Undergraduate open days welcome thousands

Oxford's colleges and departments opened their doors to thousands of prospective applicants and their families for the Undergraduate Open Days this week. The Open Days are held each year to allow those interested in applying to the University to visit Oxford and learn more about the undergraduate courses, the colleges and the University in general. All colleges and departments hold events, along with the museums, libraries and other facilities. Hundreds of staff and students across the collegiate University were involved in putting on the events, which included talks and drop-in sessions for prospective students and parents and subject-specific presentations in departments. The Examination Schools featured an Open Day Information Centre where talks given by Oxford's Undergraduate Admissions Office team were targeted at parents and teachers in addition to students. Mike Nicholson, Director of Undergraduate Admissions at Oxford, said: 'Open Days are a valuable opportunity to dispel the many myths and preconceptions which surround Oxford. The University wants to attract high quality candidates from any and every background, and the open days help us achieve this aim.