No reference 1

[barneyboo]

I wanted a reference to apply for an Art History course at Oxford Uni and wrote to my old school asking if they could write one. They replied saying that they felt unable to as it was seventeen years since I left and that their records didn't go back that far. So I managed to track down my old art teacher who now works for the council by googling her name. She was always really nice and helped me when I got bullied in my final year, even giving me a lift home in her car when I was too frightened to walk home.
I sent the reference form, an S.A.E., a photo of my art display that she took and a nice letter adding a few bits about what I have been doing since I left school, that I had lost my dad and both his parents in 2002 and that after all that bad luck I was wanting to do this course to cheer myself up and do something I enjoyed. I also added that my sister (who she taught just after I had left) was due to have a baby in a couple of months.

[cazzz1975]

Wouldnt the uni deal with mature students differently to younger students? wouldnt it be more based on an informal interview and a portfolio of your work?

[dot.hawkes]

your reference should be more from recent study maybe, have you done a foundation course? if not then you should apply for that and use recent employers as a reerence and back it up with your certificates from college/school

[DONNAKEBABUK]

From the MILLIONs of world wide applications that Oxford Uni get every year, they wont check up on references. Get a friend to say they were your teacher who is now retired (so they wont be on any lists anymore !).

Some things in life have to be done to get where you want to be.

Katie. x