College selection

When deciding on the choice of college it is imperative that a candidate chooses one which excites them. In order to impress at interview the candidate must really want to go there. Oxford colleges also differ in the number of places help for each subject. For example, the number of places to do PPE at St Catherine's college oxford is 10 while the number at Balliol. Moreover, different colleges attract different demographics. While a college steeped in history may attract high achieving candidates from privately educated backgrounds other colleges may attract a demographic based on where there outreach programmes take place. Moreover, some colleges are just easier to get into. Although the difference is negligable it is key to give a candidate the best chance of getting in. Some colleges attract higher quality candidates than others and it is therefore harder to secure a place at these colleges. To understand which colleges provide the greatest chance of getting in the main port of call is the Norrington Table which ranks colleges based on their undergraduate results. Colleges higher up the table will be more competitive, while colleges lower down the table will be less so.