COVID PRESENTED A ONCE-IN-A-century moment for change, and British universities pounced. Not one has retained its full pre-pandemic offering. This column will chart varsity folly, and will start from the top, and at the beginning, with Oxbridge admissions.
The traditions of two institutions with 1,750 years between them defy easy simplification. But their basic practice was to call the brightest school applicants for interview and, after written exams and mock-supervision/tutorials with dons, offer the strongest a place, conditional on A-Levels — or not.
When Covid obstructed in-person interviews, the universities pivoted online as a temporary necessity. Yet now, only 7 of 59 undergraduate colleges interview applicants in person; all those are in Cambridge, as Oxford is likely never to see physical applicants again.
IT’S A TALE OF TWO CITIES and…
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The Critic (Digital) - 1 Issue, February 2025