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  • Written work

What is written work?

Many of our courses require applicants to send in a sample of their written work as part of their application. The tabs on this page will give you more details of what you need to send (if anything), how to send it, and the deadlines by which the work must be received.

The deadline for submitting written work is 10 November . Please note that the deadline for submitting Fine Art portfolios is earlier. 

If the course requires you to submit written work as part of your application and you are worried that you don’t have a suitable piece of work to submit, please contact the college you are applying to (or the college you are allocated to after you apply) to discuss what your options are.

Please read the information on each tab on this page carefully.

Please remember that most courses require you to complete an admissions test or tests, so make sure to check our ' Admissions tests' page  as well. 

If the course you are applying for requires written work please send work that demonstrates your analytical, reasoning, language and writing skills, as appropriate for your chosen degree course.

The written work may well form a springboard for discussion at your interview should you be shortlisted, so make sure to keep a copy for your own reference.

Does the course you are applying for require you to send in written work?

This list will show you whether your course requires you to send in written work, but you must check the 'How to Apply' tab on each course page to view more details of what the course tutors want you to send.

Archaeology and Anthropology

Yes. View  Archaeology and Anthropology for details of what you need to send.

Asian and Middle Eastern Studies

Yes. Visit  Asian and Middle Eastern Studies  for details of what you need to send.

Biochemistry

None required.

Biomedical Sciences

Classical archaeology and ancient history.

Yes. View  Classical Archaeology and Ancient History for details of what you need to send.

Classics and Asian and Middle Eastern Studies

Yes. Visit  Classics and Asian and Middle Eastern Studies for details of what you need to send.

Yes. View  Classics for details of what you need to send.

Classics and English

Yes. View  Classics and English for details of what you need to send.

Classics and Modern Languages

Yes. View  Classics and Modern Languages for details of what you need to send.

Computer Science

Computer science and philosophy, earth sciences (geology), economics and management, engineering science, english and modern languages.

Yes. View  English and Modern Languages for details of what you need to send.

English Language and Literature

Yes. View  English Language and Literature for details of what you need to send.

European and Middle Eastern Languages

Yes. View  European and Middle Eastern Languages for details of what you need to send.

Yes, you must submit a portfolio. View  Fine Art for details of what to send and the Ruskin School of Art website for information on how to submit your portfolio.

Yes. View  History for details of what you need to send.

History (Ancient and Modern)

Yes. View  History (Ancient and Modern) for details of what you need to send.

History and Economics

Yes. View  History and Economics for details of what you need to send.

History and English

Yes. View  History and English for details of what you need to send.

History and Modern Languages

Yes. View  History and Modern Languages for details of what you need to send.

History and Politics

Yes. View  History and Politics for details of what you need to send.

History of Art

Yes. View  History of Art for details of what you need to send.

Human Sciences

Materials science, mathematics, mathematics and computer science, mathematics and philosophy, mathematics and statistics, medicine (six year course, a100), medicine (accelerated four year course, a101), modern languages.

Yes. View  Modern Languages for details of what you need to send.

Modern Languages and Linguistics

Yes. View  Modern Languages and Linguistics for details of what you need to send.

Yes. View  Music for details.

Philosophy and Modern Languages

Yes. View  Philosophy and Modern Languages for details of what you need to send.

Philosophy and Theology

Yes. View  Philosophy and Theology for details of what you need to send.

Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE)

Physics and philosophy, psychology (experimental), psychology, philosophy, and linguistics (ppl), religion and asian and middle eastern studies.

Yes. View  Religion and Asian and Middle Eastern Studies for details of what you need to send.

Theology and Religion

Yes. View  Theology and Religion for details of what you need to send.

The work you send in must be original and ideally have been produced during the course of your school or college work, marked by a teacher and not re-written or corrected in any way.

Please make sure to include details about the circumstances under which your work was produced on the cover sheet provided. Tell us under what conditions you wrote the essay, with what help, and in what timeframe. Tutors will take that information into account.   

If you are a mature applicant you can decide (but it is not necessary) to produce a new piece of work, as you may want to give a clearer reflection of your current abilities. Again, we understand that this means it may not be possible to have it marked. Please use the space on the form to describe the circumstances in which the work was produced. 

It may be typed or handwritten – as long as it is legible – and photocopies are acceptable. We would expect each piece of written work to be no more than 2,000 words. 

You will need to complete a  written work cover sheet  for each piece of work that you submit.

Extended essays

Extended essays for the International Baccalaureate, Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), or other pieces of work which exceed the 2,000 word limit are not acceptable as submitted written work.

However, you may like to submit an extract from an extended essay. Also, if you mention your essay in your personal statement, tutors may like to discuss this with you at interview if your application is shortlisted.

All written work must be in English (except where required for Modern Languages ). If your work is in another language please submit both the original work and your own translation into English.

After you have submitted your UCAS application (and usually before the end of October), the college considering your application will get in touch to tell you how to submit your written work. These instructions will include:

In addition to those specific instructions, please remember that:

If your application is shortlisted, we recommend that you re-read your written work before your interview, as tutors may ask you about it. 

When to submit

Written work must be submitted to arrive at the college no later than 10 November. 

Fine Art portfolios have an earlier deadline. View  Fine Art  for details of what to send and the  Ruskin School of Art website  for information on how to submit your portfolio.

If you are not sure what to send, or if you are concerned that you do not have suitable written work, please  contact the college  that is considering your application.

A step-by-step guide for applicants

WRITTEN WORK COVER SHEET:

Download the cover sheet.

Can't find what you're looking for?

Try our extensive database of FAQs or submit your own question...

FAQs- Application process

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Planning and structuring an essay

Useful Contacts

The process of planning and structuring go hand in hand- a solid plan will often lend to a well thought through and logical structure. Planning can also make the essay-writing process much quicker.

The structure of an essay

An essay has three parts: introduction, main body and conclusion. Here are some tips to effectively craft each part:

Here is a useful resource from the University of Portsmouth that details the basic structure of an essay with examples: https://www.port.ac.uk/student-life/help-and-advice/study-skills/written-assignments/basic-essay-structure

Approaches to planning

Planning is often an individualised process, with methods ranging from flow charts to colour coded lists or linear plans. Whatever it is, the primary purpose of the plan is to give your essay a direction. Here is some advice on how to approach planning:

Planning an essay and structuring

The process of organising your ideas will allow you to structure your essay and result in your argument being expressed more clearly. It will also help you stick to the main points, particularly if you are writing to a word limit.

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Tips from my first year - essay writing

This is the third of a three part series giving advice on the essay writing process, focusing in this case on essay writing.

Daniel is a first year BA History and Politics student at Magdalen College . He is a disabled student and the first in his immediate family to go to university. Daniel is also a Trustee of Potential Plus UK , a Founding Ambassador and Expert Panel Member for Zero Gravity , and a History Faculty Ambassador. Before coming to university, Daniel studied at a non-selective state school, and was a participant on the UNIQ , Sutton Trust , and Social Mobility Foundation APP Reach programmes, as well as being part of the inaugural Opportunity Oxford cohort. Daniel is passionate about outreach and social mobility and ensuring all students have the best opportunity to succeed.

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History and its related disciplines mainly rely on essay writing with most term-time work centring on this, so it’s a good idea to be prepared. The blessing of the Oxford system though is you get plenty of opportunity to practice, and your tutors usually provide lots of feedback (both through comments on essays and in tutorials) to help you improve. Here are my tips from my first year as an Oxford Undergraduate:

I hope this will help as a toolkit to get you started, but my last piece of advice is don’t worry! As you get so much practice at Oxford you get plenty of opportunity to perfect your essay writing skills, so don’t think you need to be amazing at everything straight away. Take your first term to try new methods out and see what works for you – don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Good luck!

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oxford university essay

Essay  COMPETITION

2023 global essay competition.

Questions for our 2023 Global Essay Competition are now available on this page . 

Important: Our entry requirements and submission system have changed substantially.

Please read the section New Entry Requirements carefully.

The John Locke Institute encourages young people to cultivate the characteristics that turn good students into great writers: independent thought, depth of knowledge, clear reasoning, critical analysis and persuasive style. Our Essay Competition invites students to explore a wide range of challenging and interesting questions beyond the confines of the school curriculum.

Entering an essay in our competition can build knowledge, and refine skills of argumentation. It also gives students the chance to have their work assessed by experts. All of our essay prizes are judged by a panel of senior academics drawn from leading universities including Oxford and Princeton. The judges will choose their favourite essay from each of seven subject categories, and a junior category for under 15s, and then select an overall 'best essay' across the seven subjects: Philosophy, Politics, Economics, History, Psychology, Theology and Law.

Q1. A team of scientists wants to discover how many genders there are. How should they proceed?

Q2. In what sense are you the same person today that you were when you were ten?

Q3. Is tax theft? 

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Q1. Do the results of elections express the will of the people?

Q2. If China becomes the leading superpower, what would that mean for the people who live there? What would it mean for everyone else?

Q3. What might account for the different levels of political corruption in your own country and your country's nearest neighbour?

Q1. A government funds its own expenditure by taxing its population. Suppose, instead, it relied solely on money newly created by the central bank? What would be the advantages and/or disadvantages?   

Q2. In his thought experiment, the Iowa Car Crop, David Friedman tries to show that growing wheat is, in an important sense, just another 'technology' we can use for manufacturing cars, and in some circumstances a much more efficient one.

If international trade is thus a way of using less valuable inputs to produce more valuable outputs, why would governments impose trade barriers such as tariffs and quotas, thereby forcing producers to be more wasteful and less efficient?

Q3. What would happen if we banned billionaires?

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Q1. How much richer or poorer are the British today than they would have been without the effects of British colonialism? 

Q2. Which has a bigger effect on history: the plans of the powerful or their mistakes?

Q3. Which characteristics distinguish successful movements for social change from unsuccessful ones?

Q1. Can happiness be measured?

Q2. In surveys conducted in the United States, significantly more than half the respondents reported that they believed themselves to be more attractive than the median person in their country. How might we account for this?

Q3. Are beliefs voluntary?

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Q1. What distinguishes a small religion from a large cult?

Q2. If you cannot persuade your intelligent, sympathetic friends to embrace your religious belief system, do you have enough reason to believe what you believe? 

Q3. What was God doing before He created the cosmos?

Q1. Would justice be better served in the United States if more Supreme Court judges were women? 

Q2. Suppose that you were contemplating, in violation of the rules of this competition, submitting an essay written for you by artificial intelligence. What would be the difference between such an act and ordinary attempted theft?

Q3. Are there too many laws?

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JUNIOR prize

Q1. Is safety more important than fun?

Q2.  If you had $10 billion to spend on making the world better, how would you spend it?

Q3. What, if anything, do your parents owe you?

Q4. What is something important, about which nearly everybody is wrong?

Q5. Why is John Locke sometimes called the father of liberalism?

NEW ENTRY REQUIREMENTS & FURTHER DETAILS

Our entry requirements and submission system have changed substantially.

Please read the following carefully.

Entry to the John Locke Institute Essay Competition 2023 is open to students from any country.

Registration  

All candidates must register for the competition by 1 1.59 pm BST on   the registration deadline :  31 May 2023 . Registration requires an active email address to which the candidate has access. We cannot accept submissions  from candidates who have not registered by the deadline.

Registration will open on 1 April 2023. 

If you would like to receive a reminder email on 1 April, please click here . 

All entries must be submitted by 11.59 pm BST on  the submission deadline: Friday, 30 June 2023 .  Candidates must be eighteen years old, or younger, on that date. (Candidates for the Junior Prize must be fourteen years old, or younger, on that date.)

Entry is free.

Each essay must address only one of the questions in your chosen subject category, and must not exceed 2000 words (not counting diagrams, tables of data, footnotes, bibliography or authorship declaration). 

The filename of your pdf must be in this format: FirstName-LastName-Category-QuestionNumber.pdf; so, for instance, Alexander Popham would submit his answer to question 2 in the Psychology category with the following file name:

Alexander-Popham-Psychology-2.pdf

Essays with filenames which are not in this format will be rejected.

Each candidate will be required to provide the email address of an academic referee who is familiar with the candidate's written academic work. This should be a school teacher, if possible, or another responsible adult who is not a relation of the candidate. The John Locke Institute will email this referee to verify that the submitted essay is indeed the original work of the candidate.

Submissions may be made as soon as registration opens in April. We recommend that you submit your essay well in advance of the deadline to avoid any last-minute complications and to ensure that you can submit your essay for free.

Late entries

If for any reason you miss the 30 June deadline you will have an opportunity to make a late entry, under two conditions:

a) A late entry fee of 20.00 USD must be paid by credit card within twenty-four hours of the original deadline; and

b) Your essay must be submitted  before 11.59 pm BST on 10 July 2023 .

Our grading system is proprietary. Essayists may be asked to discuss their entry with a member of the John Locke Institute’s faculty. We use various means to identify plagiarism, contract cheating, the use of AI and other forms of fraud . Our determinations in all such matters are final.

Essays will be judged on knowledge and understanding of the relevant material, the competent use of evidence, quality of argumentation, originality, structure, writing style and persuasive force. The very best essays are likely to be those which would be capable of changing somebody's mind. Essays which ignore or fail to address the strongest objections and counter-arguments are unlikely to be successful .

Candidates are advised to answer the question as precisely and directly as possible.

The writers of the best essays will receive a commendation and be shortlisted for a prize. Writers of shortlisted essays will be notified by 11.59 pm BST on 31 July . They will also be invited to Oxford for an invitation-only academic conference and awards dinner in September, where the prize-winners will be announced. Unlike the competition itself, the academic conference and awards dinner are not free. Please be aware that n obody is required to attend either the academic conference or the prize ceremony. You can win a prize without travelling to Oxford.

All short-listed candidates, including prize-winners, will be able to download eCertificates that specify their achievement. If you win First, Second or Third Prize, and you travel to Oxford for the ceremony, you will receive a signed certificate. 

There is a prize for the best essay in each category. The prize for each winner of a subject category, and the winner of the Junior category, is a scholarship worth US$2000 towards the cost of attending any John Locke Institute programme, and the essays will be published on the Institute's website. Prize-giving ceremonies will take place in Oxford, at which winners and runners-up will be able to meet some of the judges and other faculty members of the John Locke Institute. Family, friends, and teachers are also welcome, subject to capacity constraints.

The candidate who submits the best essay overall will be awarded an honorary John Locke Institute Junior Fellowship, which comes with a US$10,000 scholarship to attend one or more of our summer schools and/or gap year courses.

The judges' decisions are final, and no correspondence will be entered into.

R egistration opens: 1 April, 2023.

Registration deadline: 31 May, 2023. (Registration is required by this date for subsequent submission.)

Submission deadline: 30 June, 2023.

Late entry deadline: 10 July, 2023. (Late entries are subject to a 20.00 USD charge, payable by 1 July.)

Notification of short-listed essayists: 31 July, 2023.

Academic conference & awards dinners: September, 2023.

Any queries regarding the essay competition should be sent to [email protected] . Please be aware that, due to the large volume of correspondence we receive, we cannot guarantee to answer every query. In particular, questions whose answers can be found on our website will be ignored.

If you would like to be notified of the opening of registration for the essay competition,, please provide your email here to be added to our contact list..

Thanks for subscribing!

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"I hope you will find this year's questions thought-provoking, and that you will be one of the thousands of contestants from over a hundred different countries to submit an essay to what has become the world's largest competition of its kind. Not only will the experience of researching and writing the essay be a valuable learning experience, but the shortlisted candidates will be invited to Oxford to join with other talented young people who have thought carefully about the same question, for a unique series of precepts under the experienced leadership of an academic expert."

Martin Cox, Director of the John Locke Institute

Q. Are footnotes or bibliography or reference list counted towards the word limit?

A. No. Only the body of the essay is counted.  

Q. Are in-text citations counted towards the word limit? ​

A. If you are using an in-text based referencing format, such as APA, your in-text citations are included in the word limit.

Q. Should citations be footnotes or in-text citations? ​

A. We don't impose any rules for citations. We leave this to your discretion.

Q. Is it necessary to include footnotes in an essay? ​

A. You don’t need to include footnotes, but you should give your sources of any factual claims you make, and you should acknowledge any other authors on whom you rely. ​

Q. How strict are  the age eligibility criteria?

A. Only students whose nineteenth birthday falls after 30 June 2023 will be eligible for a prize or a commendation. In the case of the Junior category, only students whose fifteenth birthday falls after 30 June 2023 will be eligible for a prize or a commendation. 

Q. May I submit more than one essay?

A. Yes, you may submit as many essays as you please in any or all categories.

Q. Do I have to attend the awards ceremony to win a prize? ​

A. Nobody is required to attend the prize ceremony. You can win a prize without travelling to Oxford. But if we invite you to Oxford it is because your essay was good enough - in the opinion of the First Round judges - to be at least a contender for First, Second or Third Prize. Normally the Second Round judges will agree that the short-listed essays are worth at least a commendation.

Q. Is there an entry fee?

A. No. There is no charge to enter our global essay competition unless you submit your essay after the normal deadline, in which case there is a fee of 20.00 USD .

Q. Can I receive a certificate for my participation in your essay competition if I wasn't shortlisted? 

A. No. Certificates are awarded only for shortlisted essays. Short-listed contestants who attend the award ceremony in Oxford will receive a paper certificate. If you cannot travel to Oxford, you will be able to download your eCertificate.

Q. Can I receive feedback on my essay? 

A. We would love to be able to give individual feedback on essays but, unfortunately, we receive too many entries to be able to comment on particular essays.

Oxford Summer School 2023 – Final Places Left

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How To Write The Perfect Essay

Jan 29, 2019 Blog Articles , English Language Articles , Humanities Articles , Law Articles , Politics Articles , Writing Articles

If you decide to study English or a subject within Arts and Humanities at university, it’s going to involve a lot of essay writing. It’s a challenging skill to master because it requires both creativity and logical planning, but if you ensure you do the following whenever you write an essay, you should be on the way to success:

A student writing an essay

T his may sound time-consuming, but if you make a really good plan you will actually save yourself time when it comes to writing the essay, as you’ll know where your answer is headed and won’t write yourself into a corner. Don’t worry if you’re stuck at first – jot down a few ideas anyway and chances are the rest will follow. I find it easiest to make a mind map, with each new ‘bubble’ representing one of my main paragraphs. I then write quotations which will be useful for my analysis around the bubble.

For example, if I was answering the question, ‘ To what extent is Curley’s wife portrayed as a victim in Of Mice and Men ? ’ I might begin a mind map which looks something like this:

An example mind map for writing an essay

Y ou can keep adding to this plan, crossing bits out and linking the different bubbles when you spot connections between them. Even though you won’t have time to make such a detailed plan under exam conditions, it can be helpful just to sketch a brief one, including a few key words, so that you don’t panic and go off topic when writing your essay. If you don’t like the mind map format, there are plenty of others to choose from: you could make a table, a flowchart, or simply a list of bullet points.

2. Have a clear structure

Think about this while you are planning. Your essay is like an argument or a speech – it needs to have a logical structure, with all your points coming together to answer the question. Start with the basics: it is best to choose a few major points which will become your main paragraphs. Three main paragraphs is a good number for an exam essay, since you will be under time pressure. Organise your points in a pattern of YES (agreement with the question) – AND (another ‘YES’ point) – BUT (disagreement or complication) if you agree with the question overall, or YES – BUT – AND if you disagree. This will ensure that you are always focused on your argument and don’t stray too far from the question.

For example, you could structure the Of Mice and Men sample question as follows:  

‘To what extent is Curley’s wife portrayed as a victim in Of Mice and Men?’

If you wanted to write a longer essay, you could include additional paragraphs under the ‘YES/AND’ category, perhaps discussing the ways in which Curley’s wife reveals her vulnerability and insecurities and shares her dreams with the other characters; on the other hand, you could also lengthen your essay by including another ‘BUT’ paragraph about her cruel and manipulative streak.

Of course, this is not necessarily the only right way to answer this essay question: as long as you back up your points with evidence from the text, you can take any standpoint that makes sense.

3. Back up your points with well-analysed quotations

You wouldn’t write a scientific report without including evidence to support your findings, so why should it be any different with an essay even though you aren’t strictly required to substantiate every single point you make with a quotation, there’s no harm in trying. a close reading of your quotations can enrich your appreciation of the question and will be sure to impress examiners..

When selecting the best quotations to use in your essay, keep an eye out for specific literary techniques. For example, you could discuss Curley’s wife’s use of a rhetorical question when she says, ‘An’ what am I doin’? Standin’ here talking to a bunch of bindle stiffs’:

The rhetorical question “An’ what am I doin’?” signifies that Curley’s wife is very insecure; she seems to be questioning her own life choices. Moreover, the fact that she does not expect anyone to respond to her question highlights her loneliness.

Other literary techniques to look out for include:

Don’t worry if you can’t locate all of these literary devices in the work you’re analysing – you can also discuss more obvious effects, like metaphor, simile and onomatopoeia. It’s not a problem if you can’t remember all the long names – it’s far more important to explain the effect of the literary techniques and their relevance to the question than to use the correct terminology.

4. Be  creative and original right the way through

Anyone can write an essay using the tips above, but the thing that really makes it ‘perfect’ is your own unique take on the topic you’re discussing. If you’ve noticed something intriguing or unusual in your reading, point it out: if you find it interesting, chances are the examiner will too.

Creative writing and essay writing are more closely linked than you might imagine; keep the idea that you’re writing a speech or argument in mind, and you’re guaranteed to grab your reader’s attention.

It’s important to set out your line of argument in your introduction, introducing your main points and the general direction your essay will take, but don’t forget to keep something back for the conclusion, too. Yes, you need to summarise your main points, but if you’re just repeating the things you said in your introduction, the essay itself is rendered pointless.

Think of your conclusion as the climax of your speech, the bit everything else has been leading up to, rather than the boring plenary at the end of the interesting stuff.

To return to Of Mice and Men once more, here is an example of the ideal difference between an introduction and a conclusion:

Introduction:

In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men , Curley’s wife is portrayed as an ambiguous character. She could be viewed either as a cruel, seductive temptress or a lonely woman who is a victim of her society’s attitudes. Though she does seem to wield a form of sexual power, it is clear that Curley’s wife is largely a victim. This interpretation is supported by Steinbeck’s description of her appearance, other people’s attitudes, her dreams, and her evident loneliness and insecurity.

Conclusion:

Overall, it is clear that Curley’s wife is a victim and is portrayed as such throughout the novel, in the descriptions of her appearance, her dreams, other people’s judgemental attitudes, and her loneliness and insecurities. However, a character who was a victim and nothing else would be one-dimensional and Curley’s wife is not. Although she suffers in many ways, she is shown to assert herself through the manipulation of her femininity – a small rebellion against the victimisation she experiences.

Both refer back consistently to the question and summarise the essay’s main points; however, the conclusion adds something new which has been established in the main body of the essay and yet complicates the simple summary which is found in the introduction.

To summarise:

Next Steps for Prospective English Students

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Your Step-By-Step Guide To Writing An Academic Essay (& Review Checklist)

High school student writing in a notebook.

Writing a formal essay can be scary! It requires a lot more work and research than other assignments, and there are many rules to follow when writing it. It’s difficult to know where to start, and even the thought of writing it can be stressful.

However, with the right information and tips or even with the aid of services like the essay writing service reddit , preparing and writing your essay becomes a lot easier. Check out our guide for essay writing below to help you write a paper you can be proud to hand in.

Before You Start Writing The Essay

1. pick your topic.

Unless your teacher has given you a very specific topic, you will need to pick one. If possible, choose a topic that interests you. Once you have a topic in mind, narrow it down to make your paper more specific. You want to be able to prove a point with your chosen topic.

Example: “Golden Retrievers as therapy dogs” is too broad of a topic. A topic that is narrower, such as, “Golden retrievers as therapy dogs for residents in nursing homes” keeps your research and ideas focused.

2. Determine Your Thesis Statement

Your thesis statement is the main point you are trying to prove in your essay—it ties all of your ideas and arguments together into one or two concise sentences. A good thesis statement gives your reader a preview of what you will be discussing in the body of your essay.

Example: Golden Retrievers are ideal therapy dogs for seniors in nursing homes because they provide emotional support and companionship to residents.

How To Write A Strong Thesis Statement

3. Find Sources

Once you have an idea of what you want to say in your essay, start finding sources you can use to back up your points. Aim to have at least 2-3 credible sources in your paper, unless your teacher says otherwise.

Some examples of sources include:

Always check with your teacher to find out what kind of sources he or she is looking for. Once you have found (and read) your sources, take note of pieces of information you think could back up your thesis.

4. Create An Outline

Creating an outline of your essay will help make the writing process much easier. It is a way to organize your thoughts and structure them in a way that makes sense. Try to come up with three arguments that support your thesis. These arguments will form the body of your essay.

Example: Arguments to support the thesis could be:

Writing Your Essay

All essays, regardless of length, have an introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Each of these sections serve a different purpose in your paper.

The Introduction

The introduction of an essay is one paragraph that introduces your topic and gives an overview of what will be discussed in the body of the paper.

The introductory paragraph is where you will state your thesis and the arguments that you will be presenting in the body of the essay. Avoid talking about the conclusion or findings in the introductory paragraph—you will be discussing those in the rest of the essay.

Helpful Tip: Even though it appears at the top of your essay, write your introduction last. This way, you can summarize the rest of your essay easily—it’s difficult to summarize something you haven’t written yet!

The body of your essay is where you present your arguments/evidence that back up your thesis. Each paragraph in your essay should have:

Every paragraph in your essay should have a unique claim/argument that supports your thesis. Always structure your essay to have the strongest argument in your first paragraph, and the next strongest argument in the final paragraph of the body. Your other argument should be sandwiched between your stronger paragraphs.

The Conclusion

The conclusion is the last paragraph in your essay. This is where you wrap up your findings from your discussion in the body paragraphs.

Start your paragraph by restating your thesis (although not in the exact same words). In a few sentences, summarize your arguments from the body paragraphs, and avoid discussing any new ideas that you didn’t talk about in the body of your essay. Finally, wrap up your findings in one final sentence.

Helpful Tip: Your final sentence should convince your reader that you proved your thesis.

References/Bibliography

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The University of Oxford

The University of Oxford

The University of Oxford in Oxford, England is a very old and distinguished institution. Oxford University has been in existence for around nine centuries (Brief 1). It is the oldest English speaking university in the world (History 1). There is no exact date when the University was established, but there is some evidence of teaching going on around 1096 (Kenny 2). There are said to be several different founders of the University, but there is no way to designate one over another. Oxford was always struggling to prove it self as being a serious university. This is because of its great rival university in Paris, which got most of the spotlight in the earlier days. Oxford is rich in its origins and history, which is due to its extremely old background. Even though Oxford is such a distinguished institution it does have a past of problems. The University has a history of altercations with the townspeople, which involves fights, major crimes, and conflicts over the unfair treatment the townspeople received due to the University. The Universitys relations with authority came with an abundance of privileges. The king and other leaders always put the Universitys needs before the townspeople. Oxford also demanded a great deal from its students, whose lives revolved around the University. Oxford was an extremely difficult school whose courses were of the highest quality. Oxford University is a very important part of Englands history and society today. Oxford Universitys origins, relations with town and authority, students, and curriculum make it of the most important and significant institutions of all time.

Oxford University has had many situations, people, and events that have helped in its growth. Oxfords location is in an ideal place for a major university. It is located on the confluence of the Rivers Cherwill and Thames (Oxford 1). Since Oxford is not a great cathedral city its location is one of the things that helped it gain people and popularity in its earlier days (Leff 77). The fact that royal and religious people surrounded Oxford also attracted visitors and students to its whereabouts (Leff 77). Henry I built a palace at Woodstock, which is only a few miles down the road from Oxford (Leff 77). There are also two monasteries built around Oxford, which brought the religious people to the city (Leff 77). One of the major events in Oxfords past, which helped to bring students to the city, is when King Henry III banned English students from attending Paris University in 1167 (Story 4). This forced the English students who were attending Paris to come to Oxford if they wanted to continue their studies. King Henry IIIs ban greatly boosted the number of students attending Oxford University. These are a few of the major things that helped in the growth of Oxford University.

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The origins of an individual being the head of the school at Oxford are unknown to this day, but there are bits and pieces of historic information that show early leaders. There is some mention of a master of schools around 1201, but there is no chancellor in existence at that time (Thompson 2). In 1214 a charter of liberties, this involves the punishment of the townspeople, contains the first reference to a chancellor (Leff 79). The year 1214 marked the inauguration of a chancellor at Oxford University, whose name is Robert Grosseteste (Leff 79). The chancellor at Oxford symbolized something different than at its rival Paris University. At Oxford the chancellor stands for self-rule because, he was in the society of masters. While at Paris the chancellor was not in the society of masters so he would symbolize alien rule. Probably one of the earliest known teachers is Theobald Stampenisis in 1117 (Leff 77). He taught European fame and is said to have had around fifty pupils while he was at Oxford (Leff 77). Emo of Friesland was the first student to attend Oxford from overseas in 1190 (History 1). His arrival marked the beginning of Oxford Universitys tradition of international scholarships. These are just a few of the notable leaders who brought about great things to Oxford University.

Oxford Universitys relations with authority were something like a parent and a spoiled child. Whatever the University wanted they pretty much received. One of the Universitys many privileges was the custody over bread, ale, and weights and measures (Leff 88). In 1231 Henry III forced the burgesses to lower the rents. This was the first but not the last time a king stepped in to lower rents in order to help the students. In 1311 Edward II ordered the sheriff to place any student who had been taken into custody into a separate jail from the townspeople (Leff 88). This is another example of the uncontrollable privileges being given to the University and its students. Edward III showed his strong preferential treatment on March 5, 1355 when he placed the masters and scholars of Oxford University under the protection of the crown (Leff 1). The only form of real discipline that any king showed towards the students of Oxford University was in 1231, when Henry III ordered the expulsion of any student who was not on tract for a master (Leff 83). These are only a few of the numerous occasions of the kings bias treatment against the townspeople, and in favor of the University. The chancellor of Oxford University was given many privileges by the kings, which made him the most powerful man in the city of Oxford. The kings were so much in favor of the University that they would take the chancellors word over the mayor or sheriff on almost any occasion (Leff 88). In 1244 Henry III extended the chancellors power to all cases of rents, and prices of food and movables, which involved scholars (Leff 83). King Edward IIIs charter on June 27, 1355 gave the chancellor sole jurisdiction over the items of bread, ale, weights and measures, with the power to punish transgressors (Leff 91). The chancellor position at Oxford University was given its biggest responsibility in 1309 by King Edward II, who gave the chancellor the right to put burgesses and other townspeople in his own separate court (Leff 88). This privilege was expanded even more when Edward III made the chancellors court free from royal interference and no worry of being charged with false imprisonment. The kings of England made Oxford Universitys chancellor one of the most powerful and authoritative men in England.

The townspeople of Oxford University were unjustly treated and abused in order for the students to have better lives. In 1305 Edward I banned the people of Oxfords annual town tournaments and joust because it made to much noise, which disturbed the students studies (Leff 88). This is one example of how the Universitys needs and wishes always came foremost to the towns. In 1248 Henry III made the town responsible for the murder of a scholar, without even investigating into the incident to try and find the truth (Leff 83). There was another occurrence of a student getting killed in 1297. However, this time the townspeople who were responsible for the murder were found and punished, but still the town had to pay the University a two hundred pound compensation fee (Leff 85). These are a few of the instances of the University getting what ever it could out of the town, with little to no justice for the townspeople of Oxford.

The burgesses of Oxford were very unjustly and improperly treated. Often the students of the University would commit major crimes against the townspeople but only receive minor punishment. One example of this occurred in 1244 when forty-five students were imprisoned for attacking the Jews but were soon released under the chancellors orders (Leff 83). Even when the burgesses were merely defending themselves they were considered to have committed crimes and were severely punished for them. One example of this is in 1209 when a scholar murdered a woman and in return the townspeople executed several scholars (Leff 78). In punishment for their actions these townspeople were excommunicated and the town had to pay retribution for the students deaths (Leff 78). The burgesses believed that Oxford was a hotbed of criminals and clerks (Leff 86). The burgesses of the city of Oxford described their situation in this way: …if a clerk wound or beat or does violence to a layman, for which he is imprisoned by the bailiff, he will at once be delivered by the chancellor without writing written security, and if a layman ill-treats a clerk he will be imprisoned by the chancellor, and will be there a month or forty days, and will not be delivered without grievous ransom both to their common chest and the injured party, so that it grievously seems to the commonality that there is not one law for the clerks and the laymen (Leff 86).

These are just a small number of the wrong doings committed against the people who lived in the town of Oxford.

Oxford students in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries were taught in a different way than college students today. There were also no specific courses like History, Mathematics, and Biology etc (Story 4). Instead the students at Oxford were taught to be well-rounded individuals (Story 4). During a students time at Oxford he attended lectures on any of the following categories: law, medicine, theology and the seven arts. At the end of students studies at Oxford he had to take an oral exam in order to receive his master (Story 4). So as one can see, a student at Oxford University had to have a great deal of discipline to be able to achieve his goals.

There were four different topics taught at Oxford University in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries (Leff 127). They may differ in regulations and the time taken to gain a master in one subject to another, but they all consist of very difficult and thorough material. Theology was the most revered of the subjects taught, due to its goals of understanding our purpose in life and life itself. Next there is law, which was probably the most studied of all the subjects at Oxford. Then there is Medicine, which was well needed and well taught at the University. Finally, the seven arts, which took the least amount of time to obtain a master but were very widely used through out the world.

The history of theology at Oxford University has been well preserved. Gordon Leff, author of the book Paris and Oxford Universities in the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Centuries, believes that there are several factors that contributed toward such preservation of the study of theology at Oxford. He had this to say about the issue at both Oxford University and rival Paris University:the theological faculties of both universities have survived, partly because of the nature of the subject, partly because its members were older and spent over twice as long there as in the arts faculty, and partly because of the nature of the course (Leff 160-161).

Theology at Oxford University in the thirteen and fourteenth centuries was based on the Bible and the Sentences (Leff 164). The Sentences were written by Peter Lombard and consisted of four books discussing the topics of God, Creation, Christ, and the Sacraments (Leff 164). Theology attracted the purest thinkers and those who were prepared to spend a large portion of their lives debating and speculating on abstract questions, which had no direct relevance outside of the university and religious areas. The number of students who achieved masters in theology was very small because of the degree of difficulty of the subject. In the late thirteenth century and the first two decades of the fourteenth century only about twenty students receive their license in theology from Oxford (Leff 163). However, those involved in theology did receive the highest honors. Law is the area of study at Oxford that attracted the wealthiest people and promised the most lucrative returns. At Oxford there was the study of civil and then canon law (Leff 178). Before being permitted to study canon law one first had to swear to have taken three years of courses in civil law (Leff 178-179). It took a student of law at Oxford six years to earn a bachelor and five more years to obtain a license to practice law (Leff 178). Law was probably the most widely studied subject at Oxford, with one of the highest demands in the world outside of the University.

Medicine was another of the main courses taught at Oxford, which also promised profitable rewards and was very much needed in the world. The study of medicine at Oxford took four years to acquire a bachelor and either six or eight for a license, depending on whether or not the student had a master in the arts (Leff 180). Also to achieve a license in medicine one had to pass an exam that consisted mainly of ancient Arabian traditions (Leff 180). After getting a license one had to lecture at the University for a year before he was permitted to practice in the outside world (Leff 180).

The arts were also taught at Oxford University. There are seven of these arts and they are as follows: grammar, rhetoric, logic, arithmetic and music, astronomy, moral philosophy, and metaphysics (Leff 146). The arts were mainly considered to be a stepping-stone on the way to another higher course. The course of arts had many different regulations that were first brought about by Robert de Courcon in 1215 (Leff 138). There were regulations on what books could be read, ages for different grades, and the conditions to be observed (Leff 138). The minimum age one could be to study the arts was twenty-one, and the minimum period of study in a particular subject of the arts was four years (Leff 138).

The reputation of Oxford University is one full of troubles in its social and political life but very admirable in its scholarly life. Around the 1170s Oxford University was known as a place lawyers could get very superlative advice (Thompson 2). Oxford was recognized as being one of the leading schools in the teaching of theology and law; however, it was also well known as an exceptional school of medicine and philosophy. In 1911 the vice chancellor of Oxford University had this to say about the reputation of Oxford:To be given the right, and therefore the duty, to speak in this place, and from this Chair, to speak for Oxford and on the high theme of Poetry, is indeed to be accorded a position, which might well overweight event the most competent and confident (Warren 3).

Oxford University is a very important part of Englands history. In 1355 Edward III paid tribute to the University for its invaluable contribution to learning (Brief 1). In those days being honored by a king was a very big deal, even more so than today (Brief 1). One of the many milestones in the Universitys history is in 1878, when the first halls were established for women (History 1). This shows the Universitys willingness to change against its many years of tradition, which proves that Oxford is an all around exceptional school of learning. Oxford University today has become one of the most highly distinguished schools in the world. Oxford has greatly expanded its number of students having over sixteen thousand in attendance last year (Oxford Facts 1). One quarter of these students are from over seas or some other location out side of England (Oxford Facts 1). This fact shows Oxford Universitys commitment to trying to attract as many foreign students as possible (Oxford Facts 1). In attendance last year there was one hundred and thirty different nationalities among the student body (Oxford Facts 1). Almost five thousands students are in postgraduate work; of these three thousand are in arts and humanities. The University of Oxford in Oxford, England has been around for a very long time. It has been giving students an education, and making a history for itself with all of the famous events and people that have been involved with the University. Oxford University has been one of the leading institutions of learning for the better part of nine centuries. All of its existence Oxford has been a very important part of Englands society and economy. As well as being a big part in Englands past, Oxford is also an important part in England today. The University has had some of the best students attending it and some of the best courses being taught in his halls and colleges. The lives of the students were dependent upon their education and in the end their graduation at Oxford University. Even though Oxford is a very highly distinguished school of learning, it did have its share of problems with the townspeople, who were being ill-treated by the University and the King of England. Oxfords origins are hard to pinpoint because of it exceedingly old existence but are very interesting. Oxford University is a very distinguishable and significant institution of learning in Englands history and present day. Bibliography:Works CitedA Brief History of the University. http://www.ox.ac.uk/aboutoxford/history.shtml.. 10/15/00. pgs. 1-2. History of the University. http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/outline/hist.htm. 10/16/00. Pgs. 1-2.

Kenny, Anthony. The Oxford History of Western Philosophy. New York: Oxford University Press Inc., 1994. FSCC.

Leff, Gordon. Paris and Oxford Universities in the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Centuries. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1968. FSCC.

Oxford. Http://www.aboutbritain.com/towns/oxford.asp. 10/16/00. pgs. 1-2.

Oxford Facts and Figures. . August 25, 2000. pgs.1-2.

The Story of Oxford. http://www.oxford-info.com/History.htm. 10/16/00. pgs. 1-9.

Thompson, R.M.. Serlo of Wilton and the Schools of Oxford. Medium Aevem. 1999: pg. 1-9.

Warren, T. Herbert. Oxford and Poetry in 1911. Folcroft, PA.: The Folcroft Press Inc., 1961. FSCC.

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Oxford and Cambridge ban ChatGPT over plagiarism fears but other universities choose to embrace AI bot

A third of russell group universities told i they have banned the ai chatbot for assessed essays, but other institutions have decided to explore its use for writing bibliographies and references.

Oxford, UK - May, 22nd 2010:Graduates in traditional robes in silhouette walk in Oxford University near the Hertford Bridge to a graduation ceremony

The UK’s top universities are split over how to respond to ChatGPT, i can reveal, with Oxford and Cambridge among those banning the technology over plagiarism fears, while others have opted to embrace it.

Eight out of 24 of the elite Russell Group universities have informed students that using the AI bot for assignments will count as academic misconduct, including Manchester, Bristol, Edinburgh and Oxbridge.

Dozens of other universities across the country, including Durham, Liverpool and Northampton, are scrambling to review their plagiarism policies in time for this year’s assessments, after ChatGPT exploded onto the scene in November.

The chatbot, created by Microsoft-backed tech non-profit OpenAI, scours vast swathes of the internet for answers to users’ questions. Unlike other AI bots, it coughs up results in fluent, sophisticated language, which users can tailor to their desired length. And unlike other AI bots, it’s free.

The automaton, which has crashed frequently in the past few months after becoming clogged with users, can wax lyrical about the Odyssey , compare postmodernism with modernism, and assess the relative benefits of interactions between genes.

In short, ChatGPT could spell the death of the traditional essay , which has remained the chief form of assessment for centuries.

Its sudden emergence late last year sparked panic across the education sector, with experts warning that universities must reform their approach to assignments or face an endless churn of cyborg dissertations.

Almost 40 per cent of all universities across Britain told i they had either banned ChatGPT or were in the process of revising their policies to outlaw the chatbot.

In total, 28 universities approached by i said they had updated their plagiarism policies to explicitly prohibit the use of ChatGPT for essays and coursework – almost 20 per cent of all British universities.

A University of Oxford spokesperson told i : “Students have been informed that until further notice we will not permit the use of AI tools such as ChatGPT in their assessed work.”

They said the university would be issuing fresh guidance to students shortly and will work with exam boards “to minimise problems and concerns in the current assessment cycle”.

The University of Cambridge told i that it had drawn up specific guidance for each department to address concerns about “risks to the integrity of assessments”.

A spokesperson said: “Students must be the authors of their own work. Content produced by AI platforms, such as ChatGPT, does not represent the student’s own original work so would be considered a form of academic misconduct to be dealt with under the university’s disciplinary procedures.”

The university’s sanctions for plagiarism include an automatic mark of zero for a paper or a student’s whole-year assessment being downgraded, while punishments for producing work on someone else’s behalf include being stripped of any academic qualifications handed out by the university.

A further 28 universities said they were in the process of revising their misconduct policies to take ChatGPT into account, with many scrambling to do so before exam season kicks in this summer.

The universities of Northumbria, Northampton and Essex said they were reviewing their existing policies to deal with “emerging technologies,” while Glasgow Caledonian University said it would inform academic staff “what to look out for when marking assessments in order to help identify work that has not been written by a student”.

But others have taken a more holistic approach, telling i they were open to the academic opportunities that AI chatbots such as ChatGPT might usher in.

Glasgow University said its staff were keen to explore “how students can be advised to use large language models responsibly in their coursework”.

Meanwhile, Heriot-Watt in Edinburgh told i the software raises “exciting opportunities” and that the university would explore how to integrate it into assessments to “help students become true global change-makers”.

University College London (UCL) has even updated its website to spell out how students might use ChatGPT to save time on usually laborious bibliographies, acknowledgements and references.

“We believe these tools are potentially transformative as well as disruptive,” the Russell Group university said on its website. “We will support you in using them effectively, ethically and transparently.”

The variation across the university sector represents the fight-or-flight tussle with ChatGPT that many institutions are currently grappling with.

Last week, i revealed that civil servants have been asked not to use the AI chatbot to write Government policies or correspondence.

The Foreign Office has also warned prospective applicants to its student essay prize that it will be scanning all entrances for the robotic fingerprints of ChatGPT – although it was unable to name which software it would be using when asked by i .

In contrast, the International Baccalaureate (IB) said that said schoolchildren will be allowed to use the chatbot in their essays.

Matt Glanville, the IB’s head of assessment principles and practice, said the chatbot should be embraced as “an extraordinary opportunity”, though he cautioned that students must be clear when they were quoting its responses.

Politicians and experts have also warmed up to the opportunities that ChatGPT could unlock, including saving time over burdensome tasks.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt boasted about using the software to help craft a speech on the UK’s economic future at a Bloomberg reception last month.

Meanwhile​​, officials at Vanderbilt University in the US were forced to apologise last week after they admitted to using ChatGPT to write a consoling email to students after a mass shooting at Michigan State University.

Experts told i that as much as institutions might try and wrestle against the AI bot, ChatGPT is here to stay.

Mike Sharples, emeritus professor of educational technology at The Open University – which considers the use of ChatGPT for assignments as plagiarism – told i : “We need to start thinking about this now, not in the future, because students are already using it. The education system has got to catch up with what’s already happening.”

At the moment, essays written by ChatGPT are easy to sniff out. Last year, i made the software write answers to GCSE history questions and had them marked by a secondary school teacher , who said they were patchy, “hollow,” and at times factually incorrect. He gave them a Grade 7 – equivalent to a low A grade under the former marking system.

But Mr Sharples warned that a more streamlined version is just around the corner, and one that could just bring about the democratisation of shortcuts that have always existed on some level – including expensive essay mills, which unfairly favour rich students.

Turnitin, the plagiarism detection used by 98 per cent of British universities, has fast-tracked the development of a more streamlined system capable of picking up the tell-tale signs of ChatGPT. The update is due to launch in April 2023, but it remains unclear whether universities will have to fork out extra for it.

Until that hits the market, universities have no real way of checking for signs of meddling by ChatGPT, and experts have cautioned that the UK might still be some way off a watertight detection software. In the meantime, universities might ask themselves: Is ChatGPT the future of cheating or the future of teaching?

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How to Get into Saïd Business School: Oxford Saïd Essay Tips and Examples

July 26, 2022

Jeremy Shinewald

Oxford University (Saïd Business School)

Oxford Saïd 2022–2023 Essay Tips

Tell us something that is not covered in your application which you would like the admissions committee to know about you. (maximum 250 words).

If you are not paying close attention as you read through Oxford Saïd’s application information (though of course, you are, right?), you might accidentally interpret this question as a standard optional essay prompt. The wording could understandably give some applicants this initial impression, given that it is almost verbatim what we see from other schools as an add-on essay invitation, but in this case, the essay is required, so this is not a mistake you want to make. Perhaps Saïd is hoping to check candidates’ attention to detail with this query?  

If you have a notable problem or issue in your candidacy, this might be the right place to address it, given that the school does not offer a separate optional essay opportunity with which to do so. However, because this is an essay that all applicants must submit, your goal is to provide some key additional information here for the school to use in deciding whether to include you in its next incoming class, even if your profile is free of questionable components. You will therefore need to determine what is most important for the admissions committee to know to be able to evaluate you thoroughly and fairly, whether that is the story behind a seemingly unfavorable part of your application or whether it is one about a significant learning experience, impressive accomplishment, or unique ability (or something else altogether). As always, take time to consider everything the admissions committee will already be able to learn about you via the other parts of your application, from your statistics and resume to your recommenders’ contributions. With this essay, you want to round out that information in a positive way that pushes your candidacy forward in the direction of acceptance. 

Even though this submission is not optional, we still recommend downloading a free copy of our mbaMission Optional Essays Guide . It might help you in determining whether or not you should write this essay on a problem area/issue (or perhaps which one, if your candidacy includes multiple questionable elements), and if so, the advice and many examples within will direct you in how to do so most effectively. 

If you are applying under the Oxford 1+1 scheme you also need to submit the following essay:

Explain why you see this as particularly beneficial for you and how it fits with your career and personal development aims. (maximum 250 words).

For this essay, Saïd provides a very straightforward prompt. Oxford has created an innovative two-year program through which you can earn two master’s degrees simultaneously. But the school has a simple request first—explain why the additional, non-MBA master’s degree is necessary for you. If you hope to participate in this program, you will need to help the school understand exactly why and how doing so will affect your career. With a mere 250 words in which to detail precisely how the 1+1 program will contribute to your management education and where you will apply that learning, you have no room to be vague. Clearly demonstrate a cause-and-effect relationship between the dual-degree program and the achievement of your goals. Your underlying message needs to be readily comprehensible: “I will complete X degree, which will benefit me by manifesting in Y part of my career.” 

Re-applicants will need to submit an additional essay: What improvements have you made in your candidacy since you last applied to the Oxford MBA? (Maximum 250 words) 

Whether you have improved your academic record, received a promotion, begun a new and exciting project, increased your community involvement, or accepted some sort of personal challenge, the key to success with this essay is conveying a very deliberate path of achievement. Sa ï d wants to know that you have been actively striving to improve yourself and your profile, and that you have seized opportunities during the time since your previous application to do so, because earning a Sa ï d MBA is important to you. The responses to this essay question will vary greatly from one candidate to the next, because each person’s needs and experiences differ. We are more than happy to provide one-on-one assistance with this highly personal essay to ensure that your efforts are presented in the best light po ssible.

Online assessment: You will need to complete five questions via our online assessment platform.

To virtually meet you, get a sense of your personality and see how you think on your feet, you will need to complete an online assessment as part of your application:, – two motivation-based questions – all candidates will answer the same questions – two competency-based questions – these will be randomised – written response – this will be randomised and light-hearted to show us how you can think on your feet, the motivation-based questions give you the opportunity to demonstrate your motivations for undertaking an mba and why the oxford mba is the right programme for you. the competency-based questions let you demonstrate the skills and qualities we look for, such as decision-making, problem-solving, influence, leadership, and strong communication skills. , once you have submitted your application for either the oxford mba or oxford 1+1 mba you will see a link in your application status portal. this will enable you to register with kira talent, our online assessment platform, and complete your assessment. this link will appear up to 24 hours after submitting your application, therefore we strongly encourage you to leave yourself enough time to practice and complete the online assessment by the deadline in which you are applying., you will be provided with preparation time and practice sessions before going live with your real responses. the whole online assessment should only take up to 30 minutes for you to complete. all you need is a desktop or laptop computer with a functioning webcam, microphone and internet connection..

We know that required videos—and spontaneous ones, in particular—often strike fear into the hearts of business school candidates, but let us reassure you a bit about this component of the Oxford application process, so you can relax and put your best self forward. First of all, keep in mind that video questions like these are not intended to trip you up or entice you to do or say anything that would immediately disqualify you from consideration. Video submissions are most often merely opportunities for the admissions committee to put a “face,” so to speak, on your written application and learn a little more about your personality, energy level, communication style, and other such intangibles. In reference to the video component, the school’s admissions FAQs page even states outright, “There are no right or wrong answers, and this isn’t a test. It’s just a way for us to get a glimpse into you and your personality and help to let you stand out as the unique candidate that you are!” If you focus on being authentic and sincere, you will provide the admissions committee with exactly what it is seeking. Thankfully, the Kira platform is set up so that you can practice an unlimited number of times, so you will not have to go into this portion of the application cold. This is a valuable opportunity that we cannot encourage you enough to make the most of.

To start, you will need to respond to two “motivation” questions, which will be the same for all applicants. Although the school does not present outright exactly what these questions will be, it does explain that it is interested in the “whys” behind your application and offers on its FAQs page the sample question “Why is an MBA the next step for you to further … your career?” We assume from the prompt that the other question would then naturally be some version of “Why do you want to earn your MBA from Oxford specifically?” (You might also want to be prepared to answer the query “Why is now the right time to get your MBA?” just in case.) You will be given one minute in which to prepare your answer and 90 seconds to record it. Because these topics are common elements of a traditional personal statement, we encourage you to download a free copy of the mbaMission Personal Statement Guide , which explains how best to prepare for and respond to questions related to these subjects and offers multiple illustrative examples.

You will also be required to answer two “competency” questions, which will be drawn from a group of options and will therefore vary for each candidate. Judging from the school’s proffered example—”Take a minute to tell us about a time where you’ve overcome a challenging situation, either professionally or personally. What was your approach to resolving the situation?”—these appear to be in the vein of typical interview questions. We suggest using the STAR (situation, task, action, result) method when responding to these questions to ensure that your answers include all the relevant information the admissions committee seeks. Take time to do some research on what this technique entails, and make it a central part of your practice efforts. You will be given 45 seconds to prepare your answer to these questions and one minute in which to respond. For sample questions you can use to practice, consider downloading a free copy of the mbaMission Interview Guide , in which we present a list of 100 common interview queries.

We recommend practicing in front of a mirror to exercise maintaining a pleasant and natural expression as you speak and timing yourself to ensure your answers do not tend to run long. Although you can prepare as much as you want, you will have only one chance to record your response(s) when you do the official interview. If you stumble while answering or ultimately are unhappy with your answer, unfortunately, you will not be able to rerecord anything or try again another time. This might make you nervous, but we encourage you to view the situation a little differently. As we have noted, Oxford wants to get to know the real you through these video essays. If you fumble for words or lose your train of thought, just laugh or shrug and continue with your response. Accepting a mistake with a sense of humor and grace will give the admissions committee a more positive and natural impression of your personality than rigid scripting and overpreparation ever could.

The final portion of the online assessment involves a written response to a query the admissions committee describes as “light-hearted,” offering as an example “Apples are more versatile than bananas. Discuss.” Because truly preparing in advance for such a casual and nonpersonal prompt is largely impossible, this is the question that will give the admissions committee the best impression of how you improvise and perform extemporaneously, as well as communicate clearly under pressure. Focus a little less on trying to write a serious treatise and more on being authentic to your personality and letting a bit of your creative side shine through—though be sure to stay on topic and actually provide an answer to the question! You will be given five minutes to craft your response, which the FAQs page notes should allow you to write up to 500 words. If you want to practice for this part, ask a friend or family member to Google “silly questions,” or “funny” or “random” ones (a quick search brought up such examples as “Is cereal soup?” and “If animals could talk, which would be the rudest?”), and choose some for you. Then give yourself five minutes in which to formulate and type up a response to each. This will give you a feel for how much time five minutes really is, how much you can generally write in that period, and how well you are able to develop a mini essay that both provides a clear answer and is reflective of your personal style.

Business schools outside the United States are increasingly popular among MBA hopefuls, and we at mbaMission are proud to offer our latest publications:  International Program Guides . In these snapshots, we discuss core curricula, elective courses, locations, school facilities, rankings, and other key program features. Click here to download your free   copy of the  Saïd Business School Program Guide .

To learn more about the essays for other top business schools, visit our  MBA Essay Tips and Examples Resources Page .

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Oxford MBA Essays for 2022-2023

Oxford MBA essays

The University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School has confirmed the Oxford MBA essays and deadlines for the 2022-2023 application cycle. They remain unchanged from the previous season.

Oxford MBA Essays

As part of your application, you will need to submit a supporting statement.

Tell us something that is not covered in your application which you would like the Admissions Committee to know about you. (Maximum 250 words)

If you are applying under the Oxford 1+1 MBA scheme you also need to submit the following essay:

 Explain why you see this as particularly beneficial for you and how it fits with your career and personal development aims. (Maximum 250 words)

Re-applicants will need to submit an additional essay as below:

What improvements have you made in your candidacy since you last applied to the Oxford MBA? (Maximum 250 words)

When reviewing your essays, the admissions committee will be looking for evidence of the following: good communication skills, leadership potential, analytical skills, fit with the Oxford MBA community, among other characteristics.

Applications for the Oxford MBA class of 2023-24 are now open. For more information on applying, please visit the Oxford MBA admissions website. If you need guidance on your Oxford essays or application or wish to discuss your MBA plans, reach out for a complimentary analysis  of your candidacy. We’re here to help!

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If you have an interview coming up, you will want to review SBC’s interview prep services . The key to interview success is practice and we provide you with all the tools you need to do just that.

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University of Cambridge will allow students to use ChatGPT

The AI software can create unique essays but students have been warned not to use it for coursework or exams

Cambridge University will allow students to use ChatGPT as long as it is not used to write coursework or exams.

The artificial intelligence software is capable of creating unique essays based on its understanding of billions of words and can mimic human conversation and language.

The university disclosed that while the technology “has not been banned” students must still “be the authors of their own work” or risk being investigated for academic misconduct.

Oxford University has also banned students from using ChatGPT or any other “AI tools” in assessed work.

“Emerging AI technology offers all sorts of possibilities, while inevitably also presenting short-term challenges in adapting to the rapid emergence of a new and evolving technology” a spokesman said.

Edinburgh University followed suit saying students who use the tool to write any marked content would be in breach of misconduct rules.

Similarly, York University said while the technology may in the future make “university learning experiences more rewarding and relevant” the use of AI technology for students would be a form of academic misconduct.

However other Russell Group universities are split in their approach to the technology.

A spokesman for Warwick University said its use has not been banned and argued both the technology could be seen as a positive for students “to lever and learn from.”

Earlier this month Prof Bhaskar Vira, Cambridge’s pro-vice-chancellor for education, said that bans on AI software like ChatGPT are not “sensible” .

“We have to recognise that this is a new tool that is available,” he told Varsity, the Cambridge student newspaper.

“I’m of the opinion that we have to recognise that [AI] is a tool people will use, but then adapt our learning, teaching and examination processes so that we can continue to have integrity while recognising the use of the tool”.

Schools have also been reviewing whether they need to change homework activities to stop children from cheating.

The head of Alleyn’s, an independent school in south London, said that ChatGPT threatens to make traditional after-school essays obsolete. 

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Home » News » Top Essay Writing Tips

Top Essay Writing Tips

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A critically important aspect of academic study is the ability to construct a solid, coherent essay. It demonstrates not only what you’ve learned, but your ability to critically assess and form a convincing argument. This selection of essay writing tips and tricks will help you to develop the necessary skills and put pen to paper!

Before we get going, remember that not every strategy will work for everyone; you must be prepared to find the method that works for you personally. With that said, you should always try to practice as much as possible, as essay writing is a skill. Like all skills, you can improve them by practice and review.

The first thing you should focus on is to make sure that you understand what a particular essay requires of you. This means that you need to carefully look at what the essay question is asking. If you are a BTEC student, this means that you need to pay very careful attention to the Learning Outcomes. Learning Outcomes explicitly state what is expected of you and are invaluable in identifying what you need your essay to contain. If the essay title is unclear, you should contact your tutor as they will be able to assist you.

Once you have identified the questions, you need to plan your research. Work out what information you need to answer the question or meet the learning outcome before you begin the research process. This will save you significant time by focusing on specific areas, instead wasting time on irrelevant research. Once you start researching, you will find additional avenues of approach that you haven’t considered.

The obvious starting point for research is the provided course materials, but the further you progress into education the more additional research you will be expected to do.  When you research, keep an exhaustive list of every resource you used – it will pay off when it comes to reference!

So, now you’ve done your research and we’re ready to go and start writing!

Actually, no, we’re not. Sorry to break it to you, but we need to plan some more. This time we need to plan the essay itself. Essays should follow a theme and this theme should act as a demonstration of your knowledge and understanding, not a regurgitation of facts.

You need therefore to create and stick to a plan. This plan needs to covers your introduction of the topic, which will introduce the key features of the question and your argument. It also needs to cover the body of your argument, which will discuss the question with supporting arguments. It’s vital that you show that you that you have critically evaluated these arguments and have not taken them at face value. Essentially, you need to explain why this argument is persuasive, not just present it as persuasive. Finally, you need to conclude. A good conclusion will summarise your argument in an interesting, fresh way.

When you write your essay, it’s worth referring back periodically to your plan to make sure that you are following it and not diverging too far away from the key points. You have a word limit, so you can’t afford to meander from theme to theme aimlessly – you need to stick to your plan.

When you’ve written your first draft, don’t be in a rush to hand it in right away. Time allowing, you might find it helpful to read over the essay several times and make revisions. If you’ve planned your time well, then you should have sufficient time to put down your essay for a few days before returning. This will allow you to clear your head and return to it with a fresh outlook.

So, you’ve finalised your essay and you’re ready to hand it in? Take that extra time to give it a final polish, check your spelling, grammar and make sure the references are in order. It will pay off!

Congratulations, you have finished the essay! Go hand it in and take a break.

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How to Write Law Essays & Exams

Sixth Edition

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How to Write Law Essays and Exams provides law students with a practical and proven method of analysing and answering essay and exam questions. The book focuses on those questions that give students the most trouble, namely problem questions, but its techniques are equally applicable to other types of essays. In addition to providing a framework for analysing and writing law essays, the book teaches students how to identify relevant legal authorities, distinguish and harmonise conflicting legal precedents and evaluate the applicability of the law to the facts of the question at hand. The book also contains specific law-related revision techniques and general writing tips. Designed for law students of all levels, including those on A-level, university, conversion, and vocational courses, the text helps students understand their substantive courses while at the same time teaching vital writing and analytical skills. Digital formats and resources The sixth edition is available for students and institutions to purchase in a variety of formats, and is supported by online resources. -The e-book offers a mobile experience and convenient access along with functionality tools and navigation features: www.oxfordtextbooks.co.uk/ebooks . -The book is accompanied by online resources: a case breakdown to help students with reading cases, frequently asked questions, and some tips on citation styles and conventions.

1. An introduction to writing law essays and exams 2. Building the necessary foundation: reading, understanding and summarising legal materials 3. Step one in the IRAC method: the issue 4. Step two in the IRAC method: the rule 5. Step three in the IRAC method: the application 6. Step four in the IRAC method: the conclusion 7. Adapting IRAC to 'discuss' (standard essay) questions 8. General tips on legal writing 9. Adapting IRAC for professional practice 10. Worked questions

S I Strong, Associate Professor of Law, University of Sydney Professor S I Strong has over twenty years' experience in the legal field, teaching law at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, and practising as a solicitor in London and an attorney in New York and Chicago. Professor Strong is Associate Professor of Law at University of Sydney, Australia.

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Rachel McCombie, a graduate of St John’s College, Oxford, shares actionable tips on taking your essays from “Good” to “Outstanding.”

For ambitious students, essays are a chance to showcase academic flair, demonstrate original thinking and impress with advanced written English skills .

The best students relish the challenge of writing essays because they’re a chance to exercise academic research skills and construct interesting arguments. Essays allow you to demonstrate your knowledge, understanding and intelligence in a creative and relatively unrestricted way – provided you keep within the word count! But when lots of other people are answering the same essay question as you, how do you make yours stand out from the crowd? In this article, we’re going to show you the secret of writing a truly brilliant essay.

What are essays actually for?

Before we get into the nitty gritty of how to write an outstanding essay, we need to go right back to basics and think about what essays are actually designed to test. Only by understanding the purpose of an essay can you really begin to understand what it is that tutors are looking for when they read your work. No matter what the academic level of the student is, essays are designed to test many things: – Knowledge – fundamentally, essays test and help consolidate what you’ve read and learned, making them an important part of the learning process, particularly for humanities subjects. –  Comprehension – they test your ability to make sense of and clearly explain complex concepts and issues. – They test your ability to understand the question and produce a considered response to it. – They evaluate your ability to absorb and condense information from a variety of sources , which will probably mean covering a lot of material in a short space of time; this necessitates appraisal of which bits of material are relevant and which are not. – They test your ability to write a balanced and coherent argument that considers a number of points of view. – They showcase your level of written English skills. – They even put your time management to the test – essays are a part of your workload that must be planned, prioritised and delivered to a high standard, to deadline.

Characteristics of the perfect essay

Now that we know why we’re asked to write essays, what are the characteristics that define the essays that impress? The tutors marking your essays may have their own preferences and things they look for in outstanding essays, but let’s take a look at a few of the irrefutable traits of the best.

Original thinking

The hallmark of the truly brilliant essay is original thinking. That doesn’t have to mean coming up with an entirely new theory; most of, if not all, the topics you’ll be studying at GCSE , A-level or even undergraduate level have been thought about in so much depth and by so many people that virtually every possible angle will have been thought of already. But what it does mean is that the essay stands out from those of other students in that it goes beyond the obvious and takes an original approach – perhaps approaching the topic from a different angle, coming up with a different hypothesis from what you’ve been discussing in class, or introducing new evidence and intelligent insights from material not included on the reading list.

Solid, in-depth knowledge and understanding

It goes without saying that the brilliant essay should demonstrate a strong knowledge of the facts, and not just knowledge but sound comprehension of the concepts or issues being discussed and why they matter. The perfect essay demonstrates an ability to deploy relevant facts and use them to form the basis of an argument or hypothesis. It covers a wide range of material and considers every point of view, confidently making use of and quoting from a variety of sources.

Clear structure with intelligent debate

The perfect essay provides a coherent discussion of both sides of the story, developing a balanced argument throughout, and with a conclusion that weighs up the evidence you’ve covered and perhaps provides your own intelligent opinion on how the topic should be interpreted based on the evidence covered.

No superfluous information

Everything written in the perfect essay serves a purpose – to inform and persuade. There’s no rambling or going off at tangents – it sticks to the point and doesn’t waste the reader’s time. This goes back to our earlier point about sorting the relevant facts from the irrelevant material; including material that isn’t relevant shows that you’ve not quite grasped the real heart of the matter.

Exceptional English

The words in the perfect essay flow effortlessly, and the reader feels in safe hands. Sentences need never be read more than once to be understood, and each follows logically on from the next, with no random jumping about from topic to topic from one paragraph to the next. Spelling and grammar are flawless, with no careless typos. So how do you go about writing this mythical Perfect Essay? Read on to find out!

Put in extra background work

Committed students always read beyond what the reading list tells them to read. Guaranteed to impress, wide reading gives you deeper knowledge than your peers and gives you the extra knowledge and insights you need to make your essay stand out. If you’re studying English, for example, don’t just read the set text! Here are some ideas to widen your reading and give you a good range of impressive quotes to include in your essay: – Other works by the same author – how do they compare with your set text? – Works by contemporary authors – does your set text fit into a wider movement, or is it very different from what was being written at the time? – Works by the author’s predecessors – what works inspired the author of your set text? How do you see them shining through in the text you’re studying, and how have they been developed? – Literary criticism – gauge the range of opinions about your set text by reading what the literary critics have to say. Whose opinion do you most agree with, and why? – Background history – so that you can appreciate and refer to the context in which the author was writing (we’ll come back to this last point a little later). It sounds like a lot of extra work, but you don’t necessarily have to read everything in full. It’s fine to dip into these other resources providing you don’t inadvertently take points out of context.

Know what you want to say before you start writing

You’re probably sick of hearing this particular piece of advice, but it’s important to start out with a clear idea in your mind of what you want to say in your essay and how you will structure your arguments. The easiest way to do this is to write an essay plan. This needn’t be a big deal, or time-consuming; all you need to do is to open a new document on your computer, type out the ideas you want to cover and drag and drop them into a logical order. From there, you simply start typing your essay directly into the plan itself. Your essay should include an introduction, a series of paragraphs that develop an argument rather than just jumping from topic to topic, and a conclusion that weighs up the evidence.

Answer the question you’ve been set, not the question you want to answer

A common problem with students’ responses to essays is that rather than answering the question they’ve been set , they try to mould the question to what they’d prefer to write about, because that’s what they feel most comfortable with. Be very careful not to do this! You could end up writing a brilliant essay, but if didn’t actually answer the question then it’s not going to be well received by the person marking it.

Give a balanced argument…

Good essays give both sides of an argument, presenting information impartially and considering multiple points of view. One-sided arguments won’t impress, as you need to show that you’ve thought about the evidence comprehensively.

…but your opinion and interpretation matter too

Show that you’ve made your own mind up based on your weighing up of the evidence. This shows that you’re not just hiding behind what other people say about the topic, but that you’ve had the independence of mind to form your own intelligent opinion about it.

Quote liberally

Use quotations from academic works and sources to back up points you want to make. Doing so strengthens your argument by providing evidence for your statements, as well as demonstrating that you’ve read widely around your subject. However, don’t go too far and write an essay that’s essentially just a list of what other people say about the subject. Quoting too much suggests that you don’t have the confidence or knowledge to explain things in your own words, so have to hide behind those of other people. Make your own mind up about what you’re writing about – as already mentioned, it’s fine to state your own opinion if you’ve considered the arguments and presented the evidence.

Context matters

As we’ve already touched on, if you can demonstrate knowledge of the context of the subject you’re writing about, this will show that you’ve considered possible historical influences that may have shaped a work or issue. This shows that you haven’t simply taken the essay question at face value and demonstrates your ability to think beyond the obvious. An ability to look at the wider picture marks you out as an exceptional student, as many people can’t see the wood for the trees and have a very narrow focus when it comes to writing essays. If you’re an English student, for instance, an author’s work should be considered not in isolation but in the context of the historical events and thinking that helped define the period in which the author was writing. You can’t write about Blake’s poetry without some knowledge and discussion of background events such as the Industrial Revolution, and the development of the Romantic movement as a whole.

Include images and diagrams

You know what they say – a picture speaks a thousand words. What matters in an essay is effective and persuasive communication, and if a picture or diagram will help support a point you’re making, include it. As well as helping to communicate, visuals also make your essay more enjoyable to read for the person marking it – and if they enjoy reading it, the chances are you’ll get better marks! Don’t forget to ensure that you include credits for any images and diagrams you include.

Use full academic citations and a bibliography

Show you mean business by including a full set of academic citations, with a bibliography at the end, even if you haven’t been told to. The great thing about this is that it not only makes you look organised and scholarly, but it also gives you the opportunity to show off just how many extra texts you’ve studied to produce your masterpiece of an essay! Make use of the footnote feature in your word processor and include citations at the bottom of each page, with a main bibliography at the end of the essay. There are different accepted forms for citing an academic reference, but the main thing to remember is to pick one format and be consistent. Typically the citation will include the title and author of the work, the date of publication and the page number(s) of the point or quotation you’re referring to. Here’s an example: 1. Curta, F. (2007) – “Some remarks on ethnicity in medieval archaeology” in Early Medieval Europe 15 (2), pp. 159-185

Before you ask, no, a spell check isn’t good enough! How many times have you typed “form” instead of “from”? That’s just one of a huge number of errors that spell check would simply miss. Your English should be impeccable if you want to be taken seriously, and that means clear and intelligent sentence structures, no misplaced apostrophes, no typos and no grammar crimes. Include your name at the top of each page of your essay, and number the pages. Also, make sure you use a font that’s easy to read, such as Times New Roman or Arial. The person marking your essay won’t appreciate having to struggle through reading a fancy Gothic font, even if it does happen to match the Gothic literature you’re studying!

Meet the deadline

You don’t need us to tell you that, but for the sake of being comprehensive, we’re including it anyway. You could write the best essay ever, but if you deliver it late, it won’t be looked upon favourably! Don’t leave writing your essay until the last minute – start writing with plenty of time to spare, and ideally leave time to sleep on it before you submit it. Allowing time for it to sink in may result in you having a sudden brilliant revelation that you want to include. So there we have it – everything you need to know in order to write an essay to impress. If you want to get ahead, you might also want to think about attending an English summer school .

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Effective Academic Writing

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Effective Academic Writing is a four-level academic writing skills course with integrated online practice and support that teaches the complete academic writing process from sentence level to researched essay.

Effective Academic Writing instills student confidence and provides the tools necessary for successful academic writing. More content-area related assignments with more academic vocabulary and readings prepare students for the challenges of the academic classroom. Each unit introduces an academic content theme and writing task and guides students through the Writing Process The new Introductory Level provides students with the support and instruction they need for writing success in the lowest-level writing courses.

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