Oxford PPE (Philosophy, Politics and Economics) Students and Applicants

R.P.Everything.

I was wondering, do you think it would be frowned upon to drop economics for A2 considering it is PPE?

It's not that I hate economics or anything btw, would carry it on in an ideal world.

I dropped economics for A2 and still got an offer - I don't think it's a big deal unless you scored badly, and it appears that you dropped it for that reason.

It wasn't mentioned in my interview, but I prepared a short response in case it was asked anyway (something about giving myself more free time to explore non-syllabus interests in all 3 subjects).

Reply 7421

einot

1

Original post by R.P.Everything.

I dropped economics for A2 and still got an offer - I don't think it's a big deal unless you scored badly, and it appears that you dropped it for that reason.

It wasn't mentioned in my interview, but I prepared a short response in case it was asked anyway (something about giving myself more free time to explore non-syllabus interests in all 3 subjects).

Fair enough! I didn't do badly just teachers/timetables etc

Reply 7422

R.P.Everything.

6

Original post by einot

Fair enough! I didn't do badly just teachers/timetables etc

If they ask, which they very probably won't, I imagine that's a perfectly reasonable response. I highly doubt Oxford professors are going to be making wild speculations about a candidate's interest in a subject based on whether they take it at A2 or not.

Reply 7423

sellerofdreams

13

Original post by CAROLAL1

I am asking this on behalf of a friend who's applying to PPE this year.
She an EU student so she won't have the GCSE qualifications , how much weight will Oxford place on her TSA ? Will it be a deal breaker ?

From what I know Oxford looks very closely at the tsa and you need to have a minimum score on it to even be considered for interview.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 7424

magicmuggle

2

Original post by Edgar9

Just out of curiosity, which A level subjects did you take? And did you do an EPQ?

I took Maths, History and Economics at A level, plus English Literature AS level. I didn't do an EPQ, no. If you're wondering whether to do one, I'd say only do one if you are interested, not to get into Oxford. It won't make much, if any, difference either way.

Reply 7425

patrickcromb96

6

Hi guys , i have a question, do you think it is possible to apply for PPE at oxford and then apply for economics at 4 other unis ? Will i be able to tailor the personal statement for this or will i end up without any offers at all? I want to do ppe but if i dont get in to oxford i would want to study economics instead. I got full marks in my economics AS and predicted 3 A* in maths econ and biology A2.
Any replys are appreciated !

Reply 7426

fluteflute

19

Original post by Skaliwanja

Hi looking to apply for Oxford. A few last minute questions about grade requirements and college application.

Does applying for a specific college weaken your chances of getting a place at the university ? Or does an open application provide a higher entrance rate ?

Also are these grades good enough to think about application for PPE? (Slightly bummed out about the maths AS result):

GCSE: 10 A* and 1B
AS: AAAB
A2 predictions: A*A*A*B

Thanks

Nope your chances are the same, regardless of whether you pick a college or go for an open application :smile:

And the grades are fine, even if the Maths AS isn't ideal, it's unlikely to have a huge impact. The most important part of your application is the TSA (and if you get one, an interview).

Reply 7427

rappyrat

2

Hi Fluteflute,

Do you know which college in Oxford has the highest number of places for PPE and hence give me the best chance to read PPE? I read that most colleges can only award about 6 places? Are there some colleges harder / stricter than others?

Reply 7428

fluteflute

19

Original post by rappyrat

Hi Fluteflute,

Do you know which college in Oxford has the highest number of places for PPE and hence give me the best chance to read PPE? I read that most colleges can only award about 6 places? Are there some colleges harder / stricter than others?

It doesn't work like that - if the college you apply to doesn't have enough spaces, then a different college will take you :smile:

Reply 7429

jverlaan

3

Also applying for PPE, so thought I'd use the thread to ask a question too!

I've decided to go ahead with three A2s from my four AS subjects (I got 4 A grades at AS). Will it reflect badly that I've decided to drop one? I will be taking Maths, Economics, and Politics now (predicted As and A*s in all three), and have dropped English Lit.

Reply 7430

fluteflute

19

Original post by jverlaan

Also applying for PPE, so thought I'd use the thread to ask a question too!

I've decided to go ahead with three A2s from my four AS subjects (I got 4 A grades at AS). Will it reflect badly that I've decided to drop one? I will be taking Maths, Economics, and Politics now (predicted As and A*s in all three), and have dropped English Lit.

Nope that's completely fine :smile:

--

Seeing as this has become a general PPE thread, I'm gonna merge it into the PPE thread :biggrin:

Reply 7431

Harshil1

Any PPE entrants around? Needed some advice. I am an international student applying to New for PPE!

Reply 7432

coxy87

Hey Guys,
I'm currently in year 11 and so am a long way off from ucas and degree applications but am pretty keen on doing PPE, it seems like a great subject. I just wanted to check:

1) Do these a levels give me a good chance of getting in:
AS: Maths, F. Maths, Economics, History and Physics (Not sure about the physics, possibly philosophy?)
A2: Maths, Economics and History

2) What CV/Extra curricular stuff should i start doing? Model united nations? GYLC? Target 2.0 competition? Meeting MPs?

Any replies would be much appreciated :colondollar:

xx

Reply 7433

ImNormal

12

Original post by coxy87

Hey Guys,
I'm currently in year 11 and so am a long way off from ucas and degree applications but am pretty keen on doing PPE, it seems like a great subject. I just wanted to check:

1) Do these a levels give me a good chance of getting in:
AS: Maths, F. Maths, Economics, History and Physics (Not sure about the physics, possibly philosophy?)
A2: Maths, Economics and History

2) What CV/Extra curricular stuff should i start doing? Model united nations? GYLC? Target 2.0 competition? Meeting MPs?

Any replies would be much appreciated :colondollar:

xx

Physics is a good AS to do. Maths and History are good for A2 but I'd choose F. Maths over Economics, it's stronger.
Also, I spoke to a few tutors a while back and they said they don't care about anything extra-curricular you might've done, just show a keen interest and read a lot around the subject. This includes primary texts of philosophers and economists.

Reply 7434

Ja-m-ie

10

Original post by CAROLAL1

I am asking this on behalf of a friend who's applying to PPE this year.
She an EU student so she won't have the GCSE qualifications , how much weight will Oxford place on her TSA ? Will it be a deal breaker ?

The TSA is typically used as a way of cutting the bottom 33%, so to say 'Will it be a deal breaker?' completely depends on how well your friend does on the exam.

Of course, I should point out that your application is considered as a whole. If you have clearly demonstrated your academic potential through all the indicators (Personal statement, previous grades...) and your TSA doesn't seem to match up, they may interview you anyway to have another data point with which to review your application.

I hope that helps!

Reply 7435

Ja-m-ie

10

Original post by coxy87

Hey Guys,
I'm currently in year 11 and so am a long way off from ucas and degree applications but am pretty keen on doing PPE, it seems like a great subject. I just wanted to check:

1) Do these a levels give me a good chance of getting in:
AS: Maths, F. Maths, Economics, History and Physics (Not sure about the physics, possibly philosophy?)
A2: Maths, Economics and History

2) What CV/Extra curricular stuff should i start doing? Model united nations? GYLC? Target 2.0 competition? Meeting MPs?

Any replies would be much appreciated :colondollar:

xx

1) F Maths will prepare you for the economics aspect of the course and it will make your application look much stronger. You will discover Economics A Level isn't useful when you start your first year but excellent maths skills with make microeconomics a complete walk in the park.

So, Maths, F. Maths and History is what I'd advise. You'll show strong analytical abilities and written communication skills. Oh, you'll also have the ability to put forth a clear and cohesive argument.

2) The purpose of extra-curriculars is to demonstrate you can handle the intense workload Oxford expects of its students and to show that you are engaged with the subject you want to read beyond your school curriculum.

The things you want to do are those that develop the skills they look for in candidates and show your enthusiasm for the subject. I ran in my schools mock election in 2010 and won along side doing my 4 A Levels. The fact I could juggle the workload was helpful, but it also demonstrated that I was engaged with politics and I explained how I used the electoral rules to inform my strategy, which I later discovered is extremely relevant when you come to do PPE.

From this you should understand that it isn't what you do, but what you get from the experience. If someone expresses great insights from a field trip to the petting zoo, it would be more impressive than someone simply saying 'I observed the UNSC, it was cool'.

If I had to solidly recommend one thing to do, then debating is excellent because it really sharpens your ability to form arguments. Unfortunately, my school didn't have a debating society, but I wish it did :smile:

Reply 7436

Lovinlife2

17

Original post by Ja-m-ie

x

Sorry to interrupt the conversation with the other user regarding PPE but I just want to say that I am a huge fan of yours - your Youtube videos are absolutely fantastic and I really really enjoy watching them as hearing someone like yourself who has done very well for themselves makes me want to achieve incredible goals and live life to my greatest potential!

I must say your video where you mentioned what an abstract was truly helped for my Psychology exam this year because a question was asked about what an abstract was and if I had not watched your video before, then that was a good 2 marks lost for that question! (Psychology has very tight grade boundaries - 1 or 2 marks can make a difference between an A or a B!)

Have a great evening! :biggrin:

Reply 7437

Ja-m-ie

10

Original post by Lovinlife2

Sorry to interrupt the conversation with the other user regarding PPE but I just want to say that I am a huge fan of yours - your Youtube videos are absolutely fantastic and I really really enjoy watching them as hearing someone like yourself who has done very well for themselves makes me want to achieve incredible goals and live life to my greatest potential!

I must say your video where you mentioned what an abstract was truly helped for my Psychology exam this year because a question was asked about what an abstract was and if I had not watched your video before, then that was a good 2 marks lost for that question! (Psychology has very tight grade boundaries - 1 or 2 marks can make a difference between an A or a B!)

Have a great evening! :biggrin:

Thank you

That's excellent that one of my rambles came in useful for your exam and it is really awesome to hear you are motivated. If you're ambitious and young, the world is your oyster.

All the best and do reach out if you'd like to bounce any ideas around. :smile:

Reply 7438

cuna

Hi guys, a little worried about the TSA... I cant seem to get above the low 60s in the TSA section 1...I havent really had any history with anything like it and have tried a few practices but cant really seem to get the hang of it and am just a bit worried about it :frown:

I feel like the rest of my applications is pretty strong
11A*s GCSE (state school)
4 As AS Average 95 UMS
3 A* Predictions (History, Maths, Eng lit.) and A prediction in Extended Project
extra curricular stuff like captaining football teams, grade 6 piano, chairing debating etc etc

I'd just be really gutted if it was the TSA that brought my whole application down

Basically, how important is the TSA in the application process and even if I got a fairly low score, should I be able to pull myself up with the rest of the application?
Also, if anyone was in a similar position to me and managed to improve their score or just found any resources/books etc helpful, I would very much appreciate any advice on the tsa :smile:

Thanks guys, sorry for the lengthy post and good luck with all your applications as well!

Reply 7439

coxy87

Original post by ImNormal

Physics is a good AS to do. Maths and History are good for A2 but I'd choose F. Maths over Economics, it's stronger.
Also, I spoke to a few tutors a while back and they said they don't care about anything extra-curricular you might've done, just show a keen interest and read a lot around the subject. This includes primary texts of philosophers and economists.

Thanks so much for your response, It's really useful to hear your opinion :smile:

Do you not think that i might seem a bit disinterested in economics if i drop it after AS?
Where do you think I should start in terms of reading material? There is so much out there I don't know where to begin!
Looking forward to seeing what you have to say.

Oxford PPE (Philosophy, Politics and Economics) Students and Applicants

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