Oxford postgraduate applicants 2014/15

Anyone applied by the March deadline?

I applied by the January deadline but was pushed to the March deadline (the so called RE-EVALUATION. The department only had two deadlines this year).

Can anyone tell me what does RE-EVALUATION really mean? Their official website says that you have performed well against the selection criteria but the selection committee want to evaluate you against the candidates that apply by the next deadline. Does it mean you are good but my application was not strong enough to convince the committee to give me an offer?

Anyone got re-evaluated at the November deadline and got admitted at the Jan deadline??

Thanks for your help.

It is steep and frustrating, I really sympathise. I'm sure you know all the possible solutions and need to rant more than helpful advice - yes, it is really high, which is why they dish out acceptances which students will never be capable of taking up. Most UK students never make it because they simply don't have the money which is really sad.

Re: Manchester vs. Oxford you're right to take everything into consideration: living experience, cost of living, who you can work with there, the actual course content. If you think Manchester will suit, there's no reason to put Oxford first for merely the "halo" - I got my master's from another uni, and it made no difference when I wanted to continue to D.Phil. And I lived somewhere with a low cost of living that I love.

Or, if you are really feeling the burn, you could do what nearly everyone I know with a master's has done. We worked full time or more (50 to 60 hours per week) to pay fees, rent, bills etc and did the course part-time - it depends on the course, obviously. Or some of my friends studied full time while working about 25-30 hours per week to minimise their loans. Most middle class people I know do this. If you're disciplined, manage time well, and have a job with a little bit of flexibility, and don't have kids, it's fine.

But yeah, the finances of it are horrible. (The other solution is lottery tickets.)

It is steep and frustrating, I really sympathise. I'm sure you know all the possible solutions and need to rant more than helpful advice - yes, it is really high, which is why they dish out acceptances which students will never be capable of taking up. Most UK students never make it because they simply don't have the money which is really sad.

Re: Manchester vs. Oxford you're right to take everything into consideration: living experience, cost of living, who you can work with there, the actual course content. If you think Manchester will suit, there's no reason to put Oxford first for merely the "halo" - I got my master's from another uni, and it made no difference when I wanted to continue to D.Phil. And I lived somewhere with a low cost of living that I love.

Or, if you are really feeling the burn, you could do what nearly everyone I know with a master's has done. We worked full time or more (50 to 60 hours per week) to pay fees, rent, bills etc and did the course part-time - it depends on the course, obviously. Or some of my friends studied full time while working about 25-30 hours per week to minimise their loans. Most middle class people I know do this. If you're disciplined, manage time well, and have a job with a little bit of flexibility, and don't have kids, it's fine.

But yeah, the finances of it are horrible. (The other solution is lottery tickets.)

Are you doing a Masters or a PhD? If the latter, I'd go to the place where you can get the best supervisor.

Can anyone who was pooled let me know how you came to know of the fact. Were you notified when your first choice rejected you or did you only realise when you were accepted by a college different to your first choice?

I first got a message from the University Graduate Admission Office that I was rejected by Balliol, my first choice. Three weeks later, the Admission Officer of Hertford contacted me with a conditional offer

Turning in on a slightly more productive strand of my economic rant, what's the deal on economic declaration (terminology?) -- when do they want it, what does it need to entail, etc.?

Thing is, if I'm able to get the money -- and I'm *quite* sure I can, even if it's a stretch -- I won't have them in-hand till August at the earliest, I expect.

Last week I received an offer for Hertford after being rejected for my first choice Balliol. It looks quite good! Does anyone have experience with Hertford?

They have a list of acceptable ways to prove it on the college websites I think, usually bank statements, letters from funders etc. As far as I know they are putting less emphasis on it since that court case they lost last year. For what it's worth the deadline for my financial declaration was 1st of August last year. I didn't have the money at that stage (though my loan had been approved), so my parents' bank account and a statement that they were going to fund me (though I had no intention of taking money from them) was the stop gap solution.

However, your wider point is something I agree entirely with. An Oxford degree is hideously expensive even in a world of expensive postgrad degrees. Aside from the fees c £9000 for me, accommodation is eye-wateringly expensive and the cost of living in general is pretty close to London levels. Try as I have to be frugal, I've still been forced to look to the folks for assistance, despite what I thought when filling out the financial stuff. Oxford's estimated cost of living is actually pretty accurate, having lived here six months, even if it seems a stupidly high minimum at first.

The net effect of it of course, is to limit postgraduate study, and the rewarding careers it opens up, to the well off and force incredibly talented people without Mummy and Daddy's money out (I'll openly admit my luck in the economic-class birth lottery, there's no way I could be doing what I'm doing without a parental subsidy and collateral for my loan; there was no meritocracy).

On what to choose, Oxford or Manchester, do what is good for the career and life you want. I chose Oxford over cheaper options because in the career I'd like (academia) the academic prestige, library resources and world-famous supervisor I have here are an investment which will hopefully pay off in the long run. If there's no discernible reasons like this to choose one over the other in your specific circumstances, go for the better value represented by Manchester.

Thanks for the response!

I think I've settled down from my tantrum a little bit by now. If I'm able to (and if I get a first, don't want to start jinxing that now by taking it for granted!) I'll probably just suck it up and pay it.

Wanna know a fun thing? My research proposal is for the MSc in Comparative Social Policy, and concerns barriers to higher education. I expect it'll lead me to heavy drinking.

It's interesting what you're saying about the living costs. I'm moving together with my girlfriend next year and so will be sharing rent, and I found their estimates of that quite far off the mark (being as they are based on college accommodation). The rest I'm less sure of, even if I've spent a decent amount of time in Oxford over the past one and a half year. Would you say the minimum expected living costs are reasonable and realistic, or do some things fall closer to the higher end?

Thanks for the response!

I think I've settled down from my tantrum a little bit by now. If I'm able to (and if I get a first, don't want to start jinxing that now by taking it for granted!) I'll probably just suck it up and pay it.

Wanna know a fun thing? My research proposal is for the MSc in Comparative Social Policy, and concerns barriers to higher education. I expect it'll lead me to heavy drinking.

It's interesting what you're saying about the living costs. I'm moving together with my girlfriend next year and so will be sharing rent, and I found their estimates of that quite far off the mark (being as they are based on college accommodation). The rest I'm less sure of, even if I've spent a decent amount of time in Oxford over the past one and a half year. Would you say the minimum expected living costs are reasonable and realistic, or do some things fall closer to the higher end?

Is she a student also? Otherwise she may have to take council tax into consideration - the exemption is for full-time students only.

The irony of your research proposal has made my day!

On living costs, yes college accommodation is really expensive and my college saw fit to give me a lovely big ensuite room, with a corresponding bill. So living out and sharing will reduce bills a lot, especially if you don't mind living a bit further out, like Headington. I have also, for some personal reasons, had to travel home quite often and travel has therefore been a big cost. But on the whole, it depends on how much socialising you do and how much pasta and baked beans you can eat without wanting to kill yourself. Most people I know self-funding aim to spend £10-15 a week after rent and utilities, but that is very hard, especially to sustain week after week. If you can budget £20-25 a week instead, you'll have a much easier time. Living with a partner should also cut down on food bills too. But on the whole, if you have their minimum estimates, you should be fine (I should still spend under them for the year), but if you want to have an active social life, to buy any clothes during the year, have a weekend away etc. reaching that minimum is important.