All applications must be submitted with references online via UCAS. There is a wealth of advice on the UCAS website and on the UCAS application page of our website. Remember that Oxford has a much earlier deadline than most universities: 15 October of the year before entry - unless this date falls on a weekend, in which case it will be 16 or 17 October.
References
There is no specific character count for each section of the academic reference but there is a limit of up to 4,000 characters (including spaces, headings and line breaks) or 47 lines of text (whichever comes first) to be spread across three sections. Further guidance is available on our UCAS application page.
The reference does not need to be written by the head teacher or head of sixth form; it is more important that it is written by someone who knows the student well enough to comment on their academic abilities and any personal qualities that will help them to succeed. Often the subject teacher in the most relevant field to the applicant’s chosen course is best suited to write the reference.
Ideally, the content in Section three should focus on the academic skills and experiences of the student, with the reference giving prominence to the subjects the student is undertaking that are most relevant to their chosen degree. If this means that the information on the candidate’s A-level Biology course is twice that devoted to their A-level in English Literature because they are applying for a degree in Biology, that is highly appropriate.
If the school or college uses a standardised template and/or it is traditionally completed by the head teacher or head of sixth form, it is still useful to receive comments from the most relevant subject teacher which can subsequently be included in the reference.
The reference is a good opportunity to focus on the individual applicant and their particular strengths relevant to their chosen subject.
Tutors at Oxford, like other universities, are interested to find out if the student is expected to flourish in an intensive academic environment and how they may cope with a sustained workload; specific examples are useful here. Relating the relevant selection criteria to specific pieces of work, activities, experiences or interactions with the students are helpful indicators and bring the candidate’s qualities to life.
The University is aware that, in line with the Data Protection Act and General Data Protection Regulation, students can obtain a copy of the UCAS reference if they choose to do so and sometimes this can have an effect on the overall nature of the reference. Whilst it may seem difficult for a reference to include comments which, although accurate, do not portray the applicant positively, it is important to recognise that it is ultimately not in the interests of either the candidate or the referee to overstate a candidate’s suitability for study on a demanding course.
Section three of the UCAS reference should be used to address the individual applicant and their skills, achievements and qualities relevant to the student’s chosen subject. The particular strengths and achievements of the school the student attends should be mentioned only in Section one of the reference. Please note these have more limited value unless they have a direct impact on the particular applicant.
UCAS's website guidance advises schools and colleges on how to use Section one to make a general statement about their institution.
Oxford uses information on the educational context of an applicant’s school or college to help assess applications, but this is not derived solely from the reference. You can find out more about this on our contextual data webpage.
Section one should also be used to mention if there are particular issues that may have had a direct impact on the applicant (e.g. high staff turnover, major disruption because of rebuilding work which closed the labs for a term). However, given the overall limitation of 4,000 characters for the reference, if there is more required then it is best to include a more detailed statement on the school website and then include the URL link in the reference.
Predicted grades
Predicted grades are an important part of applications so please do include these alongside any 'pending' qualifications your students have entered in the Education section of their UCAS application.
When predicting grades, the details you give in the reference on how you (or your school or college) are determining what differentiates this candidate and, for example what makes them an A* or A grade student, are really helpful to tutors.
Methods of making predictions will of course vary from institution to institution but tutors value the key role teachers play in providing reliable information about a student’s academic potential in a particular subject.
Predicted grades for international candidates
In the UK most students apply to university at the beginning of their final year of school and before they have taken their school leaving exams. Teachers are asked to predict their student’s grades in any exams they are yet to take. If their application is successful they will be made a conditional offer, the condition being to achieve the required grades in any outstanding exams.
We understand that this is different from the way things are done in other countries and this may be new to you. However it is an important part of the application process to Oxford, and if you do not include predicted grades alongside any pending qualifications listed by the student in the Education section of their UCAS form, this will significantly decrease your student’s chance of getting a place. Please check our international qualifications page.
Disabilities or extenuating circumstances
Please use Section 2 of your UCAS academic reference to tell us about any disability or specific learning difficulty that may affect your student's application. Our Disability Advisory Service provides support from the point of considering an application right up until graduation. If your student needs extra time or other support for exams, please make sure that this is noted when registering for admissions tests.
Sadly some students have to deal with a serious illness, bereavement, a challenging home life or other extreme difficulty. If your student has experienced extra challenges and yet is still getting top grades and would like to study at a top university, we would like to be made aware of this. Please make sure the situation is mentioned in Section 2 of the academic reference. If for any reason you feel it is not appropriate to give this information on the UCAS application or because your student needs to provide further details or evidence, in addition to the information provided in the reference, it is best to contact the college that is considering their application (this can be done after the deadline, if the student is making an open application).
Personal statement advice
From Oxford’s point of view, the purpose of the personal statement is to provide additional information in the applicant’s own words about why they have chosen the subject and why they think they are suitable for the course. Please direct your student(s) to our guidance on writing your personal statement.
For students applying to start university in 2026 or later, the UCAS personal statement is changing from one long piece of text to three questions. Read the detailed advice on UCAS to find out what students should include in their answers, plus explore subject-specific personal statement guides to help you and your students understand what admissions tutors are looking for. The new format is designed to help students structure their personal statement more easily rather than to change the content. The questions are designed to give students a starting point and to scaffold their answers. Each answer will have a minimum character count of 350 characters, which is clearly labelled on the question boxes, along with an overall character counter, so you can keep track. The 4000 overall character limit (including spaces) remains the same.
Tutors understand that the UCAS personal statement is written for up to four other university choices and therefore it cannot be tailored specifically for Oxford, especially for those subjects, and combinations of subjects, that few other universities offer. Nevertheless, it is helpful if the student applies to courses that are similar in nature at their university choices, otherwise writing the personal statement becomes more challenging.
Unlike some other universities, Oxford does not use the personal statement alone to make offers, or reject applicants, as tutors have access to a wide range of more detailed additional information beyond the UCAS application.
