EF University Preparation Oxford

Happy Thursday: the ends of the week and then of the term are in sight!

Thank you if you’ve been attending our series of University Talks over the last few weeks. I’m writing to let you know about the climax of our university insight programme: the Higher Education (HE) Fair.

We will have representatives from 13 of our closest partner universities, representing a wide range of university styles, locations and entrance requirements. This is your opportunity to speak to university representatives one-to-one, to find out more about entrance requirements and university life, and to ask any individual questions you have. You will be able to meet representatives from universities that you may already be thinking about seriously as well as some that you might not have considered yet.

The Fair will take place next Thursday 25^th November in the Lecture Room. It will run 12:30-14:00, so you will be able to drop in at a time convenient to you. However, it is both essential and mandatory that you attend at some point during this period.

Representatives from the following universities have confirmed that they will be at the Fair:

1. Brighton
2. Birmingham
3. Coventry
4. Exeter
5. Hult International Business School
6. Keele
7. Lancaster
8. Leeds
9. Oxford Brookes
10. Surrey
11. Sussex
12. UWE Bristol
13. Westminster

Not only is this an opportunity for you to learn more about these universities, it is an opportunity for you to make a good impression on them. Please treat this event as you would an interview for the universities or for a job. To help you, here are some top tips for impressing universities:

1. Do your research. Look at the university websites in advance (links above) so that you can ask good questions and don’t waste time with information already easily available to you.
2. Dress smartly. There’s no need for a suit but try to look professional and presentable.
3. Allow plenty of time. Don’t try to rush round in 5 minutes: make sure that you can have a proper conversation with at least most of the universities.
4. Ask questions. The more you show an interest and some background knowledge of your subject and your university options, the more you will appear as an enthusiastic and diligent candidate.
5. Speak to a range of universities. Even if you hadn’t planned to apply there. This will give you more information about the range of options available to you, including some unexpected gems, as well as better contextual knowledge to assess the universities higher up your list of interest.
6. Take every university seriously. They all have some great things to offer and any of these institutions could play a valuable role in your application, so look at them in the best light and they can see you in your best light.

Let me know if you have any questions ahead of this event. I look forward to seeing you there.

I hope you are keeping well and enjoying your classes as we enter the final stretch of your first term. As the saying goes, this is not the beginning of the end, but it is the end of the beginning.

Our series of University Talks continues next week with the University of Leeds at 12:00 next Tuesday 16^th November in the Lecture Room. This will, as usual, appear on your timetable.

Leeds is consistently one of the most popular destinations for our students every year. A member of the elite Russell Group (the top research universities in the UK), it is a brilliant university with an excellent reputation across all subjects, consistently appearing in the top 20 nationally. In particular, it has an excellent Business School and very strong programmes in biological and health sciences. It is also in a great location, within walking distance of the centre of one of the main cities of the north of England, with great entertainment and cultural opportunities both in the city and on campus. I could rave about Leeds much longer, but I must admit a bias as it’s where I studied for my (first) Master’s.

I look forward to seeing you there.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you need any more information.

Happy Monday! I hope you are keeping well and enjoying getting ‘stuck in’ to your modules. We’re now at the halfway point of the term, so you should be well on your way.

I hope that you enjoyed our presentation from the University of Lancaster last week. This Friday 29^th October we have the University of Bradford coming to speak to us at 10:30, once again in the Lecture Room.

The University of Bradford is a successful modern university in the North of England, noted particularly for its links to leading companies and industries. It is ranked 2nd in the UK for work experience and 3rd for careers and employability services. As well as having a world-class, Triple Crown accredited Business School, it is ranked in the top 10 in the UK for Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy and for Chemical and Civil Engineering.

I look forward to seeing you at the presentation and hope you will come ready to ask good questions.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you need any more information.

Happy Friday!

I’m very excited to tell you that we will have our first visitor from a university next week. Tom Malcolm from the University of Lancaster will come to the school on Thursday 21^st October to talk about the transition to university study and about our excellent partner university, the University of Lancaster.

Lancaster is one of the most popular competitive university destinations for our students. It is regularly ranked in the top 10 universities in the UK in the national tables. They are internationally renowned as a major research institution, with a particularly strong reputation in subjects such as Linguistics and Business, while their degrees with integrated work experience or study abroad have often been especially popular with our students. A campus university which uses a collegiate system for student support and community, Lancaster provides a supportive and welcoming environment to live and study.

This talk will take place at 13:20 in the Lecture Room and will also appear on your timetables. Please make sure that you attend this great opportunity to learn more about university life and your application. I look forward to seeing you there.

You can learn more about Lancaster University at the link below:

I’d like to let you know about an exciting university event next week.

Next Wednesday 20^th October, our partners at HULT International Business School will be holding an online masterclass event, including a taster lecture and an introduction to the business school. This is a fantastic opportunity to get a taste of university life and to find out more about what this school in particular can offer.

HULT is a triple-crown accredited business school with campuses across the world and a practical and flexible course. During your degree here, you would be able to study in different countries while building your professional skills through realistic business tasks and projects. You can also choose your personal specialism while building a broad foundation in the business world.

Please note that this is a mandatory event for all students on the Business pathway: we will check your attendance on the session. You will not lose attendance for any classes in school that you miss on this day if you are attending the webinar.

The event will begin at 11:00.

Please make sure that you register in advance for the event at the link below. Hult will then send you the joining link and more information for the session.

If you have any questions about this event, please do not hesitate to ask me.