The Student Room Group

Oxford history 2017 applicants

Hey guys :h: There was a thread last year for 2016 history applicants but I couldn't find one for 2017 so I thought I'd create one.
I thought that this thread could be useful for fellow historians who are extremely nervous and need some support. Here are some ice-breakers:
1)What did you get at GCSE?
2)What A-levels are you doing?
3)How did your AS levels go?
4)Ideal college?
5)Speciality?
6)Any extra info about yourself?

Good luck to everyone applying in October and please be kind to one another :h:
(edited 7 years ago)

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Hi, I'm Amy and I'm going to be applying for History!

GCSES: 10 A* 2 A
A Levels: History, GovPol, EngLit (and General Studies haha!)
- did Maths at AS but dropping it
AS: AAAAC (hoping to get the C remarked to a B as I'm only two marks off!)
Ideal college: Brasenose (or Univ)
Speciality: History wise? Contemporary political history

Extra info wise I'm not that interesting but I play county cricket for Durham as well as men's club cricket, and enjoy amateur filmmaking (as a director) as well as reading and debating (obviously) and TV quiz shows! My favourite thing in the world is either a good game of cricket or a good intellectual (usually historical or political) argument!

Good luck to everyone who's applying and fingers crossed we see each other there in 2017!
Original post by amygracebroad
Hi I'm Amy, and I'll be applying for History!

GCSES: 10 A* 2 A
A Levels: History, GovPol, EngLit, EPQ (and General Studies haha!)
- did Maths at AS but dropped it (got an A tho ☺️)
AS: AAAAC (getting the C remarked as its two marks off a B!)
Ideal college: Brasenose
Speciality: History wise? Contemporary political history and really weird arguments about interpretation and perception of historical events and their effects on common people

As for extra info, I'm not that interesting but I play county cricket for Durham and men's club cricket, enjoy amateur filmmaking (as a director), reading and debating (obviously) and my favourite thing in the world is either a good cricket match or a good intellectual argument (as long as I win!)

Good luck everyone and fingers crossed we'll see each other there in 2017!


Oooh I love Brasenose but I think Christchurch has that slight edge. Are you going to the open day? How are you preparing for the HAT? :h:
I thought I'd do a character profile too :h:
1)What did you get at GCSE? 4 A* 6 A (not quite TSR standard but people have got in with less)
2)What A-levels are you doing? History, Government and Politics, English lit, EPQ and Psychology
3)How did your AS levels go? 4 As :smile: (i haven't started my EPQ yet and I have dropped Psychology)
4)Ideal college? Christchurch
5)Speciality? Tudors are a huge part of my life. I also love Dictatorship history and have started getting into Renaissance Italy.
6)Any extra info about yourself? On weekends I am a costumed tour guide at Hanbury Hall, I have been to 4 summer schools (including Oxford and Cambridge), I love debating, public speaking and reading. I also do pilates three times a week and I am learning Italian :h:

GOOD LUCK TO ALL :smile:
Reply 4
1)What did you get at GCSE?
11A*s

How did your AS levels go?
AAAAAABB (at AS inclucing Crit think and Gen Stud) and an A in Critical thinking A2

Ideal college?
Christ church

Speciality?
The Renaissance, crusades, neo-colonialism

Any extra info about yourself?
Really want to get in? πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Creusa
1)What did you get at GCSE?
11A*s
2)What A-levels are you doing?
Maths, Econ, Latin, Hist, Politics, General Studies
Done Crit think A level and Spanish AS previously
3)How did your AS levels go?
AAAAABB (at AS) and an A in Critical thinking A2
4)Ideal college?
Christ church
5)Speciality?
The Renaissance, crusades, neo-colonialism
6)Any extra info about yourself?

Really want to get in? πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚


Your grades are phenomenal! :h: What topics do you do (history wise) at A-level? :smile:
Reply 6
Original post by drriversong
Your grades are phenomenal! :h: What topics do you do (history wise) at A-level? :smile:


Thanks, so are yours (esp the 4 summer courses !!!)
I do Tudors and Russia hbu?
Original post by Creusa
Thanks, so are yours (esp the 4 summer courses !!!)
I do Tudors and Russia hbu?


Thank you! :h: I love the Tudors-it's basically a soap opera! I do the tudors and Mussolini! How are you preparing for the HAT? :smile:
Hello, my name is Emmet and I am applying for History and Politics. I am an international student, and so I did/am doing different qualifications, IGCSEs and the IB, but I will try to supply relevant answers.

1)What did you get at IGCSE?
7 A*s, 1 A and 2 Bs
2)What IB subjects are you doing?
a. HL(treat this as A levels): History, Geography, English Langlit
b. SL: Math, Chemistry and Spanish
c. Others: EE (IB version of the EPQ) and TOK (epistemology)
3)How did your AS levels go?
N/A
4)Ideal college?
Jesus
5)Speciality?
a. On syllabus: FP and DP of the 4 dictators, Japanese FP, and all of the USSR (there is more in the IB syllabus)
b. Off syllabus: Glorious Revolution, Medici political history and historical theory
6)Any extra info about yourself?
Interested in financial markets, Classical Liberal political literature, alto sax, volleyball and avid traveller
GCSE: A* x 3, A x 7
A-Level: A*AA (History, G+P, Geography)
College: Unsure
Speciality: In school- The strange death of Liberal England 1900-1965, USA 1890-1955, China, Japan and the West
Out of school- Tudors, Holocaust, Rise of Communism

I am reapplying to University for 2017 due to a family move to Spain.

Doing this independently (not that my school would be much help!) I have 0 knowledge on the HAT, any advice would be VERY much appreciated...
Original post by Enrique1688
Hello, my name is Emmet and I am applying for History and Politics. I am an international student, and so I did/am doing different qualifications, IGCSEs and the IB, but I will try to supply relevant answers.

1)What did you get at IGCSE?
7 A*s, 1 A and 2 Bs
2)What IB subjects are you doing?
a. HL(treat this as A levels): History, Geography, English Langlit
b. SL: Math, Chemistry and Spanish
c. Others: EE (IB version of the EPQ) and TOK (epistemology)
3)How did your AS levels go?
N/A
4)Ideal college?
Jesus
5)Speciality?
a. On syllabus: FP and DP of the 4 dictators, Japanese FP, and all of the USSR (there is more in the IB syllabus)
b. Off syllabus: Glorious Revolution, Medici political history and historical theory
6)Any extra info about yourself?
Interested in financial markets, Classical Liberal political literature, alto sax, volleyball and avid traveller


Hey Emmet-how are you preparing for the HAT? :h: I love medici history too-I'm doing my EPQ on it (EPQ is like a mini dissertation)
Original post by Kittyrae1223
GCSE: A* x 3, A x 7
A-Level: A*AA (History, G+P, Geography)
College: Unsure
Speciality: In school- The strange death of Liberal England 1900-1965, USA 1890-1955, China, Japan and the West
Out of school- Tudors, Holocaust, Rise of Communism

I am reapplying to University for 2017 due to a family move to Spain.

Doing this independently (not that my school would be much help!) I have 0 knowledge on the HAT, any advice would be VERY much appreciated...


Thank God someone has the same GCSEs as me! Your A-level grades are amazing-got any tips on how to get an A* in history? As for the HAT, I am equally clueless :h:
i have seen people get in on a hell of a lot less so i am not letting it get in the way.
i was on AQA so we had coursework which always helps! I made sure to put a lot of time and effort into that so I would have less stress for my exam.
for the exam i re read all my notes after each class and listened attentively to my feedback

seriously though.... this HAT :eek::eek::eek::eek:
Original post by drriversong
Hey Emmet-how are you preparing for the HAT? :h: I love medici history too-I'm doing my EPQ on it (EPQ is like a mini dissertation)


That is quite coincidental. My EE was on Cosimo's usage of clientelism to secure his power amidst the Albizzi crisis of 1433-34.

Well, I have personally done past papers and used the mark schemes to identify things I missed out, like evaluating source reliability or trying to link small details to bigger themes, like economic planning or feminism in the last question.
Hey history applicants,*

I have another post up with three people talking about applying for History and AMH :smile: I hope it helps! It's got lots of good HAT and interview advice!

https://carambalache.wordpress.com/2016/09/06/applying-to-oxford-history-and-ancient-modern-history/
not sure what is happening but every time i go on the Oxford website it says 'this page can't be find' on anything HAT past paper related.

if anyone has them saved - specifically the last 3 years worth - could you please message me

thank you :smile:
Now this is a thread I can get behind! I'm Scottish so I'm working in rough equivalents here.

1)Wha)What A-levels are you doing?

English, History, Latin

3)How did your AS levels go?

I did my exams in an odd order so my results are weird, even in Scotland.

4)Ideal college?

Herford!

5)Speciality?

Out of school: French Revolution, Scottish high medieval stuff (David I), Richard II, other medieval stuff.
In school: Germany 1918-1933, and some parts of my Latin/English courses fit nicely into history (dissertation on Tacitus in Latin and Chaucer in English)

6)Any extra info about yourself?

Can't think of anything worth saying.

__________________________________________

I really love the first and third questions in the HAT test but I always dread having to find a suitable topic for those essays. I'm rworried I'll go blank in the exam and end up putting forward some half-arsed argument.
(edited 7 years ago)
For anyone looking for some old HAT exams and mark schemes, I've attached a few, as well as some samples of successful and unsuccessful answers and a guideline that condenses the main points from the mark schemes from various years.

Best of luck with your applications and if you have any questions feel free to message/PM me.
Thank you so much!

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