Actually, I wanted to go to the philology faculty to study French, but not finding even a hint of Philology in the lists of programs at English universities, I was confused. Only after a few months did I realize that Modern Languages and literary studies are essentially the same thing. The strict statement of a teacher at an open day at Oxford had an effect: If you don't like Literature, you shouldn't apply, which means 'If you don't like literature, you shouldn't apply.' Well, that means I belong here.
But my 'eureka' was met with coldness: 'You won't get in, they don't take foreigners there. And even if you do slip through, who needs your French? It will definitely never be needed in life, except perhaps for rich parents' daughters to book a room on the Côte d'Azur. No, I'm not against languages – in your free time, please, stand on your head if you want, but you won't find a decent job in your specialty.' In short, I got acquainted with prejudices about Oxford much earlier than with the university itself.
I got in!
Foreigners turned out to be needed (although there are far more Russians in the exact sciences), and such a concept as connections simply does not exist when applying to Oxford. Fears about the Côte d'Azur also did not come true – my first acquaintance in Oxford turned out to be the son of a cook, the parents of most of my classmates were teachers, and I met few representatives of the 'golden youth' in four years, and certainly not from the humanities. And most importantly, one simple truth emerged: a prestigious university provides not only a good education and help with employment, a prestigious university of the caliber of Oxford or Cambridge gives freedom – freedom from the law of the jungle of the modern market, and precisely thanks to that very law. I'll explain now.
The fact is that employers no longer look for qualified specialists as they did twenty years ago. As a chief manager of a London bank popularly explained to me, when choosing between a candidate with an economics degree and, say, an oceanologist or a physicist, he more often prefers the latter. In other words, it is not the one who already knows something in a given field who wins (because most of the knowledge acquired, for example, in business school, will not be useful in a bank), but the one who, by the very fact of completing a difficult university course, has proven his receptiveness to learning and ability to quickly adapt. Such an employee will settle in and be effective in any field of activity and easily switch from one position to another.
Of course, specialists are needed more than ever, but getting a profession not out of passion but for the sake of the proverbial piece of bread no longer makes sense today. The main thing is to prove one's ability to think and survive in non-standard conditions. It is this ability that elite Western universities cultivate.
Dreaming spires* in the real world
Square caps, spires, gardens, multi-kilometer shelves of books and manuscripts in the library, cobblestone pavement, colleges erected 700 years ago... But what relation does this closed, half-fairy-tale world of 'dreaming spires' have to real life? Do people come out of these ancient walls as storytellers, dreamers?
No, they don't. And the life of an Oxford student is definitely not a fairy tale. Any Western employer knows that an Oxbridge graduate (the common name for Oxford and Cambridge universities) spent three to four years in a unique survival system. That every week he independently studied an entire branch of science, read and thought, in order to put his thoughts in writing by a precise deadline and present them to his supervisor (usually a prominent scientist) at a weekly 'face-off' (tutorial). Moreover, sometimes there were two such face-offs per week, not counting lectures, classes, exercises. Furthermore, immediately after such a tutorial, which was preceded by a couple of sleepless nights, he had to switch to a new topic, start from scratch. It is no coincidence that the response to an invitation to a party is often a heavy sigh and the words 'essay crisis' and 'deadline', speaking for themselves. The result of three years of such training is a series of exams in which the student must write about thirty essays on various topics in a week.
School of life
It is worth adding that the unofficial motto of Oxford is the hackneyed phrase 'Work hard and play hard'. In other words, the vast majority of students have a hobby or seriously engage in some sport. Moreover, the very atmosphere of this place is such that even a seemingly innocent hobby becomes a life's work, a competition and a unique opportunity to express oneself. Thus, any person tempered in this system has perfectly mastered the art of 'juggling' (as the English say) different aspects of his life under constant stress. If he also emerged from it with high results (which confirms his non-trivial mental abilities in addition to versatile development, the ability to concentrate on a task and switch easily), a potential employer simply has nothing more to wish for. After all, Oxbridge is not only an education, but also a school of life.
That is why Oxford graduates fall into two categories. About a third go into academia to get at least a master's degree – constant interaction with outstanding scientists is contagious. Especially since many of the professors are quite young, as the university constantly replenishes its staff. Of the rest, relatively few go to work in their field. I know a mathematician and a linguist who, after graduating from Oxford, joined law enforcement (which is viewed much more favorably in the West than here!), a historian now working in the oil industry, an engineer who became a management consultant, and a theologian who became a TV star. I also know that regardless of my specialty, I will always be able to earn a living at almost any Western company, and that is why I am in no hurry to do so. After all, the opportunity to do what you love, even if it is poorly paid, is a great luxury. Now I understand how good it is that I did not choose a "money-making" specialty: with an economics degree I would never have become a philologist, but I can always get into a bank if necessary. I owe this confidence (no less than the education I received) to my Oxford diploma.
How to apply
The practical question remains – how to get into Oxford? In general, the selection consists of three stages: after reviewing the applicant's dossier (school certificate, resume, several best works), they may be invited for an interview. The form of the interview itself depends entirely on the college. Based on the interview, the applicant may be offered a place, but usually conditionally – the interview typically takes place in winter, before final exams, so the place is reserved only until they pass all the tests. A graduate of a domestic school who enters a British university will be considered an overseas student and will pay seven to ten times more than local students.
For those who, like me, have spent the last three years at a school in the UK or in one of the European Union countries (home students), as well as those with a green card, the selection system and tuition fees are the same as the standard for Britons: about $2,500 per year.
Through exchange and grants
For students of domestic universities, there are exchange programs and scholarships that allow them to study at a foreign university for one year as a visiting student. Despite the fact that you will not receive a diploma, such experience looks very good on a resume for both domestic and Western employers. Of course, to enter a humanities faculty, you need excellent English. However, it is the exchange option that gives you the opportunity to improve your English level so that – who knows? – you can return to Oxford as a graduate student.
The easiest way to get into Oxford is with a diploma already in hand: for a master's course (for example, MSt or MPhil) for one or two years, or for a doctorate (DPhil) for three years. There are grants that cover tuition and other expenses: housing (which is not cheap in Oxford), food, and tickets.
The most popular scholarships are the Hill Foundation and the Oxford University Clarendon Fund. But there are also other programs – for example, Shell Centenary Scholarships or the Overseas Research Student (ORS) Awards Scheme. Each has its own selection and admission rules. The competition is certainly high, but nothing is impossible! Details can be found on the official Oxford website.
* Dreaming spires – a standard cliché referring to Oxford with its many high "dreaming spires".