Applying for joint honours and offered for single.

Hi there,

I'm currently debating whether I should apply to Oxford for straight Classics or for Classics and English.

My Classics application looks very good on paper with consistently high grades (A*s at GCSE in both Latin and Greek) and high UMS marks in both for AS's, the entrance test is well within my ability (I think) and I have lots of stuff to talk about at interview.

However, my English grades were two A's at GCSE and a B (though we don't cash in UMS at our school unless they are 180 or higher, so to them I could have got 179) at AS. These were both due to my own fault in underestimating the amount of work necessary and I feel very much capable of correcting these faults at A2. I should hopefully get a top band in the ELAT. I do enjoy reading but will not be able to have read more than about 12 novels (and some poetry) by interview.

I was wondering, considering my position, whether there is any chance that, having impressed Classics tutors, but not so for English ones, the University might offer me a place for single honours in Classics having rejected me for English.

Thanks in advance for your informative advice!