This discussion is now closed.

Check out other Related discussions

Can't understand how my friend didn't even get given an interview?

Okay, one of my friends recently applied for PPE at Oxford and didn't even get given an interview.
He achieved 12 A* gcse, 5 A's at AS level (top 3 in the country for English lit and is on a full scholarship at Eton college (being one of their top scholars and writes frequent student newspapers for the school). He has good EC's (captain of football sides, charity work etc) and im guessing he's the kind to not skimp on a personal statement. I was just wondering what else he could have actually done to have actually been given an interview at least lol. Just seems really strange to me. He's appealing but is already resigned to taking a gap year and reapplying next year.
Only reasons i can think of is him possibly having a bad PS or them filling their quota on private school students?

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1

Dionysia

PS bad? References not so good? Perhaps they didn't like the way he came across...wouldn't be the first time?

Reply 2

The_Lonely_Goatherd

There is no private school quota!!!

Don't people have to sit some sort of pre-interview test now for PPE? Maybe that didn't go so well?

:smile:

Reply 3

Cynical Optimist

Maybe he didn't come across well in his statement, maybe it seemed a bit arrogant? Easy thing to do when you are good at everything (like he seems to be...) Strange though...

who cares

maybe he messed up the PPE pre-interview test, i forget the name... an arrogant or weak personal statement is another possibility.

jeez, why am i even in this sub-forum.

Reply 6

Josephus

ppe is one of the ones where they interview a comparatively small %.

isn't there an entry test - tsa i think - from which they won't have interviewed anyone who got less than the cutoff mark.

Reply 7

rnshan

Bad reference or lack of passion for the subject could be one of the reasons.

Reply 8

Josephus

neither oxford nor cambridge have a private quota. ox is 47%, cam 42% private. the reason is partly for people like him, who are on scholarships.

i go to an indy school, and i doubt they looked at me differently for it.

Reply 9

The_Lonely_Goatherd

Now that I think of it, I remember a current student who's on TSR telling me something like they only interviewed 50% of the PPE applicants, so that's probs why :smile:

Reply 10

TomTeeTom

PPE applicants take TSA and invitation is mainly based on TSA. Therefore i think he just messed up his TSA

Reply 11

Haz313

rnshan

Bad reference or lack of passion for the subject could be one of the reasons.

Hmm, i doubt his reference could have been bad but even if his PS wasn't that great he surely should have been given an interview based on his grades? He does seem to be the kind that doesn't know what he wants to do after uni however :s

Reply 12

Joluk

Which college did he apply to? A couple of them are slightly 'red' and don't like Etonians very much.

Reply 13

rnshan

TomTeeTom

PPE applicants take TSA and invitation is mainly based on TSA. Therefore i think he just messed up his TSA

They look at TSA results only when you show for the interview and not before. Interview selection is independent of TSA. But the do consider TSA while making an offer. :yep:

Reply 14

DJkG.1

Most likely reason is not doing well in the TSA exam.

Other than that, his subjects may not have been well suited (what were they?) and he could have come across in a bad way perhaps.

Seems unlikely that such a person wouldn't get an interview but definitely not puzzling or a surprise - there are many other factors considered than the ones he's definitely done well in.

Reply 15

SunderX

Joluk

Which college did he apply to? A couple of them are slightly 'red' and don't like Etonians very much.

Rofl, I doubt that's true. The joke here is that King's is communist, but I don't think that stops them from admitting anyone.

Reply 16

Cackhandedchimp

Yep, must've not done well enough on the TSA.

Reply 17

Huw Davies

Joluk

Which college did he apply to? A couple of them are slightly 'red' and don't like Etonians very much.

I call bull****.

Not doing well enough on the admissions test is the overwhelmingly likely reason.

Reply 18

Cocaine Socialist

It was most likely because he didn't have enough extra-curriculars.

Reply 19

TomTeeTom

rnshan

They look at TSA results only when you show for the interview and not before. Interview selection is independent of TSA. But the do consider TSA while making an offer. :yep: