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Oxford University Open Days give visitors a taste of life at Oxford

22 June 2011

Thousands of prospective applicants and their families will be visiting Oxford on 6 and 7July as Oxford’s colleges and departments open their doors, and the University will have a number of new features to offer visitors this year.

The Open Days are held each year to allow those interested in applying to the University to visit Oxford and learn more about the undergraduate courses, the colleges and the University in general. Most colleges and departments will be open, along with the museums, libraries and other facilities.

The Examination Schools on the high street will act as a central venue where the Open Day Information Centre will be based, and where talks given by Oxford’s Undergraduate Admissions Office team will be held for students and parents. In addition, there will be stands offering advice on all aspects of the admissions process, and the Oxford University Student Union will be offering a taste of student life with a selection of the 600 clubs and societies currently available to Oxford undergraduates.

Mike Nicholson, Director of Undergraduate Admissions at Oxford, said: “Open Days are also a valuable opportunity to dispel the many myths and preconceptions which surround Oxford.  The University wants to attract the highest quality candidates from the widest range of educational backgrounds, and the open days help us achieve this aim.

“Each year we seek to improve our visitors’ experience, and this year the near universal participation of colleges and departments in July and the added presence of student societies means that prospective undergraduates should find out what they want to know about the University.  We hope that this increased involvement together with the newly expanded and centrally located Information Centre will mean all our visitors have their questions answered.”

Last year several thousand visitors attended the events and large numbers are expected again this year. In anticipation of the events, Oxford University’s admissions team has been working closely with the county council, local transport providers and traders to ensure the day runs smoothly and that local businesses are poised to take advantage of the extra business opportunities generated by the surge in visitors.

Helen Charlesworth, head of enquiries and marketing, said: “People visiting Oxford always ask, ‘Where can I find the central University?’ Oxford’s system of smaller colleges and departments is part of its unique appeal, but we are excited this year to have a central location where visitors can learn all about admissions and life at Oxford, in addition to all the great sessions run throughout the colleges and departments.

This year we are also including talks on student finance and careers, as we know many students and their families are anxious about the upcoming changes to university funding and we want to reassure them of Oxford’s generous student support packages and highlight the value of an Oxford degree no matter what subject you study.

”Many of the 30 or so colleges running Open Day events have at least 100 visitors each booked for their events, but they also have an open drop-in during the afternoon. The exact number of visitors is likely to be several thousand.

Oxford is doing its utmost to keep the local community informed and aware of the days’ events. For some businesses this may be an opportunity for more trade; for other residents it will mean being aware of the increased number of visitors and travellers on public transport.

A further Open Day will be held on 16 September. More information can be found at www.admissions.ox.ac.uk/opendays
For more information please contact the Press Office, University of Oxford on +44 (0)1865 280530 or press.office@admin.ox.ac.uk.

Notes to editors:

  • More than 14,000 people are expected to attend the Open Days.
  • Attendance at departments varies hugely; medicine will be expecting 1,000 students for talks over two days and be turning away more, for example, while smaller faculties may get 40-50 people turning up.Oxford is doing its utmost to keep the local community informed and aware of the days’ events and the potential opportunities, and the University has taken the following steps to ensure the days run smoothly for everyone:
  • Admissions officers from the University are liaising with the bus companies and city council about keeping things running at the Park & Rides.
  • The Oxford Bus Company has worked with the Admissions team to arrange a new Park & Ride bus timetable and lay on extra staff over the two days in July.
  • The admissions team will be staying in touch with the manager of the train station and local taxi companies and providing notices where requested.
  • The admissions team will be writing to all businesses in Little Clarendon Street, St Giles, and other city centre areas such as Broad and Turl Streets.
  • The admissions team has emailed the Chamber of Commerce and admissions representatives have spoken at the staff briefing of the Tourist Information Office.
  • The admissions team will be contacting the City Manager at the council and informing traders at the outdoor markets.
  • Open day publications are encouraging visitors to visit local restaurants and coffee shops during the day.
  • Blackwell Bookshops are offering a discount to student visitors and offering literary tours of the city.   Notes to those travelling into Oxford:
  • If you are coming by car please note that parking in Oxford can be difficult, especially on busy open days, and so we strongly recommend that you use one of Oxford's Park & Ride schemes.
  • Please avoid Thornhill and Seacourt Park & Ride services if possible, as these tend to fill up early in the morning. Redbridge to the south, or Pear Tree or Water Eaton to the north, should have more capacity.
  • Be aware that the city centre will be unusually busy, with several thousand extra visitors expected. Local business owners may want to make the most of the opportunity for extra business by ordering stock accordingly.