[onebyone]

hey! i have a couple of questions and it'd be really great if i could get any help?
I've got an acceptance from UCL (on a gap year so have my grades) and i was wondering if there's a limit on when we have to accept? or a preferable time?
edit: been completely stupid and missed the whole accom thread so deleted my probably annoying second qu
but thanks so much!!

[brokenheroes]

(Original post by onebyone)
hey! i have a couple of questions and it'd be really great if i could get any help?
I've got an acceptance from UCL (on a gap year so have my grades) and i was wondering if there's a limit on when we have to accept? or a preferable time?
edit: been completely stupid and missed the whole accom thread so deleted my probably annoying second qu
but thanks so much!!

i think its a date in march or april, ucas have a set date which probably differs every year, i just know its around spring sometime. check on the website.

[Slothuus]

I have a slight problem.

I applied for ESPS and have my interview in March. However, one of my friends just came back from his, and he told me it only lasted 10 minutes (!!).
I live in Norway, and both a recruiter and the ESPS website says that only EU residents are expected to come for interview. However, the head of admissions now says that this is a mistake. I feel I've been slightly misinformed.

There are a couple of problems for me. 1) I'm gonna miss three school days at a crucial point of the year, 2) I'm gonna spend over £200 on transport for a 10 minute interview (and possibly £50 on accommodation) 3) I've already been to UCL twice on tours and I know alumni from there, so I've got a good idea of what the place is like.

Is there any option for me now, seeing that the admissions woman told me that she could reschedule my interview? That doesn't solve any of my problems.

One possible solution is to wait for LSE to either give me an offer or reject me, but that could happen even after the interview!

[Joanna May]

Why do you need to miss three days of school, for a ten minute interview?
Also, can you not ring the department up again and ask them if they could ring you back at some point and do a telephone interview?

[tomangegi]

Hey, just wondering if anyone knows what the fee is for the gym at astor college? Or whether (doubtful) it is included in the price? Also any pics of astor college would be good! Thanks x

[Salain]

(Original post by tomangegi)
Hey, just wondering if anyone knows what the fee is for the gym at astor college? Or whether (doubtful) it is included in the price? Also any pics of astor college would be good! Thanks x

The gym at Astor is a gymnasium, i.e. a big room for playing sports in, NOT!! the sort of gym you pay membership for and go and work out in!

[Slothuus]

(Original post by Joanna May)
Why do you need to miss three days of school, for a ten minute interview?
Also, can you not ring the department up again and ask them if they could ring you back at some point and do a telephone interview?

Because I live in Norway...

It doesn't seem like they are very willing to let me avoid that dreadful trip.

[rockrunride]

(Original post by tomangegi)
Also any pics of astor college would be good! Thanks x

There's a reason why there's few pictures of Astor..

[9mm]

(Original post by Slothuus)
Because I live in Norway...

It doesn't seem like they are very willing to let me avoid that dreadful trip.

They should be able to give you an interview over the phone, that's what they normally do (as far I'm aware). However, if they won't, you could just leave the evening before the interview (it's only like a 2 hour flight from Oslo to London) and then take the flight back in the evening, same day as your interview. That way you only miss one day of school and 2 evenings.

[Joanna May]

(Original post by Slothuus)
Because I live in Norway...

It doesn't seem like they are very willing to let me avoid that dreadful trip.

My point was that Norway isn't that far away. Depending on the time of your interview and flights, you could possibly do it in a day trip. Or, was said, fly in the evening before and fly back after the interview. You wouldn't need three days

Maybe it's their way of seeing how much you want it? I don't know. But maybe they only do phone interviews for people who would have a seriously long journey, like from America or Africa or something.

[Slothuus]

(Original post by Joanna May)
My point was that Norway isn't that far away. Depending on the time of your interview and flights, you could possibly do it in a day trip. Or, was said, fly in the evening before and fly back after the interview. You wouldn't need three days

Maybe it's their way of seeing how much you want it? I don't know. But maybe they only do phone interviews for people who would have a seriously long journey, like from America or Africa or something.

Norway's quite a huge country It'll take me at least 7 hours each way, and that's if the flight times fit perfectly with my local transport times (where the ferry goes twice a day, not every tenth minute).

That goes for the return journey as well, so best case scenario is a two day duration of the entire trip.

I want it, but perhaps my post-interview rejection from Oxford pulled me a bit off from going to UCL for an interview. It's just that a 10 minute interview seems pretty ridiculous to go, keeping the transport time and cost in mind.

[OhNO!]

frick, UCL are taking ages. how long did it take any English Lit people to get a response last year? I know that's sort of a vague question, but I'm getting a bit panicky because I'm probably going to have to be putting a deposit down on a house here in Manchester by the end of february, if I don't get an offer from UCL.

They're not going to care about that though, are they?

[9mm]

So have you phoned them up and asked?

You're right. It is pointless if you aren't too interested in going there, but if you are then it is worth it, even if it's just 10 minutes (although to be honest, although they say 10 minutes it will probably be 10 minutes waiting, 20 minutes interview or possibly longer, and if the day included a lecture and a tour around the department and ucl as well, it will all add up to around 3-4 hours).

Also curious, where abouts in Norway do you live?

[Joanna May]

(Original post by Slothuus)
Norway's quite a huge country It'll take me at least 7 hours each way, and that's if the flight times fit perfectly with my local transport times (where the ferry goes twice a day, not every tenth minute).

That goes for the return journey as well, so best case scenario is a two day duration of the entire trip.

I want it, but perhaps my post-interview rejection from Oxford pulled me a bit off from going to UCL for an interview. It's just that a 10 minute interview seems pretty ridiculous to go, keeping the transport time and cost in mind.

Fair enough. I always imagine Scandinavian countries to be like Iceland and everyone lives in the capital. But I'm thick

If it makes you feel better, my interview was about four hours long. It included a tour of all the facilities, some speeches and Q&A sessions about the university and department in general, a tour of the department itself and the actual interview itself, which was about half an hour.

(Original post by OhNO!)
frick, UCL are taking ages. how long did it take any English Lit people to get a response last year? I know that's sort of a vague question, but I'm getting a bit panicky because I'm probably going to have to be putting a deposit down on a house here in Manchester by the end of february, if I don't get an offer from UCL.

They're not going to care about that though, are they?

They don't have to answer until the end of March. I know it's annoying, but I didnt hear from three of my universities until the end of March last year. Why do you have to put down a deposit so early? Could you not explain your situation to whoever needs the deposit?

[OhNO!]

(Original post by Joanna May)
They don't have to answer until the end of March. I know it's annoying, but I didnt hear from three of my universities until the end of March last year. Why do you have to put down a deposit so early? Could you not explain your situation to whoever needs the deposit?

that isn't early to put down a deposit, I know quite a few people who have signed on houses already. possibly, but I doubt that the landlord is really going to care, tbh. the whole point of the deposit is so that I can't change my mind once I've signed on a house.

I suppose I'll just have to wait and hope it works itself out.

[Joanna May]

(Original post by OhNO!)
that isn't early to put down a deposit, I know quite a few people who have signed on houses already. possibly, but I doubt that the landlord is really going to care, tbh. the whole point of the deposit is so that I can't change my mind once I've signed on a house.

I suppose I'll just have to wait and hope it works itself out.

Oh, I didn't see you were transferring. If the worst came to the worst, does your university maybe offer Halls for second years? I know in London there's normally adverts all over the place advertising for roommates, you can't get Halls. Or I'm sure if you put a deposit down the house, it wouldn't be too hard to find someone to replace you, since you'll hear before the end of March, which gives you something like eight months to find a replacement.

Good luck!

[OhNO!]

(Original post by Joanna May)
Oh, I didn't see you were reapplying. If the worst came to the worst, does your university maybe offer Halls for second years? I know in London there's normally adverts all over the place advertising for roommates, you can't get Halls.

yeah, they do, but if I stayed here I'd really want to live with my flatmates and they're all getting a house together. so, it's a bit difficult. it'd be a bit crap if not only was a re-rejected from UCL, but I ended living up on my own in halls or with a bunch of strangers on top of that! anyway, hopefully it won't come to that. at the worst, I'll loose my £100/whatever deposit and piss off all my flatmates by pulling out. not horrific.

I was just whinging on the vague hope that someone would come in and say that UCL would rush through my application when they heard about my situation!

[tomangegi]

(Original post by Salain)
The gym at Astor is a gymnasium, i.e. a big room for playing sports in, NOT!! the sort of gym you pay membership for and go and work out in!

Damn, that sucks! I'm an idiot lol thanks x

[Slothuus]

(Original post by Joanna May)
Fair enough. I always imagine Scandinavian countries to be like Iceland and everyone lives in the capital. But I'm thick

If it makes you feel better, my interview was about four hours long. It included a tour of all the facilities, some speeches and Q&A sessions about the university and department in general, a tour of the department itself and the actual interview itself, which was about half an hour.

(Original post by 9mm)
So have you phoned them up and asked?

You're right. It is pointless if you aren't too interested in going there, but if you are then it is worth it, even if it's just 10 minutes (although to be honest, although they say 10 minutes it will probably be 10 minutes waiting, 20 minutes interview or possibly longer, and if the day included a lecture and a tour around the department and ucl as well, it will all add up to around 3-4 hours).

Also curious, where abouts in Norway do you live?

I live north of Bergen... This is my school www.rcnuwc.no

I am still hoping to hear from LSE anytime soon... Although that might be optimistic. I really like the ESPS course, but I suppose that I can tailor the courses at St Andrews (IR w/History) and Edinburgh (HistPol) in a way that resembles it. I mean, I'll have the opportunity to go abroad in the third year, the chance to learn Italian from scratch as well, focus on the EU and European integration etc.

I talked to my friend who was also interviewed for ESPS, and his interview lasted 10 minutes, he told me.

I know the course contents by heart and I've seen the uni twice. I know that I won't have any questions to ask.

[9mm]

(Original post by Slothuus)
I live north of Bergen... This is my school www.rcnuwc.no

I am still hoping to hear from LSE anytime soon... Although that might be optimistic. I really like the ESPS course, but I suppose that I can tailor the courses at St Andrews (IR w/History) and Edinburgh (HistPol) in a way that resembles it. I mean, I'll have the opportunity to go abroad in the third year, the chance to learn Italian from scratch as well, focus on the EU and European integration etc.

I talked to my friend who was also interviewed for ESPS, and his interview lasted 10 minutes, he told me.

I know the course contents by heart and I've seen the uni twice. I know that I won't have any questions to ask.

I used to live in Oslo for several years, drove all the way to Bergen once was an amazing trip. (only stayed there for 2 days though)

Well if you're not too bothered with UCL and if they refuse to give you a phone interview, then I guess you shouldn't really go...