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Getting into Oxbridge for Postgraduate Study

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Hi

Is it worth trying to apply for the the masters in Latin American Studies in Oxford with just a mid range 2.1 for History from LSE? Any opinions?

Thanks

University of Oxford

Oxford

Reply 1521

janjanmmm

Original post by kenpachi88

I have (mid)2.1 in last year of LSE history degree what are the chances for Latin American studies in Oxford? High, medium or low? Any opinion would be appreciated.

Regards

Out of 60 applicants they made 39 offers in 2010/11, it is 65% offer rate.
I'd say your chances are pretty high. Not the most popular programme. Just write a good statement explaining your interest.

Reply 1522

kenpachi88

Thanks for the advice janjanmmm! It seems that a lot of people say that a 1st is necessary but I guess you are right and the popularity of the programme counts. Thanks again!

Reply 1523

janjanmmm

Original post by kenpachi88

Thanks for the advice janjanmmm! It seems that a lot of people say that a 1st is necessary but I guess you are right and the popularity of the programme counts. Thanks again!

No problem.
I've gotten into MPhil Russian and East European Studies at Oxford, they have similar offer rate (50%), and they did not ask for a First, only 2.1

I have also gotten an offer from MPhi Real Estate Finance at Cambridge, now they did ask for a First or 3.8 GPA, but the programme has only 25% offer rate, so it is more competitive. I think this is how it usually is - the more competitive the programme, the more demanding they will be.

Not to say that how competitive the entry is shows how good the programme is, though. It's just that a lot more people are interested in Finance (big money!) than in regional studies.

Reply 1524

alexreg

Original post by kenpachi88

Thanks for the advice janjanmmm! It seems that a lot of people say that a 1st is necessary but I guess you are right and the popularity of the programme counts. Thanks again!

And just to confirm you don't necessarily need a top grade, I got into Oxford with a (low!) 2:1 to one of the most competitive courses -- a ~20% accept rate last year, and less than 15% attendance. I don't know what Latin American studies is like to be fair, but I don't remember many courses have a lower rate -- only medicine notably.

Another thing to reassure you about Oxford is that most departments have a reputation of giving a healthy and balanced look at applications beyond the simple degree class/GPA. There's a certain degree of fortune, but the interview most often helps alleviate this, I would argue. Cambridge on the other hand are typically slightly more demanding of high grades, and rarely interview for graduate courses, so it may be more hit and miss there.

In the end, you should definitely give the Oxford application a go. The application fee isn't overly dear, and the chances are your application will get a serious look with a mid 2:1, at the least! Good luck with it.

Reply 1525

Libshan

I know that for undergrad you can only apply for *either* Oxford or Cambridge and never both, but I'm finding mixed information as to whether or not you can apply to both at the same time as a graduate. Does anyone here know for certain? Are there different rules just at the graduate level or are there different rules for international applicants?

Any definitive help would be much appreciated!

Reply 1526

sj27

Original post by Libshan

There are different "rules" at postgraduate level - you don't apply through UCAS, you apply directly to the universities. I'm not sure why you are finding "mixed information", if you browse the postgrad threads here you'll see a number of people applying to both (and indeed getting offers from both!)

Reply 1527

Libshan

Original post by sj27

I'm not sure why you are finding "mixed information", if you browse the postgrad threads here you'll see a number of people applying to both (and indeed getting offers from both!)

Oh, thanks! I suppose I made a fatal error in reading forums outside of TSR to get my "mixed information". Appreciate the reply anyhow.

Reply 1528

super-emily

Original post by Libshan

Oh, thanks! I suppose I made a fatal error in reading forums outside of TSR to get my "mixed information". Appreciate the reply anyhow.

Although I only applied to Oxford, I know a couple of people who applied to both. Neither will know who else you have applied for (unless you tell them), and it won't bother them either way. Good luck!

Reply 1529

janjanmmm

Original post by Libshan

Oh, thanks! I suppose I made a fatal error in reading forums outside of TSR to get my "mixed information". Appreciate the reply anyhow.

I applied and got offers from both.

Reply 1530

nulli tertius

Original post by Libshan

Organ scholars are the only true undergraduates who can apply to both.

Senior status applicants (ie 2nd first degree applicants can apply to both).

All postgrads can apply to be both and frequently do.

Reply 1531

Libshan

Original post by super-emily

Thank you! I'm an international student (from Canada) and have been out of my last uni programme since 2000 and was the first from either side of the family to go beyond high school so sometimes all the "rules" of how it all goes can be a bit overwhelming!

Reply 1532

Libshan

Original post by janjanmmm

I applied and got offers from both.

Wow! congratulations!

Reply 1533

Libshan

Original post by nulli tertius

Thank you! I had to look up what an organ scholar was - my mind had first gone in quite a different direction at first glance!

Reply 1534

janjanmmm

Original post by Carrotcake18

Yes exactly I don't get why people just give in and say "oh well ill do my postgrad there". At undergrad there's the tutorial system which graduates simply dont get, and as for PhD students, well.... its their own research! What difference does it make if its Oxbridge or Warwick or LSE?

Supervisors. And you will still need to put together a resume and search for position after you are done. Having Oxbridge on your resume will help a lot.

At postgrad is all about who exactly teaches you, what your department specializes in. I know someone who just rejected a Cambridge masters offer for Cconomics to go to UCL (Economics), apparently because they have a better Economics department. Would someone at undergrad admissions do that? :confused:

Well, they are wrong. Cambridge has a much better Economics department.

Reply 1535

janjanmmm

Original post by Carrotcake18

Unlike the undergraduates who get tutorials/supervisions with better quality of teaching, studying a masters at Oxbridge is not really any better than another top universities. Its just ink on paper.

And we are back to supervisors.
Oxbridge is top of the field in pretty much any discipline. You will have world class academics as your supervisors. This is priceless.

Just to give you an example - one of the professors on my programme (MPhil Russian and East European Studies at Oxford) is Robert Service.
If you do not know who it is - just google him, he is on Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Service_%28historian%29
This is as top of the line as you can possibly get, there are two or three experts in the field of that level in the entire world. The research they are doing is cutting edge, and being supervised by academics of that level is a dream come true.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 1536

Little Jules

The situation is more complex at post-graduate level. If you are doing a masters before entering the job market, then Oxbridge will obviously look good on your cv, and may help to boost your employment chances. However, although Oxbridge is obviously well respected in the academic field as well, there are cases where there are other universities with departments that are as good or better than Oxbridge, or who specialise in a particular field that Oxford and Cambridge do not. If you are applying for a PhD, you may find that there are supervisors who better suit your interest elsewhere. Yes Ox and Cam have big names, but they are not the only places with the only names.

Reply 1537

Nattatouille

^I think with post-grads there are a lot of different factors you have to consider-- not just league tables and career prospects. When I applied to Cambridge for a post-grad I did it because my dissertation supervisor encouraged me to because he had gone there.

So I did, but when I went to the interview, I found a lot of the people there difficult to get along with. And in the interview I felt really uncomfortable and out of my depth. And when they offered me a place-- I turned it down to go to do the same programme in Southampton instead... Just because in Southampton the people and supervisors were far less 'results driven' and it seemed like a nicer environment to work and study in.

Reply 1538

Ombre_Rouge

I was wondering if I could receive some input regarding applying for one-year Master's programmes in the UK. I am an American international student entering my fourth year as an English undergraduate at the University of St Andrews. I would like to apply to Oxford, Cambridge, St Andrews, and possibly another university for my Master's. Oxford and Cambridge both have American literature programmes (MSt in English and American Studies at Oxford, MPhil in American Literature at Cambridge).

When I told my sister of my intention to apply to study American literature in Britain, she acted as though it was a poor choice, speculating that Oxbridge might not specialise in American literature and that I might be better off applying to American universities. I am not interested in applying to American universities because I would like to stay in Britain another year; do not want to be bothered with two standardised tests (the GRE and a subject test -- why an English applicant's eligibility would be partly determined by a maths score, I have no idea...); and do not like the fact that top American unis seem to encourage getting PhDs instead of Master's (some not having true Master's programmes).

I do not need convincing that Oxbridge have impeccably high standards, so I would imagine that an American literature Master's degree would be just as formidable as another type of English degree from Oxbridge. In your opinion, am I justified in thinking this, or does it seem silly or foolish for an American to study American literature abroad? Does anyone have any thoughts on either of these programmes?

Many thanks for your help!

Reply 1539

thatfineframe

I think if there's work being done at Oxford and Cambridge that excites you, and people you'd like to work with, it couldn't hurt (especially if you can get funding, though the chances of that are always low simply by virtue of numbers). If you're working in a niche subdiscipline and there are genuinely better people with whom you could work in the States, then I think your sister would be right, but that may not be the case at masters level.

The only real disadvantage that I can think of might be that if you wanted to do a PhD in America and then teach there, it's just possible that a UK masters might not be the best prep for doing that in your field - I don't know about it in detail because I'm an early modernist. Perhaps you could check this out with a couple of American academics you know and trust, if it applies to you - but I'm guessing it probably doesn't since you said that the US emphasis on PhD programmes is offputting. Even if you did want to go and do a PhD, though, I actually don't think - disclaimer for lack of field-specific knowledge - that a well-used masters year at Oxford or Cambridge would hurt you, and it might be just the push you needed to get into top places.

If you want to go into employment, then I think the cachet would outweigh any notion that American literature is best studied in America. Equivalently prestigious programmes in the States, as you say, don't seem to have much of an interest in offering masters degrees, so in terms of a 'high-ranking' masters, Oxbridge is a very good bet. (General note: when I say 'high-ranking', I'm not trying to knock other universities at all, only to acknowledge that Oxbridge is still very much perceived and understood as a top-end, exclsuive brand. But in admitting that, it's not my intent to perpetuate it in a way that's harmful to others.)

Best of luck with your applications, wherever you decide to try for! I did masters applications this past year so it's all very fresh in my mind, and it's weird but heartening to see the next lot of applicants beginning to post. :smile: