The much-anticipated 2023 Dipont Oxbridge Elite Bootcamp came to a close this month. Over 12 days, Dipont Education and King’s College School, Wimbledon (KCS), brought together experienced academic tutors, university counselors, camp mentors and Oxbridge alumni with outstanding students from nearly 30 leading high schools across China, for an intensive program combining academic challenge and love of learning.
About the bootcamp
The bootcamp was built around the way Oxford and Cambridge teach. Students learned in small supervision and tutorial groups led by highly experienced Chinese and international teachers, in an atmosphere of healthy academic competition. With their schools’ university counselors closely involved, the students, all aiming for Oxbridge, spent 12 focused days working toward their applications.
Students and courses
Every participant came from a Dipont school or program center, and all planned to apply to Oxford or Cambridge in subjects including mathematics, physics, engineering, economics, chemistry and biology.
Working alongside peers from across China, students tackled material well beyond their usual courses. The teaching focused on inquiry and discussion, helping students bridge the gap between A-level, IB Diploma and AP courses and the academic demands of Oxbridge, while deepening their understanding of their subjects and learning from one another.
An experienced teaching team
The program was designed around students’ needs across the A-level, IB and AP curricula. Progress was checked throughout, through a pre-camp assessment, morning tests, mock admissions tests and mock interviews.
The international teachers came from KCS and brought extensive experience of preparing students for Oxbridge applications. The Chinese tutors were Oxbridge graduates with valuable first-hand experience. They were joined by members of the class of 2023, fresh from their own successful applications, who acted as teaching assistants and offered a peer’s perspective.
Advice from the KCS teachers
Physics: Keep pursuing what you love. Most successful Oxbridge applicants genuinely love their subject and want to immerse themselves in it, often working on problems in their own time. That passion is what sets them apart.
Economics: The bootcamp offered plenty of interaction, with three hours of small-group teaching each day plus an hour of office hours. Students were encouraged to keep discussing economics together after the camp, and to read widely beyond the syllabus. Academic ability matters, but the universities can tell whether a student has a real interest in the subject.
Chemistry: Teachers enjoyed challenging the students, and the students enjoyed challenging them back, through in-depth discussions of interview and Chemistry Olympiad questions. The advice was to keep consolidating A-level fundamentals and key terminology alongside the higher-level work.
Mathematics: The students were mathematically very strong, with language sometimes the main barrier to discussing their ideas. They were advised to focus on the MAT (the Oxford Mathematics Admissions Test): the admissions test carries more weight at Oxford, while the interview counts for more at Cambridge, where the demanding STEP exam is also required.
Biology: The students were determined and passionate about their subjects. The advice: master the fundamentals and be ready to apply them to new problems. Interviewers don’t expect students to know everything; they look for critical thinking and independent reasoning. Not knowing the answer is fine. What matters is showing how you might work your way toward one.
Classics: Many applicants have excellent grades, but fewer show broad, varied interests. Genuine curiosity and independence, which are essential for university study, come through in interviews and personal statements. Actions speak louder than words: personal projects that go beyond the curriculum show real commitment to a subject.
