This week, Target Oxbridge, a programme which aims to help students of Black African and Carribean heritage apply to Oxbridge, revealed it has helped students secure 32 conditional offers from Oxford and 39 conditional offers from Cambridge for 2020 entry.

This sets a new record for the programme, created by Rare, a diversity recruitment specialist, and run in partnership with the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, marking a 16% increase on their 2019 results where students secured 27 offers from Oxford and 32 offers from Cambridge.

Target Oxbridge applicants enjoyed an application to offer rate of 44%, which is significantly higher than the average conversion rate for UK applicants.

Aiming to increase the number of UK students of Black African and Caribbean heritage at Oxford and Cambridge, the programme involves visits to each university, subject sessions, admissions advice and mentoring by current and former Oxford and Cambridge students.

Oxford and Cambridge fund the programme which is free for students and hosts Easter residential and summer visits.

A spokesperson from Target Oxbridge said: “I am delighted with this record Target Oxbridge result! We started with just six students in 2012 and so it is amazing to see the programme now supporting over 70 Black British students to secure Oxbridge offers. Working in partnership with the universities, our community of alumni and mentors and our sponsors has been key to our growing success. I hope to be able to continue expanding our work to close the gap once and for all.”

Commenting on these latest figures Jon Beard, Director of the Cambridge Admissions Office said: “Target Oxbridge is a truly collaborative initiative between Oxford, Cambridge and Rare, which is supported by subject and admissions specialists, current students and mentors throughout the year. We are delighted to see it improving the opportunities of this historically under-represented group, and contributing to the growing diversity of our universities.”

Target Oxbridge’s patron Zadie Smith said: “Going to Cambridge changed my life. Nothing I have done would have been possible without it. I want more people from backgrounds like mine to have that life-changing experience. That’s what Target Oxbridge is about and that’s why I am proud to be its patron.”

Aye Omatsuli, who received an offer from Fitzwilliam College to study Law, said: “Taking part in the Target Oxbridge programme was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Before Target Oxbridge I would never have had the knowledge, skills or the confidence that I needed to not only apply to Cambridge, but receive an offer to study law.

“Before Target Oxbridge, I had never met anyone who looked like me who actually went to Oxford or Cambridge and I had convinced myself that I was not capable of getting in. Through Target Oxbridge, I was able to meet other Black Oxbridge students and learn more about their experiences. It made me feel as though if they could do it, then I could do it too.”

These latest offer figures from Target Oxbridge follow the University admitting a record number of Black UK undergraduates last term. A total of 91 Black students were admitted, increasing the overall number of Black undergraduate students to more than 200, meaning that, for the first time in the University’s history, the percentage of Black students has risen above 3% (3.4%).

The University has drawn much criticism for its low admissions statistics for BME groups, particularly black students. In 2018, at least 20 courses at the University accepted fewer than three Black students and overall received more Etonians than Black male students. 

It is thought that a number of factors are behind the increase in Black students applying and being admitted such as the various outreach campaigns and activities run by admissions staff across the University and Colleges such as the launch of the video campaign ‘Get in Cambridge’, a series of short films published in collaboration with the Cambridge African Carribean Society (ACS), aimed specifically at year 12 students from underrepresented groups.

It is thought that the “Stormzy effect” has had an impact as in August 2018, the award-winning British grime artist announced the Stormzy Scholarship, which funds both the tuition fees and living costs of two Black undergraduate students each year for the duration of their study at Cambridge.

Another factor considered to have had an effect is the way in which vloggers, known as “StudyTubers”, have made Oxbridge more accessible and encouraged those from non-white backgrounds to apply.

Target Oxbridge have received over 900 applications for the 2020 programme and are in the process of selecting students for the 160 available places.