Are my grades good enough for Oxford?

TSA wise - just do the practice papers and make sure you know how to write a good essay (but not an A Level style ticking the box one). I had a textbook which I cannot remember the name of at the moment - it's the one that was recommended when I did it (2009). It was useful in terms of getting used to the style of questions, but I didn't use it much to be honest. I can't really remember how I prepared for the TSA - I didn't do a whole lot in preparation.

This was a really unhelpful answer.

But I'm in my 2nd year at Oxford doing PPE, so if you have any questions feel free to send them my way. Although I will admit the application process seems a lifetime ago now!

Hi, got a couple questions and I'd really appreciate some answers.

Firstly, what were your five choices? Did you apply for PPE all round?

This gets asked a lot but what was your PS like?

And how's the workload/social life at Oxford?

Cheers

I'll jump on the bandwagon then and state my situation.

Considering Oxford Chemistry. Currently at AS, and its safe to say that I couldve done better at GCSE. I focused on the sciences pretty early on and did badly for alot of the early tests for the other subjects. I did very well in the year 11 summer papers overall (A*'s in english and history compared to my averaged C or B)

It was too little too late and my final results were
2A*'s (chem and phys) 3 A's (bio maths r.e) and 5 B's.

Doing three sciences and maths now, hopefully will be on course to an eventual A*AA with chem A*

In short, by only having 2A*'s at GCSE, is my application notably weakened?

To be brutally honest, pre-interview, yes, you will be disadvantaged. The best thing you can do is to WORK YOUR SOCKS OFF!! And get excellent AS UMS... And I mean at least 90% in every module.... Then declare these in your personal statement or ask you teacher to put it in your reference. Since they interview most people for Chem, provided that you get the marks at AS, you should have no problem getting to interview.
Secondly, start preparing for interviews now, most of the higher ranking institutions interview for chemistry (all but one of the unis I applied to interviewed me). Once you get to interview, the playing field has levelled significantly... Keep calm and impress them and you should be fine....
Good luck and feel free to pm me for advice

1. it depends on the subject
2. AS Levels count for a lot more
3. It depends on where you sit in your school; if these are waaaaaaaay below average for your school, don't bother. If they are borderline average AND you pull off super AS Levels perhaps consider it.

You will have to have a really, really super application and you will need to truly shine at interview to pull it off. These grades will cut your chances of even getting an interview significantly.

Applying strateigically might also be an option. For example, EVERYONE with above 50% in the Oxford Physics admissions test gets an interview regardless, I think. OR apply to a less competetive college (Peterhouse used to offer ALL mathematics applicants an interview regardless - sadly this is no longer the case). You can look into other ways of making your GCSEs simply not count prior to the interview process.

Personally, I would say it was a waste of a choice and why should I belive you will get A*A*A* is you only managed one at GCSE which is worlds easier? (Oxbridge routinely reject kids with 4A* predictions)

Warwick - PPE (who rejected me)
Durham - PPE
Oxford - PPE
Bath - Economics and Politics
St Andrews - Economics and Philosophy

So no, not PPE all around.

PS was all academic apart from a very short paragraph on extra curriculars. Can't remember it a whole lot - but I spoke about what attracted me to the 3 elements (what areas interested me) and about how my A Levels fitted in (i.e. what skills they would give me).

Workload in your first year really varies between colleges - my college teaches all 3 subjects for 2 terms, with revision/top up tutes in the last term before exams. Other colleges will teach Econ and Pol one term, Pol and Phil the next and Econ and Phil in the last for example. First term for us was horrendous - 2 essays plus Economic problem sets and logic question sets. Second term was lots better, and third term was obviously great! Some people claim PPEists do nothing all day, but no one in my college could say that about 1st years in their first term!

Now I'm in 2nd year, I write 2 essays a week. It's definitely a manageable workload. I don't feel like I'm in the library constantly, but I know I have to dedicate a good amount of time to each essay. There's nothing worse then knowing you've written a bad essay or not read enough, and having to sit in front of the tutor and discuss it for an hour. Lectures are optional at Oxford, tutorials are obviously not. It's up to you as to how much work you put in.

I feel I'm pretty conscientious with work - up for 9 every day... Spend my days working, at lectures/tutorials, and sitting in the JCR chatting. I'm my college's netball captain, and play college hockey and mixed lacrosse as well. I'm on the JCR committee which I love but is another time commitment. On average I'd say I go out 3 nights a week - often with one of them a crew date / drinking society. I normally find time in the week for a coffee/drink with an old school friend as well - to remind myself there is a world outside of my college!

I think I have a good work/life balance - At Oxford you could spend your days doing nothing and rush to finish every essay. Or you can organise your time well. Obviously I still have stressful weeks. 8 week terms go so fast and I do feel like I'm constantly busy, but I like being busy. I just collapse when I get home for the vac!

I'm enjoying 2nd year far more than first - friendship groups more secure, enjoying the work more because I've picked the papers I'm doing etc.

Thanks for the informative response! Really appreciate it.

Some more questions: What A Levels did you do? And do you think you were at all disadvantaged (in regard to your PS) from not having PPE all around, having to adjust your PS to impress for other courses?

Workload sounds reasonable. Don't know about getting up at 9 everyday, though! It sounds like it was pretty easy to make friends, socialise etc....and the course looks genuinely interesting. I take it you don't have the freedom to pick your modules in your first year? Is that particularly restrictive?

Probably, but the fact that you keep putting an apostrophe in GCSEs might make them wonder how you got an A in English Language.

I don't know whether I am aiming too high and should just get on with life and apply (next year) to a UNI less demanding.
my gcse's:
food tech (completed a year early) - A*
Eng Lang - A*
core science - A
(predicted)
music - A/A*
geog - A/A*
German - B
RS - A/B
eng lit - A*
add science - A

and maths - B
I know i may need an overall A or A* at gcse maths to have a chance at Oxbridge (I don't mind whether Oxford or Cambridge)
is it worth me worrying about it - or do I have no chance in getting into these two top UNI's without decent GCSE grades?!

PLEASE HELP ME OUT!

Haha, you sound kinda desperate What subject would you be applying for?

They look okay. Make sure those A/A*s materialise as A*s...and yes, try your best to get an A* in Maths. But they do contextualise your grades...what type of school do you go to? If you reckon your grades will be considered high, relative to your school, there's not too much to worry about. And bear in mind that, especially at Cambridge, there's a lot more to take into account: Admissions test, AS UMS scores, Personal Statement, Extra-Currics, Interview. So yeah, definitely don't lose sleep over it.

Check this article's stats (Table 2) for proof that Oxbridge's dominance in nearly every other major profession (78% of judges!!) does not apply to medicine so don't worry about it:

http://www.suttontrust.com/news/news/the-educational-backgrounds-of-500-leading-figures/