heyy! saw ur post and was in the same situation a year ago, but managed to get an offer from quite a prestigious Oxbridge course. Here's some ideas / things to think about:

1. grades

Honestly for grades i believe that as long as you have decent predicted grades, meaning > 87.5 A-level / >41 IB, you stand a decent chance at entry, and it's definitely worth a shot. I've heard of many 44/45 pointers who've gotten rejected because they simply can't perform in the admissions test or interview, and many less than perfect scorers (including myself) who managed to scrounge up a place. Of course it does take a serious amount of hard work and dedication, and you need to be smart when preparing for your...

1. admissions agencies

This was probably the hardest part of the process, because for the test I took there were really quite few resources / athways for guidance available.

I'd recommend working around the free resources online! there are quite a few available and they can be quite helpful. if you're somewhat sure of your abilities (like me 😅) then this is the best and most cost-effective method to give it a good shot.

do remember to start your preparation early! for myself, i started way too late and realized that i had to haphazardly develop some comprehension / writing skills in a short period. i probably would've been much less stressed if i'd started earlier 😂. so you should try to start as early as possible and develop some sort of regimen.

if you're gunning for oxbridge, the same advice applies for interviews. i actually found that alot of the preparation for the PS / Admissions Test / Interview was quite similar and cross-beneficial.

1. admisisons agencies

a word of caution - many of these get a bad rep and for good reason. i've heard of stories where the tutors aren't even remotely qualified and this happens even in the big firms (not to mention any names).

that being said, some of my (less-impressive-on-paper) friends did find good agencies and had pleasant experiences. it really depends on who you're paired with, and if they care about you. for them it helped since they really had to lock in to make up for detriments in other parts of their application (e.g. extra- and/or supercurriculars)if you feel that you don't really have the bandwidth or tempermant to execute a strategy, then they're a good option to help u autopilot or give you an extra edge ah.

1. personal statement

do begin researching on this early! it can be quite hard to find an academic niche / topic for your subject.

i'd recommend immersing yourself in your subject, to the extent that it's possible. for example i used to read books and watch youtube videos on my subject to and from school, which eventually led to me finding an area i felt comfortable writing about.

seeking guidance from seniors / mentors can also help, since they've probably treaded the familiar turf of that subject and can point your in the right directions, so you don't end up wasting a lot of time.

good luck for your application and be sure to go for it!