UK unis - Applying to Oxbridge

[Hughie]

Hey,

I posted on this forum a while ago asking about the UK uni admission system, and I think I finally got the hang of it a little So thank you so much for that, those who have kindly replied to me on that topic.

But then some other questions also popped up in my mind:

1. When exactly does the application for Oxbridge start?

2. Could anyone tell me what kind of stuff are required for me when applying for them (how many essays, how many requirements, etc), or give me a site with all the requirements on there?

3. I heard that some of you did your interview with Cambridge sometime in December, but then a girl in my school did her interview with Oxford around mid-October last year (in Singapore). Why the difference? O_o

4. Say you get a 45/45 in IB or maybe 44/45 - would that secure your place in any uni in UK, or would the interview still matter more? i.e. if I screw up my interview, am I not going to get into Oxbridge even if I get 44 or 45 for my IB mark?

5. Alternatively, as it seems that if I do get an invitation to interview it'd be before my final exams, if I did great in my interview and got 43~45 for my predicted grade would they still care about my final IB marks?

6. When exactly would you get a letter of acceptance/rejection? Please bear in mind that I'm studying all the way down there in Australia, and hence my exams will be in November

7. Has anyone done their interview for Economics/Maths in Oxbridge? I did read blindpet's recount of the interview, but then I wondered what it'd be like for someone applying for Economics or Maths.

8. Are the "styles" of interview similar for Oxford and Cambridge?

Before I ask my final question, though, I thought I might explain my situation a little

I'm actually a Korean (I'm studying overseas in Australia), and I visited UK when I was 5 years old for about 6 months or so - during which I also toured around a whole lot of other European countries - with my parents. There I first heard about Oxford, when my parents were talking about it; and I don't know why, but the moment I heard about it I thought "Wow, that's a pretty name for a uni!" and decided that if I ever go to any uni it'd be Oxford. I didn't know that Oxford was a well-known uni throughout the world by then, or cared about it for that matter of course

I'm 17 now, turning 18 this year - and that determination hasn't faltered once for 12 years. The whole reason I went to study overseas, first in NZ and then Australia, by myself is to do IB and increase my chance of actually getting into Oxford. So at the moment I'm actually not considering any other options for my uni other than Oxford.

That being done, my last question is:

9. Should I mention that whole story up there in my application or interview for Oxford ("to show my passion", as my friend put it ), or would it seem as if I'm begging at them to give me a place?

Sorry for having so many questions at once But I was getting kind of nervous lately about the whole thing and the only place I could think of was here, so yeah...

Please help me out

Edited January 3, 2009 by Hughie

[Hyperbole]

Hey there! I went through the application process for French and Linguistics at Oxford this autumn, so I can answer some of your questions.

1. When exactly does the application for Oxbridge start?

The UCAS function Apply opens in mid-September this year, and for Oxbridge the deadline is October 15. So by early September you should be well on your way with your personal statement, reference, and getting predicted grades.

2. Could anyone tell me what kind of stuff are required for me when applying for them (how many essays, how many requirements, etc), or give me a site with all the requirements on there?

I had to send in three essays apart from the rest of the application, however it varies a lot depending on your subjects. The information page about your course should contain guidelines for this; there also used to be a page with an overview of all the subjects that required work to be sent in, although I can't find it anymore. It might come up again; after all, you do have quite a lot of time left.

3. I heard that some of you did your interview with Cambridge sometime in December, but then a girl in my school did her interview with Oxford around mid-October last year (in Singapore). Why the difference? O_o

Overseas students aren't required to come to interview at the university, but can come to other places. I know Singapore and New York are usually possible places to interview at. The closing date for overseas students is September 20, I think, so everything happens a lot earlier. Which I guess is important for you to know! The International Students page says that the procedure for admission is currently under review, so I think you should keep an eye on things there.

4. Say you get a 45/45 in IB or maybe 44/45 - would that secure your place in any uni in UK, or would the interview still matter more? i.e. if I screw up my interview, am I not going to get into Oxbridge even if I get 44 or 45 for my IB mark?

The final grades wouldn't "secure" a place anywhere; if your personal statement, reference and written work aren't satisfactory, you won't be invited for interview, and if your interview isn't successful you won't be offered a place. It doesn't matter how many points you get; if you are rejected, they can't take that back just because you do well. And it's not so much the marks they care about: the potential they can see is so much more important. So yes, if you screw up your interview and are rejected you will not be going there no matter how well you do in your exams. But there is still the option of waiting a year and applying again! Similarly, other universities will care more about your personal statement and reference than your predicted grades, and if those two aren't satisfactory they won't offer you a place even if you are predicted 45 points.

5. Alternatively, as it seems that if I do get an invitation to interview it'd be before my final exams, if I did great in my interview and got 43~45 for my predicted grade would they still care about my final IB marks?

May or may not. Sometimes, if they think you're really good, they'll give you an unconditional even if you don't have your exam results yet. But they usually give out conditional offers, which means that your results do matter. On the other hand, sometimes they accept people who only just didn't achieve their conditions.

6. When exactly would you get a letter of acceptance/rejection? Please bear in mind that I'm studying all the way down there in Australia, and hence my exams will be in November

I got mine on December 23, although I had already had an email the day before saying I was rejected. (The college I applied to has a policy of emailing every letter they send if you're from outside the UK - which I am.) I heard of some people who got their rejection letters already before the twentieth, and there are still some people waiting. You should definitely have it by mid-January, though.

7. Has anyone done their interview for Economics/Maths in Oxbridge? I did read blindpet's recount of the interview, but then I wondered what it'd be like for someone applying for Economics or Maths.

No, sorry. French and Linguistics for me!

8. Are the "styles" of interview similar for Oxford and Cambridge?

I think so, but I'm definitely not sure. I haven't really talked to any Cambridge applicants. I think the things you get to do should be pretty similar, though, because there are only that many ways to explore a person's academic potential.

9. Should I mention that whole story up there in my application or interview for Oxford ("to show my passioin", as my friend put it ), or would it seem as if I'm begging at them to give me a place?

I don't think so. They don't really give a damn about how long you've wanted this; all they care about is your academic potential and aptitude and motivation.

Um... Keep in mind that I was rejected, so my answers about how to do things may not always be the absolute truth. (If there even is one...) Also! Don't apply only to Oxford. My experience at the interview was that it wasn't at all what I had expected: I wasn't even sure I would have wanted to go there. Of course, for the academic renown it's the best. But I really hated the atmosphere, the buildings, the people, practically everything. There are so many other excellent universities out there! And the competition is fierce: I only stopped crying daily over this a couple of days ago, and the whole application has been extremely stressful. I wouldn't advise anyone to make Oxford their only choice, because it's so extremely difficult to get in, and having it be your only option seems to make everything even more stressful.

Anyway. I hope this helped a bit. Good luck with your application!

[Abu]

1.When exactly does the application for Oxbridge start?

You can start sending in applications in from the 1st of September.

2. Could anyone tell me what kind of stuff are required for me when applying for them (how many essays, how many requirements, etc), or give me a site with all the requirements on there?

It depends on the course that you apply to. Some courses require a TSA, some require a sample of written work and some don't need anything apart from the standard interview. The requirements are on the universities' web site.

3.I heard that some of you did your interview with Cambridge sometime in December, but then a girl in my school did her interview with Oxford around mid-October last year (in Singapore). Why the difference? O_o

The international interviews take place earlier than the interviews in the respective universities.

4.Say you get a 45/45 in IB or maybe 44/45 - would that secure your place in any uni in UK, or would the interview still matter more? i.e. if I screw up my interview, am I not going to get into Oxbridge even if I get 44 or 45 for my IB mark?

If you screw up the interview, that may mean that you won't get into Oxbridge. Although if you have a killer Personal Statement, that might have a small chance of still receiving an offer.

5. Alternatively, as it seems that if I do get an invitation to interview it'd be before my final exams, if I did great in my interview and got 43~45 for my predicted grade would they still care about my final IB marks?

What do you mean? They would give you a conditional offer after your interview, and your entrance to university depends on you meeting your conditions. An example of a recent offer is 42 and 777 in HL subjects by IBS Member Scade

6. When exactly would you get a letter of acceptance/rejection? Please bear in mind that I'm studying all the way down there in Australia, and hence my exams will be in November

If you get an interview, your Oxford decision will be at the end of December, while your Cambridge decision will be given in the beginning of January.

7. Has anyone done their interview for Economics/Maths in Oxbridge? I did read blindpet's recount of the interview, but then I wondered what it'd be like for someone applying for Economics or Maths.

Can't say

8. Are the "styles" of interview similar for Oxford and Cambridge?

I should think so.

9. Should I mention that whole story up there in my application or interview for Oxford ("to show my passioin", as my friend put it ), or would it seem as if I'm begging at them to give me a place?

Yeah, mention it with a lot of excitement and that may help you. Although the interviewer may have heard that kind of story a few times, and would think of your version as complete hogwash. That said, it depends on your individual interviewer if they believe it.

And another thing, getting predicted 44, or even 45 points, won't guarantee either an interview neither an offer. There was somebody who was predicted 45 points, did A1 HL English too (that means that their English was spot on perfect), and got rejected to 3 out of 5 universities, and got rejected from Oxford, post interview.

Maybe you don't know already, you can't apply to both Oxford and Cambridge in the same academic year. Hope the above gives you some idea of the process

[Hughie]

Hyperbole - Thanks so much You've helped me out a lot

Could you tell me what your interview went like? O_o People - not of this forum, but then this blog where applicants post their interview experience - were talking about "Oxford-style" questions, i.e. those really weird ones that you just go, "What the heck?" the moment you see them. Is it true?

Aboo - No, I certainly didn't know that you can't apply for both Oxford and Cambridge the same year......O_o Holy.

Edited January 3, 2009 by Hughie

[Abu]

I just changed my reply a bit Hughie.

[Hyperbole]

I didn't have any super weird questions. Some of them were really difficult to answer, because I'd never thought about them before, but there was nothing super weird. But then, languages isn't the kind of area where you can ask very strange questions! I did hear about a few Law applicants who had had some pretty wacky questions...

Anyway, I had two interviews. The first one was supposed to be about fifteen minutes long, and I was asked a few linguistics questions, a bit about literature (in French! heh), and about one thing in my reference which I wasn't prepared to answer. We talked for about seven minutes, then the tutors went "... I have nothing more to ask. Do you? Hm. Let's see if the applicant has any questions!" I didn't, so then I was allowed to leave.

The long interview was almost half an hour, plus fifteen minutes of preparation with a poem. I got the impression that many of the subjects had this type of exercise - reading a text and then discussing some issue in it. I think I was made to talk about the poem for about ten minutes, and then I was asked about something in my personal statement in French. Then they gave me the opportunity to talk about some literature I've studied in French, and then again I was asked if I had any questions. At this interview there was one French tutor and one Italian tutor, and the latter barely said a word, which was strange. I was also sitting very far from them, and they were sitting far from one another, so it was quite awkward.

The interviews themselves weren't super horrible, though. The tutors were pretty kind; when I didn't have an answer, they just said that it was fine and moved on. But they sat quite still; they didn't do any encouraging gestures like nodding or saying "okay" or anything like that. I actually came out from the long interview feeling that I'd nailed it, and I was pretty sure I would get an offer. But then there was also a written test (two, actually) which went very badly, so I guess that's what broke my application.

[Hughie]

Aboo - yup, checked them just now. Thank you so much And that part about how 44 or 45 wouldn't secure you even an interview, that depressed me a lot just now...... Dang, there I was, naively thinking that if I do well in my exams everything'll be fine

Hyperbole - That still sounds scary, I gotta say O_o Sounds fun though Thanks

[Hyperbole]

And that part about how 44 or 45 wouldn't secure you even an interview, that depressed me a lot just now...... Dang, there I was, naively thinking that if I do well in my exams everything'll be fine

That's why I think it's so important to apply to other places too. I have a feeling some other universities may care a bit more about how well you do at school, and if you apply to five places there should surely be somewhere you can go in the end. But no, just managing the IB doesn't fix the rest of our lives...sadly?

I also had this Thought. I'm imagining that you're dreaming as much as I was, having a mental picture of how Oxford is Heaven or something. (I so did! Grah.) Do be prepared to be disappointed! It won't necessarily be all you dream of. And try to visit before deciding to spend three years there. (Since you might not go to the interview at the university, visiting in some other way might be worth considering.)

[Abu]

Looking back at your first post, I realise it's a bit late now, but if you really wanted Oxford offer maximisation, and that's the sole reason you moved to Australia / NZ, you'd have been much better off doing A-Levels or something. Easier to get 3As, or do something like 5 A levels and that's bound to have gotten you an interview.

Make yourself stand out in the personal statement so that you get the interview. If you're confident of your interview skills, then getting an offer is easy, provided you make it to the interview.

[Hughie]

Hyperbole - Yeah I really hope some universities would actually care more for IB grades!

I've visited Oxford when I was 5, when I started "desiring" going to Oxford But then I don't remember much of it, being so young back then. Apparently some girls there giggled at my parents and me when we were taking photos in front of Merton, even though I don't quite remember. So no, I definitely don't have any fantasies about the students there being comprised only of agreeable, amiable characters

And nah, I'm sure that I'm not romanticising Oxford in any way at the moment methinks It's just been a dream of mine since I was very young, a dream that I would very much like to make it come true indeed. So at the moment, what I believe myself to be feeling is that: I don't really care what Oxford in real life is like, as long as I get in there.

Yeah, I might be hating Oxford if I do get in and spend about a week or so there, cursing the 5-years-old-me for even dreaming of getting into a place like this and therefore placing me in a uni I would, under normal conditions, haven't even considered going to......but heck, all that for later if I do get in after all, you know?

Aboo - That's true, but then studying in UK is much more expensive than studying in Aus or NZ and, well, my family isn't rich enough The fact that my great-aunt was living in NZ also played a large part when deciding which country I should go to study in - my parents were nervous about me going overseas to study by myself, and they thought I might need some family support in my first year.

Yeah, that's the part I'm nervous about. My interview skills, well, even though my confidence keeps being eroded as I read more and more of those guidelines, reflections, sharing of experiences, etc on the interviews, I think I'd do o-kay. The problem is my personal statement. I'm pretty sure I'd do something extremely experimental, and at the same time extremely stupid, in an effort to stand out and then just ruin my chance of getting an interview at all

Edited January 3, 2009 by Hughie

[Aliquantus]

7. Has anyone done their interview for Economics/Maths in Oxbridge? I did read blindpet's recount of the interview, but then I wondered what it'd be like for someone applying for Economics or Maths.

Phew... hope that helped a bit.

Edited January 20, 2009 by Aliquantus

[Hughie]

Holy.........yeah it helped greatly, thanks so much! It gave me some idea of what to expect if I actually do get an interview......and dang, nearly all of those questions seem as if they're from areas that my class hasn't covered yet.

[Abu]

Aboo - That's true, but then studying in UK is much more expensive than studying in Aus or NZ and, well, my family isn't rich enough The fact that my great-aunt was living in NZ also played a large part when deciding which country I should go to study in - my parents were nervous about me going overseas to study by myself, and they thought I might need some family support in my first year.

Yeah, that's the part I'm nervous about. My interview skills, well, even though my confidence keeps being eroded as I read more and more of those guidelines, reflections, sharing of experiences, etc on the interviews, I think I'd do o-kay. The problem is my personal statement. I'm pretty sure I'd do something extremely experimental, and at the same time extremely stupid, in an effort to stand out and then just ruin my chance of getting an interview at all

Once you finish your PS, I'd be happy to go over it. Don't put down yourself so much, experimental works beautifully sometimes.

[Hughie]

I've said this before I think, but I'll say it again: I love you so much!

[deissi]

Hi,

Firstly, are you aware that you can only apply to either Oxford or Cambridge, not both? I was interviewed for Land Economy at Cambridge (yet to receive a decision), so I can tell you the Cambridge side (dark side?) of the story .

1. When exactly does the application for Oxbridge start?

15 September when UCAS opens. For Cambridge, you have to send in the Cambridge Online Application Form (COAF) in snail mail and they have to receive it by Oct 15.

2. Could anyone tell me what kind of stuff are required for me when applying for them (how many essays, how many requirements, etc), or give me a site with all the requirements on there?

Depends on the college you choose to apply to. Here are the entrance requirements Cambridge colleges for Economics: click

3. I heard that some of you did your interview with Cambridge sometime in December, but then a girl in my school did her interview with Oxford around mid-October last year (in Singapore). Why the difference?

EU applicants are invited to interviews in Cambridge/Oxford, and the interviews are always held in December there. Asian applicants have the chance of doing their interviews in Singapore, Hong Kong and maybe also somewhere else. These are held before the December interviews. However, Asian applicants can also opt to be interviewed in England, some consider it easier to get in that way.

4. Say you get a 45/45 in IB or maybe 44/45 - would that secure your place in any uni in UK, or would the interview still matter more? i.e. if I screw up my interview, am I not going to get into Oxbridge even if I get 44 or 45 for my IB mark?

Long story cut short, no, you will not get in. The interview is vital.

5. Alternatively, as it seems that if I do get an invitation to interview it'd be before my final exams, if I did great in my interview and got 43~45 for my predicted grade would they still care about my final IB marks?

Yes, they care. It would be silly not to care; anyone can get predicted 45, but it's much harder to get that score. They base your offer on your predicted.

6. When exactly would you get a letter of acceptance/rejection? Please bear in mind that I'm studying all the way down there in Australia, and hence my exams will be in November

Since your in Australia, early-mid January. That's only because it takes time for snail mail to reach Australia. They don't care about your exam session .

8. Are the "styles" of interview similar for Oxford and Cambridge?

To a large extent, yes. However, the interviews aren't similar even within the uni, different colleges have different kinds of interviews.

9. Should I mention that whole story up there in my application or interview for Oxford ("to show my passion", as my friend put it ), or would it seem as if I'm begging at them to give me a place?

Definitely not.

Also, to comment on Aboo's post, Oxbridge never gives unconditional offers if the applicant hasn't already received his diploma. Some colleges, however, do give out a few so called easy offers, which only require the student to obtain a diploma, be it with 24 points or 45 points (or EEE in the case of A Levels).

[Hughie]

Thanks so much, deissi!

My technical "home" is in Korea, not Australia, though - I'd be back in Korea, like I am now, by next December/January. Does that mean that I'd get my results sooner than I would if I lived in Australia?

[deissi]

My technical "home" is in Korea, not Australia, though - I'd be back in Korea, like I am now, by next December/January. Does that mean that I'd get my results sooner than I would if I lived in Australia?

How do you mean? The decision letter? Well, if mail travels to Korea more quickly than it does to Australia (which I doubt because it's sent from England), then yes. However, it's only a piece of paper, the actual decisions are done at the same time for all applicants, regardless of their geographical location.

[Vvi]

Hyperbole - Thanks so much You've helped me out a lot

Could you tell me what your interview went like? O_o People - not of this forum, but then this blog where applicants post their interview experience - were talking about "Oxford-style" questions, i.e. those really weird ones that you just go, "What the heck?" the moment you see them. Is it true?

Aboo - No, I certainly didn't know that you can't apply for both Oxford and Cambridge the same year......O_o Holy.

Examples of weird questions: http://timesonline.typepad.com/schoolgate/...-you-rathe.html

They're weird if you take them out of context I guess.

And just general questions about the interview process are answered here: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_...icle4925057.ece

20 tips for the interview by people who have done it: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_...icle5083301.ece

Filmed interviews: http://courses.learning.ox.ac.uk/login/index.php

General Oxbridge acceptance numbers: http://timesonline.typepad.com/schoolgate/...asiest-col.html

[Abu]

Also, to comment on Aboo's post, Oxbridge never gives unconditional offers if the applicant hasn't already received his diploma. Some colleges, however, do give out a few so called easy offers, which only require the student to obtain a diploma, be it with 24 points or 45 points (or EEE in the case of A Levels).

That wasn't me.

[Aquarius]

As far as I'm aware, you are not allowed to share the contents of your interview to other people.