Statement on 2020 Admissions

New College has concluded its review of 2020 Admissions.  We have been particularly concerned to examine the impact of the chaotic and poorly thought through A Level grading this year. 

Throughout the whole process, we have exercised maximum flexibility and kept a single minded focus on ensuring that candidates from widening participation backgrounds are not disadvantaged.  Other factors also impact admissions:  how many rooms are available, and how much teaching capacity there is, as well as the likely level of acceptances.  In our case we tend to model this very tightly when making offers, which means that when results were announced on Thursday, we only had a very small number of students who had not had their offers confirmed. 

Early this year, the University adopted special guidelines on ‘clemency’, which we have sought to deploy in an intelligent, rigorous but sensitive way throughout the process, and in accordance with UAO guidance. The small number of outstanding cases has now been reviewed by the Tutors concerned and, as a result, we are very pleased to say that all of our offer holders have now had their places confirmed. 

We look forward to welcoming our new cohort of students to the College, and congratulate them all on their achievement in this most difficult of years.