Choosing an Oxford College

Could anyone elaborate about Gonville and Caius College - i.e. what kind of atmosphere does it have etc, etc.

I noticed (on the unofficial prospectus, which gives the figures) that is has the lowest proportion of state educated students out of all the colleges. As well as this, it was mentioned that it is seen as 'snobby' - therefore, would state school pupils feel at home there? Cheers for any advice people

Could anyone elaborate about Gonville and Caius College - i.e. what kind of atmosphere does it have etc, etc.

I noticed (on the unofficial prospectus, which gives the figures) that is has the lowest proportion of state educated students out of all the colleges. As well as this, it was mentioned that it is seen as 'snobby' - therefore, would state school pupils feel at home there? Cheers for any advice people

Cheers for the info georgecrabbe and Willa.

Just out of interest, (this is a bit cynical - but I have read the same) do you think that state schoolers stand a better chance at the college because of the current political climate? You can perhaps sense that there might be pressure on them to move that 41% from state schools up to 50% - if true, this might then work to state schooled pupils advantage.

I know you'll probably say 'They're all as difficult to get in as one another' or something, but it is a kind of logical argument.

not that you like stats much.. but for 2005 entry:

Mansfield:
Applications from maintained - 78.3%
Offers to maintained - 64.0%

so both definitely way over the university averages (56.8 & 52.6 respectively).

but i wouldn't have thought it shows any suggestion of positive discrimination there - just that a pretty high % of state schoolers apply & hence get in?
the maintained success rate actually looks lower than quite a number of other colleges - which is what i would expect to support an argument of positive discrimination as opposed to merely being a state-school-attractive-college (very un-PC I'm sure! ), no..?

Dyslexia comments v interesting though - anecdotes or any more too it than that/special provisions etc? (something i'm vaguely involved in!)

DYSLEXIC FINANCIER ACKNOWLEDGES HIS DEBT
GUY HANDS, the City financier who is said to have earned £40 million in a year's dealing for the Nomura Bank, credits the unorthodox ways of Mansfield College with providing the launchpad for his spectacular career.

His high-flying ambitions might have come to nothing, however, without the flexible approach he found at Oxford in the early 1980s. At a time when dyslexia was regarded with scepticism in much of the education system, he was given abbreviated reading lists and allowed to dictate his finals papers. Mr Hands, 40, said yesterday: "No one would have been able to read my writing, but the college was fantastically understanding. I would never have got through the reading we were expected to do if my tutor had not identified the key texts, and I would certainly have failed my finals without special arrangement.

"Dyslexics have a different way of thinking about problems, which can be extraordinarily productive ... They develop coping mechanisms ... which aren't trusted at school although they often are at university, for example using reasoning rather than knowledge-based solutions to problems."

Is there are site where you can see how competitive each college is, either at ox or cam?

Information like apllicants per place etc.?

Cheers

I don't know about Cambridge but Oxford has a table of applicants per place at the back of the prospectus which shows each of the colleges. I don't know how useful that information is though in terms of choosing a college.

Plus:
Near the engineering faculty
Accepts 17 yr olds (basically helped me eliminate every other college... i nearly died of happiness when i heard this)
Small, so easier to get to know people (I hope).....

i know this was mentioned ages ago...but does it mean that peterhouse is the only college which accepts 17 year olds? i hadn't read anything that suggests the other colleges only accept you if you're 18...i'll only be 17 when i go to uni, and i don't want to defer. so is peterhouse is the only college i can apply to?