Admissions
Learn more about Magdalen and Oxford
This website is run by the students of Magdalen College, Oxford, and its purpose is to help you with every aspect of your undergraduate University application. We are proud of our college's international reputation as an excellent place of learning, but first and foremost, we think of it as our home. If, after reading this website, you still have anything you want to ask, the current JCR Admissions Officer will be happy to receive your e-mails.
The FAQ page gives answers to some of the questions we get asked most often.
The Admissions Process explains how to go about applying.
The Subject Guide gives you more specific information on your area of study.
The Alternative Prospectus has been produced alongside this site to give you inside knowledge about student life at Magdalen.
About Magdalen
Magdalen is majestically beautiful, set as it is in 100 acres of inspiring grounds. Although it has a large student population, it never feels crowded and remains a peaceful haven throughout the year. The sense of community at Magdalen is unrivalled, with a high proportion of tutors living on site, and the Bar is open to and used by the entire college. Even more so than elsewhere, a friendly and mutually beneficial relationship flourishes between tutors and students.
Our accommodation is probably the best in Oxford - every student is guaranteed accommodation for their whole course, none of which is more than 200m from College, and all of which are charged on a flat-rate system, which means that everybody, regardless of their income, has an equal opportunity to live in Magdalen’s most outstanding rooms.
Academically Magdalen is pretty hot stuff, usually in the top 5 colleges in the University, with around one third of our students achieving first class degrees, but without huge pressure from tutors, who listen carefully to the student-run teaching feedback system. A vast library with 24-hour access is available to all Magdalen students, with new books being bought immediately on request, as well as specialist Law and History libraries. This means that students here have to spend less time looking around Oxford for rarer books.
The facilities we offer are outstanding, with squash courts, a gym, football, hockey, and rugby, pitches, a cricket ground, and croquet lawns all on site. Our musical reputation is international, not least because of our outstanding choir that sings daily in the chapel. We are blessed with an ultra-modern auditorium for drama, films, debates and concerts, as well as ample computer facilities, a darkroom, an art studio, 15 punts and an art collection that is hired out each year for charity: If you fancy a Picasso in your room for £10 a year, this is the place for you. The food is very good value in Hall - the range and quality doesn’t fail to impress, whilst the bar also serves tasty pub food and self-catering is always possible and often even pleasant in the college's many kitchens.
The JCR at Magdalen is one of the most active in the University, and has forged particularly close links with the tutorial body. JCR funds are constantly used to improve services, which range from bacon-tastic Sunday Brunch to brand new wide-screen TVs, and DVD players & a free pool table for the two common rooms to 5 parties a term in the Bar.
As much as we love Magdalen, there is no better way to see what a wonderful place it is than to come and visit, either through Open Days or by just dropping in. Get in contact with the JCR Admissions Officer to arrange a visit or if you have any other queries - we are here to help. Good luck, and we hope to see you soon!
