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Reply 20
That's because I know how the system for my subject works.

Tutors pick the candidates they want. And they have them. The department doesn't say no or say oh well actually we need to have some more from Dr Ch because that was a good school last year... The only communication between tutors at different colleges goes "Ok so X was pretty good but we've already filled all three spaces." "Yes, we liked him too but we've already got 4." "Open offer?" "Yes." That's it. At all. For arts subjects there need be no coordination at all.
Reply 21
Oxford has admissions tests for most subjects.
Cambridge does not.

Its that simple, Oxford cut out ~20% of the worst performers by means of a test.
Yes, Oxford interview less.

No, it's not necessarily a bad thing.

No, I'm not going to elaborate.
Reply 23
Personally im quite glad there wasnt more competition at the interviews.
Jimny
Personally im quite glad there wasnt more competition at the interviews.


Aye.. but that's because you were lucky enough to get an interview. I'm grateful as well. But people who didn't get one are fairly likely to be peeved that they didn't get a chance to 'shine', so I suppose I can see the other point of view as well.

*shrugs*

Oxford are obviously happy with the way they do things, though.. and Cambridge likewise. Strange how two such decent institutions should have quite different admissions processes, but there we go.
Reply 25
'Quite different'?! They are much more similar than they are different.
I didn't say there weren't more similarities than differences!

I just pointed out that there were differences. I find it interesting that two systems, that are quite different in some respects, seem to work equally well (or thereabouts). That's all.
I suspect that both Cambridge and Oxford get applicants sufficiently good that, having eliminated the definite yesses and the definite noes, admissions could be done randomly and arbitrarily without its effect being very noticeable. But that's just the cynic in me.

The interesting thing to analyse is whether Oxford and Cambridge would consistently pick the same people or if the difference in the system causes systematic differences in who is picked. Since practically nobody can apply for both, there's no way of testing unfortunately.
Some organ scholars (they can go for both, can't they)?
Reply 29
Well yes - but he did say "practically nobody" - the maybe 200 or so candidates for organ scholars (actually think it's a lot less than that but let's go for absolute minimum) out of the 13000 that apply are barely a drop in the ocean.
And likely to be unrepresentative of the applicant population as a whole.
Reply 31
organ scholarship...as in, if you play the organ, u can apply to both?
Reply 32
holla_at_ya
organ scholarship...as in, if you play the organ, u can apply to both?

Yes, provided you agree to play the organ at the college chapel a certain number of times per week, or something like that. Apparently it takes up quite a lot of time, so it's not exactly an easy way in.
Reply 33
holla_at_ya
organ scholarship...as in, if you play the organ, u can apply to both?


If you have at least Grade 8 organ then you can apply to be organ scholar, in which case yes you can apply to both. (Because there aren't enough organists to go around :biggrin:) You play organ at evensong which will be once or twice a week depending on the college (choral foundations excepted) as well as at weddings, memorial services, college services like founders day / St. David's day etc. You also decide the music and direct the choir - so it's a reasonably large commitment.
oxford don't see the ums scores unlike cambridge, to them his 600 is the same as anyone else who got an A. plus the hat, a few historians at my school got rejected without interview and we ended up getting 2 in for history (one of them no way near as good as the the ones who got rejected). its the same for English and any other subjects that oxford has tests for.
Whenever I see the phrase 'History applicants have to take the HAT' I imagine them putting on a sorting hat which will then decide whether to accept or reject them.
Reply 36
Chances are though that his referee would have mentioned his perfect scores - mine all did. (Although I'm with you on the HAT)
Oxford do reject more people pre-interview, I think they interview about 80% of applicants (?)
*is mesmerised by Epitomessence's signature*

O_O

*snaps out of it*

Although admissions tests could be fallible if used on their own, they're also viewed in conjunction with submitted work (for History and English, anyway) - so although that doesn't make it a perfect system, it does make it a bit better than if candidates were rejected purely on one poor test-performance.
Err, it's just some links :confused:

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