Registered Visiting Students

Overview

Since 1987, OSAP has successfully recommended highly qualified students for some Registered Visiting Student places in several Oxford colleges each year.

We now work with two Oxford colleges  to recommend highly qualified students for Visiting Student places, which include almost all University privileges.

The minimum GPA for Visiting Student applications is 3.7/4.0.

We must stress again that the various formal and informal relationships that we have here in Oxford permit us to recommend a certain number of students each term or year. There is no guarantee that a particular Oxford college will accept a particular student, no matter how qualified.

Accepted Visiting Students must also be registered by the Oxford Colleges Admissions office; Visiting Students then receive an Oxford University ID card. Visiting Students have almost all the privileges of degree candidates in university facilities (lectures, libraries, laboratories, Oxford University email privileges, etc.), as well as college privileges, and therefore must be approved by the University authorities.

We would prefer to receive Visiting Student applications no later than three months before the start of the term, and preferably earlier. Since Oxford colleges operate a rolling admissions policy, places are obviously filled fairly quickly, so the earlier the application the better. Students should call us if they wish to apply late; there may still be vacancies due to withdrawals.

Tutorials, Academic Credit and Transcripts

OSAP will ensure that accepted Visiting Students will be in residence for 13 weeks a term and will study in two primary tutorial courses of nine tutorial sessions each. The average Visiting Student is recommended to receive 18 U.S. semester credits over 12-13 weeks of intensive academic work, provided that the standard tutorial regime is completed.

For more information on choosing your Oxford tutorials, click here.

As Visiting Student transcripts are sent by the student’s Oxford college, the accompanying cover letter will be on the student’s Oxford college letterhead, and will be signed by the Tutor for Visiting Students in that particular college. Transcripts are typically issued 5 to 7 weeks from the end of the term, at which point a hard copy is sent both to the student’s permanent address and to their home university registrar.

Prior to departure, it is important to get approval from the study abroad office and academic department of your home campus to ensure the credits you earn while studying with OSAP transfer toward the degree from your home campus.  This credit transfer approval process is and must be entirely the responsibility of the student.

For more information on academic credit and transcripts, click here.

Terms, Dates, and Fees

For a current listing of the full-length terms available to Associated Members, as well as the relevant dates and fees, click here.

For a current listing of the shorter, summer terms available to Associated Members, as well as the relevant dates and fees, click here.

Apply Online

To begin or update your Visiting Student application, click here.

Application Process

Students who wish to apply for Visiting Student status should use our online application and indicate their preference for Visiting Student status. A complete online application will include the submission of:

  • Completed online application
  • University transcripts indicating a GPA of 3.7/4.0 or above
  • Two letters of recommendation
  • Tutorial Requests (included in the online application)
  • Personal statement of at least 500 words (included in the online application)
  • Academic writing sample (attached to your online application)
  • Payment of the $500 ($750 from 2025-2026) Visiting Student Application Fee (non-refundable; pay online via this link)

Note: Visiting Student applicants who are not native English speakers must normally demonstrate sufficient proficiency in this language by meeting minimum IELTS, TOEFL, CAE, or CPE score requirements. Please contact academic@osapabroad.com for more information.

Once the application is complete, and all supporting documentation received, the application will then be forwarded by OSAP to the Visiting Student Admissions Committee of Magdalen College or New College, which will then make an admissions decision.

The accepted student will receive a letter from the Oxford college admitting him or her as a Visiting Student of the college and the student will also be registered as a Visiting Student of Oxford University.

Visiting Students who apply initially through OSAP are able to apply for any term (including the Trinity term only), not only for the Fall term or for the combined Winter and Spring terms. This system is helpful to students from colleges with quarter terms.

To begin or update your Visiting Student application, click here.

 

"My academic program was excellent. Much more work than expected. My law and ethics course was amazing--definitely worth the work...I wrote 13 essays!"

"The JCR provided a warm welcome, socially, academically, and athletically, without any regard to associate member status."