The Oxford UNIQ Summer Schools Thread

Try coming from rural scotland lol - not looking forward to the journey!

I don't think it's completely about where you come from etc - I don't qualify for EMA and both my parents went to university but I still got in I think it's more about how well you did in relation to your school's grades in general, and about showing passion/enthusiasm for your subject.
Congrats on being accepted!

Ooh, yeah a field trip would be good. I went to the Lake District with the school last year which was good, but very rainy. haha.
Yes, can't wait to meet people.

Oooh I want a go now. Possibly all things beginning with the letters UNIQ?

It's like the crossword on the prospectus.

That's a bit unfair. There are people who don't get EMA and/or go to selective schools who have got into UNIQ: social background etc is just one part of it, and a large number of UNIQ students have gone on to Oxbridge. Although of course there are equally those who got in without taking part in UNIQ.

There's no need to downplay the achievements of those who got in! UNIQ itself says that most of its students have mainly A*s and As at GCSE.

Thanks Well done to you too- what course you doing there?

Sorry... I guess I'm still gutted... It's just that I got 10A*s in GCSEs and I spent a fair amount of time on the PS yet I've been rejected and have heard here and else where of people who got in with significantly less A*s in GCSE (for maths as well that is). That's why I think social background has a large influence.

I saw one guy on facebook... but yeah there's only 15 of us... which is a good thing I suppose

so what AS's are you doing?

I'm doing French you?

Haha yes
Grats on getting in
My PS talked about a lot of stuff I am going to do (Lloyds Tsb work exp, ecology centre, mentoring) rather than stuff I have done but they seemed to like it

Yeah, me too!! I heard from St Andrews whilst at the open day yesterday so it was all veryyy exciting haha

I'm from East Lothian, where abouts are you from?

Medicine & Chemistry at St Andrews, so I'll see you around!

The UNIQ event will probably be a blast, though it says bring something fancy to wear, preferably linking to the letters U N I Q, and prizes for originality? Hmm... wonder what you can do with that.

EEEEE got accepted for Biology!

And as a double whammy of good news my letter saying I got into the Sutton Trust at St Andrews arrived along with it lol - so excited :P

Wow, you have lots of stuff lined up to do!
Um, I talked about going to Iceland with the school, a couple of books that I have read and why I like Geography so much. I haven't got any work experience so that's why I was kinda surprised they accepted me!
I think its because it was based on a wide range of factors that really did it!

Sorry... I guess I'm still gutted... It's just that I got 10A*s in GCSEs and I spent a fair amount of time on the PS yet I've been rejected and have heard here and else where of people who got in with significantly less A*s in GCSE (for maths as well that is). That's why I think social background has a large influence.

EDIT: And also, the extra letter which I received and nobody else seems to have kept saying how the actual process is radically different from UNIQ and that I would make "a very competitive application" if I applied to uni like this so yeah I interpreted this as UNIQ telling me that my social background hindered me.

I actually completed the crossword at an Oxbridge convention, and was apparently the only one to do so... so I was given Brownie Points by the Oxford admissions tutor and as it was at the end of the day there were a lot of Oxford students questioning me, was really nice for something I did in between the workshops.

The UNIQ event will probably be a blast, though it says bring something fancy to wear, preferably linking to the letters U N I Q, and prizes for originality? Hmm... wonder what you can do with that.

Very excotic :P I'm doing physical science, purely because I'm indecisive and it was a mixture of all the courses I'm considering :P

Helloo J.tytler and arual93, just got accepted for french as well are there really only 15??

This has just made my summer

Sorry to hear you didn't get in It could be any number of things, down to the smallest difference, and yes, background probably did play a part. I just felt really awful when everyone started implying that it was my background that got me in, especially as I don't have a huge amount of confidence to start with and I'm really scared about going up against loads of private school students etc who've had a much bigger advantage.

I'm doing physical sciences too!