What are my chances of getting into Oxford?

I had started to think about colleges, but I'm not sure which are best for English Lit, or which would have the right attitudes towards me etc. Anyone got any recommendations? My viola teacher went to Brasenose (reading theology) and reckons I should go there.

There are quite a few threads on this. Basically, I think you need to decide what type of person you are then choose the college for you, not what your tutor recommends necessarily. Do you want the full Oxford experiance or are you happy with a more relaxed informal college?

I'm quite happy to go to a relaxed and informal college, I just want to go to Oxford!!

I'm quite happy to go to a relaxed and informal college, I just want to go to Oxford!!

I hope you like English Literature more than you'd like to get into Oxford. Because if they pick any wave of that up at the interview, they may very well reject you, despite being great in English!

Ensocopier mentioned Somerville which is worth looking into - it's relaxed and informal and the students there are super-nice and very friendly and helpful

Lol, yeah, I see what you mean! But don't worry, I really love English Lit, that's why I want to go to the best university possible!

...and I get the feeling that they positively discriminate in favour of state school students.

Well Goodluck then! I received an offer, and my GCSEs weren't very good. But my written work was, and so was my personal statement! Just make sure those two things are up to scratch, and hope for a good interview!

Quite likely - I read in a university guide that they have many undergraduates from state schools and on the website they made some (subtle) comment about how many of their students went to state schools.

I'm glad I didn't find out about this before I applied. Luckily I still scraped in despite going to private school.

btw I took all my GCSEs via distance from home and took the exams at a local school so I essentially taught myself the whole lot... which was quite an achievement for me and it would have been impossible to take any more.

Anway...i dont think the fact he only has two GCSEs is going to hinder him from going to Oxford...its not his fault he was home educated, its not like he chose to be.

How can you teach yourself english and english literature. Theyre just skills you acquire... oh and you can teach your self much more than two gcses...i taught myself the whole latin syllabus shit loads of maths and chemistry because our chem. teachers just tells you to turn to various pages and take notes or she dictates and does nothing for the rest of the lesson.

I wish i didnt go to school....i think i would get much more done.


Anway...i dont think the fact he only has two GCSEs is going to hinder him from going to Oxford...its not his fault he was home educated, its not like he chose to be.

Also do people think I'm doing enough extra curricular stuff? I'm in at least one music group every day of the week and I'm doing D of E. Is there anything else I can do to boost my application? I want to find out now rather than nearer the time before it's too late you see! :-)

Also do people think I'm doing enough extra curricular stuff? I'm in at least one music group every day of the week and I'm doing D of E. Is there anything else I can do to boost my application? I want to find out now rather than nearer the time before it's too late you see! :-)

Personally, I don't think that the personal statement has much effect when they actually make you an offer. It just helps you get to the interview room. I applied for a joint-History school and focussed mainly on the other subject in my PS. I only mentioned History in one line, and I still got an offer.