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Which Oxford course should I apply to?

Hi, I am entering my last year of secondary school and will be applying to universities in the fall, either for law or for a subject related to international relations and economics. One of the schools I will be applying to is Oxford, and it is by far my dream university. I would prefer to apply there for the law course, but I think I might have a higher chance of getting in for PPE (politics, philosophy and economics), because my supercurriculars are more aligned with this program, and since Oxford is extremely selective I want to apply to the course that I am the most likely to get admitted to. I like the PPE course and would be very happy to study it if I manage to get in, but if there is any chance I can have a somewhat competitive application for law I would prefer to opt for this course. What do you think I should do? Is the fact that I do not have an internship directly related to law going to hurt my application?

For reference, I am applying as an international student from the EU with a 95,5% average (we don't do school ranking but I have one of the highest grades of my year) and the following supercurriculatrs:
1) Founded and was the CEO of a small business selling related to my passion for sports
2) Participated in MUN conferences two consecutive years
3) Participated in the Model European Council conferences (EU equivalent of MUN) for two years
4) Did a Tedxtalk related to personal growth and the society we live in
5) Helped organise a Tedx event the next year (coached future speakers)
6) Did an internship in a Czech economics and business newspaper where I got several of my articles published
7) Have done 5 years of triathlon (I know Oxford doesn't really care about extracurriculars not related to the course, but I might briefly mention it in my personal statement because my interest in sports is sort related to the career I would like to go into)
8) Was a member of an association at my school designed to make my school more sustainable

Thanks for the help!
Hi,

Will Oxford be the only university that you will be applying for in the UK? If so, you can focus your personal statement solely on the degree you choose at Oxford.

If you want a course that’s an intersection between Law, International Relations and Economics, have you considered Land Economy? Whilst the name might initially sound off putting, the degree can best be summarised as Economics, Law and Public Policy.

Additionally, whilst your super-curriculars and extra-curriculars seem to be great, Oxford and Cambridge care pretty much solely about academics and how you have shown interest in the course that you are applying to academically! This can be shown through the books that you have read (and giving your thoughts on the ideas explored), the essay competitions that you’ve entered, etc.

It might be useful to know that: PPE at Oxford has a 11% acceptance rate; Law at Oxford has a 12% acceptance rate; Land Economy at Cambridge has a 15% acceptance rate; and Law at Cambridge has a 18% acceptance rate.

Feel free to send me a direct message to talk about this more, I’m currently a second year at the University of Cambridge studying Land Economy!

Many thanks,
The Cambridge Tutor
Reply 2
(edited 8 months ago)
Original post by Anonymous
Hi, I am entering my last year of secondary school and will be applying to universities in the fall, either for law or for a subject related to international relations and economics. One of the schools I will be applying to is Oxford, and it is by far my dream university. I would prefer to apply there for the law course, but I think I might have a higher chance of getting in for PPE (politics, philosophy and economics), because my supercurriculars are more aligned with this program, and since Oxford is extremely selective I want to apply to the course that I am the most likely to get admitted to. I like the PPE course and would be very happy to study it if I manage to get in, but if there is any chance I can have a somewhat competitive application for law I would prefer to opt for this course. What do you think I should do? Is the fact that I do not have an internship directly related to law going to hurt my application?

For reference, I am applying as an international student from the EU with a 95,5% average (we don't do school ranking but I have one of the highest grades of my year) and the following supercurriculatrs:
1) Founded and was the CEO of a small business selling related to my passion for sports
2) Participated in MUN conferences two consecutive years
3) Participated in the Model European Council conferences (EU equivalent of MUN) for two years
4) Did a Tedxtalk related to personal growth and the society we live in
5) Helped organise a Tedx event the next year (coached future speakers)
6) Did an internship in a Czech economics and business newspaper where I got several of my articles published
7) Have done 5 years of triathlon (I know Oxford doesn't really care about extracurriculars not related to the course, but I might briefly mention it in my personal statement because my interest in sports is sort related to the career I would like to go into)
8) Was a member of an association at my school designed to make my school more sustainable

Thanks for the help!

I think you're overestimating how much Oxford care about supercurriculars. They are considered, but your grades, entrance test performance and interview will matter far more for your application. Also, Oxford care more about how passionate you are for the course than how many supercurriculars you have. They want students that are genuinely interested in their subject area and won't mind studying it intensely for three years. I've met a lot of people who applied here for subjects they weren't interested in to increase their chances of acceptance, but very few were successful. My advice is to just apply for whatever course you're most interested in, regardless of supercurriculars or internships or acceptance rates. I almost made the same mistake, and I don't think I'd have been accepted if I did.
Reply 4
Original post by emilyalexandria
I think you're overestimating how much Oxford care about supercurriculars. They are considered, but your grades, entrance test performance and interview will matter far more for your application. Also, Oxford care more about how passionate you are for the course than how many supercurriculars you have. They want students that are genuinely interested in their subject area and won't mind studying it intensely for three years. I've met a lot of people who applied here for subjects they weren't interested in to increase their chances of acceptance, but very few were successful. My advice is to just apply for whatever course you're most interested in, regardless of supercurriculars or internships or acceptance rates. I almost made the same mistake, and I don't think I'd have been accepted if I did.

Exactly which is why I was asking why law.

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