Oriel College welcomes over 1200 people to its Open Day 2024

The day comprised of talks by Professor Julien Devriendt, Oriel’s Tutor for Admissions, Q&A sessions with current students, ‘Meet the subject tutors’ sessions and tours of College running throughout the day.

The student helpers offering prospective applicants a broad perspective on life at Oriel were one of the highlights of the Open Day. These 20 students not only provided campus tours, but also engaged in one-on-one conversations with potential applicants, sharing their personal experiences of studying at Oxford. For many visitors, the chance to ask candid questions about workload, student support and extracurricular activities was invaluable.

“I visited Oriel during an Open Day in 2019 where the students and tutors inspired me to apply. Helping out five years later feels like a wonderful full-circle moment,” Ilyas (Medicine, 5^th Year).

Among the many visitors were a group of Year 12s from Halesowen College in Dudley, one of Oriel’s link schools. Chess (Classics, 4^th Year) commented, “Open Days are a really good opportunity for outreach. They are so helpful for students who may not have known anything about Oxford before coming as they can get a proper insight of what life might be like from Oxford students.”

Feedback from the event has been overwhelmingly positive. Many visitors praised the organisation of the day, the warmth of the student helpers, and the overall informative nature of the event. Potential applicants were particularly impressed with how approachable and helpful the students were throughout the day. The success of the Oriel College Open Day underscores the College’s commitment to offering prospective students a true glimpse into life at Oxford.