Following the U-turn in A-level grade allocation, many students will now find that they are eligible for a place at their first-choice universities, which may already have been filled up by other applicants or through clearing.

These students are expected to be offered deferred entry for 2021, which has led to fears of a bottleneck of students and ever-increasing competition. 

Oxford University has stated that it made 3,900 offers last year for 3,287 places - a surplus of around 600 students who were expected to miss their grades. To be extended an offer, students would have had the requisite predicted grades, and so practically all offer holders will now have the grades they need. 

This year, Oxford has upped its acceptance to 3440 students, meaning that 450 students will presumably be offered deferred entry, representing 13 per cent of Oxford’s annual student intake.

A-level results: Dire consequences

The situation at Cambridge appears to be even more dramatic. This year, a whopping 4,500 offers were made for 3,450 places. It has not yet been confirmed how many students Cambridge actually intends to admit. 

This will have dire consequences for 2021 entry applicants. With 13 per cent fewer spaces available at Oxford and presumably even fewer at Cambridge, competition will be even more fierce than usual. 

Yet the dwindling number of places is just one of the list of challenges faced by 2021 applicants. Current Year 12 students have had vastly different experiences and standards of education during the lockdown. Furthermore, with internal exams conducted in a non-standard manner and varying by institution, Oxford and Cambridge are far more likely to put increased weight on pre-interview admissions tests than rely on predicted grades.

The decision to move the interview process online has also been met with trepidation by many applicants. For STEM students whose interviews rely on their showing their written work, it will be a vastly different experience from what was expected.

Unsurprisingly, however, those most affected by this decision will be students without access to reliable technology or a reliable internet connection. These students have already disadvantaged by the remote-learning experience. 

Making the process fair

We need to ask questions about how Oxford and Cambridge can possibly make the process fair for students of all backgrounds. 

Thus comes the question: what should 2021 students do?

Though the situation may seem bleak, my main message would be: don’t panic. Yes, entrance in 2021 will be competitive, but Oxbridge always has been competitive. That’s just the nature of the game.

At this stage, I would advise that students focus on preparing themselves for the admissions tests as best as possible. Practise using past papers, eventually in timed conditions. Online platforms can be used as a supplement to this, offering detailed explanations of how students may improve their responses and increase their speed. 

It is also vital that future applicants use this time to develop a deeper understanding of their subject, and not rely solely on the knowledge they learned in school. While remote learning means that some students will not have covered all the course content they intended, it is imperative that students study independently, and focus on extending their reading beyond the syllabus. 

In preparation for an online interview, students should practise speaking their thoughts aloud when working through questions. Talking through your process and thinking aloud are skills I would consider essential to performing well at interview. Furthermore, if schools are able to lend students graphics tablets, this will minimise the probability of technological issues derailing (especially STEM) students’ online interviews.

Lastly, it is paramount that teachers do not let this increased competition prevent them from encouraging their best and brightest students from applying to Oxbridge. Preparing for an Oxbridge interview is a rewarding and educational experience, whatever the outcome, and can only stand to benefit from the process.

Paarul Shah is a maths teacher, author of The Oxbridge Formula and founder of The Oxbridge Formula Academy. She tweets @oxbridgeformula