By May Jones
'Target Schools' is a Student Union campaign that you can be a part of as both a prospective student and an Oxford student. Target Schools aims to help debunk some of the myths surrounding applying to Oxford and provide insights into life at Oxford for prospective students. I first found Target Schools quite late into my degree, and honestly, I was quite frustrated that I hadn’t looked into it sooner. As a state-school student from an area where progression to Oxford was limited, an opportunity to visit Oxford or even just have all the information I needed in one place would have been so useful!
I was impressed by Target Schools’ ability to cater for so many. Their shadowing days provide a great opportunity for year 12 state-school students to experience what life is like in Oxford – the city, the subjects and even receive some application advice! Their alternative prospectus is a great resource for students, especially those unable to visit Oxford, to gain all the information they need when deciding whether to submit an application to Oxford. The website also includes information on what Oxford can offer, including financial, social activities and future career information. Each undergraduate college has a page that includes accommodation information, food on offer and social activities in the college. The alternative prospectus also introduces you to all the subjects you can study in Oxford, including ones you might not have heard of before.
Finally, if you are stuck between a few colleges when applying, you can try their college suggester tool. Here, you input the factors that are most important to you when picking a college, and the tool will suggest the college(s) that offer those. I tried out this suggester on a quiet library afternoon, inputting my requests for an Oxford college and was impressed to find the college that I applied to as one of its top suggestions. Their Instagram's recent reboot now has many subject descriptions, jargon definitions, and myth breakdown posts.
Target Schools look for Oxford students to help out. Students provide a crucial part of the shadowing days by letting prospective student groups ‘follow’ them, answering questions about what Oxford is truly like. Overall, Target Schools provide opportunities for everyone. If you are currently thinking of applying to Oxford, they offer great resources via their alternative prospectus and Instagram for all you need to know about Oxford life. Furthermore, if you are an Oxford student or a prospective student, they also offer a great opportunity to be involved in outreach work, aiding potential students in their decision to apply to Oxford - a unifying experience for us all.