Getting into Oxford

Rolen · #1 12-26-2006, 08:29 PM

Hello, i'm going to be applying to Oxford university this year and i'm looking for guidence from anyone that has applied for or attended Ox/Cam. What I really need is advice on what the different colleges are really like, plus discussion on the interview process would also be helpful. I have some books on the subject, but the guidance of someone who's actually been through it will surely be more helpful and their advice more accurate.

Thanks - Max.

lippy · #2 12-27-2006, 12:10 AM

FWIW, I don't recall anyone mentioning Ox/Cam affiliations here.

lsaw2 · #3 12-27-2006, 12:13 AM

I have friends at Oxford and Cambridge, good grades are so common now, your application/part of the interview process have to be top notch, there is nothing to distinguish people with 3/4 top grades at college. Cant help you on colleges. I know some people who got rejected and they had such amazing grades it was silly. GL.

emon87 · #4 12-27-2006, 01:48 AM

If applying to college in UK is anything like in the states, you're gonna need minority status or a legacy to get in.

NHFunkii · #5 12-27-2006, 02:24 AM

jesus I've seen you make this post in like 4 threads; get over yourself. ivy league schools are still like at least 2/3 white, and you're retarded if you think all those kids are legacies. I'm sorry you didn't get in, but you don't have to bring this racist [censored] to every thread.

NoahSD · #6 12-27-2006, 02:38 AM

Yeah.. what Funki said.

Also, I'd like to point out that Oxford can suck my balls because my stupid study abroad office screwed me over, so now I'm gonna be in some non-Oxford/Cambridge school in England next semester.

Rolen · #7 12-27-2006, 02:52 AM

Where? If you still have a choice I might be able to help if you have any Qs.

NoahSD · #8 12-27-2006, 03:38 AM

Thanks, but I'm already going to UCL, and I'm actually pretty happy about it--I'd just prefer Ox/Cam.

GL getting in, man. I don't think there are many people on 2p2 who went to Oxford (altho there are a bunch who've went to great schools in the states for whatever reason), so I'm not sure this is a great place to go. Pretty sure there are forums where people who are obsessed with this stuff will be more than happy to help you out, though.

DrunkHamster · #9 12-27-2006, 04:43 AM

I'm at Oxford, what exactly do you want to know?

Re the colleges, you need to decide whether you want an old/new, big/small, rich/poor, central/non central, academic/not (or at least less academic...) college. Another thing: unless you're really confident in your abilities, avoid going for the ridiculously oversubscribed colleges (like Christ's Church, Magdalen, maybe Balliol). Having said this, once you know you really like a college, just go for it - there's not much point in playing the numbers game too much cos it always fluctuates. For example, my college (Worcester) had more applicants this year than any other oxford college ever, so you never know.

Interview depends hugely on what subject you're going for, so let me know and I can ask some people what the interviews were like.

Cambridge I'm afraid I don't know much about, except you'll have to make similar choices on the colleges.

Rolen · #10 12-27-2006, 05:23 AM

My subject is chemistry. I have read that the individual's college matters less with the sciences because the labs are communal, so i'm planning on applying to colleges that are more likely to have a place for me. TBH I don't care which college i'm in and i'm not really sure what to base a preference on. Short of visiting the places, the only difference I can tell is reputation, and does it really matter that X people that attended Magdalen have gone on to win nobel prizes?

I'm interested to know how you came to the decision to apply for Worcester, and if you can do some research on the interview process for Chem, that would be great. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]