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Oxford and Cambridge applications for Singapore students
If you are thinking of applying to Oxbridge universities, meaning the University of Oxford or Cambridge University in the UK, you need to know that you cannot apply to both universities in the same year. You have to decide between Oxford or Cambridge as the British authorities want to spread the top students and avoid unneccesary administrative workload for these popular universities.
Once you have decided which university, you then go to the next stage where you decide which college to apply to. Both Oxford and Cambridge are collegiate universities meaning that you study and live at the college which you are admiited to. There is no central campus as such. At your college you will be taught by professors or PhD students who are your subject tutors. In Oxford, this face-to-face session is called tutorial. In Cambridge, it is called supervision. There will be some university-level lectures but it is not the core of your Oxbridge experience.
Again, you have to choose your college carefully as it will determine close to 80% of your student experience in Oxford or Cambridge. Each college has its own admission criteria incorporating the baseline requirements of the university. Each college has its own website and you should do a virtual tour of all the websites before you decide on which college to apply. If you are rejected by one college, you cannot apply to another college in the same year. Unlike other universities, Oxford and Cambridge will interview all applicants and may give conditional offers before you have your exam results. Both universities prefer students who are academically bright and are independent learners. In their admission process, they do not consider CCA, CIP or student leadership achievements. They are only interested in the academic ability of the applicant, period.
Cambridge University has 31 colleges of which 3 colleges admit women only - Murray Edwards, Newham and Lucy Cavendish. University of Oxford has 39 colleges and some small religious permanent private halls (PPH) which also admit students. Some Oxford colleges admit graduate students only.
Important Note: The Oxbridge colleges are NOT the same! Some colleges are richer and they can offer more facilities and resources to their students. The richer colleges are more well-funded and can afford to hire better professors and they also offer more academic support to their students. The poorer colleges have less funds and resources and these factors affect their teaching quality as well. Some less-endowed colleges are well-known for emphasising independent self-learning. Each year, the colleges are ranked by their academic achievements in terms of First Class Honours achieved and these rankings have a direct correlation to the quality of teaching at each college. All undergraduate students arrived at Oxford or Cambridge on the first day as equals but after three years they would have vastly different enlightenment  That's a unique feature of Oxbridge universities. Regardless of this diversity in the colleges, all Oxbridge students are top students of their countries and will graduate with a prestigious, world-class degree from University of Oxford or Cambridge University. Both universities are good brand names for a lifelong resume.
Fun fact: In the early days of PSC scholarships in the 1970s and 1980s, scholars could not choose their universities and most of them were sent to Cambridge University by default.
For more information about University of Oxford's Norrington Table (annual rankings of Oxford colleges), you may visit : www.oxfordstudent.com.
For the annual rankings of Cambridge University colleges, see the Tompkins Table at:www.varsity.co.uk
Colleges of Cambridge University
- Emmanuel
- Trinity - Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong and Lee Hsien Yang attended this college. Also Isaac Newton's college in year 1661.
- Churchill
- Trinity Hall
- Pembroke
- Christ's - Singapore's ministers George Yeo, Lim Hng Kiang, Heng Swee Keat and Chan Chun Sing attended this college
- Selwyn
- Jesus
- Magdalene
- Clare
- St Catharine's
- Corpus Christi
- Gonville and Caius
- Queen's
- St John's
- King's
- Sidney Sussex
- Downing
- Peterhouse
- Robinson
- Fitzwilliam - Former Singapore PM Lee Kuan Yew's college
- Murray Edwards
- Girton - Kwa Geok Choo's college (Lee Kuan Yew's wife) and Singapore's first female minister Lim Hwee Hua's college
- Newham
- Homerton
- Wolfson
- Hughes Hall
- St Edmunds
- Lucy Cavendish
Colleges of University of Oxford
- Merton
- Worcester - billionaire media tycoon Rupert Murdoch's college
- New
- Jesus
- St. John - Former Britain PM Tony Blair and former Thailand PM Abhisit's college
- Wadham
- Hertford
- Harris Manchester
- Magdalen - Former Australia PM Malcolm Fraser's college
- Lincoln
- St Catherine
- St Anne's
- Corpus Christi
- Exeter - J.R.R. Tolkien's college (The Lord of the Rings) and President's Scholar and Minister Sim Ann's college
- St Hugh - Myanmar's political leader Aung San Suu Kyi's college
- Christchurch - movie set of Harry Potter series and (Charles Dodgson) Lewis Caroll's college ( Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)
- Trinity
- Keble - Li Shengwu's college for his Master's degree
- Brasenose - Former Britain PM David Cameron's college, former Australia PM Malcolm Turnbull's college
- Balliol - Britain's PM Boris Johnson's college, Li Shengwu's college for his PPE degree and billionaire Jim Rogers' college.
- St Hilda
- St Peter
- Oriel
- University - Former US President Bill Clinton's college, former Australia PM Bob Hawke's college and science genuis Stephen Hawking's college. Also C. S Lewis' college (The Chronilces of Narnia)
- Mansfield
- Lady Margaret Hall - Former Pakistan's PM Benazir Bhutto's college and former Britain PM Theresa May's college
- Somerville - Former Britain PM Margaret Thatcher's college and former India PM Indira Gandhi's college
- St Edmund Hall
- Queen - Former Australia PM Tony Abbott's college
- Pembroke
- Nuffield - Former India PM Mamohan Singh's college
- St Benet Hall
- Regent's Park
- St Antony's
- St Stephen's House
- Wolfson
- Wycliffe Hall
- St Cross
- Green Templeton
- Blackfriars
- Kellogg
- Linacre
- Campion Hall
- Parks
Research sponsor: www.rafflesleadership.com
Field research by Jaren Chan in Oxford and Cambridge
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Oxbridge Rankings
