Official Oxford 2022 Postgraduate Applicants Thread

Prospective course: OMMS
Achieved (or expected) grade: Slightly above 80% in Second Year and 76% in First Year
Nationality: Indian (Live in the UK)
Current (or last) university: Queen's University Belfast
Current (or last) course: Mathematics
College preferences: Keble/St. Johns
Other universities you’re applying to: Cambridge, Imperial and Warwick

Reply 21

christian01541

7

Prospective course: DPhil in International Relations
Achieved (or expected) grade: I got a similar to 2:1 (7.48/10 in the Dutch system). I also got an almost First class (3.68/4 which is Honours in the US) for my undergrad
Nationality: United States
Current (or last) university: University of Amsterdam (MSc)
Current (or last) course: International Relations
College preferences: Nuffield College
Other universities you’re applying to: Edinburgh, Princeton, LSE, Geneva Institute, Cornell

Reply 22

ibrah158

8

Prospective course: MSc African Studies
Achieved (or expected) grade: Distinction
Nationality: British and Nigerian
Current (or last) university: University of St. Andrews
Current (or last) course: MSc International Development
College preferences: Open
Other universities you’re applying to: Cambridge, Yale, UCLA

Reply 23

SaxaDeans

9

I'm interested in applying for the DPhil in Criminology and I just noticed it says on the website:

"Supervision is arranged by the department at the point of admission and you do not need to contact potential supervisors before an offer is made."

Given that most universities want you to make a connection with a supervisor, programme director or similar first I wanted to know do people know if they mean this or it is just website information speak? As in you don't have to but most people still do. Like saying you need at least a 2.1 but they take mostly firsts kind of thing. I wouldn't be surprised if the above is the case given the university as I'd say potential supervisors would get a lot of traffic from people wanting to apply only cause it is Oxford.

Reply 24

CheezeWhiz

1

My fiancé and I are both applying to master's programs. We want to be able to live, eat in the dining halls, and socialize together. With that in mind, how important is it for us to be in the same college?

Reply 25

teenatin

3

Hello everyone!

I’m applying for mphil development studies at Oxford next year. I’ve a doubt on what to submit and what should I write for writing samples. I’m more interested in the poverty and income inequality. So I thought of writing on “how financial inclusion help in reducing poverty and income inequality in India?” Is it a vague theme? Should I choose a more unique/original theme? Or can I go ahead with this? And for second writing sample, I thought of polishing my research paper I wrote last semester titled “how has the fiscal system during the British rule transitioned now in India (with a focus on historical trends, fiscal discipline frameworks, fiscal responses in the colonial era and subsequent return to a fiscal consolidation path).

Please share your feedback :smile:

Reply 26

guajo220

9

Original post by teenatin

Hello everyone!

I’m applying for mphil development studies at Oxford next year. I’ve a doubt on what to submit and what should I write for writing samples. I’m more interested in the poverty and income inequality. So I thought of writing on “how financial inclusion help in reducing poverty and income inequality in India?” Is it a vague theme? Should I choose a more unique/original themFor youe? Or can I go ahead with this? And for second writing sample, I thought of polishing my research paper I wrote last semester titled “how has the fiscal system during the British rule transitioned now in India (with a focus on historical trends, fiscal discipline frameworks, fiscal responses in the colonial era and subsequent return to a fiscal consolidation path).

Please share your feedback :smile:

For your first question, you will probably want to narrow it down a lot. Maybe pick a specific case of "financial inclusion" to study how it may have helped reduce poverty OR income inequality (probably just pick one) in India.

Reply 27

teenatin

3

Original post by guajo220

For your first question, you will probably want to narrow it down a lot. Maybe pick a specific case of "financial inclusion" to study how it may have helped reduce poverty OR income inequality (probably just pick one) in India.

Do you think that’s a common topic to write? I’m asking this because there are a lot of information out there on this topic.

Reply 28

guajo220

9

Original post by teenatin

Do you think that’s a common topic to write? I’m asking this because there are a lot of information out there on this topic.

I don't know anything about the field, but just based on the question, it seems like it's probably somewhat common and too broad.

Reply 29

Anonymous #1

I am applying for an MPhil in politics. In regards to writing samples, they have stated that they want 2 academic essays of max 2000 words. Just to inquire- can an undergraduate assignment in policy brief format constitute as an appropriate academic essay in the Oxford criteria? Or do they mean a proper academic essay of paragraphs ?

Reply 30

ch4r10tt3

2

Prospective course: MSc Clinical and Therapeutic Neuroscience
Achieved (or expected) grade: First - following second and first year grades!
Nationality: UK
Current (or last) university: Bangor University
Current (or last) course: Biomedical Science
College preferences: Not sure - Kellogg? Reuben?
Other universities you’re applying to: Sussex; Southampton

I am looking for some advice about sports teams and about accommodation

Reply 31

HannahHR89

1

Prospective course: MSc Psych
Achieved (or expected) grade: First I think
Nationality: Canadian
Current (or last) university: Dalhousie University
Current (or last) course: Psychology
College preferences: Oxford University
Other universities you’re applying to: None

If anyone can share any tips for me that would be great! I am a bit lost.

Reply 32

Trillmxl

3

Prospective course: Dphil in Law
Achieved (or expected) grade: Previous: 1st (Highest in the cohort) Current: Predicted Distinction
Nationality: Jamaican/British
Current (or last) university: London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
Current (or last) course: Master of Laws (LLM)
College preferences: St John's College and Magdalen College
Other universities you’re applying to: University of Cambridge

Reply 33

Anonymous #1

Hello,
I wanted to ask if it is wise to say “a particular professor has agreed to supervise me if accepted “ in my research statement.

Reply 34

faba0022

5

Hi everyone!
I'm an international student applying to the MPP course this year. I have already completed a masters in Sweden with a GPA of 3.82. I know it's above the minimum they are asking for but do you think its strong enough considering the fierce competition? Thanks!

(edited 2 years ago)

Reply 35

username4871316

7

Original post by faba0022

Hi everyone!
I'm an international student applying to the MPP course this year. I have already completed a masters in Sweden with a GPA of 3.82. I know it's above the minimum they are asking for but do you think its strong enough considering the fierce competition? Thanks!

Some students get into that programme with rather low grades overall (borderline 2:1s?, 85/100), but with interesting professional experience. I think it is around that aspect that it gets competitive.

(edited 2 years ago)

Reply 36

faba0022

5

Original post by Figaro42

Some students get into that programme with rather low grades overall (borderline 2:1s?, 85/100), but with interesting professional experience. I think it is around that aspect that it gets competitive.

Thanks for the reply! For my Bachelors degree, my Uni does not use the GPA , but I graduated in top 5% (mostly, but not all As, and although its a difficult Uni to graduate from, I am a bit concerned about that part). I should add, I do have some in-country plus brief UN experience in my field, do you think that would compensate for any shortcomings in grades? Thanks again!

Reply 37

username4871316

7

Original post by faba0022

Thanks for the reply! For my Bachelors degree, my Uni does not use the GPA , but I graduated in top 5% (mostly, but not all As, and although its a difficult Uni to graduate from, I am a bit concerned about that part). I should add, I do have some in-country plus brief UN experience in my field, do you think that would compensate for any shortcomings in grades? Thanks again!

I don’t attend Oxford, so I’ve got no representative sample, but I know people who graduated maybe in the top 20% from universities in the global South (certainly not at the very top, but highly active politically) who received offers and funding for that programme. It is a professional masters, so I reckon they care a lot about your trajectory in the field, and your personal history. If you’ve got good grades then that is perhaps not the matter that you should worry about.