Oxford’s Director of Undergraduate Admissions and Outreach, Dr Samira Khan, has suggested that students from disadvantaged backgrounds are now unlikely to be put off applying to Oxford because of its long history as they have “grown up with Harry Potter”.

Speaking to the Times Educational Supplement, Khan claimed that Oxford’s “grand dining halls” are often “compared to Hogwarts”, and that students from the “Hogwarts generation” are often “really excited” about the prospect of the university’s many traditions, saying that “they are probably more familiar with it than we give them credit for”.

Students “recognise the benefits of [a] small college community, the grand tables, talking about current affairs — that’s what we want them to embrace and take ownership of”, she added.

She also claimed that students from disadvantaged backgrounds who are predicted three A grades at A-level were “more likely” to be invited to interview than their more advantaged peers, because of Oxford’s use of contextual data. Khan said that this data is most often used when Oxford reaches a “threshold point”, when it becomes difficult to distinguish between different applicants according to their grades.

For instance, the applicant’s exam results can be considered in relation to their school’s average or in relation to their socio-economic background.

Responding to Khan’s comments, a spokesperson from the University of Cambridge said that it invites “everyone who has a realistic chance of being offered a place” to interview, and that “If a student has a good examination record and a favourable reference, they are likely to be invited to attend an interview”.

The spokesperson claimed that “throughout the admissions decision-making process, we assess a package of evidence... as well as contextual information about applicants.”

They added that Cambridge “works hard to raise aspirations among disadvantaged groups and to widen participation both at Cambridge and in higher education in general”, and that it “runs 4,000 widening participation events”.

The spokesperson also claimed that Cambridge provides a “great deal of information about applying to and studying at Cambridge online, including films which aim to demystify the interview process”.