[kavue]

Hi, I'm an international student who's planning on applying to Oxford Law this year

I've done my homework. I know that all the colleges at Oxford are bound to be fantastic, that you're going to get in if you're good enough, etc. etc.

So based on that I decided that it didn't matter which college I went to as long as I get in somewhere.

That being said, I still require one thing: that they provide housing for me all three years. I'm an international student, and (though it may be unfounded) I've been hearing about how it's so expensive to live in the UK. Well, having to pay for my full international tuition (I'm not from the EU) seems to be costly enough for me, and living outside doesn't seem that appealing at this point. So when I apply, I do wish to indicate that I need to go to a college that will be able to accommodate me during my stay. Is it possible in any way to indicate this if I make an open application? Or is this entirely subject to random chance?

Oh and one last thing. I know that it's supposed to be a myth and all, but still - I'm an applicant Is it true that if I apply to a competitive college, my chances of being admitted get slimmer? For any reason whatsoever, I mean. Like more difficult interview questions that might make you underperform, etc. If I were to make a list of the colleges I want to go to like a sticky thread suggested, I would probably say I want to go to Magdalen, but the rumors are a bit intimidating Any suggestions? Thanks.

[nexttime]

Not all colleges offer 3 years accommodation - this is generally the main thing people consider when applying to a college. If you want to guarantee 3 years accommodation, do not make an open application!

If you literally don't care at all, just go through the prospectus, find all the ones that offer 3 years, put the names in a hat and decide that way.

I would not pay attention to 'rumours' about colleges - they are invariably made up/true of a small minority.

In case you don't realize though, living in college accommodation would mean that you only have somewhere to live during term time. Out of term time, you will have to go home/stay somewhere else.

In theory, no, college choice does not affect your chances of getting in. There is no point in trying to play this game.

[Festina lente]

You can't put a condition on an open application. Apply to Magdalen if that's the one you prefer. You may, however, be reassigned before interview; and (at least if you are interviewed in Oxford - I'm not sure if this happens for Skype interviews) you may also be sent to another college for a second set of interviews.

Don't worry too much about the possibility of having to live out for a year. There is usually some support via college for sorting out house shares and it's not horribly expensive if you're sensible.

[Aeonstorm]

(Original post by Festina lente)
You can't put a condition on an open application. Apply to Magdalen if that's the one you prefer. You may, however, be reassigned before interview; and (at least if you are interviewed in Oxford - I'm not sure if this happens for Skype interviews) you may also be sent to another college for a second set of interviews.

Don't worry too much about the possibility of having to live out for a year. There is usually some support via college for sorting out house shares and it's not horribly expensive if you're sensible.

How much more expensive would you say it is to live out for say second year?

Also, are there any colleges which let you live in during the holidays? I'm also an international student and would prefer not to have to get accommodation for a couple of weeks and then go back to living in college.

[Manslaw]

(Original post by Aeonstorm)
How much more expensive would you say it is to live out for say second year?

Also, are there any colleges which let you live in during the holidays? I'm also an international student and would prefer not to have to get accommodation for a couple of weeks and then go back to living in college.

Prices living out vary based on what kind of accommodation you're looking for. Most of the second years at my college are paying between £350-400 a month living with friends in Cowley. There are nicer areas of Oxford which are more expensive for students.

I've been paying £300 a month, but only because I looked for the cheapest accommodation possible. This means (with utilities etc) I would have paid about £1000 more for the year than college accommodation would have cost.

However, students at my college are not able to stay in their college accommodation during the holidays. I would effectively pay £3100 for college accommodation for 6 months (term time), or ~£4000 for private accommodation for 12 months.

I'm not sure if there are any colleges that let you live in during the holidays. A lot of colleges rent out the rooms for conference guests. Students at my college (Mansfield) get kicked out as soon as term ends.

[Aeonstorm]

(Original post by Manslaw)
Prices living out vary based on what kind of accommodation you're looking for. Most of the second years at my college are paying between £350-400 a month living with friends in Cowley. There are nicer areas of Oxford which are more expensive for students.

I've been paying £300 a month, but only because I looked for the cheapest accommodation possible. This means (with utilities etc) I would have paid about £1000 more for the year than college accommodation would have cost.

However, students at my college are not able to stay in their college accommodation during the holidays. I would effectively pay £3100 for college accommodation for 6 months (term time), or ~£4000 for private accommodation for 12 months.

I'm not sure if there are any colleges that let you live in during the holidays. A lot of colleges rent out the rooms for conference guests. Students at my college (Mansfield) get kicked out as soon as term ends.

Thank you very much for the info. I may have to reconsider my plan to live in college for all 3 years, as I would have to get accommodation for holidays on top of that...

[Manslaw]

(Original post by Aeonstorm)
Thank you very much for the info. I may have to reconsider my plan to live in college for all 3 years, as I would have to get accommodation for holidays on top of that...

There might be a college (or a few) that let you live in for 3 years including holidays. You should check the websites and email/ring the colleges to find out.

[kavue]

Thanks for the advice. I guess I really should choose a college after all then....

But about the second question, does anyone have some ideas? I'm really curious why, despite all claims to the contrary and the argument that if you're good enough they'll refer you to another college, stories about how some colleges like Christ Church, Magdalen and St. Johns are notoriously difficult to get into. Is there really any reason why people might feel so, or is it a myth after all? I really mean anything, from the difficulty of the questions to more stern professors.

[nulli tertius]

(Original post by kavue)
Thanks for the advice. I guess I really should choose a college after all then....

But about the second question, does anyone have some ideas? I'm really curious why, despite all claims to the contrary and the argument that if you're good enough they'll refer you to another college, stories about how some colleges like Christ Church, Magdalen and St. Johns are notoriously difficult to get into. Is there really any reason why people might feel so, or is it a myth after all? I really mean anything, from the difficulty of the questions to more stern professors.

The statistics simply don't bear this out.

However, what the statistics will not show are differences in the character of applicants or parents. It is quite likely that Christ Church and Magdalen (less so St Johns) attract a disproportionate number of people applying for reasons that are unlikely to be appealing to admissions tutors (snob value, architecture, historic pre-eminence, school links). Having been rejected, such candidates (or their parents) are perhaps more likely to sound off about how much more difficult it was to enter the college they applied to.

[kavue]

(Original post by nulli tertius)
The statistics simply don't bear this out.

However, what the statistics will not show are differences in the character of applicants or parents. It is quite likely that Christ Church and Magdalen (less so St Johns) attract a disproportionate number of people applying for reasons that are unlikely to be appealing to admissions tutors (snob value, architecture, historic pre-eminence, school links). Having been rejected, such candidates (or their parents) are perhaps more likely to sound off about how much more difficult it was to enter the college they applied to.

Right. I was just curious, because my counselor continuously told me that unless I really, really, REALLY wanted to go to Magdalen I shouldn't apply since the competition is so crazy there. He said something along the lines of since you're applying as law it's already bad as it is, no point making it worse - and it made a lot of sense to me But if the competition is from those kind of factors, then I guess it really won't matter. Thanks for the advice, it's really helping me out

[BVahid]

I'd suggest this: don't apply for an open place. Choose a college - see if your advisers have statistics on which ones are slightly less competitive. Then again, it is a Law degree, so it will be tough everywhere.

BTW, "that you're going to get in if you're good enough" - this is not strictly true. Some international students have gotten in with less than 3A's AND it's sometimes about luck.

I know two guys who were effectively "pooled" (Cambridge term for placed on reserve list, Oxford doesn't do it I dont think) and in the end they chose between them simply based on which ALevel subjects they did - both were from the same international school, both had straight A's. Sadly, my friend didn't get picked but he got 5A's at ALevel and then went to LSE and has a great career now. Sometimes, it honestly is about luck - bearing in mind that now, rather than a few years ago, the competition is really stiff!

The job of the interview is to see how you think. You will get hard questions no matter which college you apply to. Focus on preparing for that, don't fixate on the small things e.g. the housing point. Maybe you'll have to move out of halls then back into university ones. This is part of life. It won't make that much financial difference (in the long run) if you end up going to Oxford university - the point will be getting the degree from Oxford!

[BVahid]

Also - on the point about being good enough, I meant to add: it isn't just about getting straight A's anymore (everyone has that) it's also about your extra curricular activities etc.. not only how you think. Focus also on curiosity, thinking outside the box, etc..

Don't get nervous by the urban legends!

[astro67]

(Original post by kavue)
Right. I was just curious, because my counselor continuously told me that unless I really, really, REALLY wanted to go to Magdalen I shouldn't apply since the competition is so crazy there. He said something along the lines of since you're applying as law it's already bad as it is, no point making it worse - and it made a lot of sense to me But if the competition is from those kind of factors, then I guess it really won't matter. Thanks for the advice, it's really helping me out

You certainly shouldn't avoid applying to Magdalen (or any other College) due to concerns about it affecting whether or not you get an offer from Oxford. However, if two favourite colleges have similar appeal to you personally and one is massively oversubscribed and the other isn't, then it may be worth applying to the less oversubscribed option since you are more likely to be at that College if you get an offer from the University. That said, there are no bad options so this isn't something to worry too much about.

[nexttime]

(Original post by kavue)
Thanks for the advice. I guess I really should choose a college after all then....

But about the second question, does anyone have some ideas? I'm really curious why, despite all claims to the contrary and the argument that if you're good enough they'll refer you to another college, stories about how some colleges like Christ Church, Magdalen and St. Johns are notoriously difficult to get into.

I think its largely prestige associated with architecture, rather than anything 'real'. Christchurch is probably the best known college, but statistically is very mediocre in its popularity to applicants. Perhaps it holds some truth in historically too, but nothing to be concerned with now.

[Good bloke]

(Original post by BVahid)
it's also about your extra curricular activities

No it isn't, especially if they are unrelated to your course.

[kavue]

(Original post by astro67)
However, if two favourite colleges have similar appeal to you personally and one is massively oversubscribed and the other isn't, then it may be worth applying to the less oversubscribed option since you are more likely to be at that College if you get an offer from the University.

Does this mean that the reason people discourage students from applying to well-known colleges is only that in that case, they might not get accepted to that specific college? I mean, is it an issue of getting into your first choice college and not about getting into Oxford itself?

[astro67]

(Original post by kavue)
Does this mean that the reason people discourage students from applying to well-known colleges is only that in that case, they might not get accepted to that specific college? I mean, is it an issue of getting into your first choice college and not about getting into Oxford itself?

That should be the case. Some years (decades) ago, it might well be that good people missed out on places at Oxford because they applied to a particularly popular College and the mechanisms for being picked up by other colleges were a bit unreliable so it may be that teachers and advisers are thinking that holds true today. Now, though, the University has adopted a common framework for admissions to ensure that Oxford gets the best students wherever they originally applied. So if you apply to Worcester, the most popular College in terms of applications per place, you are not damaging your chances of getting into Oxford. Your chances of getting into Worcester aren't very high, though, so if you thought that, say, St Hilda's was nearly as appealing to you, it might be pragmatic to choose St Hilda's since by doing so you'd be more likely to end up at one of your top two choices if you did get an Oxford offer. On the other hand, pretty much your only chance of getting into a popular College is to make it your first choice so if you really want to go to Magdalen or wherever then you shouldn't be put off making that choice in your application.

Of course, you'd be crazy to apply anywhere other than Somerville

[nulli tertius]

(Original post by astro67)
if you really want to go to Magdalene...

you shouldn't apply to Oxford.

Sorry, couldn't resist.