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Oxford history 2017 applicants

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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:

I wish you all the best :h:

What are you doing for the cw? I am doing exploration in the sixteenth century xD

Reply 21

drriversong

Original post by Enrique1688

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.

I hope it goes well for you :h:

Your EE topic sounds phenomenal-I am doing mine on Medicean rule in 15th century Florence and whether it was princely government masked by a facade of republican institutions xD

Reply 22

drriversong

Original post by irrelevantname

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

1)What did you get at GCSE?

Didn't do GCSE's, nor the Scottish equivalents.

2)What A-levels are you doing?

English, History, Latin

3)How did your AS levels go?

2014: A
2015: AAAA
2016: AAA and AB at A2

Sorry, that's pretty unconventional.

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.

I am the complete opposite! I love the essay question and hate the source questions! I love the medieval epoch but I'll always have a soft spot for the Tudors :h:

Reply 23

drriversong

Original post by BrasenoseAdm

On behalf of all very nervous future historians, I thank you :h:

These have been SO helpful xD

Reply 24

drriversong

Original post by IzzySaskia

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.

Have you done the HAT? xD Thank you so much for these links-they're really appreciated :h:

Reply 25

irrelevantname

Original post by drriversong

I am the complete opposite! I love the essay question and hate the source questions! I love the medieval epoch but I'll always have a soft spot for the Tudors :h:

My logic is that you just go in and do the source questions without needing to revise, whereas the essay is totally unpredictable and if you can't fit it to something you know about then you're stuffed. It works the other way in school exams though, because I make damn sure I'm prepared for all the essays.

And I love the little I know about the Tudors too! I expressed an interest in Thomas Cromwell and my very Catholic teacher started spitting about how I should really be learning about Thomas More. :h:

You can't go wrong with a little bit of medieval though- I had to stop myself from writing "I like it because it's violent and dramatic" on my PS, I figured they might be looking for something a bit more substantial. :smile:

My first draft actually contained something along the lines of "my love of violence resulted in an interest in...."

Reply 26

Qmwnebrv

Hi I'm applying for History and politics.

I got 2a*'s , 7a's, 1b (in art), 1c (further maths).
Lol everyone here has such good GCSE's.

AS: AAAB (getting the B remarked bc it was 2 UMS off an A- philosophy)
Politics
History
Law
Philosophy

I'm just going to try even though I may not be good enough.
Got a cracking personal statement so far though.

Reply 27

Enrique1688

Original post by Qmwnebrv

Hello, I am Emmet and I am also applying for History and Politics. I would just like to ask about what extra reading have you done for politics? I am asking this as nobody at school has any clue about this, and that I want to see if I am on the right track.

Reply 28

Qmwnebrv

Original post by Enrique1688

Heya, I've read two books which are politics related.
One which is about North Korea and one by a political journalist and the UK establishment. I also have been reading some articles about human rights in Crimea.

What subjects are you taking? :smile:

Reply 29

Enrique1688

Original post by Qmwnebrv

I am doing the IB. The A Level equivalent subjects, then, are my HLs: Geography, History and English Langlit. My SLs are Math, Chemistry, and Spanish. Thanks for sharing your reading.

Reply 30

Qmwnebrv

Original post by Enrique1688

I am doing the IB. The A Level equivalent subjects, then, are my HLs: Geography, History and English Langlit. My SLs are Math, Chemistry, and Spanish. Thanks for sharing your reading.

Its fine! What reading have you done and wher else ar you applying? :smile:

Reply 31

Hazzaww

Original post by Creusa

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? 😂😂

which As levels did u do??

Reply 32

Creusa

Original post by Hazzaww

which As levels did u do??

History, Politics, Economics, Latin, Maths, General Studies, Critical thinking, and Spanish a few years ago :smile:

Wbu?

Reply 33

BrasenoseAdm

Official Rep

[QUOTE=drriversong;67477136]On behalf of all very nervous future historians, I thank you :h:

These have been SO helpful xD

Our pleasure. Esme Ash won Pointless btw two nights ago (she wrote the Paris blog)!

Reply 34

Enrique1688

Original post by Qmwnebrv

Its fine! What reading have you done and wher else ar you applying? :smile:

Well, a select number of broadsheets, like the WSJ and the FT to keep up to date with the news. I have also read a book introducing political theory, that Oxford recommended.

Reply 35

andrewdwilliams

Hello! I'm applying for History and Politics, with minimal expectation of getting in.

1)What did you get at GCSE?

1A* 5As 3Bs and a C

2)What A-levels are you doing?

English Language, History and Economics

3)How did your AS levels go?

B in Government and Politics (dropped)

4)Ideal college?

Regent's Park College

5)Speciality?

History-wise
In school: Early Stuarts + Civil War, Modern China (1839-1989), First Crusade, Cold War, Early 1930s British political history (for EPQ)
Out of school: Post-junta Greek political history, WW2, and possibly other things that I can't remember off the top of my head

6)Any extra info about yourself?

Nope

Reply 36

drriversong

Original post by andrewdwilliams

To increase your chances I would apply for history and not h&p as history has a far higher success rate. You can then specialise in political history. Good luck :h:

Reply 37

drriversong

Anyone going to the open day on Friday? :smile:

Reply 38

andrewdwilliams

Original post by drriversong

To increase your chances I would apply for history and not h&p as history has a far higher success rate. You can then specialise in political history. Good luck :h:

That's interesting, thanks for the pointer. If I word my personal statement well enough, I could probably get away with applying to History at Oxford and History and Politics at my other choices. I find it odd that people are so keen on the History and Politics route when the subjects overlap so much, with political history being such a huge area of history, and with it also being the majority of what makes up politics, beyond the most contemporary stuff and the theoretical/ideological side. I also find it odd that Oxford does not want to offer a straight Politics degree, which is probably why History and Politics is so over-applied to.