What do you want to know about Oxford?

Meh, not really... I only had 85% GCSE's and a fairly average BMAT score (4.9,6.5,3.5A), but as long as you do well enough to make it to interview it's a level playing field from there.



Presume you've got some work experience and volunteering lined up?

Only chances of getting shortlisted; it's only interview performance and, to a smaller extent, BMAT score after that. I think it's more correlation than causation that people with lower percentages of A*s are less likely to do well at interview. Mine was probably balanced out by my school not being particularly great and my high number of A*s (12) anyway tbh. They interviewed more than 5 people for every 2 places so I'd probably have had to be pretty good at interview anyway


Yeah, I got an offer from Univ. Still need to get the grades though... And firm it as well actually, even though I'm 90% sure I wanna go Oxford I'm waiting until the deadline in case I have a last minute change of heart What do you want to know?

Only chances of getting shortlisted; it's only interview performance and, to a smaller extent, BMAT score after that. I think it's more correlation than causation that people with lower percentages of A*s are less likely to do well at interview.

Oh my...I need to decide anyway

I haven't decided which college I will apply for :| Univ?


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That's a confident assertion - what is your source?

(Its also definitely not true, but we'll come onto that later )

Wow! Congratulation! I do understand what you mean.

How was the interview? Which other college interviewed you, and if you apply for Univ, or did an Open App and just got relocated to Univ.


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Feedback my sixth form asked for (I wasn't really bothered) only mentioned interview and BMAT ranking, according to notes (and my note-taking skills are very good; I have a part-time job where I have to write down everything being said) I took at an Oxbridge conference the Director of Pre-clinical studies said something along the lines of "Although we take a holistic approach to admissions, we place a particular emphasis on interview performance and, to a lesser extent, BMAT score", a student helper doing medicine who was taking me from one college to another for an interview said my GCSE's weren't important at this stage... I can't find anything online though so suspect I may well be talking ****e. Even though you probably have work to do, feel free to put me out of my misery :P

The only problems I can foresee for medicine is grades and then that you applied for English, then human sciences and then medicine - they might call your commitment to the course into question - but if you're sure then you can convince them

TELL ME ABOUT IT...that's one reason I am sure to be asked. I was asked in HMC when I was interviewed for HS.

I still have time to think, hopefully I can decide.

How was your first day back, anyway?


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It was okay - usual stuff

Thinking about it - how did they actually know you'd applied and been offered a place before?

For example, if you applied for History and English, could you be given an offer for just History OR English? Or would you just be rejected?

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For example, if you applied for History and English, could you be given an offer for just History OR English? Or would you just be rejected?

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My "silly" tutor mentioned it, thinking it was rather "cool" that I applied before...

I was actually caught off-guard...


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Meh, not really... I only had 85% GCSE's and a fairly average BMAT score (4.9,6.5,3.5A), but as long as you do well enough to make it to interview it's a level playing field from there.



Presume you've got some work experience and volunteering lined up?

For example, if you applied for History and English, could you be given an offer for just History OR English? Or would you just be rejected?

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Yeah, I applied for Univ and then got allocated to St Anne's (everyone who's shortlisted gets interviewed at two colleges, but can still receive an offer from one which is neither of these). They were similar really in that there was an ethics-based part which was essentially the same as the interviews at any other uni, and then a science-based part which involved being shown something and asked to explain it, or given an article and being asked if I thought it's findings were accurate and/or significant. The only difference was that it was one big interview at Univ and two separate ones at St Anne's. Enjoyed them a lot more than I thought I would despite how stressful they were, which really wasn't the case at my other medicine interviews

For example, if you applied for History and English, could you be given an offer for just History OR English? Or would you just be rejected?

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I'd agree with the first couple of sources - they definitely are the most important. I don't think you can state that they aren't looked at from that though and as for the student - I suspect they were trying to be nice and reassure you.

My only counter-example is the tutors at my college, who have commented that they consider everything and about tryly outstanding academic profiles virtually guaranteeing offers. They've also commented specifically about how important considering the school is.

I think its safe to say that once you get an interview, that is most important, though.

Hey, I would just like to know how did you prepare for the BMAT? Did you use revision books?
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What is your overall BMAT score, and what type of work experiences did you take?