English Literature What would I study and how do courses differ? You will study a range of literature from across time and cultures and courses differ enormously from institution to institution. It seems an obvious thing to say, but a great deal of your time will be spent reading a combination of core texts, critical writings and areas of your own academic interest. There will also be a requirement to submit essays on a rolling basis throughout the course. It is likely that you will have very little supervised contact time with your tutors – perhaps 10 hours of lectures and tutorials per week. The rest of your time will be spent in the library or consuming literature in the academic venue of your choice. All English Literature courses will have a requirement to study writing from a range of contexts, but some are more prescriptive than others. Some courses will adopt a chronological approach, studying a range of literature from Anglo-Saxon times through to the present day; others allow greater freedom of choice from the beginning and have a selection of core modules that sit alongside a range of options. Are there any essential or recommended A Levels? You must have an A Level in English Literature. Other subjects that support an English Literature application include English Language, History and Classics, but there is no requirement to hold these qualifications. You will be expected to produce a number of essays over the course of study, so A Levels in essay subjects would be regarded favourably. Which is the best university for English and what are the typical grade requirements? Many universities offer highly regarded courses. The following list is by no means exhaustive; Cambridge, Oxford, Bristol, Kings College London, Durham, Exeter, York, Warwick, St Andrews, Edinburgh, Nottingham, Sheffield, Leeds, Manchester. Most universities will make an offer in the A*AA – AAB range, but this varies from course to course and some will be as high as A*A*A. Is there any special advice for Oxbridge applicants? Any kind of ‘literary’ activity is valuable here: attending talks and events, creative writing, journalism, theatre/film –all of these both in and out of school. Be sure to make the most of opportunities as and when they occur, and just as importantly go out and find these opportunities yourself. You live a short journey away from one of the most vibrant cultural hubs in the world: use it to your advantage. By far the most important aspect to distinguish the very best English applicants is an independent and ambitious engagement with reading and thinking well beyond the requirements of the A-Level course. Oxford and Cambridge candidates are required to sit the ELAT. This is a written test which examines your ability to read texts
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