University of Oxford 2023 Undergraduate Applicants Official Thread
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Original post by thegeek888
What about KCL or SOAS as they're both also in London!!! 
I didn't want all my uni choices to be in London since I live there, wanted at least 2 options where it was a decent bit away from home
Does anyone know if we need to submit AS equivalent level grades when applying to Oxford? I’m an international student who’s not taking A levels and wanted to know if it’s required
Original post by stressedseaweed
Does anyone know if we need to submit AS equivalent level grades when applying to Oxford? I’m an international student who’s not taking A levels and wanted to know if it’s required
You should submit all accredited qualifications - however I'm not sure how they'd detect you not submitting such qualifications, as you presumably don't have a UK exam number, so I'd ask the university directly if they really want it or not, as some qualifications don't have direct UK equivalents
(edited 2 years ago)
Original post by stressedseaweed
Does anyone know if we need to submit AS equivalent level grades when applying to Oxford? I’m an international student who’s not taking A levels and wanted to know if it’s required
You submit every qualification you have (this isn't a choice you make, it is required). Oxford understand that people doing different exam systems have different exam grades at different ages. In any case, almost no English applicant has had AS grades either for several years now, and no Scottish applicant has ever had them. It's really not a big deal if you don't have AS grades, or other grades taken when you were 17, or any official qualifications at all yet, provided you have what's expected in your exam system.
In case you're not aware, you don't convert to equivalent UK grades. You give the qualifications you actually have. Oxford (or other universities) will do the conversion.
Subject applying for ~ History
College applying to ~ Somerville
A-Levels/ Equiv taking ~ History, History of art, English literature, EPQ
Predicted/ Achieved grades (A level/ eq)~ prediction 3A*s
Achieved GCSE/ Equiv grades ~ 11 9s
Why Oxford? ~ Seems to be a better course than Cambridge, I will give it a go and it's really not the end of the world if I don't get in, studying history is what matters to me the most more than anything else!
Why that college? (if you know why) ~ Nice atmosphere, a lot of people studying history, nice college choir ( I am applying to the choral scheme) not too competitive
State/Private/Grammar/Home ~ private, international student studying in the UK
College applying to ~ Somerville
A-Levels/ Equiv taking ~ History, History of art, English literature, EPQ
Predicted/ Achieved grades (A level/ eq)~ prediction 3A*s
Achieved GCSE/ Equiv grades ~ 11 9s
Why Oxford? ~ Seems to be a better course than Cambridge, I will give it a go and it's really not the end of the world if I don't get in, studying history is what matters to me the most more than anything else!
Why that college? (if you know why) ~ Nice atmosphere, a lot of people studying history, nice college choir ( I am applying to the choral scheme) not too competitive
State/Private/Grammar/Home ~ private, international student studying in the UK
(edited 1 year ago)
Original post by aaq1
which are the most economical and most expensive colleges in terms of accommodation costs at Oxford?
https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/colleges/do-I-pay-to-live-in-my-college
Scroll down and there's a table.
Original post by aaq1
which are the most economical and most expensive colleges in terms of accommodation costs at Oxford?
Heya! If you want to find out more about the difference between different colleges, I would recommend checking out this link to free Oxbridge UCAS Comparison Tool which shows you detailed information about colleges to help you make your choice!
Hope this is helpful!
Milena G.
Oxbridge Mind
Subject applying for ~ Biomedical Sciences
College applying to ~ Leaning towards Keble
A-Levels/ Equiv taking ~ Biology, Chemistry, Maths
Additional qualifications (if any) - EPQ on neuroscience-related field
Predicted/ Achieved grades (A level/ eq)~ predicted: 3 A*'s
Achieved GCSE/ Equiv grades ~ 4 9s, 5 8s
Why Oxford? ~ World class research. Strong academic tutoring as well as a vibrant and academically-challenging courses. I'll also be able to connect with students who are passionate about the same things I am, which is actually kind of refreshing for a change
Why that college? (if you know why) ~ Keble has a beautiful atmosphere as well as being situated in a fairly closely to the biomedical sciences building - closest college to the medical sciences building (saves me the walking, I know, I'm lazy
). Also, a fair few tutors here are familiar with biomedical sciences/neuroscience, which plays massively in my favour considering I'm hoping to graduate in neuroscience at the end of the 4 year course!
State/Private/Grammar/Home ~ State
College applying to ~ Leaning towards Keble
A-Levels/ Equiv taking ~ Biology, Chemistry, Maths
Additional qualifications (if any) - EPQ on neuroscience-related field
Predicted/ Achieved grades (A level/ eq)~ predicted: 3 A*'s
Achieved GCSE/ Equiv grades ~ 4 9s, 5 8s
Why Oxford? ~ World class research. Strong academic tutoring as well as a vibrant and academically-challenging courses. I'll also be able to connect with students who are passionate about the same things I am, which is actually kind of refreshing for a change
Why that college? (if you know why) ~ Keble has a beautiful atmosphere as well as being situated in a fairly closely to the biomedical sciences building - closest college to the medical sciences building (saves me the walking, I know, I'm lazy
). Also, a fair few tutors here are familiar with biomedical sciences/neuroscience, which plays massively in my favour considering I'm hoping to graduate in neuroscience at the end of the 4 year course!State/Private/Grammar/Home ~ State
Original post by aaq1
Thanks but despite selecting 2 or 3 colleges it keeps giving message 'You have to select at least one school to use this tool'. Not able to see any information - what am I missing?
Heya! Hmm that's weird! I have just tried using the tool and it works fine for me, have you selected (highlighted the boxes in green) the colleges and then pressed compare? There should be a list of colleges that you can press the boxes for and then it will compare them! I would also recommend perhaps reloading your page or try clearing the selection and doing it again
Let me know if you are still having trouble with it!Milena G.
Oxbridge Mind
Original post by Ezbe55
Doesn’t work for me either medic mind on safari or desktop computer
Heya! That's sp weird, try checking out this Oxbridge Colleges and compare from there, fingers crossed it will work this time properly! Let me know if it still doesn't work
Milena G.
Oxbridge Mind
Original post by Medic Mind
Heya! That's sp weird, try checking out this Oxbridge Colleges and compare from there, fingers crossed it will work this time properly! Let me know if it still doesn't work
Milena G.
Oxbridge Mind
Milena G.
Oxbridge Mind
Still not working
Original post by aaq1
Thanks...interesting...the difference between the least and the most expensive is £1200 p.a. (£3800 to £5000) i.e. the most expensive is almost 30% more expensive than the least expensive
any idea why the data shows that the common number of days for which rent is paid is so high for Jesus (278 days) v/s a number of colleges averaging <190 days. 190 days seems logical as it is equal to 27 weeks (3 terms * 9 weeks).
any idea why the data shows that the common number of days for which rent is paid is so high for Jesus (278 days) v/s a number of colleges averaging <190 days. 190 days seems logical as it is equal to 27 weeks (3 terms * 9 weeks).
my college is 3.8K for the year - generally, the richer the college, the cheaper food, accommodation and the more bursaries you get. Genuinely one of the best things you can do in choosing a college is choose a rich one because the resources they provide will be amazing - mine pays PhD students to give you extra classes whenever you want, lots of free food, drinks and parties etc
e.g. st anne's has relatively expensive accom (by oxford standards) but it's also much less nice - worth considering where they make you live too.
Hi everyone!
- Applying for comp sci, already taken a gap year and will be in first year of an undergraduate mathematics course at the time of applying (personal circumstances, its weird lol)
- Hertford College atm
- A*A*A achieved
- 987777764 in GCSE. Definitely not all 9s however I feel I have proved myself at A-Level, and also my mathematical ability is definitely high enough (my MAT score will definitely be indicative of this!)
- Teaching quality, academic focus, and rigorous learning. Over my gap year I have become aware of my love for learning, and I hope to continue to do it in a place where others feel the same
- State school, below average GCSE and A-levels.
quick note; this year I applied for accounting and finance (got offers from LSE, Warwick, durham, and Nottingham). However, I quickly realised that I do have a love for problem solving and theoretical study. Mathematics is the closest course I can study right now, and due to personal circumstances i cannot take another gap year. I'm completely fine with this, as it means that the learning will continue and I can prepare myself for the rest of my studies (hopefully at oxford!)
- Applying for comp sci, already taken a gap year and will be in first year of an undergraduate mathematics course at the time of applying (personal circumstances, its weird lol)
- Hertford College atm
- A*A*A achieved
- 987777764 in GCSE. Definitely not all 9s however I feel I have proved myself at A-Level, and also my mathematical ability is definitely high enough (my MAT score will definitely be indicative of this!)
- Teaching quality, academic focus, and rigorous learning. Over my gap year I have become aware of my love for learning, and I hope to continue to do it in a place where others feel the same
- State school, below average GCSE and A-levels.
quick note; this year I applied for accounting and finance (got offers from LSE, Warwick, durham, and Nottingham). However, I quickly realised that I do have a love for problem solving and theoretical study. Mathematics is the closest course I can study right now, and due to personal circumstances i cannot take another gap year. I'm completely fine with this, as it means that the learning will continue and I can prepare myself for the rest of my studies (hopefully at oxford!)
Original post by aaq1
Will you at another UK uni?
Applying to start the first year of an Oxford undergraduate course whilst at another university
If you are currently studying at a UK university and are thinking of applying to Oxford to start the first year of an undergraduate course, please note that normally we will only consider such applications in exceptional circumstances and you should make very clear in your application why you do not wish to continue on your current course. Please note we are not able to give examples of these exceptional circumstances as applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Applying to start the first year of an Oxford undergraduate course whilst at another university
If you are currently studying at a UK university and are thinking of applying to Oxford to start the first year of an undergraduate course, please note that normally we will only consider such applications in exceptional circumstances and you should make very clear in your application why you do not wish to continue on your current course. Please note we are not able to give examples of these exceptional circumstances as applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
i am completely aware of this, dont you think I'd research before i made an application?
Original post by aaq1
good to know that and good luck
Thank you! Thanks for trying to help
Applying to Maths and Computer Science at Oxford (no clue about colleges) from a state school (in a relatively low income area).
GCSEs - 99999888776.
Not sure about predicted grades tbh, an optimistic guess would be A* Maths, A* Economics, A Further Maths and A Physics.
Not too confident in my chances (given I've no prior formal experience in Comp Sci, have perhaps subpar GCSEs for this track, and have less than the typical 4A*s), but I plan on doing everything I can to better my chances.
Want to go to Oxford in the hopes it'll better my chances of employment and access to high-level employers at big Software Development firms.
GCSEs - 99999888776.
Not sure about predicted grades tbh, an optimistic guess would be A* Maths, A* Economics, A Further Maths and A Physics.
Not too confident in my chances (given I've no prior formal experience in Comp Sci, have perhaps subpar GCSEs for this track, and have less than the typical 4A*s), but I plan on doing everything I can to better my chances.
Want to go to Oxford in the hopes it'll better my chances of employment and access to high-level employers at big Software Development firms.
Original post by Zeeshmania
Applying to Maths and Computer Science at Oxford (no clue about colleges) from a state school (in a relatively low income area).
GCSEs - 99999888776.
Not sure about predicted grades tbh, an optimistic guess would be A* Maths, A* Economics, A Further Maths and A Physics.
Not too confident in my chances (given I've no prior formal experience in Comp Sci, have perhaps subpar GCSEs for this track, and have less than the typical 4A*s), but I plan on doing everything I can to better my chances.
Want to go to Oxford in the hopes it'll better my chances of employment and access to high-level employers at big Software Development firms.
GCSEs - 99999888776.
Not sure about predicted grades tbh, an optimistic guess would be A* Maths, A* Economics, A Further Maths and A Physics.
Not too confident in my chances (given I've no prior formal experience in Comp Sci, have perhaps subpar GCSEs for this track, and have less than the typical 4A*s), but I plan on doing everything I can to better my chances.
Want to go to Oxford in the hopes it'll better my chances of employment and access to high-level employers at big Software Development firms.
Hey, your GCSEs are certainly not subpar, 8 A*s is excellent. Unfortunately the CS department, particularly in this year, is not going to put much weight on GCSEs. Plenty of people with 4A* predictions get rejected whereas many who just meet the minimum entry requirements get accepted. Once you meet the minimum entry requirements, your predictions don't matter (for Oxford). Not to mention, in today's times, not only is there massive grade inflation, but teachers are over predicting even more. However, one point of concern is that you don't have an A* in further. I think you should make sure that by the time you apply, your predicted grades are A* A* A A but with the A*s in Maths and FM, even if that means 'sacrificing' the A* in Econ. This will make you a much better applicant. The best thing you can do to improve your chances is prepare very well for the MAT (you have loads of time). Decisions these days are made almost solely on MAT score and interviews. Good luck!
Original post by Anonymous(
Hey, your GCSEs are certainly not subpar, 8 A*s is excellent. Unfortunately the CS department, particularly in this year, is not going to put much weight on GCSEs. Plenty of people with 4A* predictions get rejected whereas many who just meet the minimum entry requirements get accepted. Once you meet the minimum entry requirements, your predictions don't matter (for Oxford). Not to mention, in today's times, not only is there massive grade inflation, but teachers are over predicting even more. However, one point of concern is that you don't have an A* in further. I think you should make sure that by the time you apply, your predicted grades are A* A* A A but with the A*s in Maths and FM, even if that means 'sacrificing' the A* in Econ. This will make you a much better applicant. The best thing you can do to improve your chances is prepare very well for the MAT (you have loads of time). Decisions these days are made almost solely on MAT score and interviews. Good luck!
Wow, thank you for the response (was kinda nervous to post on here)! I'm a bit concerned about FM, since I'm pretty confident I can get an A in the AS exams we're doing, but I don't think my teacher would be willing to boost my predicted to an A*, and I'm not even sure if they use AS grades as a basis for predictions since we get our results in August. Do you know when teachers decide predicted grades; is it at a set deadline or does it differ between schools? Thank You
Original post by Zeeshmania
Wow, thank you for the response (was kinda nervous to post on here)! I'm a bit concerned about FM, since I'm pretty confident I can get an A in the AS exams we're doing, but I don't think my teacher would be willing to boost my predicted to an A*, and I'm not even sure if they use AS grades as a basis for predictions since we get our results in August. Do you know when teachers decide predicted grades; is it at a set deadline or does it differ between schools? Thank You
Are these official AS exams? Will they count towards your actual final grade? Or are they just end of year 12 school exams? There's no set deadline, it varies from school to school, as does the criteria. UCAS opens in September, so I'm assuming most schools determine final predicted grades at the start of September. The best thing you can do is ask your school what they use to determine predicted grades, not sure what else they'd use apart from end of Y12 exams really. I think you can and certainly should request your teacher to bump it up to an A*, and maybe you can ask her to set an additional exam or two for you to prove your worth. Try and do the best you can in the upcoming exams, if you get an A with a high raw mark/UMS then I see no reason why you wouldn't be predicted an A* (assuming here that A is the highest grade since it's an AS exam).
(edited 1 year ago)
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