So you're thinking of applying to St Hugh's? Amazing!! You can get started here with everything you need to know about the courses we offer, our facilities, and overall why we are the best college in Oxford.
You can get started below with some brief lists.
Or find out more about the courses we offer here....
and read more about Hugh's life here!
10 reasons to apply to Oxford
- Everyone at Oxford gets here BECAUSE they are so passionate and involved and fascinating and smart. Yet everyone is also growing up together; while most of your peers will be around your age range, you'll also learn with a huge and diverse cohort from many different backgrounds and life stories. Meeting postgraduates, mature students, and even the tutors you work with, will show you that in the end, no matter what stage of life they're at, everyone is just trying their best to get through. It's very reassuring to know that your struggles and sorrows, as well as your joys and hopes, are shared.
- The tutorial system really is unparalleled. You'll be reading some pioneer in your field and then get to talk to said pioneer about their subject....and they'll also be interested in you.
- You get experts coming in about everything. Guest talks, networking, you'll get to meet world leaders and idols and even go to school with future ones. You might even get to work with them! Oxford is the world's foremost research university for a reason.
- In terms of extracurriculars, there is just so much going on at any given moment. Particular societies such as the Oxford Union are globally renowned, but there are opportunities to get involved at all levels. From theatre productions to sports to music to journalism to historical reenactments, you can be a complete beginner at anything and find a footing!
- Yup, students do have a social life. Contrary to popular belief, Oxonians really can work hard and play hard. We have a ton of great pubs and nights out, and everyone has faced the consequences in that 9am the next morning.
- The city itself: while of course famous for being very beautiful and old and historic, it is actually very nice and safe, with a good blend of nature and modern facilities. You will never stop discovering new things in Oxford. And of course, we're convenient, being an hour away from Heathrow and London for those quick getaways.
- The collegiate system is super unique (remember we started it) and you'll get to explore so many different colleges each with their own conventions and cultures. And that's how you'll find out Hugh's is superior to all of them.
- You will push yourself, and not just work-wise. You will learn so much; that might be true of any college experience, but you will come to embrace so many different aspects of life that you'll have never undergone before, and emerge with a whole new set of skills. You'll grow up, you'll make loads and loads of mistakes, and you'll try lots and lots of things and some will work out - others don't. Some do and then they don't; others don't and then they do!
- If you're stuck about what the future holds: people coming out of Oxford go into many different directions. You'll get to know about paths you've never even heard of, maybe even follow, and Oxford opens many doors. This is why talking to as many different sorts of people as you can is so rewarding; you'll realise there is so much in this world to pursue, and you'll have a great chance of finding what aligns with you.
- Of course, there is the name...after all, it's Oxford. And we have been the number 1 ranked university in the world for a record breaking 10 years in a row, but that shouldn't be your primary reason. Don't choose a university based on rankings - but Oxford truly is a special place, and you won't get this anywhere else! (Except maybe Cambridge, but we do it better.)
10 reasons to apply to St Hugh's (specifically)
We're known sometimes for accepting a lot of pooled applications - in fact, chances are you may have landed on this page because you're one of them yourself. While we aren't the most well-known, there are so many reasons why you should apply here; many of us are so much happier here than we would have been at our initial choice!
- We're not as remote as it seems, promise! And it's actually nice to have some distance from the bustle of the centre.
- Guaranteed on-site accommodation. No worries about finding housing offsite; students from other colleges often end up even further away from the centre than we are!
- We are very very very friendly! Divested of any particular elite or posh reputation, Hugh's is just a super nice college.
- Gardens. Our gardens are absolutely spectacular
- Our hall food is quite good and the formals are fairly priced even if only weekly.
- Cats.
- The pastoral staff (eg the Dean and Senior Tutor) are amazingly supportive and actually listen to us.
- 24/7 library; rarer and more valuable than you may assume.
- In fact, we have two libraries, and are the ONLY Oxford college to house a Bodleian (which we claim as our own), the Dickson Poon China Centre - or, as we lovingly refer to it, ''Dicky P''.
- We have the best JCR website x
Who is a good "fit" for Oxford?
Contrary to popular belief, not everyone here was top of their class or had a perfect academic track record - far from it. Imposter syndrome can be a pretty significant issue in Oxford, because the truth is that everyone has no real idea what they're doing here.
If you have tons of experience in a certain area that's great, but this isn't like say the American system where extracurriculars and leadership are everything. Academics are important, but only in demonstrating that you can cope with a heavy workload. Certainly, no one is expecting you to know absolutely everything about your subject or be some sort of genius.
The most important aspects are that you're passionate, curious, and enjoy a challenge. Tutors would rather take the student who asks questions and works on them, than someone who just comes in knowing everything already and flexing their knowledge on everyone else in the class. Tutorials are often held in small groups, so being able to bounce ideas off others and being receptive to different perspectives is massively important!!
In summary, they don't judge you on raw experience, they judge on how badly you want experience, and how likely you are to successfully embrace the Oxford lifestyle. It is true that Oxford isn't for everyone; it's highly intense, and offers a very different experience to other campuses or big cities like London.
How can you prepare?
You have to demonstrate you're interested in your subject. This can be through reading or accumulating experience. They're looking for students they can teach - if they already know everything then why do they need to be at university in the first place? Oftentimes, the right answer comes from knowing how to ask the right questions, so just keep digging deep and training yourself to think in creative ways.
Learn how to convey your ideas well at a basic level and then work from there. Of course, you also have to pick the right subject for you - the skillset required of a Chemistry student will be very different from a classicist. Take a look at some of the sample reading lists available on the department sites or main course pages for a refresher. Many Oxford courses will also have admissions tests, so do make sure you've familiarised yourself with them and take some past papers.