The University of Oxford is one of the greatest places in the world to study, and a lot of bright young students like yourself stand a good chance of getting in. If you’re thinking about applying, there is a wealth of information available to you about everything you might want to know.
For starters, have a look at our latest application guide made by current students at Oxford. It's filled with guidance to help you along your application journey; from personal statement tips to choosing a college. You'll even find several stories written to give you an insight into experiences that are unique to Oxford, such as its interview process and what it's like to be an Oxford student. To anyone who wants to apply for a postgraduate course (DPhil/Masters etc.) in Oxford or elsewhere in the UK, feel free to reach out our postgrad rep, Ting An for some guidance on funding and the application process. Post Brexit, the UK research councils have released funding to all international students (Malaysians included!) rather than just EU applicants, so there is a significantly larger number of funded PhDs available.
You might also like to have a look at the free e-book by Oxbridge Applications. It thoroughly discusses each stage of the application process and is a good reference point. Furthermore, their website contains plenty of useful resources- definitely worth checking out.
Oxford Perspectives Summer School 2022
Come join the Oxford University Malaysia Club at our annual Summer School: Glimpses and Perspectives on Sunday (14th of August 2022), held at Sunway College this year. Make use of an amazing opportunity to find out more about Oxford University, and discover if it is the right place for you.
Learn more here.
Prospective Students Mentorship Program
Stressed about upcoming interviews? Fret not, as OUMC is here to help!
The Oxford University Malaysia Club (OUMC) Mentorship Programme aims to provide guidance to prospective Malaysian students applying to Oxford University. To participate in this programme, you need to be a Malaysian applicant based in Malaysia who has received an interview offer from Oxford University. Upon registration, you will then be paired with a current student studying a subject similar to the one you are applying for at Oxford. After being assigned a mentor, you can contact your mentor directly to ask for any advice or guidance you may need before your interviews — this could involve having mock interviews with your mentors, or even having a chat about life at Oxford!
Below are some other reliable external links that you might find helpful.
Oxford Malaysian Application Scheme (OxMAS) Application Form 2023
Oxford University Malaysia Club has set up OxMAS to help students, both academically and financially, to apply to Oxford University. This form is for students who are applying to Oxford University this year (2023) for enrolment in 2024. For more information about this scheme, you can visit oumc.org.uk/oxmas or email us at: oxmas@oumc.org.uk
Please fill out this application form: https://forms.gle/oPm33bKJZHMwtVf26 by the 30th of September 2023 (Midnight MYT). We look forward to receiving your applications.
Here are some frequently asked questions that are specific to Malaysians. If you still have any questions or concerns about applying to Oxford, please contact Haylee Cheam, our Secretary, at secretary@oumc.org.uk and she will be more than happy to answer them, or point you in the direction of someone who can.
- Do I necessarily need to apply to Oxford through UCAS? Can I apply to the University or my specific college of choice directly?
- Should I fly to Oxford for an interview or do it over Skype? How will either affect my chances?
- Malaysians seem to stand a better chance of getting into Cambridge than Oxford. Is this true?
- Where can I find scholarships to fund my studies?
- I’ve just completed my SPM or equivalent. What pre-university course should I do? Will doing it in Malaysia or abroad make a difference?
1. Do I necessarily need to apply to Oxford through UCAS? Can I apply to the University or my specific college of choice directly?
As far as undergraduate entrance in concerned, the only way to apply for Oxford/Cambridge is through the UCAS portal. Neither the constituent colleges nor the departments accept direct applications to their office. This applies even for portfolio-based subjects such as Music and Fine Art.
2. Should I fly to Oxford for an interview or do it over Skype? How will either affect my chances?
In our opinion (as well as in the opinion of the admissions tutors of the University), it is not necessary to fly to Oxford just for the admissions interview. While flying to Oxford will allow you to experience life in an Oxford college and get a glimpse into how tutorials may work in the future, the admissions tutors believe that these benefits are far outweighed by the potential downsides that may come about -- jet-lag, fatigue, and the lack of a familiar environment are among the factors noted to bog students down in terms of interview performance. A Skype interview will in no way reduce your chances of admission, and a significant portion of our current Malaysian Oxonians have been accepted with a Skype interview. All colleges in Oxford do accept Skype interviews. However, note that Medicine applicants are required to be present in Oxford.
3. Malaysians seem to stand a better chance of getting into Cambridge than Oxford. Is this true?
No. The simple fact is that more Malaysians choose to apply to Cambridge than Oxford. In 2012, 176 Malaysians applied to Oxford, while a staggering 269 applied to Cambridge (for undergraduate study). In that year, Oxford accepted 20 while Cambridge accepted 31 students. If you do the math, that’s an acceptance rate of about 11% for both universities. Oxford began publishing admission statistics by country since 2009, and Cambridge followed soon after in 2011. With all the data available, Malaysians maintain a steady success rate of about 10% every year, so really, you stand an equal chance of getting into either! For more information about admissions statistics, go to www.ox.ac.uk/adstats
4. Where can I find scholarships to fund my studies?
Your best bet for a full scholarship will always be with organisations from Malaysia. Some of the companies and organisations that sponsor our current members include, in no particular order, JPA (Public Service Department), Yayasan Khazanah, the Ministry of Education (MyBrainSc Scholarship), Shell, and Maxis. The University of Oxford also provides a list of scholarships available to international students here, although these are very limited and far less generous.
In 2013, the Club compiled a list of major scholarships awarded by Malaysian organizations which you can access here - however, please do note that the list is by no means an exhaustive one, and that some details in the list may already be outdated because the scholarships scene is a highly dynamic one that changes drastically from year to year.
5. I’ve just completed my SPM or equivalent. What pre-university course should I do? Will doing it in Malaysia or abroad make a difference?
Most of the Malaysian students here in Oxford have previously done either the A Levels or the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB). The STPM is also accepted by Oxford, although this is a far less common choice. A quick note for students in Chinese Independent High Schools - the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) will not be sufficient for you to apply to Oxford. For a full list of accepted international qualifications, see here. There are a great many schools, both in Malaysia and abroad, that provide an excellent pre-university education, and you stand a good chance to be admitted into Oxford regardless of where you go. Most of the Malaysians here have never studied abroad prior to coming to Oxford.