Independent Teacher
Eight students I mentored for their Oxbridge admissions tests triumphed in the fiercely competitive 2025 application round, winning places at these world-leading universities. Coming from diverse academic backgrounds, their strengths lay in mathematics, the sciences, economics, and engineering. But their shared traits were dedication and a touch of good fortune. This article retraces their journeys, exploring the keys to their success and reflecting on lessons learned, hoping to light the way for future applicants.
Student A was from Beijing, while Student B attended a private school in the UK.
Compared to previous mathematics applicants I’d mentored, both A and B had fairly average academic profiles: neither had systematically prepared for mathematics competitions, and their STEP results were between grades 1 and 2. This meant their achievements weren’t particularly noteworthy compared to those boasting a clutch of top-tier maths competition wins and double S grades in the STEP.
When it came to preparing for the TMUA and the Oxford MAT, Student A showed exceptional aptitude. He breezed through the material in under 20 hours – work that would typically take other students 40 to 60 hours – and ultimately achieved excellent results: 8.9 on the TMUA and a very respectable 91 on the Oxford MAT.
Student B, on the other hand, was incredibly diligent, full of ideas, and a highly effective independent learner. After some initial guidance from me, she was able to work through my admissions test preparation materials largely on her own. My observation, however, was that B wasn’t a natural test-taker, although she was very articulate. While her TMUA and Oxford MAT scores weren’t ideal, she shone in the interview, impressing the dons and securing a place at Oxford for Mathematics.
Student C hailed from Nanjing.
While C’s passion for physics, their dedication, and their impressive academic background were noteworthy, it was their mother’s commitment throughout the application process that truly struck me. She had followed my public account for some time, purchased my BPhO course materials previously, and conducted thorough research on my PAT preparation resources. She even pre-booked a course of one-to-one sessions, six months in advance, before I had even released the updated version of the PAT course.
My advice for highly motivated and independent learners like C is that a combination of video lessons and interactive support offers the best value. This approach was ideally suited to C. After diligently working through the PAT video course, I provided ten hours of targeted one-to-one tuition, specifically addressing their mathematical and physics weaknesses. Thanks to C’s effective learning with the video material and their excellent preparation for our sessions, our lessons were incredibly productive. In fact, we covered all the necessary content, and a few tutorial hours remained.
Much to my surprise, C’s mother opted to use these remaining hours for mock exam papers rather than requesting a refund. At this point, I hadn’t even announced the mock exams, so this vote of confidence put me under pressure. I knew the quality of these practice papers simply had to be top-notch to justify her trust. Once the mock papers were finalised and released, C diligently worked through each one before the exam, regularly discussing any tricky questions with me.
In the end, C achieved ESAT scores of 9, 8.6, and 8.3, and a PAT score of 87, consistent with their performance on the mock exams. Their interview was also strong and steady, resulting in a well-deserved offer to study Physics at Oxford.
Student D came from Beijing.
To other students, D’s talent seemed unattainable: he learned quickly and effortlessly, racking up awards in various international competitions. I began working with D as he prepared for the Cambridge STEP. He had already qualified for the AIME and had a dedicated mathematics competition coach, so I was initially puzzled as to why he needed my STEP tutoring. His father, however, was extremely modest, explaining that he simply wanted his son to benefit from the guidance of more experienced teachers. I subsequently worked with D right through to the ESAT and PAT exams, culminating in all-English coaching for his engineering interview.
Two years previously, I had tutored a British student for the PAT and their engineering interview, which resulted in an Oxford Engineering offer. This prior experience provided a useful benchmark when conducting D’s all-English mock interviews. D surpassed the British student I had previously coached in every way: reaction speed, fluency in English, and the depth of his thinking were all on another level.
D’s PAT score of 95 (putting him in the top 5% globally) was entirely expected, and the interview proved to be a mere formality. His offer to study Engineering at Oxford was richly deserved.
Student E came from Guangdong province.
Another exceptionally bright student, he was applying a year early. From our very first session, I realised E was different. His logical reasoning and speed of calculation were in the top 0.1%, on par with Student A, but he was also more prone to errors. This meant his exam scores didn’t always reflect his true ability. The biggest challenge for E, therefore, wasn’t mastering new mathematical concepts or exam technique in a short time frame, but ensuring he could perform consistently under pressure.
Through our tutoring sessions, and in discussions with his parents and teachers, it became clear that E’s performance was easily affected by his emotional state. Once I was confident he had the knowledge and exam skills, I shifted the focus of our sessions towards managing emotions and building resilience.
Although E’s TMUA score was slightly lower than A’s, it was more than sufficient for Economics. I had no doubt that once he reached the interview stage, he would make a strong impression. Sure enough, he secured an offer from Cambridge to study Economics.
Students F, G, and H were all from the same school and applied for Natural Sciences (Biological).
Two of them had already started attending my classes the previous winter. At that point, the ESAT syllabus had just been released, and nobody was quite sure how difficult each section would be. What we did know was that they would need to maintain their strength in one or two of the sciences (physics, chemistry, or biology) while also improving their mathematical thinking and exam technique to ensure a strong score in Mathematics 1 – high enough not to jeopardise their overall application.
In the early stages of the course, they studied core mathematical concepts alongside students applying for Mathematics, Computer Science, Engineering, and Economics. Their marks on the regular maths assignments tended to be in the mid-to-lower range. I regularly offered them encouragement, acknowledging the progress they were making in maths. However, within that high-achieving group, everyone was improving so rapidly that they sometimes felt their own progress was less significant.
It wasn’t until the intensive revision period, when some new students joined the class, that they truly appreciated the progress they’d made and the advantages gained from their earlier hard work, as their mock exam scores started to reflect it.
I don’t teach chemistry or biology myself. According to feedback from Gong Jin, the teacher responsible for those subjects, all three students showed real talent in their chosen scientific fields. In general, they were diligent and dedicated, with clear strengths in their respective sciences, but slightly weaker in mathematics. Their success, perhaps, makes their achievements even more relatable to other students.
These eight students, despite their diverse academic backgrounds and application journeys, did not achieve success by chance. Their accomplishments were the culmination of a multitude of factors working in harmony.
The success of these eight students is a testament to their own hard work, the guidance of their teachers, the support of their families, and the resources provided by their schools. Their experiences offer valuable insights and inspiration for others. I hope this analysis will serve as a guide for aspiring Oxbridge applicants, helping them to realise their academic ambitions.
