Oxford 2015/16 Postgraduate Applicants

I stand corrected, I thought so it was the richest but got scared I would offend anyone in the trend by saying that :P Yah I "visited" St Johns College when i passed by the college. I said "visited" cause it was looking at the entrance bit and the lawn. I actually quite like it, so I probably put that as my first choice. Will you be doing DPhil as well then?

I sort of assumed it was (at least principally) up to the relevant tutors at each college whether to admit students in their field - is that not the case?

I'm facing a huge dilemma. I found out that I've been given my program's departmental award, which normally would absolutely thrill me since this would mean that I can afford the Oxford Master's without any debt. However, i'm facing some serious health issues recently and i'm beginning to worry that it might be a bad idea for me to go for an intense post-graduate program, especially since it would mean I would be far away from all my support systems (my family, my doctor, my specialist, my partner). I have chronic health issues but they had been manageable until quite recently, and while i'm working on getting better, it's a really uncertain thing (i've tried three different medications in the last five weeks and will be starting another on Monday). I never imagined I would be awarded this funding, and it is killing me to think that i might have to turn down not only the spot but the money as well. I don't know what to do...the UK does luckily give access to its health services to foreign international visa students but having to go, find a doctor and establish a rapport with them, transfer my medical files, and have someone monitor my medication transitions (especially if i still will be working out dosages) all concurrent to beginning an intense 9 month program is starting to sound less and less possible.

It's a bit of a long shot, but is there anyone else going in to their postgraduate program with a severe or chronic health issue? i know that disability services can accommodate certain things (visual aids, hearing aids, etc.) and have registered with them already, but i'm honestly afraid that I am going to go in and my health will just be so poor (or made worse from the stress of moving and starting a new program) that i will end up having to go on a medical leave and waste all that time, money, and stress.

The wiser move for me would be to just defer my offer, but I don't think i can defer the scholarship. Do I take the award and try my best, risking the possibility that my health might interfere or end my studies, or do i defer by a year until my health is more stable but then kick myself forever knowing that I passed up on a (partially) funded Oxford degree?

O wise people of this thread--I refuse to purchase my Oxford degree, particularly as an international student. Shall I defer or reapply? Are there greater scholarship opportunities for either route? Would appreciate any and all feedback!

I believe using the term "purchase" is condesecending. It suggests, quite naively, that anyone can get any degree, be it from Oxford or from any other place one did not get funding from. It also doesn't take into account the sad reality that there are many more accomplished applicants than there are scholarships, especially if one considers the international scope of a place like Oxford.

Finally, the difficulty of getting into a program varies by department, but I feel that even the ones that accept a higher number of students have made their decisions according to high standards, since the faculty has no certainty who will end up attending in the end.

I'm facing a huge dilemma. I found out that I've been given my program's departmental award, which normally would absolutely thrill me since this would mean that I can afford the Oxford Master's without any debt. However, i'm facing some serious health issues recently and i'm beginning to worry that it might be a bad idea for me to go for an intense post-graduate program, especially since it would mean I would be far away from all my support systems (my family, my doctor, my specialist, my partner). I have chronic health issues but they had been manageable until quite recently, and while i'm working on getting better, it's a really uncertain thing (i've tried three different medications in the last five weeks and will be starting another on Monday). I never imagined I would be awarded this funding, and it is killing me to think that i might have to turn down not only the spot but the money as well. I don't know what to do...the UK does luckily give access to its health services to foreign international visa students but having to go, find a doctor and establish a rapport with them, transfer my medical files, and have someone monitor my medication transitions (especially if i still will be working out dosages) all concurrent to beginning an intense 9 month program is starting to sound less and less possible.

It's a bit of a long shot, but is there anyone else going in to their postgraduate program with a severe or chronic health issue? i know that disability services can accommodate certain things (visual aids, hearing aids, etc.) and have registered with them already, but i'm honestly afraid that I am going to go in and my health will just be so poor (or made worse from the stress of moving and starting a new program) that i will end up having to go on a medical leave and waste all that time, money, and stress.

The wiser move for me would be to just defer my offer, but I don't think i can defer the scholarship. Do I take the award and try my best, risking the possibility that my health might interfere or end my studies, or do i defer by a year until my health is more stable but then kick myself forever knowing that I passed up on a (partially) funded Oxford degree?

Reapply

You think? Why do you say so?

Finally got an offer from Wolfson with no funding. Awesome.

Go for Cambridge. Just being real here, sorry. I think you should be glad that Cambridge gave you funding, which is very sparse at masters level. You have gotten accepted to Oxford twice now, both times without funding. There is no guarantee at all that you will get funding if you apply a third time. If you don't funding next year, you might miss out on Cambridge as well because you are not guaranteed to get a funded place in Cambridge next year. If you could defer Cambridge for a year (without being bound to attend the year after), it might be a different matter because you will always have a back-up.

am i right in believing that if I don't receive an offer from a college by June 1st, then im out from all the old, 'traditional' colleges?
I think that's what i've read on this thread. If so, then which colleges 'make up the slack' so to speak. Mind you I don't care where I end up, just so annoyed at the wait (8.5 weeks atm)

I am replying here to Zefiros and Josb, many thanks guys for finding time to answer my question and help me! Indeed, I plan to do as you advised and accept a funded place at Cambridge (since there are still no news about funding for Oxford). I have already accepted a scholarship. But I am still a bit worried about the quality of public policy networks at Oxford/Cambridge. Both are excellent schools, but it seems to me that the Blavatnik School of Government is more 'connected', if I can say so. So I presume the Blavatnik School of Government may open more doors than MPhil at Cambridge, and again it seems that the political elite in the UK is now more from Oxford than from Cambridge. That programme at Cambridge seems to be more academic than practice-oriented and professional in this regard, and since it was established only in 2013 and accepts only about 25 students per year (compared to 120 accepted students at Oxford this year), the network is smaller and the prospects for development of the Blavatnik School are better, especially taking into consideration a higher amount of investments. So I am still thinking: perhaps I should figure out my employment options by September, and if they are good, I should rather apply for MPP to Harvard Kennedy School and Oxford next year and see what will happen next? But again, as you rightly said, I am not guaranteed a funded place at Cambrige if I am refused at Harvard and Oxford next year. I am not complaining or anything like that, I am really happy to receive a scholarship from Cambridge, I am just trying to maximise value added and thinking out loud...

I am replying here to Zefiros and Josb, many thanks guys for finding time to answer my question and help me! Indeed, I plan to do as you advised and accept a funded place at Cambridge (since there are still no news about funding for Oxford). I have already accepted a scholarship. But I am still a bit worried about the quality of public policy networks at Oxford/Cambridge. Both are excellent schools, but it seems to me that the Blavatnik School of Government is more 'connected', if I can say so. So I presume the Blavatnik School of Government may open more doors than MPhil at Cambridge, and again it seems that the political elite in the UK is now more from Oxford than from Cambridge. That programme at Cambridge seems to be more academic than practice-oriented and professional in this regard, and since it was established only in 2013 and accepts only about 25 students per year (compared to 120 accepted students at Oxford this year), the network is smaller and the prospects for development of the Blavatnik School are better, especially taking into consideration a higher amount of investments. So I am still thinking: perhaps I should figure out my employment options by September, and if they are good, I should rather apply for MPP to Harvard Kennedy School and Oxford next year and see what will happen next? But again, as you rightly said, I am not guaranteed a funded place at Cambrige if I am refused at Harvard and Oxford next year. I am not complaining or anything like that, I am really happy to receive a scholarship from Cambridge, I am just trying to maximise value added and thinking out loud...

...

Has anybody already rejected their offer?

They ask me the financial declaration. I have 46h to find £55,000. I already have €200.