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Oxbridge school/college essays

Helloo

I'm applying to Cambridge :s-smilie: and everything is ok so far except from the school/college essay of which I have been given NO INFORMATION about and am finding it hard to find any.

My questions are (I have to submit two)

Do they (both?) have to be in the subject most closely related to the course I'm applying for? I'm applying for Theology and Religious studies and my closest A2 subject is Religious Studies - Philosophy of Religion and Ethics

Can they be from last year? I think it's fair to say I haven't really learnt enough this year to attempt to write a smashing essay on a topic (not least be quizzed about it in the interview!) but obviously I am worried they'd know and think it's a massive cop out or I couldn't be bothered or something

I have asked my teacher but she hasn't got back to me (I think she's sick of the sight of me because I've gone to her about 100 times for my PS :colondollar:) but all I do know is that they're in for 15th Nov and I'm soooo worried about them :eek3: !!

I'd appreciate anything anyone can tell me so so much!! Thankss
I'm afraid that I can't be of that much help as I'm applying for History and English at Oxford actually (boo, hiss, I know lol) but I would expect that it's perfectly okay to submit work from last year, so long as you feel it represents your current level of thinking/writing skills, as it's really quite early on in the school year yet and surely you haven't got a big sample to draw on, so it's very silly of them (in my opinion) to make you submit only this year's work.
Needless to say though, please take your teacher's advice - hopefully she'll have already gotten back to you by now - over mine though, as this is more common sense than any kind of advice.
Hope it helped though, and absolute best of luck with it all! :smile:
Reply 2
Thanks so much for your reply! Wow, History and English at Oxford, if I had the knack for history (I wish) I would absolutely love to do that.
I did speak to my teacher today and she said the same, that I can send in AS essays and that a lot of the others are doing that too. As I have to submit two, I think we agreed I should definitely send one from Philosophy and Ethics and other from either History or English (probably English if my diabolical History essays from last year are anything to go by)! and I'd feel ok being quizzed on them because the stuff they're on I should know relatively well..(hopefully)

Now just to dig them out from wherever I shoved them at the end of last year...:confused:

But thanks again, and of course good luck to you too!! Do you have to submit an essay too?
Sorry about the late reply: totally didn't see that you'd replied, plus a bit stressful finishing up my application but that's all done now :smile:
I do, I have to submit two for English and one for History, although I don't like any of my English essays at all so dunno how I'm going to work that out. Glad your teacher finally came through for you :smile: If it's any consolation I asked a teacher for a predicted grade about 2 weeks before the deadline and he kept saying "I'll send it tonight" or lying that he had already sent it, so in the end I just had to predict it myself (I'm an independent applicant), so I understand the panic when it feels like you're all on your own with no support from adults. Best of luck :h:
Reply 4
Ahhh, same here, sorry about that! But good to hear you've finished!
Oh I see..well, I hope you've managed to figure it out since you replied...I feel exactly the same as you do about your English essays as I do about my history!!

Oh really? That's so unfair! But at least you could just predict it yourself..one of the worst things re the application was definitely trying to convince my teachers to move me up a grade, felt so desperate begging even though I had an okayish case but they're just so reluctant!:mad:

Ahh thanks so much for your reply, it's kind of reassuring that other people are in the same boat. Again, best of luck to you too!! I'm sure it'll all fall into place! :h:

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