses between the two universities, choosing and booking on to the right Open Days can seem like a bit of a headache. We’ve pulled together all of the information you’ll need to make booking as straightforward as possible:
The main Oxford Open Days this year will be held on Wednesday 2nd and Thursday 3rd July, with a later one on Friday 19th September. You can check out the timetable for the July Open Days here, where you can book a visit to whichever university department or college you are interested in. Oxford advise visiting at least one department and one college to give you a feel for what it would be like to study there as an undergraduate.
If you’re unable to book on to a specific college of department event due to limited availability, it’s still well worth your while visiting Oxford during the Open Days as there will be plenty of drop-in events for you to take advantage of. You can read more about planning your visit on the Oxford Open Day webpage.
The main Cambridge Open Days this year will take place on Thursday 3rd and Friday 4th July. Booking for these dates has now closed.
However, as with Oxford, it’s still worth visiting Cambridge during these Open Days as there will be plenty of opportunity for you to drop in on colleges and visit course information stands. You can check out a general overview of how the days will be structured here
Most colleges will be open for drop-in visits on these dates, but if you would like a full tour or a chance to meet with admissions tutors, we recommend that you book on to a specific college event held at various points throughout the year. For a full list of upcoming Cambridge College Open days, please click here. This will take you through to individual college online booking forms.
When you arrive in Oxford and/or Cambridge for the Open Days, there will be a lot to take in, dozens of questions on your mind and plenty of current undergraduates and members of the universities for you to meet.
Before you go up, have a read through our Open Day Guide and College Selection Shortlist, which are packed with useful tips on what you need to be thinking about when visiting your potential college.
UCAS have also posted a blog on how to get the most out of University Open Days. If you’re looking for more information on Open Days at other universities, the Open Days website is a useful resource.
Finally, for more information or advice on your application, you can get in touch with one of the team at Oxbridge Applications on 0207 499 2394 or by emailing info@oxbridgeapplications.com.
Our Oxbridge-graduate consultants are available between 9.00 am – 5.30 pm seven days a week, with additional evening availability when requested.
Oxbridge Applications. 14 – 16 Waterloo Place, London, SW1Y 4AR
