No one knows when the University of Oxford was founded, but the first evidence of education here dates back to 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the second oldest functioning university. A major change came in the 13th century when some students and faculty left Oxford to found the University of Cambridge, its rival.

The University of Oxford is made up of 38 colleges and 4 divisions. There are 23,000 students studying at these various institutions, of which 11,728 are undergraduate students and 10,941 are graduate students. The total number of foreign students is 9900, which is 42% of the student body. This is good news for international students as Oxford welcomes students from all over the world.
It is very difficult to get an opportunity to study at Oxford, as only one student is selected out of five applications for admission. Therefore, in order to be competitive for Oxford, it is necessary to demonstrate outstanding achievements and have leadership qualities.

Ratings
In the Times Higher Education World University rankings, Oxford is ranked number one in the world. This is not surprising, because Oxford is the oldest university in the English-speaking world and conducts fundamental research. Oxford ranks first in not only one, but several ranking systems, including the QS World University Rankings.
To see the rankings and other interesting Oxford facts and personalities, open Oxford University Facts and Figures.

Undergraduate Scholarships

Reach Oxford Scholarship
. The scholarship covers tuition, fees, annual living allowances, round trip airfare.
. Eligibility - students from low income countries.
. The number of recipients is approximately 2-3 students per year.
Acceptance Procedure - Students must be admitted to the university before applying for the Reach Oxford Scholarship. The application deadline is October 15, you must apply after you are accepted to the university. For more information about Reach Oxford Scholarship, read this page.

Other Scholarships for Specific Colleges and Majors
The Reach Oxford, Simon and June Li Scholarships are unlimited in the choice of fields of study, except for medicine. However, besides these scholarships, there are many good scholarship programs that focus on a specific field of study as well as nationality. To find scholarships that are right for you, visit the Oxford University Scholarship Search.

Scholarships for undergraduates and PhDs

Clarendon Scholarship

. Eligibility - All local and international students wishing to pursue any degree at the University of Oxford.
. The number of recipients is 140 new students each year.
. Acceptance Procedure - No application for another separate scholarship is required to receive a Clarendon Scholarship.

Ertegun Scholarship
. The scholarship covers tuition, fees, accommodation.
. Eligibility - All local and international students wishing to study in the liberal arts at the University of Oxford.
. The number of recipients is a minimum of 10 students per year.
. You must have completed the individual scholarships you apply for.

Other scholarships for international students
Apart from the Clarendon and Ertegun scholarships, there are other good scholarships for international students. These scholarships, as in the case of scholarships for bachelors, are aimed at a specific field of study. To find these scholarships, go to Oxford scholarship search.

Application dates
. For undergraduate students, the application deadline opens on September 1st and closes on October 15th. Once you have been accepted, you must submit a separate scholarship application on January 1st.
. For postgraduate studies - acceptance of applications begins on September 1 and ends on January 8 or 15, depending on the specialty.

How to Apply for Oxford University Scholarship
The application procedure for international students is clearly explained on the University of Oxford website. If you are an undergraduate student, please read the Undergraduate Student Admissions Guide to learn about the application process. If you are a graduate student, then open the graduate student acceptance guide.

You can find more detailed information about the university in our overview.

That's all! Good luck with your admissions and scholarships!

The Oxford Russia Fund charitable organization was founded in 2005 with the aim of promoting the development of liberal arts education in the Russian Federation and supporting humanities students at regional universities in Russia.

The Foundation promotes the dissemination of relevant educational initiatives that are promising for the development of Russian education, and holds joint events of Russian and British educational centers.

Currently, the Oxford Russia Foundation is implementing several charitable programs:

Monthly scholarships for bachelors, masters and graduate students in the humanities (history, sociology, philology, journalism, law, economics) full-time departments. Scholarships are provided on a competitive basis with the participation of the expert community.

Participation in winter and summer student schools. The Foundation regularly conducts traveling interdisciplinary seminars for fellows in Russia. Participation in these events is organized with the provision of financial support and on a competitive basis.

Assistance in financing business trips for students to participate in conferences, short-term internships, etc. For this, it is necessary to submit the necessary documents in advance and obtain the approval of the Foundation.

• Formation and maintenance of the libraries of the Oxford Foundation. The Oxford Russian Foundation donated in 2009 to the Scientific Library of KFU. Lobachevsky a selection of the latest foreign literature on the humanities and social sciences in English. Books can be found on the 4th floor, 1st reading room. The RUF also maintains an electronic library that is open to all: https://www.myilibrary.com/Content.aspx

Competition 2018-2019

As part of the Oxford Russia Foundation's charitable support program, a new competition for the Oxford Russia Foundation scholarship for the 2018/2019 academic year has been opened. Students in the humanities of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th* courses (*specialty) (the competition for undergraduates and graduate students will be announced in the fall) of the full-time department, who are in time for "good" and "excellent" during the last two semesters, conducting active scientific work within the framework of the chosen scientific direction and participating in the scientific and practical activities of the departments. The scholarship is awarded for a period of 1 academic year (1.09.2018-30.06.2019). The monthly stipend is 7 000 rub.

Students are invited to participate in the competition in the following areas of humanities and socio-economic sciences: archeology, art history, history, cultural studies, politics, law, psychology, sociology, philology, philosophy, economics, ethics and religious studies, ethnology, journalism. ATTENTION: in 2018, additional areas were introduced: anthropology, regional studies and international relations, digital humanities.

Preference is given to applicants who study on a budgetary basis, have scientific publications in student collections or other special scientific publications, and participate in projects in the field of their specialty and university.

The appointment of a Foundation scholarship does not cancel the student's right to receive state, including increased, scholarships in the usual manner, as well as other nominal all-Russian scholarships.

The application for the competition is submitted online through the DAAS system

RUF Coordinator at KFU:

Kulikova Anna Yurievna
Vedas. academic mobility department specialist
Department of External Relations
tel. 233 7467
e-mail: [email protected]

Secondment at the expense of RUF funds

The Oxford Foundation is designed to help students of the humanities in their scientific activities and social activities. To achieve this goal, it is possible make business trips at the expense of the Oxford Russia Fund. In order to take advantage of this opportunity, you need to submit an application on the DAAS platform in the "Traveling" competition. The final decision on the allocation of funds is made by the coordinator and the general representation of the RUF in Russia.

Conditions: 10 thousand rubles in total for accommodation and travel expenses.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In case your application has been approved online, you need to go through the secondment procedure:

• Checkout Presentation to the nameDirector of the Department of External Relations A.A. Krylov, bring it to the ICE, room 214.
• attach to Submission printed official Invitation ( and Financial Support Notice from the side organizing committee activities, if any).

After receiving approval from the Department of External Relations, issue Submission to order ( dates are indicated with the road)

The submission is signed by the head of the department (head of department / head of sector) and the head of the structural unit of KFU (dean / director of the institute).

1. To the department of calculation with students to the head of the department Fayzullina Rezida Tagirovna (room 155)
2. To the budgeting department for signature by the leading economist Stepanchenko Lidia Leonidovna (room 147)
3. To the Department of Accounting for Cash and Other Financial Assets Lyubov Aleksandrovna Koreyeva (room 135)
4. To the treasury department for registration (room 111)
5. For the signature of the vice-rector for scientific activity D.K. Nurgaliev.

Then 2 copies must be made: Submissions to the order (after the signature of D.K. Nurgaliyev), Invitations and Submissions addressed to A.A. Krylov. Two copies of the Submission to the order with the Invitation and Submission addressed to A.A. Krylov must be submitted to the department for controlling the movement of the contingent of students Khabibullina Natalya Nikolaevna (room 134)

The original of the Submission to the order with the Invitation and Submission addressed to A.A. Krylova is provided to Mukhametdinova Alfira Dilusovna (room 135).

ATTENTION! Upon returning from a trip, it is necessary to provide within 3 working days advance report in com. 135.

A prerequisite for reimbursement of travel expenses is:

• availability of tickets for travel (train in a reserved seat car or bus (to the venue of the event),
• availability of relevant documents for accommodation (receipt and check / invoice and check) (per day up to 1000 rubles),
• advance report,
• report on participation in a scientific event: a copy of the diploma / certificate of participation.

After checking accounting Advance report and participation report submit to the Fund's coordinator in KFU (room 214, building of the Department of External Relations of KFU) .

The Fund Coordinator in each University confirms the correctness of closed applications and the accuracy of the information provided in them. After confirmation, the application has the status "Confirmed". Incorrectly executed applications and applications containing false information are not confirmed by the Coordinator and are not allowed to participate in the Contest, their status remains unchanged - "Closed".

Charter of FGBOU VO "VSU";
"Agreement on the provision of a targeted gratuitous donation" dated 04/01/2015, concluded between the "Oxford Russian Foundation" and the Federal State Budgetary Institution of Higher Professional Education "Voronezh State University".

As the 1ul.ru correspondent was explained at USU, in order to become a participant, a student must fill out an application on the competition website, where it is necessary to indicate their scientific achievements, for example, the topic and content of scientific work, participation in conferences, publication of scientific articles, etc. Then the application is closed, and open only in July, so that participants can add a screenshot of their grade book with grades for the last 2 semesters. The winners of the competition will receive a scholarship in the amount of 4,000 rubles throughout the academic year (40,000 rubles).

Oxford scholarships for Tyumen students

Full-time students can participate in the competition. Applicants must have high academic performance, actively participate in research and social activities. The presence of scientific publications is welcome.

To traditional destinations , added anthropology and ethnology , , as well as digital humanities .

Oxford scholarships for Tyumen students

Can participate in the competition students of Tyumen State University in the humanities (bachelors of the 2nd and 3rd courses and students-specialists of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th courses) students in the full-time department. Applicants must have high academic performance, actively participate in research and social activities. The presence of scientific publications is welcome.

To traditional destinations archeology, journalism, art, history, cultural studies, political science, law, psychology, sociology, philology, philosophy, economics, ethics and religious studies, added anthropology and ethnology , regional studies and international relations , as well as digital humanities .

Oxford Scholarships

The RUF scholarship is received by students of faculties and institutes of socio-economic and humanitarian orientation, studying only for "4" and "5", engaged in social and, most importantly, research work. On this day, 120 such excellent and good students from ISU undergraduate students received certificates from the representatives of the Foundation.

– This is the first time I have received a scholarship and I am very glad that Oxford supports the humanities. It seems to me that apart from the Oxford trustees, no one else believes in us - philologists, journalists, economists, historians, political scientists, sociologists. It is very pleasant to see that many ISU students managed to pass the selection and become a scholarship holder. I think that the Oxford scholarship is a prestige and a very good motivator for further work and study. It is necessary to participate in such programs, and in general, modern students have a huge number of opportunities, and each of them must be used to the fullest.

USU Students Fight for Oxford Scholarship

There are several conditions under which a student can receive an Oxford Scholarship. First, and most important, he must study at the university with "good" and "excellent", as well as devote a lot of time to scientific activities. When choosing a candidate for a scholarship, the commission will pay attention specifically to academic indicators, that is, to grades for the last 2 academic semesters and participation in scientific and practical activities at the department of their university.

Students who study full-time in the following disciplines can take part in the competition for an Oxford scholarship: archeology, history, history and theory of art, cultural studies, world literature, political science, jurisprudence, psychology, sociology, philology, philosophy, economics, ethics and religious studies. As the representatives of the Oxford Russia Foundation themselves specified, students who study on a budgetary basis have an advantage, but students who pay will also be able to compete for the title of winner and lucky winner of a scholarship. We emphasize that a student who previously received a scholarship can also apply and receive a monthly allowance from Oxford in the second or even third race.

Oxford scholarship amount 2019

– I am very happy to receive a scholarship from the Oxford Russia Foundation! This opens up new prospects for me, because you can spend these funds to participate in conferences in other cities and countries. I want to express my deep gratitude to my supervisor Oksana Alexandrovna Polyushkevich for the support she has been giving me in my scientific work for the fourth year already. I would also like to say thank you to the Oxford Russia Foundation for the wonderful opportunities that it gives to humanities students.

The visit of a delegation of a British charitable organization to ISU was a confirmation of a long-standing partnership. 10 years ago, Irkutsk State University entered the Foundation's program and still remains the only university in Eastern Siberia, whose students receive a scholarship from the RUF. Since this academic year, its amount has increased to six thousand rubles a month.

200 SibFU students will receive charitable Oxford scholarships

The Oxford Russia Fund was founded in 2005 by a group of Oxford University alumni to promote education in the Russian Federation and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The key project of the Oxford Russia Foundation is a scholarship program for students in the humanities. The program started in 2005 and the project is currently being implemented in twenty Russian universities. SFU entered the program in the 2007-2008 academic year.

The list of applicants for the Oxford Russian Foundation scholarship has been approved by the decision of the SibFU Academic Council. Scholarships are paid to students of 3-6 courses on a monthly basis during the academic year, subject to high academic performance, as well as scientific and social activity. In the next academic year, the amount of the scholarship will be increased and will amount to 3.25 thousand rubles.

AMO VOO YOUNG GUARD OF UNITED RUSSIA ->

During the academic year, the Foundation Scholarship Coordinator monitors the educational, scientific and practical activities of scholarship holders, on the basis of which the scholarship is extended. If, as a result of monitoring, it is revealed that a student receiving a scholarship from the Foundation does not meet the requirements for scholarship holders of the Foundation, then the Coordinator prepares materials for stopping the payment of scholarships to this student, submits them for consideration by the Academic Council and the Moscow representative office of the Foundation.

Organization of the competition.
The first stage of the competition is held by the Academic Council of the university with the participation of the Fund's scholarship program coordinator, appointed by order of the rector. After the end of the summer session, the Academic Council of each university participating in the project considers candidates for the Foundation's scholarship and makes a decision on each of the applicants. The recommendations of the Academic Council and the list of students recommended for scholarships are submitted to the Moscow office of the Foundation.

Siberian Federal University

The competition is held for 2nd and 3rd year students studying undergraduate programs (applicants for scholarships in the 3rd and 4th years of the 2019-2019 academic year) and students of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th courses enrolled in specialist training programs (applicants for scholarships in the 3rd, 4th and 5th years of the 2019-2019 academic year).

Competitors can be students with "good" and "excellent" during the last two semesters in the following specialties and areas: archeology, history, history and theory of art, cultural studies, world literature, politics, law, psychology, sociology, philology, philosophy, economics , ethics and religious studies, ethnology, journalism.

Getting an education in the UK is the dream of many graduates around the world. In the future, a British diploma will help you get a prestigious position, and in general, the prospects are very wide. But not all foreigners can pay for education in the UK, because education here is quite expensive. However, there is one big plus - talented applicants and students can apply for scholarships or grants, which will cover the cost of study in part or in full.

Scholarship programs are financed by public, private foundations and the universities themselves. To receive such a "lucky bonus", you need take part in a competition. There are many applicants for the scholarship, and the requirements for the selection are high, but there is always a chance.

Foundations and organizations

In the UK at the moment there are several programs created with the support of the government and private foundations. A certain number of foreign students can use them annually.

Chevening Scholarship

Chevening Scholarship is an international program to support talented students funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and sponsoring organizations. The scholarship is usually awarded for 1 year for a master's degree.

Anyone can participate in the selection, whose package of documents meets the requirements of the Chevening program: higher education, citizenship and permanent residence, a high level of English proficiency (TOEFL or IELTS), 2 years of work in the specialty, planned activities in their country after studying in the UK. Among the applicant countries: Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, etc.

The candidate must clearly plan for the future, to know what subjects he needs to master in order to be useful at home. At the 1st stage, an essay contest is held and the packages of documents of candidates that most meet the requirements are considered. 2nd stage - a detailed interview with representatives of the British Council.

Training is available in a variety of areas: science and space, politics and international relations, business and innovation, economics, journalism, law and public administration, architecture, environmental studies, climate change, energy sources, etc.

The scholarship is usually given for one year. This includes an amount covering the cost of education (£12,000) and the same amount allocated for food and accommodation. If the cost is higher, the student covers the difference at his own expense. Anyone can apply through the system. You can follow the application deadlines and updates on the program or resource

The Hill Foundation

The Hill Foundation charitable organization issues grants for full-time study at Oxford University to students from abroad (including CIS countries). Any direction of bachelor's and master's programs is available. This The scholarship fully covers tuition and living expenses(In the 2015-2016 academic year, the minimum amount was £14,057). The competition is high, so documents should be submitted at least a year before the start of the course.

Special requirements: applicant (citizen of another state) must have an honors degree from a university in their country; personal qualities and activity in social life are important; the desire to apply the knowledge gained in the UK for the benefit of their country. The applicant must confirm that his plans include return to home country (minimum 12 months after completion of studies).

UK university scholarships

Most major universities in the UK provide scholarships and grants to international students. The main condition is the excellent academic performance of the applicant. University scholarships cover tuition costs in full or 30-50%. There are options when accommodation is also compensated.

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Clarendon Foundation Scholarship - Master's Degree Study at the University of Oxford

Gates Scholarship at the University of Cambridge

Full scholarship for a master's degree at the University of Westminster

Scholarship for Master's/PhD studies at Birkbeck University, University of London, School of Arts

The University's School of Arts offers 15 undergraduate and postgraduate courses for students from all countries applying for full-time or part-time studies. The scholarship is applied for by students entering the programs of the faculties: art history, cinematography, journalism, English and the humanities, etc. All the details on

London Metropolitan University

Multinational provides scholarships to international students. It compensates for the cost of full-time study in the magistracy and one year of residence in the residence of the International Students House. Condition: bachelor's degree in the chosen field with honors, IELTS - 7 points and 6.5 points for each of the subjects.

Sheffield Hallam University

- the UK's largest university gives talented international students a 50% discount on full-time undergraduate and postgraduate studies. Criteria: excellent academic performance, purposefulness. A scientific degree will be a big plus for obtaining.

Vice Chancellor Scholarship for London South Bank University

The Vice Chancellor's Scholarship will allow you to partially (from £1000) or fully cover the cost of postgraduate study at the university. The program also provides payments to students who have achieved success in their studies in the UK and other countries. The candidate must confirm their success (academic, professional and personal).

Grants for full-time, graduate and postgraduate studies

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A study grant in the UK can partially or completely cover all expenses (transport, accommodation and meals. For talented students from countries with a weak economy, amounts are often allocated to cover all expenses.

Mary Orr Paterson Scholarship from the University of Edinburgh

The Mary Orr Paterson Scholarship in Grant is awarded to inpatient students in the Faculty of Medicine or Veterinary Medicine with academic excellence. The grant (£4,000 per year) can be used to pay for tuition, accommodation, flights. It is extended subject to successful study.

Grant for training for future masters in the specialty: Environmental Protection, Aquaculture

A scholarship has been created for master's students in the areas of "Aquaculture" and "Environment", covering a 2-year study. For the first 3 semesters, students study in different EU countries, and then they themselves choose where they will study in the 4th semester. The goal of the program is to solve scientific, technological and social problems in the development of aquaculture throughout the world.

Grants for a Computational Linguistics Graduate Course at Cardiff University

In you can apply for a grant for postgraduate studies in the Department of Informatics and Computer Science in the direction of "Computer Linguistics" (PhD program).

The grant (£14,057) covers tuition fees. The term of study is 3 years, the amount of the scholarship is indexed annually. A citizen of any country can apply for participation. Criteria: fundamental training in mathematics, statistics and programming.

Postgraduate study grant University of Hull

The University of Hull offers a grant for graduate students. His can be obtained by foreign students who are not citizens of EU countries and enrolled in a one-year postgraduate program. The grant fully covers tuition fees. Candidates need to provide test results: IELTS 6.5; Standard X11; WAEC; SPM 119.

If your knowledge allows you to qualify for the best education, it makes sense to find out which universities and colleges in the UK offer. There are those that make it possible to get an education in the UK for free.

We wish you successful studies!

Scholarships and grants in the UK for international students updated: April 19, 2019 by: Annie Krasova

In the article, one of the GSA subscribers talks in detail about his successful experience of entering Oxford - one of the best universities in the world.

I made the decision to get higher education abroad when I was a student of the 11th grade. First of all, this was facilitated by my participation in the International Chemistry Olympiad, held in Tokyo. In addition to the mass of impressions from Japan, which is geographically and culturally distant, I returned to my homeland with the firm intention of continuing my studies at the university abroad. However, there were significant difficulties in determining a specific direction, mainly due to a lack of information and ignorance of where this information could be obtained.

Where to go to study?

In the end, having abandoned Japan and Germany for language reasons, my choice fell on higher education institutions in the USA and Great Britain. The final decision was made under the influence of two factors. The first is rational: the costs of the admission process to any US university are significantly more expensive than in the case of British universities. Although it was about a couple of hundred dollars, in those days (end of 2010-2011) this was a very weighty argument, because. an economic crisis broke out in Belarus, and it was extremely problematic to acquire currency. The second factor is more emotional. Once I went to my Facebook page, I discovered that one of the participants of the last international Olympiad (a representative of Estonia) entered Cambridge. Then I asked myself the question: "If she, having taken a place below me at the Olympiad (being 2 years older at the same time), entered, why shouldn't I try to do the same?"

So, my destination is UK. Now the need has become to find a scholarship that covers the cost of tuition and living. It is worth noting that the cost of education for the British and EU citizens is noticeably lower than for students from the rest of the world - overseas students. What's more, Her Majesty's nationals and citizens of EU countries have the option of receiving an interest-free study loan, the repayment of which only starts when the graduate starts earning more than £25,000 a year. The sum of the costs mentioned above in the UK is for overseas students around £40,000 per year, and vary slightly depending on the university. Thus, the widespread belief that education at Oxford and Cambridge is noticeably more expensive than at other universities is incorrect. As for scholarships, as it turned out, for bachelor's programs there are, in principle, few of them, and only a few with full coverage. At the beginning of 2011, there was only one such scholarship - the Reach Oxford Scholarship (there is a separate Chevening scholarship for citizens of the Russian Federation). Actually, this fact was the reason for the final choice in favor of Oxford University.

What to do after the 11th grade of school: 2 ways

A very important point is that it is impossible to enter the UK after graduating from an 11-year school, because in Foggy Albion, schooling lasts 12 years. There are three ways to overcome this limitation - by studying for 1 year at a Russian university, graduating from school under the International Baccalaureate program, or by studying for 1 year in the UK at a university under the Foundation program - a kind of analogue of our preparatory courses. The advantage of the first two options is the use of a knowledge assessment system known and understood by the British. From a financial point of view, the first option is the most attractive, so I entered the Chemistry Department of Moscow State University (fortunately, the victory at the International Mendeleev Olympiad allowed me to do this without exams and passing the exam). The second fact that you should pay attention to is that the admission process begins about a year before the expected start of studies at the university (usually on September 15). The deadline for accepting applications is from October 15 for Oxford and Cambridge, until January 15 for most other universities. It is also necessary to remember that a foreigner for admission to any higher educational institution in the UK needs a document confirming a high level of English proficiency. Such a document can be certificates of IELTS (academic), TOEFL, Cambridge exams. Specific requirements depend on the university and the chosen program - in my case it was IELTS (academic) 7.0.

The process of admission to Oxbridge, as Oxford and Cambridge universities are also called, can be divided into 4 stages: applying, interviewing, obtaining academic and other results specified in the conditional offer and, finally, obtaining a British student visa. I was lucky enough to take part in 3 out of 4 stages, which I would like to talk about.

Applying

Applications for UK universities are made entirely online. There is a special organization UCAS (Universities and Colleges Application Service) that accepts and processes applications and then sends them directly to universities. To apply to the university (the maximum number of courses that can be applied for is 5; applying to Oxford and Cambridge at the same time is not allowed), you must register on the website and fill out the Application Form. The form itself includes both rather trivial things, such as personal data, secondary education, work experience, contacts, and sections called Personal Statement (something like a motivation letter) and Reference (recommendation), which are worth dwelling on.

Motivation letter to Oxford

A cover letter is exactly what makes your application stand out among hundreds of others. Of course, excellent grades in the certificate are important, but this data is not very informative for the British (this does not apply to the International Baccalaureate). There is no scale for translating our grades into English, and attempts to do it yourself will almost certainly lead to a refusal to pass the interview. However, even if you have excellent grades in the British system, you should not forget that the best of the best enter Oxbridge. In order to unleash your potential and convince the university that they need you, there is a Personal Statement section. This creation of 4000 characters with spaces should reflect the reasons for enrolling in this program at this university (and this country), motivation, plans for the future, as well as information about the non-academic interests of the applicant. It is very important to mention achievements related to the subject you wish to study.

So, in my case, these were medals from various international chemistry olympiads. You should not be shy and treat this as a boast, because your achievements are exactly what distinguishes you from other applicants. The central place in the motivation letter is, in fact, the motivation of a potential student. Here it is necessary to vividly, but at the same time, logically present the reasons for studying this subject and entering this university. You can give examples from your own life, famous (and not so) quotes, etc. The main thing to remember is that the main thing in this part is coherence, consistency and logic. Every offer must be thought through. That is why writing a Personal Statement should never be left until the last day before the deadline. It took me about a month to fill out the form “from and to”, of which 2.5 weeks were spent on preparing and editing a motivation letter. The resource turned out to be very useful for me, which contains examples of successful and not very motivational letters from British and foreign applicants. Some useful information can also be found on the UCAS website. If you're not very confident in your English, it's a good idea to use an interpreter to check your Personal Statement, as I did.

The recommendation ranks second (after the Personal Statement) in terms of impact on the chances of being invited to an interview. Ideally, this part of the Application Form should be written by a person who knows you from an academic point of view - a school teacher, supervisor, etc. (the so-called referee). In practice, sometimes for several reasons this turns out to be difficult or impossible, so you need to do it yourself (fortunately, at this stage I did not have to do this). The letter of recommendation itself should contain information about your academic progress and plans for the future, as well as personal qualities from the position of a teacher. Unlike a Personal Statement, both your positive and negative sides can be indicated here. The text of the recommendation is also uploaded to the UCAS website by your "referee". Before that, as well as in the case of a motivation letter, it makes sense to consult with a translator.

After downloading the recommendation, the last step remains - the application fee (£12 - £23 depending on the number of programs chosen). Once payment has been made, the application is considered submitted and cannot be changed.

Interview

It should be noted that at the first stage, quite a few applicants are eliminated - basically, these are those who do not meet the minimum requirements for admission. For a chemistry course, the number of interviewees usually exceeds 90%. The main selection takes place at the interview - communication between the applicant and representatives of the university. Only about a third of applicants pass this stage (for the course of chemistry, for other courses the figures may differ markedly).

All interviews take place at the university in early to mid-December. Because between the deadline for submitting an application to Oxford and the decision to invite an interview, it becomes difficult or impossible to obtain a British visa. In this case, the university provides the possibility of passing an interview by phone or Skype. It was the last option that was offered to me.

The Oxbridge interview is unique in many ways. Not all British universities conduct interviews with their potential students. Here, this procedure is mandatory, because it is really the selection of the best of the best. I think many of you reading this article have heard or read about the bizarre interview questions that candidates are asked to ask. This does not mean that absolutely every interview contains such questions, but sometimes it does happen. This is how the ingenuity and non-standard thinking of applicants are tested. There is a special site on which people who have been interviewed talk about the questions and tasks that they were offered. It is very useful to read when preparing for an interview. In general, you should prepare for the interview comprehensively in order to narrow down the range of questions that can cause difficulties as much as possible. It is important to keep track of the latest news from the area you want to devote yourself to studying. Applying this knowledge to interviews will show your interest in the subject, which is exactly what Oxbridge teachers look for in applicants.

Skype interviews are usually shorter than interactions with teachers on British soil. My interview began at 14:00 Moscow time and lasted only 20 minutes. I still remember that day in detail. It is difficult to convey what was going on inside me when a Skype window appeared on the monitor screen with the inscription: “St. Anne's College is calling." The interview was conducted by three lecturers representing various fields of chemistry: inorganic, organic and physical. The first questions in inorganic chemistry were fairly simple (some were in the 9th grade curriculum), although one of these questions I couldn't give a complete answer due to crazy excitement. Answering questions on physical chemistry required the use of a pen and sheets of paper, as well as the ability to substantiate one's assumptions and conclusions - the balance between nitrogen dioxide and its dimer was discussed, as well as factors that can shift the equilibrium in one direction or another. Finally, it came to my favorite organic chemistry. Here I adequately answered all the questions of the teacher, and after that I breathed a sigh of relief - the interview was coming to an end. In general, the attitude of the teachers was very friendly. It remains to wait for the final verdict ...

Conditional offer

A few days after the interview, a Conditional offer was sent to my email address. This actually meant accepting me to the university, but subject to certain requirements. In addition to providing an official copy of the certificate, I was required to provide the required IELTS results by August 1, as well as provide guarantees of solvency. If the results of the English exam depended solely on me (I was preparing for IELTS in the summer), then getting a scholarship seemed a much more incomprehensible and subjective stage on the way from Minsk to Oxford.

The Reach Oxford Scholarship is designed for citizens of low-income countries who, for political or financial reasons, cannot complete higher education in their home country. Although the description of the scholarship did not quite fit my situation, the main criterion for obtaining it was still outstanding academic performance, so there was a chance of becoming a scholarship holder. The application was submitted in January-February, the result became known in March. To participate in the competition, it was necessary to submit 2 motivational and 2 letters of recommendation.

Without dwelling on the letters of recommendation, I will only say that this time I wrote them myself, and my "referees" were teachers from the Faculty of Chemistry of the Belarusian State University, who knew me from the preparation and participation in Chemistry Olympiads. The first letter of motivation described the motivation for studying the subject and applying for the scholarship. The second is an essay on the topic “How studying at Oxford will help improve the life of my Motherland”. I must say that there is very little information about this program on the Internet. Even having acquaintances studying at Oxford, I could not find a single participant in this program. As far as sample motivation letters are concerned, at the time of application, there was only one example from a student from Vietnam who was about to study theoretical physics. Thus, formally there were no restrictions or requirements regarding the essay.

It is worth noting that Oxford offers special scholarships for students from certain countries: Pakistan, Armenia, Turkey, etc. If you suddenly have the citizenship of one of these countries, this may be your additional chance to get an education at the oldest university in the UK. Unfortunately, in March I was informed that I would not become a scholarship holder. That was the end of my Oxford story. Anyway, until...

What happened next

In July 2012, I still passed IELTS. I passed rather due to the fact that otherwise the work done to prepare for the exam (and it began in March 2011) would have been in vain. In any case, an international English language exam certificate may not be superfluous, especially when looking for internships abroad. However, the motivation was clearly not the same, so it turned out only 6.5 points.

Now I continue to study at the Faculty of Chemistry of Moscow State University. I did not stop thinking about continuing my education abroad, perhaps even at Oxford, for example. there are traditionally more master's and postgraduate scholarships. I have no regrets about the decision I made and the work done for admission. Although, if I had to decide this issue now, I would prefer the United States. Nevertheless, for me it was an invaluable experience of searching for information and communicating with representatives of a foreign university. In the end, I wrote this article precisely due to the fact that at one time I made studying at Oxford University my dream.

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