Thoughts on plan to get into Oxford University requested.
Hey there TSR, this is the first time I'm making a post here, so I apologize if this is the wrong thread, it if is, I'd appreciate it if someone could re-direct me to a more appropriate posting space. Thanks.
As you can see by the title, I've set a goal to be accepted into Oxford University. I'm 15 years old (turning 16 in a month), I'm going into year 11, and I've made a few short term plans which I hope will help me achieve my goal of being accepted into the university to do an Undergrad Economics and Management degree. I've always been interested by the infrastructure of economics in the globalized world and the complexity of how it works. Granted, I'm only 15, and my understanding of economics is very limited, I'm hoping to expand it in many ways.
These are the goals I've set myself to achieve:
So the work experience, so far, is consisting of working at a medicine surgery (on occasion, and I was looking for a finance aspect to the work placement), getting a week's work experience at the finance department of Disney, and hopefully getting either a week's, or two week's work experience at Goldman Sachs.
I'm going to attempt to read a few books on the Oxford University reading list, at first the introductions and perhaps 'Freakonomics', 'The Undercover Economist' and 'A Very Short Introduction To Game Theory'. Mind you, I'll be reading this in conjunction with doing the microeconomics/macroeconomics "course", if you could call it that on Khan Academy. I would not like to restrict myself to the aforementioned books, and hopefully, move on to the more advanced texts when I start college.
My personal statement, I'm guessing so far, will consist of three sections:
I'd like to know your thoughts on this, whether you think I'm doing it right, anything I could improve upon etc. Any help is appreciated, thanks!
As you can see by the title, I've set a goal to be accepted into Oxford University. I'm 15 years old (turning 16 in a month), I'm going into year 11, and I've made a few short term plans which I hope will help me achieve my goal of being accepted into the university to do an Undergrad Economics and Management degree. I've always been interested by the infrastructure of economics in the globalized world and the complexity of how it works. Granted, I'm only 15, and my understanding of economics is very limited, I'm hoping to expand it in many ways.
These are the goals I've set myself to achieve:
•
Obtain at least 5A* grades in GCSE (including Maths)
•
Obtain A*AA Grades in A2/A-levels
•
Do work experience related to the field of Economics (and management.)
•
Read books related to Economics (and management.)
•
Use Khan Academy to establish knowledge of microeconomics/macroeconomics.
•
Begin writing Personal Statement and update on a regular basis.
So the work experience, so far, is consisting of working at a medicine surgery (on occasion, and I was looking for a finance aspect to the work placement), getting a week's work experience at the finance department of Disney, and hopefully getting either a week's, or two week's work experience at Goldman Sachs.
I'm going to attempt to read a few books on the Oxford University reading list, at first the introductions and perhaps 'Freakonomics', 'The Undercover Economist' and 'A Very Short Introduction To Game Theory'. Mind you, I'll be reading this in conjunction with doing the microeconomics/macroeconomics "course", if you could call it that on Khan Academy. I would not like to restrict myself to the aforementioned books, and hopefully, move on to the more advanced texts when I start college.
My personal statement, I'm guessing so far, will consist of three sections:
1.
My academic accolades, which will most likely at the time of submission will be GCSE's and AS results/A2 predicted grades. I'm not sure too much what to talk about on that account.
2.
My work experience, and what I took away from it. How it encouraged me to pursue the field of Economics and my personal drive.
3.
My proactivity in the sense that I pursued reading this books on my own accord and watched the Khan Academy videos to better my understanding of economics and build a solid foundation at an early age.
I'd like to know your thoughts on this, whether you think I'm doing it right, anything I could improve upon etc. Any help is appreciated, thanks!
Firstly, it's very good that you're making a plan - well done! Year 12 (I'm assuming you're in Year 11) is the year for building up the basis for your application but it's not a bad idea to start planning now, like you have. I should say that I don't know much about Economics and Management specifically but I do know a bit about Oxford admissions. So I'll give some comments but you can take them as you wish.
5A*s will be below average. This doesn't mean you won't be able to get in (people get in with fewer) but it does mean that it's going to be more difficult for you to get in since Oxford, in general, do care about your GCSEs. I don't know what the average is for EM, but I'm guessing it will be between 8-10A*s. Reading is a really good idea. Don't try to cram in as many books as possible since you won't be able to talk about most of them (although it's definitely a good idea to read widely, which you would naturally do if you've got an interest in the subject). Instead, it's very important to read carefully and with insight, making sure you really understand the book and ensuring that you form opinions and are able to respond to it. Talking to others and practicing speaking about your subject is very important. You don't really need to be reading absurdly advanced texts although you can if you want to - at this point, it's just important to get a good idea of the subject and to show the admissions tutors that you know what you're getting yourself into.
Work experience isn't a bad idea, but I don't think that it will add much to your application. Admissions tutors aren't allowed to give you kudos for work experience because wealthier people with better links are more likely to get better placements - giving people who get high profile and relevant work experience is slightly discriminatory. Obviously if something particularly inspiring happens then massively impacts you then you can write about that, but otherwise it shouldn't really take up more than a couple of lines. Work experience is probably more important for other universities.
Don't start worrying about your personal statement now. You'll learn how to write one near the end of Year 12. For the time being, the best things you can do are concentrate on your AS levels (AAAA is what you ought to be getting) and just do whatever you would naturally do to engage your interest in your subject. Finally, don't get in an Oxford frenzy. However much you do, it is still one of the most elite universities in the world and most people do not get in. Do not be fooled by the relatively high entry percentage - the people you're competing against are the best of the best. There are lots of other really great universities in the UK, so don't neglect them. If you convince yourself that Oxford is the only pathway for you in life, you might get a very, very nasty shock.
5A*s will be below average. This doesn't mean you won't be able to get in (people get in with fewer) but it does mean that it's going to be more difficult for you to get in since Oxford, in general, do care about your GCSEs. I don't know what the average is for EM, but I'm guessing it will be between 8-10A*s. Reading is a really good idea. Don't try to cram in as many books as possible since you won't be able to talk about most of them (although it's definitely a good idea to read widely, which you would naturally do if you've got an interest in the subject). Instead, it's very important to read carefully and with insight, making sure you really understand the book and ensuring that you form opinions and are able to respond to it. Talking to others and practicing speaking about your subject is very important. You don't really need to be reading absurdly advanced texts although you can if you want to - at this point, it's just important to get a good idea of the subject and to show the admissions tutors that you know what you're getting yourself into.
Work experience isn't a bad idea, but I don't think that it will add much to your application. Admissions tutors aren't allowed to give you kudos for work experience because wealthier people with better links are more likely to get better placements - giving people who get high profile and relevant work experience is slightly discriminatory. Obviously if something particularly inspiring happens then massively impacts you then you can write about that, but otherwise it shouldn't really take up more than a couple of lines. Work experience is probably more important for other universities.
Don't start worrying about your personal statement now. You'll learn how to write one near the end of Year 12. For the time being, the best things you can do are concentrate on your AS levels (AAAA is what you ought to be getting) and just do whatever you would naturally do to engage your interest in your subject. Finally, don't get in an Oxford frenzy. However much you do, it is still one of the most elite universities in the world and most people do not get in. Do not be fooled by the relatively high entry percentage - the people you're competing against are the best of the best. There are lots of other really great universities in the UK, so don't neglect them. If you convince yourself that Oxford is the only pathway for you in life, you might get a very, very nasty shock.
(edited 9 years ago)
Moved to Oxford forum 
Original post by izembaro
x
Focus on your GCSEs at the moment.If you can get really good grades that will help your application significantly. The work experience and further reading is all very nice, and by all means do it for your own interest, but try and make sure it doesn't impact on your academic results in the coming year. These are fairly crucial, irrespective of the path you decide to take in the future.
5A*s will be below average. This doesn't mean you won't be able to get in (people get in with fewer) but it does mean that it's going to be more difficult for you to get in since Oxford, in general, do care about your GCSEs. I don't know what the average is for EM, but I'm guessing it will be between 8-10A*s. Reading is a really good idea. Don't try to cram in as many books as possible since you won't be able to talk about most of them (although it's definitely a good idea to read widely, which you would naturally do if you've got an interest in the subject). Instead, it's very important to read carefully and with insight, making sure you really understand the book and ensuring that you form opinions and are able to respond to it. Talking to others and practicing speaking about your subject is very important. You don't really need to be reading absurdly advanced texts although you can if you want to - at this point, it's just important to get a good idea of the subject and to show the admissions tutors that you know what you're getting yourself into.
Wow, I should mention that I'm not a very high achieving school, and I was under the impression upon researching admissions that higher grades are proportionately more impressive dependent on the average achievement of your school. This is not to say that I'm not going to take your advice, I will obviously and definitely attempt to get as many A*s (hopefully 7) as possible and do well. I've definitely got an interest in reading, and the only fiction book I've really got my eyes on currently is TWOW, which, at the rate, will probably be released by the time I'm applying for uni(; So, yeah, I was originally thinking to cram in as many between now and October 2016, but reconsidering (with internal realization of how much of a bad idea that would actually be, and your comments), I'll try and build as much of a solid foundation as possible by reading books which will help me really gain an understanding on the subject rather than, as you mentioned, being extremely advanced. Do you, by any chance know, if there's any point to taking notes on the books I'm reading? I'll be writing a log just to keep track of the, but I was also considering writing notes on them as well.
Work experience isn't a bad idea, but I don't think that it will add much to your application. Admissions tutors aren't allowed to give you kudos for work experience because wealthier people with better links are more likely to get better placements - giving people who get high profile and relevant work experience is slightly discriminatory. Obviously if something particularly inspiring happens then massively impacts you then you can write about that, but otherwise it shouldn't really take up more than a couple of lines. Work experience is probably more important for other universities.
I understand that work experience won't be the deciding factor/be-all and end-all to my application. However I would still like to do it because I'd just like to make my CV as well rounded as possible, not only for Oxford but future endeavors, and other universities (will expand upon this later).
Don't start worrying about your personal statement now. You'll learn how to write one near the end of Year 12. For the time being, the best things you can do are concentrate on your AS levels (AAAA is what you ought to be getting) and just do whatever you would naturally do to engage your interest in your subject. Finally, don't get in an Oxford frenzy. However much you do, it is still one of the most elite universities in the world and most people do not get in. Do not be fooled by the relatively high entry percentage - the people you're competing against are the best of the best. There are lots of other really great universities in the UK, so don't neglect them. If you convince yourself that Oxford is the only pathway for you in life, you might get a very, very nasty shock.
AAAA is what I'm aiming for in AS, but do you think I should drop one subject for A2? I think it would be less of a workload and it would be easier for me to achieve top grades. I think as for my personal statement, currently I will only make brief points upon what I've done, work experience (don't worry I know it's not extremely important), and my reading into the subject. Then when it to comes to properly writing it I'll just know that I've got a good foundation to base it upon. Also, I should have probably mentioned this, but I completely understand that it's very competitive to get into Oxford. Although I am aiming for it, I recognize that there's a very real chance that I won't get in, and I'm fine with that. Oxford is definitely NOT the only uni I'm considering, but if I end up doing all of this hard work, if it doesn't cut it for Oxford, I'm sure and I hope it'll be good enough for other universities.
Thanks for the response!
Wow, I should mention that I'm not a very high achieving school, and I was under the impression upon researching admissions that higher grades are proportionately more impressive dependent on the average achievement of your school. This is not to say that I'm not going to take your advice, I will obviously and definitely attempt to get as many A*s (hopefully 7) as possible and do well. I've definitely got an interest in reading, and the only fiction book I've really got my eyes on currently is TWOW, which, at the rate, will probably be released by the time I'm applying for uni(; So, yeah, I was originally thinking to cram in as many between now and October 2016, but reconsidering (with internal realization of how much of a bad idea that would actually be, and your comments), I'll try and build as much of a solid foundation as possible by reading books which will help me really gain an understanding on the subject rather than, as you mentioned, being extremely advanced. Do you, by any chance know, if there's any point to taking notes on the books I'm reading? I'll be writing a log just to keep track of the, but I was also considering writing notes on them as well.
Work experience isn't a bad idea, but I don't think that it will add much to your application. Admissions tutors aren't allowed to give you kudos for work experience because wealthier people with better links are more likely to get better placements - giving people who get high profile and relevant work experience is slightly discriminatory. Obviously if something particularly inspiring happens then massively impacts you then you can write about that, but otherwise it shouldn't really take up more than a couple of lines. Work experience is probably more important for other universities.
I understand that work experience won't be the deciding factor/be-all and end-all to my application. However I would still like to do it because I'd just like to make my CV as well rounded as possible, not only for Oxford but future endeavors, and other universities (will expand upon this later).
Don't start worrying about your personal statement now. You'll learn how to write one near the end of Year 12. For the time being, the best things you can do are concentrate on your AS levels (AAAA is what you ought to be getting) and just do whatever you would naturally do to engage your interest in your subject. Finally, don't get in an Oxford frenzy. However much you do, it is still one of the most elite universities in the world and most people do not get in. Do not be fooled by the relatively high entry percentage - the people you're competing against are the best of the best. There are lots of other really great universities in the UK, so don't neglect them. If you convince yourself that Oxford is the only pathway for you in life, you might get a very, very nasty shock.
AAAA is what I'm aiming for in AS, but do you think I should drop one subject for A2? I think it would be less of a workload and it would be easier for me to achieve top grades. I think as for my personal statement, currently I will only make brief points upon what I've done, work experience (don't worry I know it's not extremely important), and my reading into the subject. Then when it to comes to properly writing it I'll just know that I've got a good foundation to base it upon. Also, I should have probably mentioned this, but I completely understand that it's very competitive to get into Oxford. Although I am aiming for it, I recognize that there's a very real chance that I won't get in, and I'm fine with that. Oxford is definitely NOT the only uni I'm considering, but if I end up doing all of this hard work, if it doesn't cut it for Oxford, I'm sure and I hope it'll be good enough for other universities.
Thanks for the response!
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by MathsNerd1
Moved to Oxford forum
Thanks!
Original post by boffdude
Focus on your GCSEs at the moment.If you can get really good grades that will help your application significantly. The work experience and further reading is all very nice, and by all means do it for your own interest, but try and make sure it doesn't impact on your academic results in the coming year. These are fairly crucial, irrespective of the path you decide to take in the future.
I'll definitely not sacrifice good results for work experience/reading; I'll try to keep a balanced schedule/mix. Thanks!
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