University of Oxford - New media to hike state intake

The proportion of the University of Oxford's British undergraduates who studied at state schools rose to 55.4 per cent in 2008, up 2 per cent compared with the previous year. Now the university is using new media tools to target teachers and boost the numbers. Mike Nicholson, director of undergraduate admissions at Oxford, said: "Despite offering podcasts and e-mentoring, the university can't be with every student all of the time. That's why we're developing ways of working with teachers, who help many students apply to university each year." As well as an e-newsletter for teachers, which has more than 2,000 subscribers, Oxford is visiting state schools across the country to encourage applications.