How to win a place at a top Oxford summer school: A complete guide
You’ve done the research, you’ve studied really hard, and you’ve got your sights set firmly on a summer at a top Oxford summer school. You know it’ll be the summer of a lifetime. You want to explore the subject you’re most passionate about in more depth, bolster your university application and broaden your horizons through travel as well as the new friends you’ll make from all over the world. And what better place to do it than in Oxford, a buzzing city teeming with history, amazing architecture and the world famous University of Oxford itself?
There’s one small problem – you don’t have the cash!
For the very best students who can demonstrate financial hardship, consider applying for a scholarship to study at an Oxford summer school in 2022. Read on to find out what’s available and how to apply.
What are scholarships?
Exceptional education should be available to everyone, regardless of their financial situation. Luckily, several top summer schools in Oxford recognise this and offer partial or full scholarships to the brightest students from less well off backgrounds. Think low income and high academic achievement.
A scholarship to attend a residential summer school in Oxford will give you the opportunity to learn alongside ambitious students from all over the world and from teachers who are leading experts in their fields. You’ll get to experience authentic university life, try out subjects not offered at your own school, and enjoy exciting excursions and immersive cultural activities.
Some summer schools will offer up to a 100% reduction in your course fees, and although you’ll usually have to pay for your own travel expenses, the rest will be free. It’s usually very competitive and each school has its own specific application process and deadline.
Who offers scholarships and what do they cover?
Oxford Royale Academy
Oxford Royale offers unparalleled learning and cultural experiences in the world’s most prestigious academic institutions, including the University of Oxford. Scholarships are usually available for their two week residential courses in Oxford for students aged 13-25, with up to a 100% reduction in course fees, meaning you only need to pay for your travel expenses. Choose from a diverse range of subjects, including Engineering, Medicine and Law. Read more here or watch a short video from former scholars.
Immerse Education
Immerse Education provides exceptional programmes in immersive academic environments, including at the University of Oxford. Their two-week residential scholarships are known as their ‘bursary programme’ and are available to ambitious students aged 13-18, with a maximum 100% reduction in programme fees. Read more here.
Summer Boarding Courses (SBC)
To support their vision to ‘unite the cultures of the world through education’, the multi award-winning SBC offers an annual fully funded two-week scholarship to students aged 8-17 years at three different UK locations including Oxford. It includes 30-50 hours of expert tutoring in a range of subjects -such as International Relations and Natural Sciences- as well as accommodation, meals, excursions and a social programme – all free of charge, except for travel expenses. Find out more here.
Oxford Scholastica
Oxford Scholastica provides excellent university-style teaching and cultural adventures. As part of their commitment to provide 10,000 free hours of support to scholars over the next three years, Oxford Scholastica offers one year of free access to their online Oxbright course for exceptional students aged 15-18. With a huge range of subjects to choose from, you’ll be guided by an inspirational mentor and can enjoy interactive learning, including live tutorials, podcasts, vlogs and blogs. Learn more here.
World Strides CBL International
World Strides runs an exclusive academic study abroad programme at a University of Oxford college. Choose from STEM, Philosophy and Politics and more, all delivered by esteemed academics from the University of Oxford itself. Although they don’t provide full scholarships, they do offer a £100 discount on course fees if you get involved with blogging, photography or videography for them. And as an added bonus, it’ll look fantastic on your cv! Find out how to get involved here.
University of Oxford
This list wouldn’t be complete without the one and only University of Oxford! A world-leading centre of learning, teaching and research, and the oldest university in the English-speaking world, Oxford is consistently ranked number one. Its Department for Continuing Education has a huge array of funding options for different circumstances, including financial hardship, as well as for international students. Read more here.
How do you apply?
Every summer school has its own specific application process; you’ll need to check their websites carefully for the full details. Almost all of them are done online and require certain documents as well as evidence of your grades and financial hardship. You might need strong teacher references and even to submit an essay or short video.
For Oxford Scholastica’s scholarship, you can’t apply by yourself. You’ll need to be nominated by your teacher, and your school needs to be one of their registered partner schools. (Ask at your school but don’t worry, if they’re not already signed up, they can do so here, for free!)
Any advice?
Winning a summer school scholarship can be very competitive as there are usually only a handful of available places up for grabs – and a lot of applicants.
To maximise your chances of success, think carefully about what the scholarship would mean to you – how would it help you to achieve your ambitions and what personal qualities would you bring to your chosen summer school? Are you deeply passionate about a certain subject, or has attending the University of Oxford been a long term dream for you? Keep busy with extracurricular activities and hobbies, whether that’s sports, playing a musical instrument or writing for your school newspaper. This shows you’re well-rounded with good social skills and can mix well with students from different cultures – essential for an international summer school!
Be organised! It goes without saying, but make sure you meet the deadline and don’t forget to thoroughly proofread your application for spelling and grammar mistakes. If you’re recording a video, make sure that it’s of decent audio and visual quality. Make it as easy as possible for the judges to love your application!
Which scholarships are running in 2022?
In the post-pandemic world, there are slimmer scholarship pickings than usual. But the good news is, there are some still running for summer 2022, with many more resuming for next year – meaning now is the ideal time to get organised and plan an amazing application for 2023!
Summer Boarding Courses (SBC)
You need to move quickly for a chance of a highly-coveted scholarship at SBC in July or August in summer 2022. Applications opened on Friday 4th March and will close on Wednesday 30th March at midnight (GMT). Check out the full details here or contact them for further support at scholarships@summerboardingcourses.co.uk
Oxford Scholastica
There’s no deadline for this one as scholarships for Oxford Scholastica’s online Oxbright course are available year round. If you currently attend one of their partner schools, your teacher can nominate you. If they’re not yet a partner school – or if you’re not sure – they can sign up for free here or get in touch with them directly here.
World Strides CBL International
Apply for a blogging, video or photography scholarship with World Strides, which is worth £100 off your course fees, by getting in touch with them here.
University of Oxford
There’s a huge range of scholarship options available for 2022 and beyond, including for international students. Check out the details here.
Ones to watch for 2023
Oxford Royale Academy
Oxford Royale aren’t running their scholarship programme this year but expect it to be back on for 2023. You can get a head start and register your interest for future scholarships here.
Immerse Education
Applications for Immerse Education’s 2022 scholarships in Oxford are now closed, but you’ll be able to apply for 2023 soon. Applications open on October 7th 2022 and close on January 13th 2023. Get set and find out what you’ll need to apply here!
Good luck and see you in Oxford!