[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-detail-201431-en":3,"doc-seo-201431-105":30,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":90},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",{"doc_id":7,"user_id":8,"nickname":9,"user_avatar":10,"doc_module":4,"category_id":11,"category_name":12,"doc_title":13,"doc_description":14,"doc_content":15,"file_id":16,"file_url":17,"file_type":18,"file_size":19,"view_count":4,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":20,"is_downloadable":20,"audit_status":20,"page_count":21,"language":22,"language_code":23,"site_id":24,"html_lang":23,"table_of_contents":25,"faqs":26,"seo_title":27,"seo_description":14,"update_tm":28,"read_time":29},201431,5909887256941,"Mason","https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_9964176cb1d06d4a9deccf72a44ae3dc",4,"Exam","Applications to Competitive Courses - for Parents 2026","Guide for parents on applying to highly selective UK universities and competitive degree courses. Explains what the Russell Group is, why these universities are considered research-intensive, and how competition can affect teaching focus and student experience. Includes UCAS-based entry competitiveness figures for institutions such as LSE, King’s, Manchester, Imperial, Oxford, Cambridge, and others, with emphasis on state-school applicants. Outlines Tallis outcomes, readiness advice, and key application deadlines and possible additional admission steps.","Applications to competitive  \ncourses  \nThe Russell Group  \nWhat is the Russell Group?  \n• Not the be-all and end-all  \n• But: older, richer, more prestigious, usually larger, offer full range of courses  \n• World-famous – London universities, Oxbridge  \n• High in world rankings  \n• Because ‘Research Intensive’  \n• May be harder for them to focus on good teaching  \n• May enable networking amongst alumni  \n• Think: are you ready to be smaller fish in big pond?  \nBirmingham Bristol Cambridge Cardiff University Durham University Edinburgh  \nExeter  \nGlasgow  \nImperial College London King's College London Leeds  \nLiverpool  \nLondon School of Economics Manchester  \nNewcastle University Nottingham  \nOxford  \nQueen Mary London Queen's University Belfast Sheffield  \nSouthampton  \nUniversity College London Warwick  \nYork  \nHow competitive for entry? Recent figures from UCAS  \n• LSE: 26,000 applications for 1700 places (2021)– 15 per place  \n• King’s: 65,000 applicants for 6000 places – 11 per place  \n• Manchester: 88, 330 applicants for 11, 070 places (2023)– 8 per place  \n• Imperial: 8 per place.  \n• Oxford – 7 per place on average, 20 or more for some courses  \n• City: 25,000 applicants for 3600 places – 7 per place  \n• Cambridge – 6 per place on average, 13 or more for some courses  \n• Exeter: 35,000 applicants for 7500 places– 5 per place  \n• But! Good state school applicants are very desirable to top institutions  \nGuess the 2024 %  \n• …of Oxford students who went to a state school?  \n• of Cambridge students who went to a state school?  \n66.2% 71%  \nTallis outcomes  \n• So: Tallis gets students into the Russell Group all the time – in 2024- 2025 almost half of our applicants went to Russell Group universities including to all the places on the previous slide (with the exception of Queen’s, Belfast) .  \n• And: a higher proportion of Tallis applicants held an RG place, but chose not to take it up.  \n• NB Sutton Trust says: sector average for RG places is 25%(comprehensives), 60%(commercial schools)  \n• Getting into a highly competitive university certainly can be done– but it requires correctly focused preparation  \nEarly Application Deadline: 15 Oct 2026 Oxford or Cambridge, Medicine etc  \n• Applications are through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service.  \n• Earlier application deadline  \n• Extra steps after this may include: submission of written work, admissions tests (sat at the end of October) for some courses, interview  \nDetailed analysis: Oxford 2023 figures from Ms McGowan  \nDetailed analysis: Cambridge 2023 figures from Ms McGowan  \nDetailed analysis: Leeds 2025 figures  \nThe Russell Group more generally  \n• We believe the pattern of applications to most of the leading UK universities is broadly the same  \n• N.B. Courses perceived as giving entry to the professions tend to receive a higher number of applicants  \n• A different course within the same university – and within the same department, even – may have lower entry requirements and fewer applications","cbCaisrchwdslzF0","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaisrchwdslzF0","pdf",621504,1,26,"English","en",105,"# What is the Russell Group?\n## Not the be-all and end-all\n## Because “Research Intensive”\n# How competitive for entry?\n## UCAS application figures\n## State school applicant considerations\n# Guess the 2024 %\n## Oxford and Cambridge state school proportions\n# Tallis outcomes\n## Russell Group acceptance and choice not to take up\n# Early Application Deadline: 15 Oct 2026\n## Oxford or Cambridge and Medicine\n## Potential extra steps after early deadline\n# The Russell Group more generally\n## Application patterns across leading UK universities\n## Variations by course and department","[{\"question\":\"What is the Russell Group and why is it considered highly prestigious?\",\"answer\":\"The document describes the Russell Group as older, richer, more prestigious, usually larger universities, including well-known institutions in London, Oxbridge and others. It attributes their status largely to being “Research Intensive” and lists their strong global rankings.\"},{\"question\":\"How competitive are entry requirements for Russell Group universities?\",\"answer\":\"It provides UCAS figures such as LSE, King’s, Manchester, and Imperial, showing applications per place ranging from about 15 per place to fewer for Imperial. It also notes that some courses can be far more competitive, especially at Oxford and Cambridge.\"},{\"question\":\"What should parents know about early application deadlines and possible extra admission steps?\",\"answer\":\"The document highlights an early application deadline of 15 Oct 2026 for Oxford or Cambridge (and Medicine etc.) submitted via UCAS. It also states that extra steps may include written work submission, admissions tests taken at the end of October, and interviews for some courses.\"}]","Applications to Competitive Courses - for Parents 2026 | PDF",1788533593,66,{"code":4,"msg":31,"data":32},"ok",{"site_id":24,"language":23,"slug":33,"title":13,"keywords":34,"description":14,"schema_data":35,"social_meta":85,"head_meta":87,"extra_data":89,"updated_unix":28},"applications-to-competitive-courses-for-parents-2026","",{"@graph":36,"@context":84},[37,53,67],{"@type":38,"itemListElement":39},"BreadcrumbList",[40,44,48,51],{"item":41,"name":42,"@type":43,"position":20},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":45,"name":46,"@type":43,"position":47},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":49,"name":12,"@type":43,"position":50},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/exam/",3,{"item":52,"name":13,"@type":43,"position":11},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/applications-to-competitive-courses-for-parents-2026/201431/",{"url":52,"name":13,"@type":54,"author":55,"headline":13,"publisher":57,"fileFormat":60,"inLanguage":23,"description":14,"dateModified":61,"datePublished":61,"encodingFormat":60,"isAccessibleForFree":62,"interactionStatistic":63},"DigitalDocument",{"name":9,"@type":56},"Person",{"url":41,"name":58,"@type":59},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-09-04",true,{"@type":64,"interactionType":65,"userInteractionCount":4},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":66},"ViewAction",{"@type":68,"mainEntity":69},"FAQPage",[70,76,80],{"name":71,"@type":72,"acceptedAnswer":73},"What is the Russell Group and why is it considered highly prestigious?","Question",{"text":74,"@type":75},"The document describes the Russell Group as older, richer, more prestigious, usually larger universities, including well-known institutions in London, Oxbridge and others. It attributes their status largely to being “Research Intensive” and lists their strong global rankings.","Answer",{"name":77,"@type":72,"acceptedAnswer":78},"How competitive are entry requirements for Russell Group universities?",{"text":79,"@type":75},"It provides UCAS figures such as LSE, King’s, Manchester, and Imperial, showing applications per place ranging from about 15 per place to fewer for Imperial. It also notes that some courses can be far more competitive, especially at Oxford and Cambridge.",{"name":81,"@type":72,"acceptedAnswer":82},"What should parents know about early application deadlines and possible extra admission steps?",{"text":83,"@type":75},"The document highlights an early application deadline of 15 Oct 2026 for Oxford or Cambridge (and Medicine etc.) submitted via UCAS. 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