Competition - post a photo you've taken of nature >>

Oxford Chemistry Students and Applicants

Scroll to see replies

At most colleges, the ratios are pretty favorable. :smile:

And it is not too hard to get in if you are intelligent and have a decent academic record.

No, you dont have to be a genius to do Chemistry
The geniuses are doing E&M, Medicine or Law :wink:

Reply 21

talespirit

I've heard that pure Chemistry is becoming less popular (ppl tend to do combined), is this true, and is it one of the reasons why the ration is more favourable?

Reply 22

DumberChild

acolyte

Chemistry has been slowly dying for years. The mixed/related courses are harder to get into than Chemistry. However, they are more likely to lead to a fulfilling career and not just a job as a Chemistry teacher in a school.
The brighter applicants tend to go into courses with a future like:
Biochemistry, Molecular and Cellular
Percentage of successful applications over last three years: 36.8%
http://www.admissions.ox.ac.uk/courses/bioc.shtml

In contrast:
Chemistry
Percentage of successful applications over last three years average: 47.6%
http://www.admissions.ox.ac.uk/courses/chem.shtml

I would suggest that you consider Biochemistry, Molecular and Cellular instead of Chemistry. Unless you really want to become a mere school teacher.

That is a COMPLETE assertion. The pure Chemistry degree from Oxford prepares you for nearly anything - industry, research, academia, management consultancy, accounting and finance, the city, teaching, and Chemistry graduates are amoung the most favourably viewed by post grad medicine, vetinary medicine and civil service programs.

Margaret Thatcher, arguably our most successful prime minister, was a graduate of the Oxford Chemistry department.

So please have a clue about what you're talking about before you post complete rubbish. kthanxbi xx :biggrin:

Reply 23

Eau

acolyte

Omg... I don't even want to start arguing with you.

You are completely misleading people...

Reply 24

sweet_fluffy_nuke

DumberChild

You havent even started at university, have you ?
The stuff you are mouthing is straight off the promotional web site. :rolleyes:

Reply 25

Eau

acolyte

You havent even started at university, have you ?
The stuff you are mouthing is straight off the promotional web site. :rolleyes:

What - you have? Which university? What course?

Reply 26

dancingqueen

acolyte

You havent even started at university, have you ?
The stuff you are mouthing is straight off the promotional web site. :rolleyes:

They might not have started, but I'm in my 4th year here, so I think I know what I'm talking about. Only one person I know wants to be a school teacher out of all the people I know on the course. Also, she's top of the year :rolleyes:

. Most people go into fulfilling, highly-paid jobs with prospects, and many go on to do PhDs.

Reply 27

DumberChild

acolyte

You havent even started at university, have you ?
The stuff you are mouthing is straight off the promotional web site. :rolleyes:

No, I haven't started, but I chose to apply for this course after long, serious, extensive thought and research. So I think I know what I'm talking about. I know you don't, because you make such ignorant claims like "doing a Chemistry degree will only qualify you to be a schoolteacher".

Out of interest, what degree are you studying for?

Reply 28

Eau

DumberChild

I am betting - not chemistry.

Reply 29

stepheh

acolyte

You obviously have no idea what you're on about. Especially quoting statistics off a website.

OP, it changes every year, and from college to college.
This year was quite bad, apparantly. There was a surge of Chemistry applicants [about time really]. In St. Hilda's it was 15 for 4 places [a lot of those were telephone interviews], I think, but then lots of people turned up on the second day from other colleges.

Reply 30

tinypony

Jurisprudence

Typically lawyers, full of lies :P

I would say it might depend on which college you apply to. The people at Merton seemed quite smart...

Reply 31

tinypony

I would like to say, that I had been considering doing a degree in nanotechnology at the university of Copenhagen, but was adviced against doing so by the researchers I worked along with during the summer at the university of Lund. They told me not to do highly specialized undergraduate degrees since research might change direction in a few years and you will be stuck with a more or less useless degree. They told me, do but do either chemistry, physics or a combination. You need the fundaments first.

With a degree in chemistry you can do research in many different areas, such as nanochemistry (yay!) spectroscopy, quantum chemistry (I don't know the specifics, but it is theoretical chemistry with computational chemistry) and so on. Chemistry is an excellent choice of degree (as compared to jurisprudence :P)

Reply 32

DumberChild

acolyte

Jurisprudence

Oh, recalling facts then? Unless of course you do it at an institution like Oxford or Cambridge, but I doubt that.

Reply 33

sweet_fluffy_nuke

DumberChild

Oh, recalling facts then? Unless of course you do it at an institution like Oxford or Cambridge, but I doubt that.

I dont believe that law anywhere is "just recalling facts".
In any case, BA Jurisprudence is Oxford's law degree.

Reply 34

Eau

acolyte

I dont believe that law anywhere is "just recalling facts".
In any case, BA Jurisprudence is Oxford's law degree.

Does it even matter? It's the person that counts, not the degree.

Your words are corrosive.

Reply 35

DumberChild

acolyte

I dont believe that law anywhere is "just recalling facts".
In any case, BA Jurisprudence is Oxford's law degree.

Its also called Jurisprudence in certain Scottish universities. Anyway, you didn't answer my question. I refuse to believe that an Oxford-trained lawyer would make the kind of unfounded, ignorant assertions that you have.

Reply 36

Fizzer

I was wondering the following and would be very grateful for any assistance:

I'm doing A-Level Mathematics and Chemistry at the moment, and already have two A-Levels in French and Biology at grades A and B, respectively. I am thinking of applying to Oxford (no idea what college yet) for Chemistry.

Here's my concern though: How important is Physics at A-Level as a criteria? I hear mixed reviews regarding this and would be very grateful for any help. Are students heavily discriminated against if they don't do it.

Reply 37

Athena

DumberChild

Old thread, but acolyte may have based his comments on the fact that a some UK unis are shutting their chem departments because not enough people want to study the course to make it pay.

Reply 38

henryt

Athena

Old thread, but acolyte may have based his comments on the fact that a some UK unis are shutting their chem departments because not enough people want to study the course to make it pay.

Perhaps, but mouthing off something like

I would suggest that you consider Biochemistry, Molecular and Cellular instead of Chemistry. Unless you really want to become a mere school teacher.

is bound to attract trouble. My brother's just finished his MChem from Oxford and is now training with Goldman Sachs. So evidently the opportunities aren't just going into education sector.

Reply 39

Turdburger

How important is Physics at A-Level as a criteria?

I think its fairly college specific. Some colleges view as essential, others as merely helpful. Check on their websites for details. For example,

Balliol

We believe that sixth formers studying chemistry, physics and mathematics at school have the best basis for success in the Oxford chemistry course, and we do not often admit students who do not have this background