Applying for The Year-long Oxford Program

Students applying for the year-long program in Oxford must complete a more rigorous application process with earlier due dates than those of the semester-only program. Please follow this process carefully and contact the GEO with any questions:

1. Complete the online Oxford year-long application in Horizons, the GEO's online application management system. You will be asked to provide expanded responses to the essay question, in particular describing the sort of topics that you would want to delve into more deeply, and how you anticipate fitting your tutorials into the structure of your academic major and/or the Core curriculum.

2. Ask two professors relevant to your planned areas of study in Oxford to submit reference letters to GEO. You will be able to do this as part of your application in Horizons. Note: These letters should show that you have discussed with them your imagined course of study in Oxford and that they can confirm that your year in Oxford will satisfy the requirements of your academic major and/or Core curriculum.

3. Provide a substantive example of your academic writing (from 8-15 pages in length) that meets the following criteria (to be uploaded to your application in Horizons, or provided on paper to the GEO):

• addresses a topic germane to the concerns of your academic major
• demonstrates familiarity with other scholars' contributions to the topic by making use of at least three academic sources
• shows your own personal engagement in the scholarly conversation by going beyond simple summaries of other scholars' research and presenting, however tentatively, your own conclusions about the topic

Your submitted essay may be:

• a research paper already prepared for a class that meets the criteria above
• a previously written essay that you have expanded or modified to address the criteria above
• a new essay prepared for your Oxford application with some supervision from a faculty member

4. Complete an hour-long interview with the Oxford selection committee which will include a 'mock tutorial' to which the sponsoring professor is invited to participate.

Dates for your diary:

February 15: Seat applications, recommendations, and essay submitted
February 16–21: Applications reviewed and interviews conducted by Oxford selection committee
March 25: Acceptance letters sent