[Rancorous]

Oxford but should have applied to Cambridge because they rejected me!

Seriously, I had wanted to go to Cambridge since I was like 9. I had the grades. I'd visited it a few times and loved it. I felt Oxford was more private school and stuck up. But a few friends had gotten into Oxford and told me it was more well known and a bigger, more exciting city. Best of the best. I was confident with my grades, so I made the wrong decision. In my first year of university, I applied again just to Cambridge and they were really keen to interview me. As in I got about 10 missed calls from them. Emails too. One basically said you'll have a very good shot, if you'd just respond! But I was enjoying it at uni, so I left it. Rescinded the application on UCAS. I don't know know if they really were keen to have me or if they just like to interview everyone they can.

Edit: I honestly don't understand why 6 people disliked this comment. Because I misinterpreted 'choose' as I was rejected? If you dislike it, please quote me and explain why exactly.

[Ho Chi Minh]

I chose Cambridge. When I went to see Oxford, it rained. When I went to see Cambridge, it was sunny. Obvious choice really.

[RampantLion]

A quick skin through this thread and there appears to be many more people favouring Cambridge over Oxford. I find that weird because in my school, there's quite a heavy bias towards Oxford. In the end I chose Oxford and now have an offer to study Law at Brasenose College this October


My decision was based on a few things really:

I'm from Wales, so Cambridge is a very long way away for me (about 4 hours drive). While Oxford is only 1-2 hours away which seems the perfect distance from home in my opinion :P

I'd rather be in a bigger city for university

For law, Oxford require the LNAT while Cambridge have their own exam. As I was already going to be taking the LNAT for my other University choices, I didn't really fancy having an extra exam to deal with :P

I liked the course and exam structure for law at Oxford. You do exams in only your first and final years which takes the pressure off for second year a bit. And as I think I'll be pursuing a career in law, it is in your second year that you actually apply for jobs you'll start 2-3 years later (bit weird I know :P)

So that's my thoughts on the matter!

[Acerbic]

One comes earlier in the alphabet

[RampantLion]

Oh and the Oxford pooling system is a lot better and less stressful for applicants than Cambridge's

[alexsasg]

After a Cambridge rep came to our school when I was in year 10 to encourage state school students to apply, I was always just aiming for Cambridge, never Oxford. Then when I got into sixth form and had to start thinking about uni, it was always Cambridge for me! I think a part of me knew that I wanted to do the PPS course, even if I didn't know it myself at the time

But yeah, Cambridge offers PPS (and I was especially interested in the sociology aspect), while Oxford offers PPE (no sociology).

[chignesh10]

(Original post by dancingqueen)
I'm at Lincoln, Oxford, doing chemistry. I had 2 main reasons for choosing Oxford over Cambridge. Firstly, as I'm doing science, I would have to have taken natural sciences which I wasn't keen on, I didn't fancy doing all the other options, just wanted to get on with chemistry. As a result, even though Cambridge say their natural sciences course is just as much depth in a single discipline as other universities' single science courses, I know from comparing with friends that I've covered more stuff and done quite a lot of new, cutting edge chemistry that my friend doing chemistry at Cambridge hasn't covered. However, If I'd not been sure I wanted to do chemistry, NatSci would've been ideal, as you can 'try out' subjects befoe you commit yourself to them for your entire degree.
Secondly, I liked the city of Oxford better than Cambridge. Its bigger, there are more pubs, clubs, cafes etc, and I just like the 'feel' of the place better. Its hard to explain, but I fell in love with Oxford when I visited, and even though I visited Cambridge first, I knew Oxford was where I wanted to be.

Hey, I want to apply for chemistry as well to oxford!
I am just wondering what kind of chemistry related things you did for ur PS?

[iyley]

(Original post by Arialaxe)
Also, my wonderful history teacher (who walked out of Oxford with a 1st, no less, and went on to make a certain website that a lot of history students use) said, and I quote: "Oxford is a bloody dump once you leave the centre." (And he should know: he comes from Telford.)

Oh my golly -

Spoiler:

Show

http://www.johndclare.net/ ?!!

[xcatherinex]

Oxford, Pembroke, Experimental Psychology

Cambridge didn't offer the same course. I also loved spending 3 days at interview getting to know the other applicants whereas friends that applied to Cambridge enjoyed it far less.

[Arialaxe]

(Original post by iyley)
Oh my golly -

Spoiler:

Show

http://www.johndclare.net/ ?!!

Afraid not, good guess though.

Spoiler:

Show

http://www.activehistory.co.uk/

[flywithemma]

(Original post by iyley)
Oh my golly -

Spoiler:

Show

http://www.johndclare.net/ ?!!

Ahh I just negged you when I meant to pos rep you, I'm sorry! Feel free to return the favour
Pretty sure I've posted somewhere on this thread before, but oh well. Basically I applied to Oxford because I didn't want the pressure of having to get an A* in history. Which was a very good decision also...inspirational deputy head did history at Oxford, went on a uniq summer school and fell in love with the place (whereas I got rejected from all the Cambridge equivalents that I applied for...), and just generally my school had a relatively bigger history of sending people to Oxford (we now have 5 in the last 5 years vs 1 at Cambridge ) so there was a sense that Oxford was more achievable.

[iyley]

(Original post by Arialaxe)
Afraid not, good guess though.

Spoiler:

Show

http://www.activehistory.co.uk/

AAAAAAAH those head2head things were SO GOOD! Ah Y9 history ah the memories!
It must be something with Oxonian history teachers and creating AMAZING history sites...

(Original post by flywithemma)
Ahh I just negged you when I meant to pos rep you, I'm sorry! Feel free to return the favour

Not to worry

[JayReg]

Could not be dealing with NatSci or maths with physics at Cambridge when there was a lovely straight physics course at Oxford

[the bear]

I went to Cambridge because it seemed more manly

[Ocassus]

Cambridge don't do PPE, hence Oxford.

If they did do PPE, then I would have gone Cambridge.

[David Young]

Anyone know if you can bring your pet to Oxbridge with you? And have them stay in your room? A cat for example? I was just thinking about this haha

[nexttime]

(Original post by David Young)
Anyone know if you can bring your pet to Oxbridge with you? And have them stay in your room? A cat for example? I was just thinking about this haha

I'm afraid not. I doubt there would be any exceptions anywhere.

[Arialaxe]

(Original post by nexttime)
I'm afraid not. I doubt there would be any exceptions anywhere.

Byron had a pet bear at Cambridge

[iyley]

Cambridge have 114 libraries. Oxford, a meer 102. I think this shows a clear winner.

(Yes, Oxford have one of the most cool libraries in the world, but shush... quantity not quality?!)

[Harry S Truman]

(Original post by iyley)
(Yes, Oxford have one of the most cool libraries in the world, but shush... quantity not quality?!)

Cambridge's University Library is much more useful to an undergraduate student than Oxford's Bodleian.