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Oxbridge is a portmanteau (composite word) of "Oxford" and "Cambridge", both elite universities in the United Kingdom. The term is used to refer to them collectively, both in contrast to other British universities and more broadly to describe characteristics reminiscent of University of Oxford and University of Cambridge, often with implications of superior social or intellectual status.^[1]

Origins

Although both universities were founded more than eight centuries ago, the term Oxbridge is relatively recent. In William Thackeray's novel Pendennis, published in 1849, the main character attends the fictional Boniface College, Oxbridge. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, this is the first recorded instance of the word. Virginia Woolf used it, citing Thackeray, in her 1929 essay A Room of One's Own. By 1957 the term was used in the Times Educational Supplement^[2]^[3] and in Universities Quarterly by 1958.^[4]

When expanded, the universities are almost always referred to as "Oxford and Cambridge", the order in which they were founded. A notable exception is Japan's Cambridge and Oxford Society, probably arising from the fact that the Cambridge Club was founded there first, and also had more members than its Oxford counterpart when they amalgamated in 1905.^[5]

Meaning

In addition to being a collective term, Oxbridge is often used as shorthand for characteristics the two institutions share:

They are the two oldest universities in continuous operation in the UK. Both were founded more than 800 years ago,^[8]^[9] and continued as England's only universities until the 19th century. Between them they have educated a large number of Britain's most prominent scientists, writers, and politicians, as well as noted figures in many other fields.^[10]^[11]
Because of their age, they have established similar institutions and facilities such as printing houses (Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press), botanical gardens (University of Oxford Botanic Garden and Cambridge University Botanic Garden), museums (the Ashmolean and the Fitzwilliam), legal deposit libraries (the Bodleian and the Cambridge University Library), debating societies (the Oxford Union and the Cambridge Union), and notable comedy groups (The Oxford Revue and Footlights).
Rivalry between Oxford and Cambridge also has a long history, dating back to around 1209, when Cambridge was founded by scholars taking refuge from hostile Oxford townsmen,^[12] and celebrated to this day in varsity matches such as the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race.
Each has a similar collegiate structure, whereby the university is a co-operative of its constituent colleges, which are responsible for supervisions/tutorials (the principal undergraduate teaching method) and pastoral care.
Both universities have many buildings of great beauty and antiquity, and are sited on level terrain ideal for cycling, near slow-moving rivers suitable for rowing and punting.
They are the top-scoring institutions in cross-subject UK university rankings,^[13]^[14]^[15] so they are targeted by ambitious pupils, parents and schools. Entrance is extremely competitive and some schools promote themselves based on their achievement of Oxbridge offers. Combined, the two universities award over one-sixth of all English full-time research doctorates.^[16]
Oxford and Cambridge have common approaches to undergraduate admissions. Until the mid-1980s, entry was typically by sitting special entrance exams.^[17] Applications must be made at least three months early,^[18] and, with only minor exceptions (e.g., organ scholars),^[19] are mutually exclusive for first undergraduate degrees so, in any one year, candidates may only apply to Oxford or Cambridge, not both.^[20] Because most candidates are predicted to achieve top grades at A level, interviews are usually used to check whether the course is well suited to the applicant's interests and aptitudes,^[21] and to look for evidence of self-motivation, independent thinking, academic potential and ability to learn through the tutorial system.^[22]

The word Oxbridge may also be used pejoratively: as a descriptor of social class (referring to the professional classes who dominated the intake of both universities at the beginning of the twentieth century),^[23] as shorthand for an elite that "continues to dominate Britain's political and cultural establishment"^[10]^[24] and a parental attitude that "continues to see UK higher education through an Oxbridge prism",^[25] or to describe a "pressure-cooker" culture that attracts and then fails to support overachievers "who are vulnerable to a kind of self-inflicted stress that can all too often become unbearable"^[26] and high-flying state school students who find "coping with the workload very difficult in terms of balancing work and life" and "feel socially out of [their] depth".^[27]

Related terms

Thackeray's Pendennis also introduced the term Camford as another combination of the university names – "he was a Camford man and very nearly got the English Prize Poem" – although this term has never achieved the same degree of usage as Oxbridge. Camford was also used in the Sherlock Holmes story The Adventure of the Creeping Man (1923).

Other words have been derived from the term Oxbridge, though none has achieved widespread recognition. One example is Doxbridge, referring to Durham, Oxford and Cambridge,^[28]^[29]^[30] and used for an annual inter-collegiate sports tournament between some of the colleges of Durham, Oxford, Cambridge and York;^[31] while Woxbridge is seen in the name of the annual Woxbridge conference between the business schools of Warwick, Oxford and Cambridge.^[32] The term Loxbridge (referring to London, Oxford, and Cambridge) is sometimes seen,^[33] and was also adopted as the name of the Ancient History conference now known as AMPAH.^[34]

Notes

^ "Oxbridge". oed.com (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. 2005. Originally: a fictional university, esp. regarded as a composite of Oxford and Cambridge. Subsequently also (now esp.): the universities of Oxford and Cambridge regarded together, esp. in contrast to other British universities. adj Of, relating to, characteristic of, or reminiscent of Oxbridge (freq. with implication of superior social or intellectual status
^ G.D. Worswick (3 May 1957). "The anatomy of Oxbridge". Times Educational Supplement.
^ G.D. Worswick (6 June 1958). "Men's Awards at Oxbridge". Times Educational Supplement.
^ A. H. Halsey (1958). "British Universities and Intellectual Life". Universities Quarterly. 12 (2). Turnstile Press.: 144. Retrieved 22 March 2009.
^ Giro Koike (5 April 1995). "Why The "Cambridge & Oxford Society"?". Retrieved 8 September 2008.
^ "Oxbridge 'Elitism'" (PDF). parliament.uk. 9 June 2014.
^ "Acceptances to Oxford and Cambridge Universities by previous educational establishment". parliament.uk.
^ "A brief history of the University". ox.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 11 April 2008. Retrieved 29 March 2008. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ "A Brief History – Early Records". cam.ac.uk. Retrieved 27 June 2008.
^ ^a ^b Cadwalladr, Carole (16 March 2008). "Education: It's the clever way to power – Part 1". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 22 March 2009.
^ Cadwalladr, Carole (16 March 2008). "Education: It's the clever way to power – Part 2". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 22 March 2009.
^ "A Brief History: Early records". University of Cambridge. Retrieved 22 March 2009.
^ Watson, Roland. "University Rankings League Table 2009". Good University Guide. London: Times Online. Retrieved 4 February 2009.
^ "University Rankings League Table". The Sunday Times University Guide. London: Times Online. Retrieved 4 February 2009.
^ Bernard Kingston (28 April 2008). "League table of UK universities". The Complete University Guide. Retrieved 4 February 2009.
^ "Research degree qualification rates". Higher Education Funding Council for England. July 2010.
^ Walford, Geoffrey (1986). Life in Public Schools. Taylor & Francis. p. 202. ISBN 978-0-416-37180-2. Retrieved 2 February 2009.
^ "UCAS Students: Important dates for your diary". Archived from the original on 1 February 2009. Retrieved 2 February 2009. 15 October 2008 Last date for receipt of applications to Oxford University, University of Cambridge and courses in medicine, dentistry and veterinary science or veterinary medicine. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ "Organ Awards Information for Prsospective Candidates" (PDF). Faculty of Music, University of Oxford. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 August 2012. Retrieved 22 March 2009. It is possible for a candidate to enter the comparable competition at Cambridge which is scheduled at the same time of year. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ "UCAS Students FAQs: Oxford or Cambridge". Archived from the original on 1 October 2009. Retrieved 23 November 2009. Is it possible to apply to both Oxford University and the University of Cambridge? {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ "Cambridge Interviews: the facts" (PDF). University of Cambridge. Retrieved 11 August 2009.
^ "Interviews at Oxford". University of Oxford. Retrieved 2 February 2009.
^ Robert David Anderson (2004). European universities from the Enlightenment to 1914. OUP. p. 135. ISBN 978-0-19-820660-6. Retrieved 22 March 2009.
^ Carole Cadwalladr (16 March 2008). "Oxbridge Blues". The Guardian. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
^ Eric Thomas (20 January 2004). "Down but not out". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
^ Elizabeth Davies (21 February 2007). "The over-pressured hothouse that is Oxbridge". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 7 February 2009. Retrieved 2 February 2009. Two recent deaths have brought the issue of Oxbridge students' mental health back to the surface {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ Charlie Boss (2 December 2006). "Why so many state school pupils drop out of Oxbridge". The Spectator. Retrieved 2 February 2009.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
^ "How middle-class are you? Take this quiz". The Daily Telegraph. 19 February 2012. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
^ "Doxbridge: a chip on our collective shoulders?". Palatinate. 6 November 2014. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
^ "Debate: Rather be at Oxbridge than Doxbridge?". The Tab. 16 January 2016. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
^ "The University Sports Tour for Easter 2008". Archived from the original on 2 April 2008. Retrieved 13 April 2008. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ "Woxbridge 2011". Conference Website.
^ Morgan, K. J. (2004). "The research assessment exercise in English universities, 2001". Higher Education. 48 (4): 461–482. doi:10.1023/B:HIGH.0000046717.11717.06.
^ "AMPAH 2003: Annual Meeting of Postgraduates in Ancient History (formerly also known as LOxBridge)". Retrieved 13 April 2008.

External links

[1] "Oxbridge". oed.com (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. 2005. Originally: a fictional university, esp. regarded as a composite of Oxford and Cambridge. Subsequently also (now esp.): the universities of Oxford and Cambridge regarded together, esp. in contrast to other British universities. adj Of, relating to, characteristic of, or reminiscent of Oxbridge (freq. with implication of superior social or intellectual status

[2] G.D. Worswick (3 May 1957). "The anatomy of Oxbridge". Times Educational Supplement.

[3] G.D. Worswick (6 June 1958). "Men's Awards at Oxbridge". Times Educational Supplement.

[4] A. H. Halsey (1958). "British Universities and Intellectual Life". Universities Quarterly. 12 (2). Turnstile Press.: 144. Retrieved 22 March 2009.

[5] Giro Koike (5 April 1995). "Why The "Cambridge & Oxford Society"?". Retrieved 8 September 2008.

[6] "Oxbridge 'Elitism'" (PDF). parliament.uk. 9 June 2014.

[7] "Acceptances to Oxford and Cambridge Universities by previous educational establishment". parliament.uk.

[oxfordhistory-8] "A brief history of the University". ox.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 11 April 2008. Retrieved 29 March 2008. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[cambridgehistory-9] "A Brief History – Early Records". cam.ac.uk. Retrieved 27 June 2008.

[guardian_20080316_1-10] Cadwalladr, Carole (16 March 2008). "Education: It's the clever way to power – Part 1". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 22 March 2009.

[guardian_20080316_2-11] Cadwalladr, Carole (16 March 2008). "Education: It's the clever way to power – Part 2". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 22 March 2009.

[12] "A Brief History: Early records". University of Cambridge. Retrieved 22 March 2009.

[13] Watson, Roland. "University Rankings League Table 2009". Good University Guide. London: Times Online. Retrieved 4 February 2009.

[14] "University Rankings League Table". The Sunday Times University Guide. London: Times Online. Retrieved 4 February 2009.

[15] Bernard Kingston (28 April 2008). "League table of UK universities". The Complete University Guide. Retrieved 4 February 2009.

[16] "Research degree qualification rates". Higher Education Funding Council for England. July 2010.

[17] Walford, Geoffrey (1986). Life in Public Schools. Taylor & Francis. p. 202. ISBN 978-0-416-37180-2. Retrieved 2 February 2009.

[18] "UCAS Students: Important dates for your diary". Archived from the original on 1 February 2009. Retrieved 2 February 2009. 15 October 2008 Last date for receipt of applications to Oxford University, University of Cambridge and courses in medicine, dentistry and veterinary science or veterinary medicine. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[19] "Organ Awards Information for Prsospective Candidates" (PDF). Faculty of Music, University of Oxford. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 August 2012. Retrieved 22 March 2009. It is possible for a candidate to enter the comparable competition at Cambridge which is scheduled at the same time of year. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[20] "UCAS Students FAQs: Oxford or Cambridge". Archived from the original on 1 October 2009. Retrieved 23 November 2009. Is it possible to apply to both Oxford University and the University of Cambridge? {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[21] "Cambridge Interviews: the facts" (PDF). University of Cambridge. Retrieved 11 August 2009.

[22] "Interviews at Oxford". University of Oxford. Retrieved 2 February 2009.

[23] Robert David Anderson (2004). European universities from the Enlightenment to 1914. OUP. p. 135. ISBN 978-0-19-820660-6. Retrieved 22 March 2009.

[24] Carole Cadwalladr (16 March 2008). "Oxbridge Blues". The Guardian. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)

[25] Eric Thomas (20 January 2004). "Down but not out". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 28 August 2009.

[26] Elizabeth Davies (21 February 2007). "The over-pressured hothouse that is Oxbridge". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 7 February 2009. Retrieved 2 February 2009. Two recent deaths have brought the issue of Oxbridge students' mental health back to the surface {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[27] Charlie Boss (2 December 2006). "Why so many state school pupils drop out of Oxbridge". The Spectator. Retrieved 2 February 2009.^{[permanent dead link‍]}

[doxbridge2-28] "How middle-class are you? Take this quiz". The Daily Telegraph. 19 February 2012. Retrieved 10 March 2017.

[doxbridge3-29] "Doxbridge: a chip on our collective shoulders?". Palatinate. 6 November 2014. Retrieved 10 March 2017.

[doxbridge4-30] "Debate: Rather be at Oxbridge than Doxbridge?". The Tab. 16 January 2016. Retrieved 10 March 2017.

[doxbridge-31] "The University Sports Tour for Easter 2008". Archived from the original on 2 April 2008. Retrieved 13 April 2008. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[32] "Woxbridge 2011". Conference Website.

[loxbridge-33] Morgan, K. J. (2004). "The research assessment exercise in English universities, 2001". Higher Education. 48 (4): 461–482. doi:10.1023/B:HIGH.0000046717.11717.06.

[AMPAH-34] "AMPAH 2003: Annual Meeting of Postgraduates in Ancient History (formerly also known as LOxBridge)". Retrieved 13 April 2008.

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@@ Line 15: / Line 15: @@
 In addition to being a collective term, ''Oxbridge'' is often used as shorthand for characteristics the two institutions share:
-*They are the two [[List of oldest universities in continuous operation|oldest universities in continuous operation]] in the UK. Both were founded more than 800 years ago,<ref name=oxfordhistory>{{cite web | title=A brief history of the University | url=http://www.ox.ac.uk/about_the_university/introducing_oxford/a_brief_history_of_the_university/index.html | accessdate=2008-03-29|website=ox.ac.uk}}</ref><ref name=cambridgehistory>{{cite web | title=A Brief History&nbsp;– Early Records | url=http://www.cam.ac.uk/univ/history/records.html | accessdate =2008-06-27|website=cam.ac.uk}}</ref> and continued as England's only universities until the 19th century. Between them they have educated a large number of Britain's most prominent scientists, writers, and politicians, as well as noted figures in many other fields.<ref name="guardian_20080316_1">{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2008/mar/16/highereducation.news |title=Education: It's the clever way to power&nbsp;– Part 1 |author= Cadwalladr, Carole|work=The Guardian|date=16 March 2008 |accessdate=2009-03-22 | location=London}}</ref><ref name="guardian_20080316_2">{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2008/mar/16/highereducation.careers |title=Education: It's the clever way to power&nbsp;– Part 2 |author= Cadwalladr, Carole|work=The Guardian |date=16 March 2008 |accessdate=2009-03-22 | location=London}}</ref>
+*They are the two [[List of oldest universities in continuous operation|oldest universities in continuous operation]] in the UK. Both were founded more than 800 years ago,<ref name=oxfordhistory>{{cite web|title=A brief history of the University |url=http://www.ox.ac.uk/about_the_university/introducing_oxford/a_brief_history_of_the_university/index.html |accessdate=2008-03-29 |website=ox.ac.uk |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080411014607/http://www.ox.ac.uk/about_the_university/introducing_oxford/a_brief_history_of_the_university/index.html |archivedate=11 April 2008 |df= }}</ref><ref name=cambridgehistory>{{cite web | title=A Brief History&nbsp;– Early Records | url=http://www.cam.ac.uk/univ/history/records.html | accessdate =2008-06-27|website=cam.ac.uk}}</ref> and continued as England's only universities until the 19th century. Between them they have educated a large number of Britain's most prominent scientists, writers, and politicians, as well as noted figures in many other fields.<ref name="guardian_20080316_1">{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2008/mar/16/highereducation.news |title=Education: It's the clever way to power&nbsp;– Part 1 |author= Cadwalladr, Carole|work=The Guardian|date=16 March 2008 |accessdate=2009-03-22 | location=London}}</ref><ref name="guardian_20080316_2">{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2008/mar/16/highereducation.careers |title=Education: It's the clever way to power&nbsp;– Part 2 |author= Cadwalladr, Carole|work=The Guardian |date=16 March 2008 |accessdate=2009-03-22 | location=London}}</ref>
 *Because of their age, they have established similar institutions and facilities such as printing houses ([[Oxford University Press]] and [[Cambridge University Press]]), botanical gardens ([[University of Oxford Botanic Garden]] and [[Cambridge University Botanic Garden]]), museums (the [[Ashmolean Museum|Ashmolean]] and the [[Fitzwilliam Museum|Fitzwilliam]]), [[national library|legal deposit libraries]] (the [[Bodleian Library|Bodleian]] and the [[Cambridge University Library]]), [[debate|debating]] societies (the [[Oxford Union]] and the [[Cambridge Union]]), and notable comedy groups ([[The Oxford Revue]] and [[Footlights]]).
 *[[Oxbridge rivalry|Rivalry]] between Oxford and Cambridge also has a long history, dating back to around 1209, when Cambridge was founded by scholars taking refuge from hostile Oxford townsmen,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cam.ac.uk/univ/history/records.html |title=A Brief History: Early records |website=[[University of Cambridge]] |accessdate=2009-03-22}}</ref> and celebrated to this day in [[varsity match]]es such as the [[The Boat Race|Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race]].
@@ Line 23: / Line 23: @@
 |url=http://extras.timesonline.co.uk/tol_gug/gooduniversityguide.php |title=University Rankings League Table 2009 |accessdate=2009-02-04 |work=Good University Guide |publisher= Times Online | location=London | first=Roland | last=Watson}}</ref><ref>{{cite news
 |url=http://extras.timesonline.co.uk/stug/universityguide.php |title=University Rankings League Table |accessdate=2009-02-04 |work= The Sunday Times University Guide |publisher= Times Online | location=London}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/single.htm?ipg=6524 |title=League table of UK universities |accessdate=2009-02-04 |work=The Complete University Guide |author=Bernard Kingston |date=28 April 2008 }}</ref> so they are targeted by ambitious pupils, parents and schools. Entrance is extremely competitive and some schools promote themselves based on their achievement of Oxbridge offers. Combined, the two universities award over one-sixth of all English full-time research doctorates.<ref>{{cite web |title = Research degree qualification rates |date= July 2010 |url = http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/hefce/2010/10_21/#exec |publisher = [[Higher Education Funding Council for England]] }}</ref>
-*Oxford and Cambridge have common approaches to [[University and college admissions#Undergraduate entry 2|undergraduate admissions]]. Until the mid-1980s, entry was typically by sitting special entrance [[exams]].<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ms8OAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA202&lpg=PA202 |page=202 |title=Life in Public Schools |last=Walford |publisher=Taylor & Francis |year=1986 |isbn=978-0-416-37180-2 |accessdate=2009-02-02 |first=Geoffrey}}</ref> Applications must be made at least three months early,<ref>{{cite web |title=UCAS Students: Important dates for your diary |quote=15 October 2008 Last date for receipt of applications to Oxford University, University of Cambridge and courses in medicine, dentistry and veterinary science or veterinary medicine. |url=http://www.ucas.com/students/importantdates |accessdate=2009-02-02}}</ref> and, with only minor exceptions (e.g., organ scholars),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.music.ox.ac.uk/assets/files/Chor_Org_Downloads/OrgAwards2009.pdf |quote=It is possible for a candidate to enter the comparable competition at Cambridge which is scheduled at the same time of year. |title=Organ Awards Information for Prsospective Candidates|publisher=Faculty of Music, [[University of Oxford]] |accessdate=2009-03-22}}</ref> are mutually exclusive for first undergraduate degrees so, in any one year, candidates may only apply to Oxford or Cambridge, not both.<ref>{{cite web |title=UCAS Students FAQs: Oxford or Cambridge |quote=Is it possible to apply to both Oxford University and the University of Cambridge? |url=http://www.ucas.com/students/applying/faqs/eligibility/faq1 |accessdate=2009-11-23}}</ref> Because most candidates are predicted to achieve top grades at [[A level]], interviews are usually used to check whether the course is well suited to the applicant's interests and aptitudes,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cam.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/publications/interviews.pdf|format=PDF|title=Cambridge Interviews: the facts|publisher=University of Cambridge|accessdate=2009-08-11}}</ref> and to look for evidence of self-motivation, independent thinking, academic potential and ability to learn through the tutorial system.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate_courses/how_to_apply/interviews/index.html |title=Interviews at Oxford |publisher=University of Oxford |accessdate=2009-02-02}}</ref>
+*Oxford and Cambridge have common approaches to [[University and college admissions#Undergraduate entry 2|undergraduate admissions]]. Until the mid-1980s, entry was typically by sitting special entrance [[exams]].<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ms8OAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA202&lpg=PA202 |page=202 |title=Life in Public Schools |last=Walford |publisher=Taylor & Francis |year=1986 |isbn=978-0-416-37180-2 |accessdate=2009-02-02 |first=Geoffrey}}</ref> Applications must be made at least three months early,<ref>{{cite web|title=UCAS Students: Important dates for your diary |quote=15 October 2008 Last date for receipt of applications to Oxford University, University of Cambridge and courses in medicine, dentistry and veterinary science or veterinary medicine. |url=http://www.ucas.com/students/importantdates |accessdate=2009-02-02 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090201114118/http://ucas.com/students/importantdates |archivedate=1 February 2009 |df= }}</ref> and, with only minor exceptions (e.g., organ scholars),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.music.ox.ac.uk/assets/files/Chor_Org_Downloads/OrgAwards2009.pdf |quote=It is possible for a candidate to enter the comparable competition at Cambridge which is scheduled at the same time of year. |title=Organ Awards Information for Prsospective Candidates |publisher=Faculty of Music, [[University of Oxford]] |accessdate=2009-03-22 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120822114305/http://www.music.ox.ac.uk/assets/files/Chor_Org_Downloads/OrgAwards2009.pdf |archivedate=22 August 2012 |df= }}</ref> are mutually exclusive for first undergraduate degrees so, in any one year, candidates may only apply to Oxford or Cambridge, not both.<ref>{{cite web|title=UCAS Students FAQs: Oxford or Cambridge |quote=Is it possible to apply to both Oxford University and the University of Cambridge? |url=http://www.ucas.com/students/applying/faqs/eligibility/faq1 |accessdate=2009-11-23 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091001013817/http://www.ucas.com/students/applying/faqs/eligibility/faq1 |archivedate=1 October 2009 |df= }}</ref> Because most candidates are predicted to achieve top grades at [[A level]], interviews are usually used to check whether the course is well suited to the applicant's interests and aptitudes,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cam.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/publications/interviews.pdf|format=PDF|title=Cambridge Interviews: the facts|publisher=University of Cambridge|accessdate=2009-08-11}}</ref> and to look for evidence of self-motivation, independent thinking, academic potential and ability to learn through the tutorial system.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate_courses/how_to_apply/interviews/index.html |title=Interviews at Oxford |publisher=University of Oxford |accessdate=2009-02-02}}</ref>
-The word ''Oxbridge'' may also be used pejoratively: as a descriptor of [[social class]] (referring to the professional classes who dominated the intake of both universities at the beginning of the twentieth century),<ref>{{cite book |author=Robert David Anderson |publisher=[[Oxford University Press|OUP]] |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-19-820660-6 |title=European universities from the Enlightenment to 1914 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Sf6NeT3045IC&pg=PA135 |page=135 |accessdate=2009-03-22}}</ref> as shorthand for an [[Elite#Educational elite|elite]] that "continues to dominate Britain's political and cultural establishment"<ref name="guardian_20080316_1" /><ref>{{Cite journal|title=Oxbridge Blues|publisher=The Guardian|url=http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/carole_cadwalladr/2008/03/oxbridge_blues.html|author=Carole Cadwalladr|date=16 March 2008|postscript=<!--None-->}}</ref> and a parental attitude that "continues to see UK higher education through an Oxbridge prism",<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2004/jan/20/oxbridgeandelitism.schools |title=Down but not out |publisher=[[The Guardian]] |author=Eric Thomas |authorlink=Eric Thomas (academic) |date=20 January 2004 |accessdate=2009-08-28 | location=London}}</ref> or to describe a "pressure-cooker" culture that attracts and then fails to support overachievers "who are vulnerable to a kind of self-inflicted stress that can all too often become unbearable"<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/elizabeth-davies-the-overpressured-hothouse-that-is-oxbridge-437155.html |work=[[The Independent]] |title=The over-pressured hothouse that is Oxbridge |quote=Two recent deaths have brought the issue of Oxbridge students' mental health back to the surface |date=21 February 2007 |accessdate=2009-02-02 |author=Elizabeth Davies |location=London |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090207064542/http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/elizabeth-davies-the-overpressured-hothouse-that-is-oxbridge-437155.html |archivedate=7 February 2009 }}</ref> and high-flying state school students who find "coping with the workload very difficult in terms of balancing work and life" and "feel socially out of [their] depth".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3724/is_/ai_n17191156 |publisher=[[The Spectator]] |date=2 December 2006 |author=Charlie Boss |title=Why so many state school pupils drop out of Oxbridge |accessdate=2009-02-02}}</ref>
+The word ''Oxbridge'' may also be used pejoratively: as a descriptor of [[social class]] (referring to the professional classes who dominated the intake of both universities at the beginning of the twentieth century),<ref>{{cite book |author=Robert David Anderson |publisher=[[Oxford University Press|OUP]] |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-19-820660-6 |title=European universities from the Enlightenment to 1914 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Sf6NeT3045IC&pg=PA135 |page=135 |accessdate=2009-03-22}}</ref> as shorthand for an [[Elite#Educational elite|elite]] that "continues to dominate Britain's political and cultural establishment"<ref name="guardian_20080316_1" /><ref>{{Cite journal|title=Oxbridge Blues|publisher=The Guardian|url=http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/carole_cadwalladr/2008/03/oxbridge_blues.html|author=Carole Cadwalladr|date=16 March 2008|postscript=<!--None-->}}</ref> and a parental attitude that "continues to see UK higher education through an Oxbridge prism",<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2004/jan/20/oxbridgeandelitism.schools |title=Down but not out |publisher=[[The Guardian]] |author=Eric Thomas |authorlink=Eric Thomas (academic) |date=20 January 2004 |accessdate=2009-08-28 | location=London}}</ref> or to describe a "pressure-cooker" culture that attracts and then fails to support overachievers "who are vulnerable to a kind of self-inflicted stress that can all too often become unbearable"<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/elizabeth-davies-the-overpressured-hothouse-that-is-oxbridge-437155.html |work=[[The Independent]] |title=The over-pressured hothouse that is Oxbridge |quote=Two recent deaths have brought the issue of Oxbridge students' mental health back to the surface |date=21 February 2007 |accessdate=2009-02-02 |author=Elizabeth Davies |location=London |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090207064542/http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/elizabeth-davies-the-overpressured-hothouse-that-is-oxbridge-437155.html |archivedate=7 February 2009 }}</ref> and high-flying state school students who find "coping with the workload very difficult in terms of balancing work and life" and "feel socially out of [their] depth".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3724/is_/ai_n17191156 |publisher=[[The Spectator]] |date=2 December 2006 |author=Charlie Boss |title=Why so many state school pupils drop out of Oxbridge |accessdate=2009-02-02 }}{{dead link|date=May 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
 ==Related terms==
 Thackeray's ''Pendennis'' also introduced the term ''Camford'' as another combination of the university names&nbsp;&ndash; "he was a Camford man and very nearly got the English Prize Poem"&nbsp;&ndash; although this term has never achieved the same degree of usage as ''Oxbridge''.  Camford was also used in the [[Sherlock Holmes]] story ''[[The Adventure of the Creeping Man]]'' (1923).
-Other words have been derived from the term ''Oxbridge'', though none has achieved widespread recognition. One example is ''Doxbridge'', referring to [[Durham University|Durham]], Oxford and Cambridge,<ref name=doxbridge2>{{cite web|title=How middle-class are you? Take this quiz|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/9090759/How-middle-class-are-you-Take-this-quiz.html|publisher=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|date=19 Feb 2012|accessdate=2017-03-10}}</ref><ref name=doxbridge3>{{cite web|title=Doxbridge: a chip on our collective shoulders?|url=https://www.palatinate.org.uk/doxbridge-a-chip-on-our-collective-shoulders/|publisher=Palatinate|date=November 6, 2014|accessdate=2017-03-10}}</ref><ref name=doxbridge4>{{cite web|title=Debate: Rather be at Oxbridge than Doxbridge?|url=http://thetab.com/uk/cambridge/2012/01/16/rather-be-at-oxbridge-than-doxbridge-3428|publisher=The Tab|date=16 January 2016|accessdate=2017-03-10}}</ref> and used for an annual inter-collegiate sports tournament between some of the colleges of [[Durham University|Durham]], Oxford, Cambridge and York;<ref name=doxbridge>{{cite web | title=The University Sports Tour for Easter 2008 | url=http://www.doxbridge.co.uk/index.html | accessdate =2008-04-13 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20080402051845/http://www.doxbridge.co.uk/index.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archivedate =2008-04-02}}</ref> while ''Woxbridge'' is seen in the name of the annual Woxbridge conference between the business schools of [[University of Warwick|Warwick]], Oxford and Cambridge.<ref>{{cite web|title=Woxbridge 2011|url=http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/wbs/conf/woxbridge2011/|work=Conference Website}}</ref> The term ''Loxbridge'' (referring to [[University of London|London]], Oxford, and Cambridge) is sometimes seen,<ref name=loxbridge>{{cite journal | author=Morgan, K. J. | title= The research assessment exercise in English universities, 2001 | journal=Higher Education | volume=48 | pages=461&ndash;482 | year=2004 | url=http://www.springerlink.com/content/k601035744543035/ | doi= 10.1023/B:HIGH.0000046717.11717.06 | issue=4 }}</ref> and was also adopted as the name of the [[Ancient history|Ancient History]] conference now known as ''AMPAH''.<ref name=AMPAH>{{cite web | title=AMPAH 2003: Annual Meeting of Postgraduates in Ancient History (formerly also known as LOxBridge) | url=http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/classics/postgraduate/ampah/ | accessdate =2008-04-13}}</ref>
+Other words have been derived from the term ''Oxbridge'', though none has achieved widespread recognition. One example is ''Doxbridge'', referring to [[Durham University|Durham]], Oxford and Cambridge,<ref name=doxbridge2>{{cite web|title=How middle-class are you? Take this quiz|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/9090759/How-middle-class-are-you-Take-this-quiz.html|publisher=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|date=19 Feb 2012|accessdate=2017-03-10}}</ref><ref name=doxbridge3>{{cite web|title=Doxbridge: a chip on our collective shoulders?|url=https://www.palatinate.org.uk/doxbridge-a-chip-on-our-collective-shoulders/|publisher=Palatinate|date=November 6, 2014|accessdate=2017-03-10}}</ref><ref name=doxbridge4>{{cite web|title=Debate: Rather be at Oxbridge than Doxbridge?|url=http://thetab.com/uk/cambridge/2012/01/16/rather-be-at-oxbridge-than-doxbridge-3428|publisher=The Tab|date=16 January 2016|accessdate=2017-03-10}}</ref> and used for an annual inter-collegiate sports tournament between some of the colleges of [[Durham University|Durham]], Oxford, Cambridge and York;<ref name=doxbridge>{{cite web|title=The University Sports Tour for Easter 2008 |url=http://www.doxbridge.co.uk/index.html |accessdate=2008-04-13 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080402051845/http://www.doxbridge.co.uk/index.html |archivedate=2 April 2008 |deadurl=yes |df= }}</ref> while ''Woxbridge'' is seen in the name of the annual Woxbridge conference between the business schools of [[University of Warwick|Warwick]], Oxford and Cambridge.<ref>{{cite web|title=Woxbridge 2011|url=http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/wbs/conf/woxbridge2011/|work=Conference Website}}</ref> The term ''Loxbridge'' (referring to [[University of London|London]], Oxford, and Cambridge) is sometimes seen,<ref name=loxbridge>{{cite journal | author=Morgan, K. J. | title= The research assessment exercise in English universities, 2001 | journal=Higher Education | volume=48 | pages=461&ndash;482 | year=2004 | url=http://www.springerlink.com/content/k601035744543035/ | doi= 10.1023/B:HIGH.0000046717.11717.06 | issue=4 }}</ref> and was also adopted as the name of the [[Ancient history|Ancient History]] conference now known as ''AMPAH''.<ref name=AMPAH>{{cite web | title=AMPAH 2003: Annual Meeting of Postgraduates in Ancient History (formerly also known as LOxBridge) | url=http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/classics/postgraduate/ampah/ | accessdate =2008-04-13}}</ref>
 ==See also==
@@ Line 50: / Line 50: @@
 * [http://www.curufc.com/fixturesandresults_thevarsitymatch.php The Varsity Match]
 * [http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/about/awards-announcements-and-prizes/nobel-prize-winners/ Cambridge Nobel Laureates]
-* [http://www.ox.ac.uk/about_the_university/oxford_people/oxonian_award_winners Oxford Nobel Laureates]
+* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110610115457/http://www.ox.ac.uk/about_the_university/oxford_people/oxonian_award_winners/ Oxford Nobel Laureates]
-* [http://www.ox.ac.uk/about_the_university/oxford_people/famous_oxonians/index.html Oxford University Famous Members]
+* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110630072355/http://www.ox.ac.uk/about_the_university/oxford_people/famous_oxonians/index.html Oxford University Famous Members]
 {{University associations and groupings in the United Kingdom}}