Applying for a Masters at Cambridge or Oxford
DISCLAIMER: These views are my own based on my personal experiences and do not reflect the opinions of the University of Cambridge, the Gates Cambridge Trust or any institution at which I have been affiliated. I also note that I applied for a masters in 2014/2015 and therefore some details about the process may have changed since then.
Doing a masters in the UK, particularly at Oxford or Cambridge, is a wonderful opportunity to expand your research after undergrad and gain international experience. These programs can prepare you well to return to the US for a PhD, or if you love it there, you can try to stay in the UK for a PhD. I did my MPhil in Polar Studies at the Scott Polar Research Institute at the University of Cambridge as a Gates Cambridge Scholar, and I absolutely loved the experience! During my time at Cambridge, not only did I improve my research skills, but I also got to make friends from all over the world and experience many of the traditions that make Cambridge and Oxford such unique and special places.
Choosing a Program
Masters programs in the UK generally tend to be only one year, making them different from US programs which are usually two years.
In general, masters programs in the UK fall somewhere along a spectrum from taught masters to masters by research. For a taught masters, the masters program is dominantly coursework, whereas masters by research will have no coursework whatsoever and will consist entirely of completing an independent research project.
For example, for the MPhil in Polar Studies at Cambridge, the first 3-4 months consisted of a series of lectures and three review papers (some assigned, some chosen by the student) designed for us to improve our writing skills and gain background in our field. The following six months were spent working on an independent research project, resulting in a 10,000 to 20,000 word dissertation at the completion of the program. This was a very intense timeline (completing an entire publishable research project in that short amount of time was challenging!) but it taught me critical time management and research skills that were highly valuable during my PhD.
Many departments have multiple masters programs. For example, the Department of Geography at Cambridge offers 5 different MPhils – the MPhil in Anthropocene Studies, MPhil in Conservation Leadership and MPhil in Holocene Studies (all primarily taught with some research component) and the MPhil in Geography and MPhil in Polar Studies (primarily research).
Given the multitude of programs, it is thus very important to research prospective masters programs and determine which program best suits both your background and future goals.
For primarily research-based masters, I would suggest reaching out to a prospective advisor with your proposed project prior to the application deadline. For primarily taught masters, this may not be necessary.
Application Process and Funding
For most British masters programs, application for funding is separate from application to the program – in other words, you can be admitted to the program but not receive funding for it. Many students pay for masters programs in the UK, and therefore acquiring funding can be quite competitive and is often much tougher than just being admitted to the program.
There are many prestigious scholarships that fund Americans (and in most cases, international students as well) to pursue a masters or a PhD in the UK. These include the Rhodes (only at Oxford), Churchill (only at Cambridge), Marshall (anywhere in UK), Gates Cambridge (only at Cambridge), Clarendon (only at Oxford), Cambridge Trust (only at Cambridge) and Fulbright (anywhere in UK). These scholarships vary not only in where they are tenable, but also in terms of what they are looking for in a successful applicant. For example, the Churchill is specific to science, whereas the Gates Cambridge is open to applicants across all fields and has a greater emphasis on broader impacts.
It is very important to start the application process early! Many of these scholarships have deadlines far earlier than the official university deadline for the program and are often in early September/October. I would advise starting to do research into programs and scholarships in the spring prior to the year you apply.
Finding the scholarship that’s the best fit for you will aid your chances of being successful. Often your university’s Office of Distinguished Scholarships (or similar) can provide assistance in both identifying which scholarship(s) you should apply for and improving the strength of your application.
For the Rhodes, Churchill and Marshall, you will need to apply first to your university and the university will nominate a handful of candidates. Universities generally have different processes for this but contact your Office of Distinguished Scholarships for guidance.
For Gates Cambridge, Clarendon and Cambridge Trust, the application is part of the official application to the University, but the deadline to be considered for funding is often earlier that the stated masters program deadlines.
For all of these scholarships, it is very important to be able to explain exactly why you want to do your chosen program and how it will further your future goals. These scholarship programs are not only looking to fund exceptional students but they also want to make sure that these students will contribute to the program and gain from the experience.
Choosing a College
Colleges are a huge part of both the Cambridge and Oxford experience. They are where you will most likely live, take part in social and sporting events and eat meals and attend formals.
You can think of colleges as smaller academic, residential communities that provide students (both graduate and undergraduate) with a sense of community and support while at school.
As part of your application, you can list up to two colleges as your preferred colleges. You can also submit an “open application” where you do not list any preferences.
Colleges vary substantially in terms of their culture, living arrangements, history, location and other factors. For example, some colleges cater specifically towards international graduate students, whereas others are more undergraduate in focus. Do your research into colleges by looking online (there’s loads of information out there) and reaching out to people you know who have attended Oxford or Cambridge.
Note that at the graduate level, the department controls your application to the university – in other words, if you are admitted by your department, you will be admitted by a college, but it might not be your top choice.
It is important to note that every college has its advantages and disadvantages, and while which college you are in will affect your experience, it is absolutely possible to have a wonderful experience at any of the colleges. In fact, you’ll find that regardless of where people are, most people will say that they love their college.
More information can be found here (Cambridge) and here (Oxford).
Specific Gates Cambridge Information
The Gates Cambridge is a unique scholarship for postgraduate study (both Masters and PhD) at the University of Cambridge funded by a gift from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2000.
There are four key criteria for the scholarship – academic excellence, reasons for choice of course (i.e. why you should attend Cambridge), a commitment to improving the lives of others and a capacity for leadership. Strong applications should address all four of these criteria.
Unlike many other graduate fellowship applications, the application for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship is very short – essentially it’s the same as the standard application for admission for postgraduate study at Cambridge, except you must additionally write a ~500 word statement about why you are applying a Gates Cambridge Scholarship and how you meet the four main criteria.
You additionally will need a specific reference letter that addresses your fit for the scholarship (in addition to the two academic reference letters generally required for admission at Cambridge).
There are two separate timelines for admission, one for US citizens residing in the USA, and one for everyone else, but otherwise the process is the same. Note the US citizens deadline is earlier than the other deadline.
Scholars are selected in three steps: First, applicants are ranked by their departments on academic excellence only. Next, the selection committee shortlists department-nominated applicants based on their entire application package. Finally, the shortlisted applicants are invited to interview (either in person or via Skype), after which the final cohort of scholars is selected.
Given the short length of the application, it is vital to be able to communicate exactly why you should be a Gates Cambridge Scholar. Your research proposal is a separate part of the application, so do not use more than a sentence or two explaining your project in your Gates Cambridge essay. Instead, focus on how you fit the four main criteria described above.
In particular, your essay should communicate (1) why you feel your department/degree is the right fit for you and how it fits into your personal and professional goals, (2) why someone not in your field should care about your research, and (3) how your previous experiences and future goals, both academic and extracurricular, demonstrate your potential for leadership and for having a positive impact on society.
If you reach the interview stage, you will be put into one of four subject areas (arts, biological sciences, physical sciences and social sciences) and interview with a panel of academics in these fields. I interviewed with the physical sciences panel which consisted of Cambridge professors in math, physics and engineering. I have a few tips for the interview stage:
Do several practice interviews beforehand. Be sure that you can confidently explain why you want to do your chosen degree at Cambridge, your plans for research, how you would explain your research to someone not in your field, and why the Gates Cambridge is the right scholarship for you.
While they may not ask for it, you should be prepared to go into technical detail about your research plans and be able to back up your choice of methods or approach. Your interviewers will be Cambridge academics, potentially even academics in your field, and they want to make sure you can solidly explain the foundation behind your research plans.
Once you’ve reached the interview stage, they already know that you’re highly academically qualified. While they may ask you questions about your previous experiences (and answer them if they do!), be sure to try to place emphasis on your future plans and leadership, and particularly, why your research is important, interesting and valuable and deserves to be funded by the Gates Cambridge Trust.
Finally, do not count yourself out! I truly never thought I would receive a Gates Cambridge Scholarship. It is always worse to try and fail than not try at all.
My Gates Cambridge Essay can be found here.