Oxford Graduate Application 2012/13

Finally got my letter in post today for the English 1800-1914 Mst. - it was a rejection! Sad, sad times. Trying not to feel too sorry for myself... looks like I'll have to try again for PHD next year *sigh*

Finally got my letter in post today for the English 1800-1914 Mst. - it was a rejection! Sad, sad times. Trying not to feel too sorry for myself... looks like I'll have to try again for PHD next year *sigh*

Finally got my letter in post today for the English 1800-1914 Mst. - it was a rejection! Sad, sad times. Trying not to feel too sorry for myself... looks like I'll have to try again for PHD next year *sigh*

Thanks so much guys for the lovely comments

My second choice is Queen Mary, University of London, where I'm at now just finishing up my degree.

Oxbridge isn't the be-all-and-end-all I know, but I did fall in love with Oxford after going to the open day and would love to study there one day, but who knows... all we can do is do our best and stay positive I really want to end up working in academia so am determined to realise that dream whatever, Oxbridge or not

This is my first post here, and ARRRRGGGHHH! I'm on pins and needles waiting for my decision for the M.St. in English and American Studies. I noticed on thegradcafe that everyone who has posted his or her results for English has received an acceptance. I may be overanalyzing this, but I can't help to wonder that the acceptances are being delivered first, followed by the waitlisters, and then the rejections - the last category in which I'm starting to believe I'm going to be included. I know that some people have posted that Oxford sends out rejections and acceptances simultaneously, but now I'm filled with self-doubt.

Questions:

1. To those of you who have already heard that are not in the UK, did you hear by e-mail or snail mail? If by e-mail, what time of the day are these usually sent out? Any rejections...or all acceptances at this point?

2. To those of you who have received funding, did you find out early, or were you some of the last people to hear from your department about your acceptance and scholarships?

I've been checking my e-mail obsessively, calculating the time difference between the UK and US Central Time Zone. Sheesh. I think I'll die waiting for this!

Yes, and what a darn exasperating wait it is! I have been having nightmares for weeks now, eating way too many potato chips, and I am ready to bite the heads off even mildly irritating people. I'm not always Buddha-like but this shakiness of the nerves is making me kind of wish that I could sleep tonight and wake up only a week later by which time IR department's "late March" will have arrived.


Which programme have you applied for?

Got my rejection letter in the post today.

I'm really devastated. As I'm sure you all did, I spent hours and hours on the application, and my £50 application fee came out of my food budget for October. Had I got in, it would've been the best £50 I ever spent! Not sure what more I could have done to maximise my chances - I have a first class degree in English, a year working as SU officer, lovely referees and a painstakingly written research proposal.

I think it's that my research proposal ('problematic' or censure-inducing sexuality in modern American literature) is too contemporary/doesn't match up to Oxford or Cambridge lecturers' fields but I kind of want to shout, well if you don't take one a student studying this unusual new area, how do you expect to be ahead of the curve?! I suppose they'd argue that they are at the forefront of research in Renaissance/Modernist/Romantic literature and have that covered in such a world leading manner to be able to leave late C20th developments to Sussex or Warwick. I predict I'll come up against this dichotomy at PhD level too.

I've got offers elsewhere but there's no denying the cachet of Oxbridge. Thanks for your support and good luck to everyone en route to dreaming spires.

I really dont know what oxford looks for. My brother got AAAA in A levels , 89 % in undergrad from Reading uni , 80 % in post grad from reading uni , a year of placement in one of the top 3 uk companies ,, and he got rejected,, he didnt even had to write a research proposal , it was DPhil advertised in oxford university website ,, I am really loosing my faith in oxford

Gosh, I feel like such an idiot not remembering which college I put as my first choice! Just thought I'd share that. Now I am desperately trying to retrace my decision making steps, which leave me with around 7 options, which isn't terribly helpful. Sigh.

if you go to embark you can access your application and it will have your college choice.

I really dont know what oxford looks for. My brother got AAAA in A levels , 89 % in undergrad from Reading uni , 80 % in post grad from reading uni , a year of placement in one of the top 3 uk companies ,, and he got rejected,, he didnt even had to write a research proposal , it was DPhil advertised in oxford university website ,, I am really loosing my faith in oxford

I tried but it doesn't work, but maybe I'll try in another browser...

From what my personal tutor who went there told me, in MSt applicants they already look for PhD potential, i.e. defined research interests and potential thesis topic, which is focused and viable.

I am sure your brother was a worthy candidate, though I guess for Oxford grades aren't everything, and they do say, that for PhD applicants they encourage things like teaching and past research that one did of one's own volition.

Similarly, they also base it on who they have that can supervise one's project, so if your brother was interested in something really non-oxonian, therein might lie the problem. At the end of the day, you just never know and it is worth re-applying.

From what my personal tutor who went there told me, in MSt applicants they already look for PhD potential, i.e. defined research interests and potential thesis topic, which is focused and viable.

I am sure your brother was a worthy candidate, though I guess for Oxford grades aren't everything, and they do say, that for PhD applicants they encourage things like teaching and past research that one did of one's own volition.

Similarly, they also base it on who they have that can supervise one's project, so if your brother was interested in something really non-oxonian, therein might lie the problem. At the end of the day, you just never know and it is worth re-applying.

let me just tell you with absolute certainty that my stay at Oxford has made me realise that the "the best take the offers" belief is simply NOT true. I personally have an offer, and funding for my masters, so it's not coming from a bitter rejected applicant. I simply have seen people with no critical abilities getting offers and others with brilliant minds not getting them.

From what my personal tutor who went there told me, in MSt applicants they already look for PhD potential, i.e. defined research interests and potential thesis topic, which is focused and viable.

I am sure your brother was a worthy candidate, though I guess for Oxford grades aren't everything, and they do say, that for PhD applicants they encourage things like teaching and past research that one did of one's own volition.

Similarly, they also base it on who they have that can supervise one's project, so if your brother was interested in something really non-oxonian, therein might lie the problem. At the end of the day, you just never know and it is worth re-applying.