Supercurricular Activities: The Key to Oxbridge Applications

Oxford and Cambridge aren’t just looking at your grades when they read your application. 

With thousands of students applying to Oxbridge every year, only those who stand out have a chance of getting accepted. 

One way you can do this is through supercurricular activities. 

Perhaps you’ve not heard of them before, or need some ideas. This article includes key information, examples by subject and top tips for including them in your application. 

We also spoke to Oxford graduates to learn which activities helped them get noticed. 

Key Takeaways

• Supercurricular activities are activities you do outside of school that directly relate to your subject. 

• They’re important because they help your university application stand out, demonstrate your passion for the subject and prove you can handle advanced material. 

• Some examples of supercurricular activities include reading books, attending lectures or taking part in competitions. 

• You can find lists of supercurricular activities and reading on the Oxford and Cambridge websites. 

• The best way to talk about supercurricular activities in your application is to reflect on them, rather than list them. 

• Make sure you focus on getting good grades first, as you still need to meet the entry requirements. 

What are supercurricular activities?

Supercurricular activities are academic activities you do in addition to your studies. They include things like further reading, summer schools or essay competitions. 

They go above and beyond the curriculum, building on this knowledge rather than replacing it. 

It’s a great way to prove you’re passionate about your subject and can handle more advanced material beyond the course you’re studying. 

They can be useful for applications to any university, but particularly when applying to competitive universities like Oxford or Cambridge. 

What’s the difference between supercurricular and extracurricular activities?

Extracurricular activities are hobbies or interests unrelated to your subject. Supercurricular activities are directly related to the subject you want to study at university. 

Cambridge put it bluntly in their guide to improving your application (opens in a new tab). They state that extracurricular activities “won't be taken into consideration by Cambridge during the application process.”

However, supercurricular activities “make your application stand out.”

Why are supercurricular activities important?

Supercurricular activities matter because they help your university application stand out, demonstrate your passion for the subject and prove you can handle advanced material. 

Standing out from the crowd

23,329 students applied to Oxford (opens in a new tab) in 2025 and 22,513 applied to Cambridge (opens in a new tab). That’s a lot of other students you’re competing with. 

Meeting the entry requirements is the bare minimum. Good grades are hugely important, and this should be your main focus. 

But supercurricular activities are one thing you can do on top of this to make a competitive application. 

Passion for your subject

Top universities want to admit students who are passionate about their subject. 

You’ll spend years studying for an undergraduate degree, so it’s important that you can prove you’re actually interested in the topics you’ll be covering.  

Coping with advanced material

An undergraduate degree is a huge step up from your A Level or IB studies. 

The material is significantly more advanced, and you’ll have to do independent research too. 

Supercurricular activities show you can handle material beyond your current exam syllabus.

What are some examples of supercurricular activities?

Cambridge list some examples of supercurricular activities (opens in a new tab):

1. Reading books, magazines and journals 

2. Browsing relevant websites 

3. Visiting galleries, exhibitions, museums 

4. Watching documentaries, films and educational videos

5. Listening to podcasts and audiobooks

6. Attending lectures, seminars and events

7. Completing work experience or volunteering

8. Taking part in competitions, academic projects and schemes

But this list is by no means exhaustive. Some other examples include:

• Summer schools

• Free online courses 

• Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)

If you’re not familiar with what an EPQ is, this EPQ ideas and examples article is a good starting point. 

What supercurricular activities could you do by subject?

The best supercurricular ideas are specific to the course you're applying for. Here are some ideas by subject. 

Medicine

• Volunteer in a care home

• Read articles on The Physiological Society website (opens in a new tab)

• Explore the British Medical Journal’s student section (opens in a new tab)

Law

• Follow trials in the news

• Watch videos from the Cambridge Law Faculty (opens in a new tab)

• Attend a law summer school

Maths

• Get involved in UK Maths Trust competition (opens in a new tab)

• Take STEP (opens in a new tab), an additional maths exam at the end of Year 13

English Literature

• Read beyond the syllabus

• Take part in essay competitions 

• Attend plays at theatres like the Royal Shakespeare Company (opens in a new tab)

Engineering

• Get involved in the British Physics Olympiad (opens in a new tab)

• Solve problems on the Isaac Science website (opens in a new tab)

Politics, Philosophy & Economics (PPE)

• Read publications like Financial Times (opens in a new tab) and The Economist (opens in a new tab)

• Join a student debating society 

Where can you find supercurricular resources?

Both Oxford and Cambridge have lots of supercurricular resources available on their websites. 

These are the best places to start:

• Oxford supercurricular hub (opens in a new tab) – search for resources by subject and age

• Cambridge guide to improving your application (opens in a new tab) – groups websites, reading and extra resources by subject

• HE+ (opens in a new tab) – supercurricular resources written by Cambridge students and academics

How do you talk about supercurricular activities in your personal statement and interview?

The best way to talk about supercurricular activities in your application is to reflect on them, rather than list them. 

As Cambridge (opens in a new tab) puts it: “When you talk about these activities in your personal statement, your experience of them and your reflections are more important than the number of different activities you've pursued.”

You should mention why you chose the activity, what it made you think and what you did next. 

The UCAS personal statement now uses three separate questions (opens in a new tab) instead of one essay:

1. Why do you want to study this course or subject?

2. How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?

3. What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful?

Supercurricular activities fit best in the first and third answers. Use one strong example to show your motivation, then explain how other activities have prepared you.

Here’s a strong and weak example:

Only mention activities you can discuss for five minutes, because it’s likely a tutor will ask during an interview. 

Come ready to discuss them in detail, so you can prove you really engaged in the activity and learned something from it. 

Our guides on how to write a personal statement and university interview questions and answers will also help you prepare.

Advice from Oxbridge graduates

Ali, Biological Sciences, Oxford University 

At sixth form, Ali entered an ‘Oxbridge Essay Competition’, where students were given the chance to submit a properly formatted, university level essay. 

“I spent hours writing mine over the Easter holidays on the phenomenon of eusociality in ants and termites,” he says. “To my surprise, I ended up winning the competition, against fellow students that I thought were much smarter than me.”

Ali put this supercurricular activity in his personal statement and spoke about it in his Oxford interview.

His advice to applicants is to “show a genuine interest in a few cool, niche areas of your chosen subject, and do lots of reading on them.”

Dan, Mathematics, Oxford University 

Before university, Dan attended two summer schools: one in North Carolina organised by Durham University, and another in Oxford organised by the Sutton Trust. 

Dan mentioned these in his Oxford application, which made him stand out against other students. 

“They want the best students,” he says. “They want to see that they love their subject and that they can cope with the course demand.”

Summer schools were a great supercurricular activity because they allowed him to experience university-level study firsthand and demonstrate his passion and readiness for the course.

Frequently asked questions

When should I start doing supercurricular activities?

You should start supercurriculars at the beginning of Year 12. Oxford and Cambridge applications close on 15 October (opens in a new tab) at the start of Year 13, so it’s a good idea to get ahead. 

Does work experience count as a supercurricular activity?

Work experience only counts as a supercurricular activity if it directly relates to your subject. For example, a week shadowing a solicitor would count towards your Law degree application. However, a part-time job in a supermarket wouldn’t, even if it taught you valuable skills. 

How many supercurriculars do you need for Oxbridge?

There's no set number. A couple of activities explored in depth are stronger than lots of activities that you haven’t learned from. Cambridge says your reflections matter more than the number of activities you do.

Get your grades in place first

Supercurricular activities help you stand out, but only if you meet the entry requirements first. 

Top A Level or IB grades are what get you through the door, which is where Save My Exams can help.

Our website combines a library of revision resources with AI-powered study tools. Everything is made by trusted examiners, and our resources are matched to your exact specification. 

Revise only what matters, and free up time for the supercurricular activities that get you noticed. 

97% of Save My Exams members report getting better grades. Register for free today. 

References

Improve your application to Cambridge | Undergraduate Study (opens in a new tab)

University of Oxford: Annual Admissions Statistical Report 2026 (opens in a new tab) 

Undergraduate Admissions Statistics, 2025 cycle (opens in a new tab) 

Supercurricular hub | Oxford University (opens in a new tab) 

The Physiological Society (opens in a new tab) 

BMJ Student (opens in a new tab) 

Law in Focus - YouTube (opens in a new tab) 

Senior Competitions - UKMT (opens in a new tab) 

STEP Support Programme (opens in a new tab) 

British Physics Olympiad (opens in a new tab) 

Isaac Science (opens in a new tab) 

Financial Times (opens in a new tab) 

The Economist (opens in a new tab) 

Admissions timeline | Oxford University (opens in a new tab)