English postgrad at Oxbridge

Has anyone here studied for a master's in any English course at Oxford of Cambridge? If so, what was your experience, how difficult was it to get in (what did they expect of you etc) and any advice? I'm currently a third year Literature student looking at postgrad options and was hoping I could get advice from anyone who has been through the process.

Reply 1

Mu-tron

I didn't, but I lived with a guy who was doing an MSt in English (20th century I think). He was an extremely bright and capable student (he got a very competitive scholarship) but found the dissertation hard work and stressful. It's 10-11,000 words; I can certainly relate to diss stress myself. A one-year master's is kind of a sprint and a marathon in one, because it's fast but also the work (especially the diss) requires careful consideration. That's not to say that you wouldn't like it, but it's fair to say it's not for everybody. Being able to think on your feet and manage your time is important, more so than at undergrad. (I couldn't think on my feet doing my master's... I finished it, but it was painful at times)

I'll see if I can get more info.

Where are you studying and what class of degree do you expect to get? Have you won any prizes? You should definitely try and get funding if you can (and if you haven't got rich parents ready to pay for the whole thing already lol). I can give general tips about that which would definitely apply to you, even though I did my master's in a different subject.

Reply 2

slslslsllssl

Thanks for the response!

Yes from what I’ve read it seems super intensive. I also have friends who have undertaken master’s in different subjects (albeit at different universities) and have felt the same way.

I’m studying English Literature. I finished second year with 75% and am hoping to finish my final year with a first overall. I haven’t got any prizes but I did get the highest overall score in a core module in my first year (this was added to my record) if that counts for anything?

Funding is another issue, yes. My parents would likely help out to some extent, but definitely wouldn’t be able to cover everything! I have a decent amount of savings as I have been living at home while at uni and I have had a part time job for the past two years. I know there are partial/full scholarship options out there as well. It is definitely a big commitment cost-wise so any tips would be greatly appreciated.

What did you do your master’s in, if you don’t mind me asking?

Cheers

Reply 3

Mu-tron

I did my master's in ancient history, but I knew peeps doing various different subjects. I also knew three English master's students in my Oxford college who got funding, some full, some partial. (This doesn't mean that the English faculty is wallowing in money, or that English master's students typically get funding - I doubt either of those things are true; it's most likely a function of my college having quite a lot of money available for funding, some of which was matched to other university-wide funding pots.)

Anyway, as far as Oxford is concerned, you don't need to worry about which college to apply to as far as funding is concerned, because most scholarships don't require a separate application and if a particular college wants to fund you, it will offer to do so. I applied to one college but ended up getting a funding offer from a different one. At master's level, as opposed to undergrad level, you are more likely to get shuffled from one college to the next until you find one that wants you, for a variety of reasons. That applies to both Oxford and Cambridge. Cambridge I think however has more scholarships which require a separate application, and/or which (maybe - I forget) require you to put a certain college as your first choice.

Anyway. You didn't ask about funding, so I'll shut up about that for now and ask about other stuff. Except to say that 75 is a good mark and if you get an even better mark in your third year then that would certainly help you get funding. As would the highest overall mark you mentioned. The transcript is a key pillar of securing funding (and I suspect the mark for an extended essay/dissertation is particularly important). I'm sure you'll get offered a place with a first; competition for humanities masters at Oxbridge isn't that fierce. Funding is obviously harder to come by. I'll come back to funding tips after I've tried to track down an English graduate who can advise on academic matters.

By the way, notwithstanding what I said about colleges above, and contrary to what Oxbridge university administrators would like you to believe, it does matter which college you end up at. Not academically, but socially. Colleges with a bigger graduate population can naturally support more of a graduate social life, and you'll be more likely to find like-minded people (and indeed people on the same course as you, or at least in the same faculty). Also the amount of money they have for things like travel/book grants varies. I'm sure you want to actually enjoy your master's if you can, so don't discount that aspect.

Reply 4

slslslsllssl

Just realised I misread your first message, apologies; I’m studying at Lancaster Uni. Does the university I'm at affect my chances of admission?

My module choices were also very limited second year and I was studying some stuff I wasn’t too keen on and it brought my overall % down a little. I’m hoping the modules I’ve chosen for my third year (which I’m far more interested in) will help me with securing a higher final grade, fingers crossed!

I’ll definitely take a further look into the funding options both universities offer, just so I have a better understanding of what’s available. I think I need to look more into this as it isn’t something I’ve thought too much about as of now. And if you can find out more from an English grad that would be brill!

Do you also have any tips about the application process? Or just anything else about what it was like studying there as a graduate?

Appreciate you letting me pick your brain so much!

Reply 5

Mu-tron

No worries. I've sent off a message to an English graduate, so fingers crossed they'll get back to me - although we don't talk much, so they might take their time.

As for the application process, well I applied to both Oxford and Cambridge and got offers and funding from both. I think it's fairly straightforward, although I think the Cambridge one has more bits to it, from my hazy memory. Don't leave it till the last minute! I did, and it was nerve-wracking. The deadline if you want to be considered for funding is early January.

Have you got in touch with referees? Oxford wants three and Cambridge two. Get in touch now if you've not already done so. Some referees can be slow (I thought one of mine would never submit - I had to remind him a couple of times; it was nerve-wracking). Then, when you've actually started the application process and the referees are able to submit references, remind them. I would also mention that you're interested in getting funding, and therefore would be grateful for your referees' help. Without sounding too cynical. Well, I did.

I'm afraid you'll need to prepare for a long period of silence after you submit. If your process is anything like mine, then you'll hear back fairly promptly (in a month or so) about interviews (for Cambridge anyway; Oxford doesn't usually interview, except for some scholarships - the Ertegun scholarship is one example, and that incidentally is one of the few scholarships Oxford offers which needs a separate application) or offers of places. Being picked by a college and being offered funding will take considerably longer. I didn't know which college I was going to or what funding I was getting until mid-May, so it took over four months, during which time two Cambridge colleges slowly rejected me, and I became convinced (wrongly) I'd missed out on funding. I'm afraid there's nothing to do except be patient and not fret about it. You won't be forgotten.

In general terms, and I'm pretty confident this applies to all humanities subjects at Oxbridge, I would say that there is competition at master's level, but less so than undergrad. They need master's students to pay their massive fees to subsidise the undergrads! Recent acceptance rates seem to vary between 14% and 49% (source). Quite honestly, if you've got a strong first and good references, and your application is coherent and well-written, I'd be surprised if you didn't get in.

Reply 6

slslslsllssl

Spent a bit of time over the past couple of days researching funding options and more about the application process, so thanks for the heads up about it, it’s quite overwhelming when starting to look into it all!

I’m planning on emailing referees soon, did you just choose professors/lecturers at university? I have a couple in mind, but I’m not sure if one of my tutors has completed their PhD yet - does staff seniority / having a doctorate plays a factor in the suitability of the referee? Also, when you suggest mentioning help from referees for funding, what exactly does that entail? Sorry if I’ve misunderstood that!

Hoping I do stand a good chance if I can get everything in order. Cheers again, I really appreciate you reaching out to the English graduate you know!

Reply 7

Mu-tron

Hey! Sadly the graduate in question has not responded... I will try to message someone else if I can remember (got lots going on atm).

In terms of referees, I think it helped that my referees were quite senior and prestigious people. One of them (after and before teaching me, not at Oxford) had been a fellow of All Souls College, Oxford not once but twice. Yes apparently that can happen! But obviously they also need to know you well enough to say nice things about you. Regarding funding, what I was trying to say was to tell the referees in your communications that you are seeking funding and so their assistance would be very gratefully received, so that they get the hint that you would appreciate a glowing reference from them to help you get it. If they've got half a brain, which I assume they do, being referees, they ought to take the hint.

Meanwhile, other things that I think improve your chances of getting funded are:

1) The research proposal. It should be sexy (that's what an English graduate student at Oxford told me before I applied). By 'sexy' I mean topical, important (it can still be niche, but then try to link it to Big Issues, whatever they are in English studies), original, relatively under-examined, and last but not least, playing to your strengths. Why should YOU research this? What is it about your aptitudes, skills and background which make it appropriate for you to do? My research was closely aligned to my professional work after I was an undergrad, so I was able to talk about why I wanted to do it.

Having said that, the research element counts for less at Oxford than at Cambridge. Remember Cambridge interviews, unlike Oxford, so be prepared to explain all this coherently at interview. I like to think I explained it quite well, and Cambridge did offer me funding as well, so I think that made a difference.

2) The transcript. Yeah, no ****, have a good transcript. And be prepared to shout in your application about your dean's list/departmental prize/etc. I think I spelt out in my statement the high mark I got on my extended essay, although it was on my transcript already. Don't be ashamed to big yourself up. Eyes on the prize.

Oh, and you asked if your current uni makes a difference. I don't know for sure, but I do know that some other master's students at my college came from non-Russell Group unis, so I'm sure it's not a Russell Group clique - I think your individual performance as a student counts for more. An outstanding student from Lancaster is unquestionably better placed than a mediocre one from UCL or Birmingham.