[shoshin]

(Original post by Indecisive me.....)
...It is the tutorial system that makes me want to go to Oxford...I love that intense way of learning and believe that the degree of interaction involved where you're exchanging ideas, developing your own views....etc. is the best way to learn...

I also came to Oxford from another Russell Group uni, though I wasn't originally a scientist. The big readjustment for me has not been due to the tutorial system, but rather the sheer difference in workload. Not sure which arts subjects you are considering, but in the case of my subject (History) the intensity doesn't come from the tutorial per se (a thought provoking chat for an hour once per week) but from the 2500 word essay (or sometimes two of them) that has to be completed every week and then defended in the tutorial. We actually have very little contact time and spend most of our lives in libraries.

Not trying to put you off; I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. And I can't speak for other arts subjects at Oxford. But you're making a big decision and I was concerned (rightly or wrongly) that you might be thinking that the degree of interaction is greater than it actually is.

Good luck

[bigfishlittlefish9]

(Original post by Arreh)
Blimey, PhysPhil - don't see many of that type.

I was accepted for PhysPhil at Oriel, beginning Oct this year, and whilst I have no personal experience on gap years I'd be more than happy to try and help if you have any questions about whatever.

For PhysPhil I think that having an extra year of experience and maturity will help you immensely, I really do.

What college did you go for, out of interest?

Exeter College And thank you for the advice I'll ask if I think of any questions! I am hoping that the experience will help, but I also want to read plenty just to keep my mind active.

(Original post by cpchem)
You think it will help? Many tutors in the physical sciences are anti-gap year, as people tend to lose their mathematical mojo... and that's something you'll get nowhere without.

Yeah, this is something that concerns me. I would rather not take a gap year, but if I am going to reapply I unfortunately have to. I have a few books on Physics and Maths that are supposed to bridge the gap between school and university, which I am planning on working through. But other than that I'm trying to think of ways to keep my maths and physics up to scratch and hopefully improve.

Thank You

[bigfishlittlefish9]

I've already posted a similar question a while ago, but is seems to have disappeared

So, I applied this year for Physics and Philosophy at Oxford (Exeter College) and got rejected after an interview. When I got my feedback, my head of sixth form recommended that I consider reapplying because it seems that often people who reapply are successful. I guess that I couldn't hope to be better at an interview than someone who had already completed the A-level syllabus. Plus since my interview, I have covered at school the majority of subjects that came up, and I worry that I should have know this stuff (I live in Scotland, so our course had different content e.g I got asked a very simple proof question and couldn't do it because I hadn't done any proof, so I required some help, which no one else would have needed.)

I am torn because I have an offer from Durham (AAA) and an unconditional to St Andrews, and I respect that these are amazing unis, but when I think about going to either of them I just feel depressed, whereas I was really excited just applying to Oxford, and I really loved the place. I am visiting Durham soon, but I assume I am better off pulling out now, and explaining to Durham why I withdrew (obviously I would tell them it was because of my age, I am only just 17 now), and that I will reapply to them next year, rather than accepting the offer and withdrawing after results, because I figure this would really annoy them! So then I have to get straight A's, or its all a waste

Sorry for the rambling! So my question is, is it a good idea to reapply? And does anyone have any experience of reapplying, or any advice of good gap year activities? I'm trying to figure out how I would keep my physics up to scratch. I am worried as to whether I'd be asked about my gap year at an Oxford interview, if I get one, and whether or not they would realise that I had applied the year before?

Also do you think I would be likely to get back into Durham and St Andrews, if I get the grades?

[BJack]

You should accept the Durham offer and hold on to it for the time being. They're not going to blacklist you for deciding to have a gap year at the last minute and it will allow you some flexibility should you have a change of heart between now and August.

If reapplicants do have a higher success rate, that says more about who's likely to reapply than the university's stance on reapplicants.

If you can identify particular aspects of your previous application that let you down, which you think can be fixed, then it could certainly be worth reapplying. Don't worry too much about next year's interviews for the time being: your gap year plans aren't going to be of interest to the tutors; they're going to be assessing you as they assessed you last time (albeit with higher expectations for your extra year) and they're unlikely to know & care that you're a reapplicant.

[qwertyuiop1993]

(Original post by bigfishlittlefish9)
I've already posted a similar question a while ago, but is seems to have disappeared

So, I applied this year for Physics and Philosophy at Oxford (Exeter College) and got rejected after an interview. When I got my feedback, my head of sixth form recommended that I consider reapplying because it seems that often people who reapply are successful. I guess that I couldn't hope to be better at an interview than someone who had already completed the A-level syllabus. Plus since my interview, I have covered at school the majority of subjects that came up, and I worry that I should have know this stuff (I live in Scotland, so our course had different content e.g I got asked a very simple proof question and couldn't do it because I hadn't done any proof, so I required some help, which no one else would have needed.)

I am torn because I have an offer from Durham (AAA) and an unconditional to St Andrews, and I respect that these are amazing unis, but when I think about going to either of them I just feel depressed, whereas I was really excited just applying to Oxford, and I really loved the place. I am visiting Durham soon, but I assume I am better off pulling out now, and explaining to Durham why I withdrew (obviously I would tell them it was because of my age, I am only just 17 now), and that I will reapply to them next year, rather than accepting the offer and withdrawing after results, because I figure this would really annoy them! So then I have to get straight A's, or its all a waste

Sorry for the rambling! So my question is, is it a good idea to reapply? And does anyone have any experience of reapplying, or any advice of good gap year activities? I'm trying to figure out how I would keep my physics up to scratch. I am worried as to whether I'd be asked about my gap year at an Oxford interview, if I get one, and whether or not they would realise that I had applied the year before?

Also do you think I would be likely to get back into Durham and St Andrews, if I get the grades?

It's wrong to assume that most people who get in are those who had a year extra to prepare. I believe there is a general attitude that those who reapply have to shine even more at interview than those applying for the first time. I have a hunch that they purposefully try to ask questions out of your comfort zone to see how you cope and if you have a year extra to cover the material, it won't necessarily work in your favour because they might expect you to know that stuff being a post qualification applicant. That said, people do reapply and succeed, but your head of sixth form seems to think that a re-applicant will have a massively boosted chance of success.

Why do you want to reapply? Do you really love the sound of the course? I'd have a good hard think about your reasons for reapplying (don't just do it for the name) before making such a big decision. Durham is a great university.
I wouldn't pull out of Durham just now - wait until you get your results. That way you leave your options open - universities over-offer to compensate for people who eventually don't go.

[Oromis263]

(Original post by bigfishlittlefish9)
I've already posted a similar question a while ago, but is seems to have disappeared

So, I applied this year for Physics and Philosophy at Oxford (Exeter College) and got rejected after an interview. When I got my feedback, my head of sixth form recommended that I consider reapplying because it seems that often people who reapply are successful. I guess that I couldn't hope to be better at an interview than someone who had already completed the A-level syllabus. Plus since my interview, I have covered at school the majority of subjects that came up, and I worry that I should have know this stuff (I live in Scotland, so our course had different content e.g I got asked a very simple proof question and couldn't do it because I hadn't done any proof, so I required some help, which no one else would have needed.)

I am torn because I have an offer from Durham (AAA) and an unconditional to St Andrews, and I respect that these are amazing unis, but when I think about going to either of them I just feel depressed, whereas I was really excited just applying to Oxford, and I really loved the place. I am visiting Durham soon, but I assume I am better off pulling out now, and explaining to Durham why I withdrew (obviously I would tell them it was because of my age, I am only just 17 now), and that I will reapply to them next year, rather than accepting the offer and withdrawing after results, because I figure this would really annoy them! So then I have to get straight A's, or its all a waste

Sorry for the rambling! So my question is, is it a good idea to reapply? And does anyone have any experience of reapplying, or any advice of good gap year activities? I'm trying to figure out how I would keep my physics up to scratch. I am worried as to whether I'd be asked about my gap year at an Oxford interview, if I get one, and whether or not they would realise that I had applied the year before?

Also do you think I would be likely to get back into Durham and St Andrews, if I get the grades?

I'm in the same situation, but for 'the other place'. I've firmed my offer to Edinburgh, but will turn it down in summer if I get A*A*A*A or A*A*A*A*. These will be hard to make, but I feel that gong back with those sorts of grades will but a nice big 'tick' on the academics side of things.

Just be sure to do something worthwhile in your year out, and be prepared to not be overly heartbroken if you get turned down again! I'm trying hard to do this myself.. >.<

[bigfishlittlefish9]

(Original post by BJack)
You should accept the Durham offer and hold on to it for the time being. They're not going to blacklist you for deciding to have a gap year at the last minute and it will allow you some flexibility should you have a change of heart between now and August.

I worry that they might frown on a gap year, especially in a science subject, where they seem to disapprove of them and see them as useless. Whereas by the time I reapply with my personal statement, I can tell them all the worthwile things I have done, and so justify my gap year. Also I worry there is a small chance that they might offer me deferred entry, in which case I would have trouble explaining myself! Plus if I don't get the grades I'm pretty stuck either way!

(Original post by qwertyuiop1993)
Why do you want to reapply? Do you really love the sound of the course? I'd have a good hard think about your reasons for reapplying (don't just do it for the name) before making such a big decision. Durham is a great university.
I wouldn't pull out of Durham just now - wait until you get your results. That way you leave your options open - universities over-offer to compensate for people who eventually don't go.

Thanks for this advice This is what makes me feel so torn, because I do like Durham,and it is an amazing uni, and I don't want to turn down a place there for the wrong reasons. But I just feel like I need to know that I gave Oxford my best shot. Also the course is massively different, because at Durham it is within Natural Sciences, so you study Physics and you study Philosophy, but almost nothing that links the two. But a large part of the course at Oxford is Philosophy of Physics, which really interests me... so hopefully I feel like these are the right reasons. Plus if I can hopefully get back into Durham or St Andrews, then I won't really have lost out because I'm young for my year, and would only be 17 if I went to uni this year, and so I can afford the gap year time-wise.

(Original post by Oromis263)
I'm in the same situation, but for 'the other place'. I've firmed my offer to Edinburgh, but will turn it down in summer if I get A*A*A*A or A*A*A*A*. These will be hard to make, but I feel that gong back with those sorts of grades will but a nice big 'tick' on the academics side of things.

Just be sure to do something worthwhile in your year out, and be prepared to not be overly heartbroken if you get turned down again! I'm trying hard to do this myself.. >.<

Out of interest what course are you applying for ? And what college did you apply to ?

Yeah, the worthwhile thing is what I'm struggling with, just trying to come up with ideas at the moment! Its a bit difficult though! :P

[BJack]

(Original post by bigfishlittlefish9)
Yeah, the worthwhile thing is what I'm struggling with, just trying to come up with ideas at the moment! Its a bit difficult though! :P

There are probably still some good placements available for a Year in Industry.

[BHS12]

Honestly, my advice- go with your gut feeling. If a place doesn't feel right, a place doesn't feel right. Take a year out and work/travel- enjoy the real world.

[astro67]

(Original post by bigfishlittlefish9)
<snip>

As mentioned by others, I would hold on to the Durham offer for now at least - you can turn it down in the summer if you get the grades you need. Don't worry about what you tell them - they'll assume you're planning to apply to Oxbridge whatever you say since that's the normal reason for people doing that and they can live with that. I would also echo what was said about the interview - Oxford won't hold you to the same standard as they did this time round - you'll be expected to be better with an extra year's experience than people applying before their A-levels or advanced highers. That's not to say you shouldn't re-apply - there is plenty of anecdotal evidence that shows re-applicants can be successful, although I'm not sure where the data suggesting re-applicants have a higher success rate comes from. That may be the case but if so then there are potentially confounding factors such as self-selection to bear in mind. Finally, whatever you do with your gap year, you need to reassure selectors you're not going to forget all the maths you ever knew. Hardly any gap year activities will require you to practise your calculus so you'll probably need to do that for yourself. It's worth not just saying this at interview etc. but also making a point of doing it so that if you're successful you don't find the initial work incredibly difficult.

[Oromis263]

(Original post by bigfishlittlefish9)

Out of interest what course are you applying for ? And what college did you apply to ?

Yeah, the worthwhile thing is what I'm struggling with, just trying to come up with ideas at the moment! Its a bit difficult though! :P

I applied for Natural Sciences Physical at Trinity Hall. As I said, 'the other place, whose name I daren't speak around these parts'.

I've been quite lucky, as I've almost completely planned my gap year now, I just need to finalise plans when I get my results.

So far, I'm doing:

6 weeks research placement at the UCL, Medical Physics
Geology AS & A2
Additional Further Maths AS & A2
Possible placement at Astrium (they make satellites )
Applying for a research placement at Cavendish Labs, in solid state physics.

Probably just going to work between these things as well, to get a bit of cash

[ice_dragoness274]

(Original post by bluesky42)
So are you going to let UCL know that you're applying to Oxford? And are you getting your school to write the reference? I ask because I'm in a similar position...

Hey

Came across your post in a thread about you reapplying to Oxford whilst taking your first year at UCL. I'm doing the same, so I would really appreciate if you could answer the following questions, would be very helpful.

1) When exactly did you reapply to Oxford? Was it at the start of your second year at Imperial when most people submit their Oxbridge forms?

2) Did you do it through UCAS? Or separately?

3) Which were the colleges that said they would not accept a re-application? Which colleges said maybe? And which colleges were definitively OK with it?

4) Did you have to provide a reference from UCL stating your tutor's opinion of you (separate from a letter from the uni acknowledging they knew you were re-applying to Cambridge)? Or would a 6th form reference (e.g. that used on original UCAS form) be sufficient?

5) Were you successful with the reapplication in the end? When did they get back to you.

Thank you in advance

[bluesky42]

(Original post by ice_dragoness274)
Hey

Came across your post in a thread about you reapplying to Oxford whilst taking your first year at UCL. I'm doing the same, so I would really appreciate if you could answer the following questions, would be very helpful.

1) When exactly did you reapply to Oxford? Was it at the start of your second year at Imperial when most people submit their Oxbridge forms?

2) Did you do it through UCAS? Or separately?

3) Which were the colleges that said they would not accept a re-application? Which colleges said maybe? And which colleges were definitively OK with it?

4) Did you have to provide a reference from UCL stating your tutor's opinion of you (separate from a letter from the uni acknowledging they knew you were re-applying to Cambridge)? Or would a 6th form reference (e.g. that used on original UCAS form) be sufficient?

5) Were you successful with the reapplication in the end? When did they get back to you.

Thank you in advance

Sorry, didn't actually reapply in the end so can't be of much help!

[Az_016]

What do you think the chances would be of someone reapplying for a different subject and still getting an offer?

[aftrglw]

(Original post by Az_016)
What do you think the chances would be of someone reapplying for a different subject and still getting an offer?

You certainly can if you're qualified. 2 years ago I applied for masters programs in IR at Edinburgh (safety), UCL and LSE. I got into Edinburgh and UCL, but the IR program at LSE filled up while my application was being considered. I got in there for my second choice (which I didn't really care about... something about EU politics) but I really wanted to go for IR, since it's one of the top 10 IR departments in the world and IR would be more prestigious than some silly mixed degree. They said I could defer the second choice but I didn't want to study it so I just rejected it and applied earlier the next year for IR and got in.

[Az_016]

(Original post by aftrglw)
You certainly can if you're qualified. 2 years ago I applied for masters programs in IR at Edinburgh (safety), UCL and LSE. I got into Edinburgh and UCL, but the IR program at LSE filled up while my application was being considered. I got in there for my second choice (which I didn't really care about... something about EU politics) but I really wanted to go for IR, since it's one of the top 10 IR departments in the world and IR would be more prestigious than some silly mixed degree. They said I could defer the second choice but I didn't want to study it so I just rejected it and applied earlier the next year for IR and got in.

Well done and thanks. What do you think the chances would be of someone say who applied for economics, and then applied for engineering or maths the next year? Assuming that the subject choices are fine.

[aftrglw]

(Original post by Az_016)
Well done and thanks. What do you think the chances would be of someone say who applied for economics, and then applied for engineering or maths the next year? Assuming that the subject choices are fine.

I really couldn't say, I don't know much about maths and engineering and my knowledge of the whole A-levels thing is pretty weak. If you're applying for a BS and you have the appropriate A-levels for the program and your college then I'd assume it would be fine... but as I said, I really don't know about those programs. I just know that the admissions office is not going to penalize you for changing your mind, LSE admissions told me when I was applying that it happens all the time.

[BJack]

(Original post by Az_016)
Well done and thanks. What do you think the chances would be of someone say who applied for economics, and then applied for engineering or maths the next year? Assuming that the subject choices are fine.

Your previous application wouldn't affect your second. If you're good enough to merit a place, they'll take you; that's all there is to it.

[Az_016]

(Original post by BJack)
Your previous application wouldn't affect your second. If you're good enough to merit a place, they'll take you; that's all there is to it.

Won't it be frowned upon though because they expect a candidate to be passionate for the subject they apply for and applying for a different subject doesn't quite show that

[BJack]

(Original post by Az_016)
Won't it be frowned upon though because they expect a candidate to be passionate for the subject they apply for and applying for a different subject doesn't quite show that

I don't think the admissions tutors would know that you'd previously applied for a different subject. At any rate, it's possible to be passionate about more than one subject.