By Community Correspondent: Hannah Davies An offer to study at one of the most prestigious universities in the world: that’s what will be on the Christmas list of every Oxbridge applicant this year. However, before that moment a gruelling procedure of taking exams, submitting essays and attending interviews must be endured; unfortunately all taking place during the lead-up to Christmas.

Whilst fellow schoolmates and family members are out Christmas shopping and getting into the festive spirit, they’ll be desperately reading newspapers and books, trying to guess what questions they’ll face or simply dissolving into state of panic.

Interviews are taking place at Oxford and Cambridge at the beginning of December this year and those applying to Oxford will find themselves under interrogation for two days minimum facing, perhaps, three half-an-hour long interviews with a panel of intellectual masters. After this, you may be fooled into thinking that applicants can relax and start celebrating the Christmas season; but once those interviews are over and Christmas day gets closer, it only gets worse.

Every letter on the doormat supplies a fresh wash of nerves as the notices of offer and rejection are distributed. For Oxford candidates, the agonising wait ends before Christmas, sometimes on Christmas Eve, suggesting that Oxford hold the opinion that it is better to know as soon a possible so that those who are successful have the best Christmas Day they could hope for; and those who aren’t can be forced to put on a smile and be comforted by the undeniably enjoyable overload of presents and turkey that awaits them.

For the majority of Cambridge applicants, due to a slightly different structure when it comes to the admissions progress, most results don’t come in until the New Year. Perhaps Cambridge believes that they are being sympathetic in letting their applicants enjoy the Christmas period before breaking the news. However, some say that it only causes more unnecessary tension and stress for candidates. A Cambridge applicant from local City Of London Freemen’s School in Ashtead says: “I would prefer to know before Christmas...I feel the process is too dragged out”.

Whichever university you think is kinder, one thing is certain: the ambivalent prospect of Christmas for Oxbridge candidates is guaranteed to be accompanied with apprehension. Let’s hope Father Christmas fulfils their Christmas list this year.