[InadequateJusticex]

(Original post by rahyahrah)
To me you can do 1 of 3 things:

If you get AAAA and your module results average more than 88-90%, apply to Cambridge.
If you get AAAA and your module results are low-to-mid 80%s, apply to Oxford.
If you get less than AAAA, get an AAA+ prediction, apply to Oxford, and check whether your sixth form certificates at AS (or whether you can even 'hide' grades anymore).

Strong GCSE results bolster Oxford applications more than Cambridge ones, so hopefully you'll get the AAAA! Good luck!

Haha no way I'm applying to Cambridge, I have no intention of doing Natural Sciences. So for those 3 situations above I'm still applying to Oxford aha Do I have to submit all of my UMS scores to Oxford?

[krane]

(Original post by Junaid96)
To be honest, most Oxbridge applicants will be very passionate about going to Oxbridge - they want to study at the top unis for sake of being taught by/with the very best. If you want easy jobs, go to LSE/Imperial Your GCSEs are rock solid - what do you think your AS grades will be, and what were they in? More importantly, what do you want to apply for?

Yeah, I've heard people saying that before, that if people apply they've normally really wanted to go for quite a while.
One thing I'm against is living in London, so no LSE or Imperial for me. At least I've decided on one thing

A Levels I'll be taking to next year are Biology, Maths and Psychology, aiming for As! And I want to apply for Biology or Maths - another thing I have yet to decide..

[The_Lonely_Goatherd]

(Original post by InadequateJusticex)
Haha no way I'm applying to Cambridge, I have no intention of doing Natural Sciences. So for those 3 situations above I'm still applying to Oxford aha Do I have to submit all of my UMS scores to Oxford?

[emilie18]

Don't apply for Oxford because you feel you should - only apply if you really want to. This is a major decision, go for the uni which is best for your subject and which you feel comfortable in.

[krane]

(Original post by milkytea)
Well, you should try your best to visit Oxford and see how you like it there, just the same as with any other university. It's perhaps a little easier to get to know Oxford because for many subjects they do quite a lot of courses and programmes which involve A-level students visiting and meeting staff and students. Have a look on their website for these sort of things - they're very worthwhile. The summer school could be particularly useful, I suppose. I didn't get into that myself but I went to a few other events set up for A level students.

I wouldn't worry about "not fitting in", if I were you! I know many people have the impression of Oxford being quite old-fashioned, imposing and full of posh people, but from all my experience of it this isn't really true at all. Pretty much everybody I met at interview was easygoing, interesting and good company.

Your grades are definitely good enough, so that shouldn't hold you back at all. Of course they're not a guarantee of a place, but you won't be disadvantaged.

Hope this helps!

I think I will try to visit the open day - a lot clash with the days though! Okay thanks, I'll have a look.

Haha that's pretty much what my impression was, and seeing as I'm not particularly rich/'posh' I thought I'd be out of place.

Did you go to Oxford then? What were you other choices? Need to narrow it down a lot.

And how much better does an Oxford degree look, compaired to one at say Sheffield (this is 5th for Biology, on the rankings).
Thanks for the help

[krane]

(Original post by emilie18)
Don't apply for Oxford because you feel you should - only apply if you really want to. This is a major decision, go for the uni which is best for your subject and which you feel comfortable in.

Thanks, I don't want to end up regretting not going for it though, and I'm not sure of my reasons for not wanting to any more.
I'm pretty bad at deciding things.

[milkytea]

(Original post by krane)
I think I will try to visit the open day - a lot clash with the days though! Okay thanks, I'll have a look.

Haha that's pretty much what my impression was, and seeing as I'm not particularly rich/'posh' I thought I'd be out of place.

Did you go to Oxford then? What were you other choices? Need to narrow it down a lot.

And how much better does an Oxford degree look, compaired to one at say Sheffield (this is 5th for Biology, on the rankings).
Thanks for the help

I have an offer from Oxford for 2012 entry, so I lived there for a few days during my interview, but I haven't started there as a student yet. My other choices were LSE, UCL, Warwick and Sheffield. There are plenty of other great unis in the UK, but one advantage that Oxford and Cambridge have is the tutorial system - you get more time with academic staff in very small groups (2-3 other studnets) to discuss topics in your subject.

And well, I'm not posh at all, I'm pretty middle-class / average, and I didn't feel out of place there.

As far as reputation is concerned, I've always thought that league tables and public perception don't matter too much. What matters is how employers view your university and course. Most employers will have experience of hiring not just Oxbridge graduates but graduates from other good unis, and so they know the quality of different institutions better than we do, really. My impression is that Oxford offers excellent opportunities with employers, though. It seems like a place where you will meet lots of people that are going places, and this can invite opportunities. I can't really say whether this is better at Oxford than at other universities, though.

[The Polymath]

(Original post by krane)
Yeah, I've heard people saying that before, that if people apply they've normally really wanted to go for quite a while.
One thing I'm against is living in London, so no LSE or Imperial for me. At least I've decided on one thing

A Levels I'll be taking to next year are Biology, Maths and Psychology, aiming for As! And I want to apply for Biology or Maths - another thing I have yet to decide..

What was your fourth AS?
I think if you're not applying to Imperial/LSE/UCL then you should apply to Oxbridge as otherwise you're not going for any of the top 5.

(Original post by krane)
I think I will try to visit the open day - a lot clash with the days though! Okay thanks, I'll have a look.

Haha that's pretty much what my impression was, and seeing as I'm not particularly rich/'posh' I thought I'd be out of place.

Did you go to Oxford then? What were you other choices? Need to narrow it down a lot.

And how much better does an Oxford degree look, compaired to one at say Sheffield (this is 5th for Biology, on the rankings).
Thanks for the help

I don't think you'd be out of place - sure, there are plenty of private school kids, but some of them are quite normal, and the majority is state school anyway. Give it a shot, eh? One thing which is quite weird is how you haven't chosen yet - you reallly need to have chosen by now, you need to be doing loads of further reading, getting interested, lapping up knowledge in that area so you can demonstrate passion in the PS and interview.

An Oxbridge degree looks better than any other degree in the country, to be frank. Sheffield is not particularly great (it's not top 10) - I'd say (in no particular order) Oxbridge, Imperial, UCL, LSE, Warwick, Durham, Bristol, St. Andrews are probably the top in the country. Is Sheffield even Russell Group? With those GCSEs you should be looking at rock solid unis

Edit: I have since learnt that Sheffield is indeed Russell Group, but I think my point still stands.

[ummm]

(Original post by krane)
Yeah, I've heard people saying that before, that if people apply they've normally really wanted to go for quite a while.
One thing I'm against is living in London, so no LSE or Imperial for me. At least I've decided on one thing

A Levels I'll be taking to next year are Biology, Maths and Psychology, aiming for As! And I want to apply for Biology or Maths - another thing I have yet to decide..

Surely to be in with a chance of being accepted for maths you should have done further maths?

[EmilyAl]

Your grades are definitely good enough for Oxford, my sister wanted to go there so I've been on loads of trips there with her and as well as it being really high on league tables, it's such a beautiful town and the people I've met there aren't intimidating, like my friends all told me they would be. So I'd at least try because you can't come first without running the race.

[nexttime]

Reasons to want to be at Oxford? Ok...

- Great city - lots of facilities whilst being just minutes from the countryside. Fantastic transport links to London should that appeal to you too
- Student city - reflected both in the shops available and the demographic at pubs/clubs
- One of the cheapest UK universities to study at, with excellent financial support for those that need it.
- college choice - you can choose if you want a big college or a small one, a new college or an old one... whatever takes your fancy.
- A huge range of university societies to get involved in, from gliding to rifle shooting, debating to quiddich. Try out anything and everything you want!
- A huge range of college societies to get involved in.
- Sports catered for at virtually any level - from the elite rowers to college-level sports where you can turn up having never played before
- Literally everything you will ever need is within a 15 minute walk. No long commutes across the city for a lecture. No having to leave a 'campus' to find shops.
- Meet a great mix of people from widely differing backgrounds and widely differing ideas, but with a universal interest in academia and learning BUT also having a good time!
- Surroundings - living on a site that people literally come thousands of miles to see is pretty special
- The best academic facilities in the world - fancy lab machines for the scientists and circa 100 libraries for the humanities students
- Tutorials with academics of a level that simply isn't available anywhere else in the world
- The best accommodation provision - how many other unis can guarantee you won't have to worry about finding a flat for all 3/4 years of your degree?
- Overall, just a really fun place to go to university. So many opportunities you wouldn't get elsewhere.
- No doubt loads of other things i forgot to mention.

And then there is all this prestige stuff people on TSR obsess about. Meh.

[krane]

Okay, thanks everyone, I'll get to the next open day to see how I like it, but do extra reading etc assuming I'm going to apply.

(Original post by Junaid96)
What was your fourth AS?
I think if you're not applying to Imperial/LSE/UCL then you should apply to Oxbridge as otherwise you're not going for any of the top 5.

I don't think you'd be out of place - sure, there are plenty of private school kids, but some of them are quite normal, and the majority is state school anyway. Give it a shot, eh? One thing which is quite weird is how you haven't chosen yet - you reallly need to have chosen by now, you need to be doing loads of further reading, getting interested, lapping up knowledge in that area so you can demonstrate passion in the PS and interview.

An Oxbridge degree looks better than any other degree in the country, to be frank. Sheffield is not particularly great (it's not top 10) - I'd say (in no particular order) Oxbridge, Imperial, UCL, LSE, Warwick, Durham, Bristol, St. Andrews are probably the top in the country. Is Sheffield even Russell Group? With those GCSEs you should be looking at rock solid unis

My fourth AS was Chemistry, but I'm not expecting great for that..
I know I need to decide, but I have started doing extra reading.
Sheffield isn't high overall, but it's 5th for Biology. Would a Biology degree from here be seen as good because of that? (better than for example Bristol, which is 9th)

[The Polymath]

(Original post by krane)
Okay, thanks everyone, I'll get to the next open day to see how I like it, but do extra reading etc assuming I'm going to apply.



My fourth AS was Chemistry, but I'm not expecting great for that..
I know I need to decide, but I have started doing extra reading.
Sheffield isn't high overall, but it's 5th for Biology. Would a Biology degree from here be seen as good because of that? (better than for example Bristol, which is 9th)

No, Bristol is more highly regarded. The rankings are often complete crap. Note that Imperial is ranked 26th, UCL 16th and Warwick 24th, when UCL and Imperial are in the top 8 in the entire WORLD

What I do is rank by 'average entry tarriff' - this tells you the average UCAS points that an actual entrant has (not the minimum offer, but what the average student ends up with who goes to that uni, e.g. Cambridge is about 2-3 A*s) - however it's still not perfect. The best way is pretty much using a mix of all the league tables, general consensus, what people think etc. as reputation is how people view universities.

[frogs r everywhere]

(Original post by krane)
I got 7 A*s and 5 As at GCSE, and I'm predicted 3 As for A Level. So I think there's a possibility I could get in.

But do I really want to? What are some pros/cons for going there?

I know that a degree from here would be very respected, and apparantly you can get jobs pretty easy.

But I'm not sure id I'd fit in, and it's pretty far away.

Need to decide soon, to get my personal statement sorted :s

Opinions please!

Its good to go to an open day and see what its like. Do not apply there due to career propects or prestige. If you can imagine spending at least 3 years of your life there, then you should consider other factors. These might include:
1) if they offer your course (not as obvious if you don't know what to do)
2) if yes, do you actually like the way they teach it (again don't say yes only due to prestige, most courses at oxbridge if not all seem to be very intense, and if you dont have the academic ability that suits their course, you will be left behind). Your academic ability can not be determined by your GCSE's. A-levels are more reliable.
3) Are you reading outside your standard A-levels only for the sake of getting into oxford, or do you actually enjoy it? If you answer Yes and No to this question, do not apply.

You don't want to be spending your studies in a place you won't like regardless of prestige.
But if you think you have something to offer oxbridge or just enjoy reading outside your school curriculum as well as having a good set of grades....APPLY!!!! and good luck (I will be applying for cambridge for 2013 entry)

[krane]

(Original post by Junaid96)
No, Bristol is more highly regarded. The rankings are often complete crap. Note that Imperial is ranked 26th, UCL 16th and Warwick 24th, when UCL and Imperial are in the top 8 in the entire WORLD

What I do is rank by 'average entry tarriff' - this tells you the average UCAS points that an actual entrant has (not the minimum offer, but what the average student ends up with who goes to that uni, e.g. Cambridge is about 2-3 A*s) - however it's still not perfect. The best way is pretty much using a mix of all the league tables, general consensus, what people think etc. as reputation is how people view universities.

Ah I see. Know where I can find this?
And okay thanks, I wasn't sure exactly how reliable the rankings were. I'll look more into it!

[krane]

(Original post by frogs r everywhere)
Its good to go to an open day and see what its like. Do not apply there due to career propects or prestige. If you can imagine spending at least 3 years of your life there, then you should consider other factors. These might include:
1) if they offer your course (not as obvious if you don't know what to do)
2) if yes, do you actually like the way they teach it (again don't say yes only due to prestige, most courses at oxbridge if not all seem to be very intense, and if you dont have the academic ability that suits their course, you will be left behind). Your academic ability can not be determined by your GCSE's. A-levels are more reliable.
3) Are you reading outside your standard A-levels only for the sake of getting into oxford, or do you actually enjoy it? If you answer Yes and No to this question, do not apply.

You don't want to be spending your studies in a place you won't like regardless of prestige.
But if you think you have something to offer oxbridge or just enjoy reading outside your school curriculum as well as having a good set of grades....APPLY!!!! and good luck (I will be applying for cambridge for 2013 entry)

Thanks for the help, big decisions to make then!
To be honest, I enjoy Biology (what I'm wanting to take) and find it interesting, but I'm probably not as into it as a lot of people applying. I know some people are really enthusiastic about their subject. I don't really read extra because I want to, it's more that I feel I should, but don't mind it... So thanks for giving me that to consider.

Good luck getting into cambridge!

[The Polymath]

(Original post by krane)
Ah I see. Know where I can find this?
And okay thanks, I wasn't sure exactly how reliable the rankings were. I'll look more into it!

When you go on rankings tables you should be able to filter by average entry tariff e.g. here http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/...gue-table-2013 one of the columns is "Entry Tariff".

[-FSH-]

I have recently completed GCSE Exams and have been juggling around on which direction or in better words what type of job I want (depending on interest).
I am still not sure , but as I was researching I found out about PPE , which totally attracted me as I love the mix of Politics and Economies. Well , Philosophy is also included but i will have to live with that and just try my best. However I totally persuaded that i want to study at Oxford , but I am still worried whether the choice of my A level Subject are good , (I CAN STILL CHANGE THEM). My subjects are

Govt&Politics
Economies
Maths
German
Biology

Subsequently I am not sure whether I meet the minimum requirements for Oxford with my GCSE Grade. I did not get them back , but my expected Grades are:


Core Science B
Add Science A
Maths A
Geography A*
History A
Business A
German A*
English Lang B
English Liter B
Human Phys B
RE C (HATE IT)

Hope you can help me

thanks

[dontbtz]

Just out of interest, what do any of you know of as being the lowest AS grades that somebody has obtained an interview/offer/place at Oxford with, irrelevant of other parts of their application. Because surely some people just have a bad day but are very much capable

[TopHat]

(Original post by dontbtz)
Just out of interest, what do any of you know of as being the lowest AS grades that somebody has obtained an interview/offer/place at Oxford with, irrelevant of other parts of their application. Because surely some people just have a bad day but are very much capable

At the Magdalene (maybe Merton, I cant remember) College Open Day, the PPEist who showed my group round had AABB in his AS results, got an AAA offer and made it with exactly AAA. However, I would imagine he was very much a statistical anomaly.