Inspired by the world-leading research that The University of Oxford contributes to our society, Wyke student Julia Louw had her sights set on this prestigious institution.After completing the highly competitive application process and interview to study Medicine at The University of Oxford, Julia received the exciting news that she had been successful.We were lucky enough to speak to Julia on how she found the process and what advice she has for students with similar ambitions.What do you study at Wyke?I study A Level Biology, A Level Chemistry, A Level Maths and BTEC Performing Arts.What has been your favourite part of studying at Wyke so far?The support that the teachers give you in your subjects and the independence that you have. At secondary I felt like I was still somewhat treated like a child whereas at Wyke your very much treated like a young adult and you get to have a much closer relationship with your teachers because of it.Have you taken part in any enrichments at Wyke?I took part in the college production of Mamma Mia, the commercial dance team and in the chemistry Olympiad.What inspired you to apply to Oxford?I’m already quite an academic person so I knew that I wanted to apply to some prestigious universities but the Flyers program at Wyke showed me that Oxbridge was possible for me to achieve as it had helped many pupils before to get there. The world-leading research and resources that Oxbridge provides also attracted me.How did you find the application process and what did you do to prepare for it?The application process is long and can be quite stressful especially for subjects like medicine or law where you have to sit entry exams.The best advice I have is to prepare in the summer between year 1 and 2, aim to have your personal statement sorted by the end of summer and start to revise for your entry exams because they approach must faster than you’d expect.I would also advise getting a little notebook to write down your reflections on activities that you’ve done surrounding your subject whether that be extracurricular reading, work experience, seminars or online work experience.How did you feel the interview went on the day?I interviewed for two colleges, the first one I felt went okay though I definitely didn’t get every problem they gave me right.The second one I thought went awful but at the end of the day I got an offer from the first college so I was happy. It’s important to remember that it’s not about getting the questions right necessarily but rather about giving informed guesses and explaining them so that the tutors can guide you in the right direction.Can you remember a particularly tricky question? Or a question that you feel you answered really well? In one of my interviews they asked me why London and New York City had different death rates for Covid 19 despite both being major cities and it completely threw me off but I gave my best guesses. Another one that I thought was quite funny was when they showed me a picture of a frog with three eyes and asked why the third eye would be a benefit to the frog.Do you have any advice for upcoming students who are considering applying to Oxbridge?Do research into areas of your subject that interest you whether that be reading books, watching YouTube videos or reading articles because at the end of the day the tutors want to see your passion for the subject. Think about the things you study at college at a deeper level, ask lots of questions and just apply even if you doubt yourself because it gives you a lot of insight into your subject.How has Wyke’s Oxbridge Programme helped you in your application? The programme helped me to understand all the steps to my application as well as deadlines which was useful as it helped me to set up a rough idea of what I should be working on. It also gave me a lot of resources for reading around my subject and online seminars to look at which was really helpful. The help with my personal statement was also very important because Oxbridge have slightly different criteria for personal statements than other universities.Congratulations Julia! Very well deserved. We can’t wait to follow your journey in becoming a Doctor.
