The Oxford Choral Experience 2025

The Oxford Choral Experience is a unique access programme offered free of charge to UK state school students looking to do ambitious singing at university.

Our 2025 course will happen over two separate days in July and September and will:

• Introduce students to life at Oxford, exploring both the range of subjects available to study and the application process;
• Offer opportunities for high-level music-making in the beautiful setting of Oxford’s historic Worcester College;
• Provide a one-to-one singing lesson with one of our exceptional teachers;
• Bring together students from across the UK to connect through academic and social activities;
• Inspire students to fulfil their ambitions and potential.

Both days, including tuition, informational materials, lunch and all music to be used, are provided free of charge.

Led by Worcester’s Director of College Music Caius Lee and world-renowned conductors Paul McCreesh and Bob Chilcott, our team of friendly tutors, academic experts and student ambassadors will guide students through an exciting programme of academic and social activities.

The Oxford Choral Experience provides a genuinely world class opportunity: 50% of our 2024 cohort who subsequently applied to study at Oxford were offered places by the University!

In 2025, the Oxford Choral Experience will take place over two separate days, in July and September.

On 12 July, we will look at the admissions process for Oxford, how and why choral scholarships might be relevant to you, and we will start learning some amazing choral music together. On 20 September, for the second part of the programme, there will be opportunities for individual vocal lessons, an example Oxford lecture, and more choral rehearsals which will culminate with everyone singing Evensong in the spectacular Worcester College Chapel.

The programme is completely free and primarily aimed at state-educated students in their first year of further education in the UK. We welcome applications from:

• Year 12 students from England and Wales in the first year of A-level studies or equivalent;
• Year 13 students from Northern Ireland in the first year of A-level studies or equivalent;
• S5 students from Scotland studying Higher or equivalent.

As an access programme, we prioritise UK state school students with academic potential from backgrounds under-represented at the University of Oxford. While applications are welcome from all students, priority will be given to those in state education.

The application deadline is noon on Thursday 15 May 2025.