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Contextual statement

Guidance on the contextual statement. 

Buildings on St Giles, Oxford.

Buildings on St Giles, Oxford. Credit: Fraser Brown / Graduate Photography Competition

About this initiative

The information on this page is not relevant to all graduate courses. Consult the How to apply section of the relevant course page to find out if this initiative applies to the course you are applying to, or consult the list of courses taking part on this page.

We recognise that the socio-economic data that we collect may not fully capture an individual student’s personal circumstances or educational trajectory, so if any of the criteria listed below apply, we encourage you to submit a statement providing additional details on your personal circumstances, using the contextual statement form.

If the course is participating in this initiative, a link to the form will be included in the How to apply section of the course page.

Your contextual statement will be used to contextualise assessment and selection processes, and may be used in association with any socio-economic data provided.

You may wish to provide a contextual statement, particularly if you:

  • are in the first generation of your family to go to university;
  • have been in care for at least three months;
  • have been a young carer;
  • are from a low-income background;
  • have received a means-tested scholarship;
  • have needed to work to support yourself during your academic studies because of your socioeconomic circumstances;
  • are a refugee;
  • are neurodivergent;
  • have or have had one or more disabilities or chronic illnesses that have affected you in education or at work; and/or
  • wish to disclose other circumstances that have substantially affected you in education or at work.

Please note, this statement is in addition to completing the 'Extenuating circumstances’ section of the standard application form.

Courses participating in this initiative

This list will continue to be updated as courses are opened to accept applications. Please check back regularly for updates.

Any questions?

Try our database of FAQs or submit your own question.

View our FAQs

Supporting documents

Continue your application
The Sheldonian Theatre

Other supporting documents

Guidance on submitting additional supporting documents that may be required such as a portfolio, or a GRE certificate.

The Biochemistry building

Official transcript

Guidance on acceptable transcript formats, what to submit if you have not completed your degree yet, or if your transcript is not in English.