Hi all,

first post, how exciting I'm currently a second year student of English Literature at Warwick Uni on an year-long exchange at University of California, San Diego (my second year here counts as a part of my degree overall).

Like many people here, I do aspire to do my masters at Oxbridge. (background data: so far I got a first in all of my subjects in my first year and here in the US I so far have GPA of 4.0. So things are looking like they are on the right track...I am doing a teaching course in a high school, and I have also been allowed to do a graduate course on Bakhtin. They are very nice to hard working undergrads here in terms of opportunities..)

Here is when my query comes into the picture. Because of my GPA I was invited to be a part of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. From all the research I've done it isn't a glorified fraternity, so that's good, and it is quite prestigious (apparently)...costs 75 dollars for a lifetime membership... Do you think it is something that Oxbridge would look favourably upon? Because ultimately, once I am back in England NSCS ain't gonna do me much good...so joining would be just for the name and prestige really...

Also, I have been talking to a lot of Americans who have told me that here they really do prefer you work in your chosen field of study (or something close to it) before you go to 'grad school'... I don't think that is the case with England, is it?

Does anyone have any idea about this? Any opinions at all would be greatly appreciated!