University of Oxford

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Postgrad at Oxbridge

Does anyone have a vague idea what the competition is like for postgrad courses at Oxbridge? My situation is quite likely to be the following: AAAA at A level and a First class BA from Warwick University. I've heard both that competition for places is less intense AND alternately more intense so I'm slightly confuzzled...Also, does anyone know if, like at undergrad, it is important to look at college acceptance rates for various subjects so as to pick one with the best chance of acceptance: ie, for English undergrad, Somerville Oxford had 1 in 2 acceptance, whereas others had nearer 1 in 5. Cheers.

Reply 1

zoraster

from what i've gathered from oxford, you're admitted first to the university and then to a college (reverse from undergrad). So in other words, if you get into the university, you're sure of a spot somewhere at a college. The reason for selecting a college with an eye toward acceptance rates is if you want to have a greater chance of going to a particular type of college rather than to gain admissions ~~period~~ full stop.

For example, if your main desire is to go to a central college that also has undergrads, you may want to pick the lowest ratio of those colleges so as to try and avoid templeton.

But at least the way I understand it, you don't increase your chances at all of admission into the university by selecting an undersubscribed college.

University of Oxford

Oxford

Reply 2

JustaGuy

If you look at the acceptance rates for postgrad courses, they are in general, under 20%. In my year for my course, the acceptance rate was slightly under 13%.

I am not sure about college acceptance rate at postgrad level, but the way I understand it is you are now *gauranteed* a college place if you have been admitted by a department. It does not seem to matter much (at least to me) which college you get admitted to since your supervisors could be anyone from any college. (My two supervisors were from two different colleges, none of which was from my college)

Most colleges' grad accommodation are not on-site either, so if being central is a concern to you, then I would apply to those colleges where their grad accommoation is in central oxford (eg. Merton, Balliol etc).

Oh, and I *thought* Templeton only admits MBA students?

Reply 3

Wrangler

swallows

My situation is quite likely to be the following: AAAA at A level and a First class BA from Warwick University.

I'm lost. If you're only expecting those grades, it leads me to think you haven't actually attained them yet. And if you haven't even got A-Levels yet, I think looking at Postgrad courses might be jumping the gun a bit!

If I've got it all totally wrong - I do apologise! :smile:

To answer your question - I think it depends on lots of factors; the biggest, I would have thought, would be which subject area you want to study in.

Reply 4

shiny

swallows

If you want funding then expect the worse!

Reply 5

kalen

JustaGuy

Oh, and I *thought* Templeton only admits MBA students?

Yes, I think it does...as does Nuffield, I think...Where the hell is Templeton anyway?? (said the Wolfsonian...)

Reply 6

RxB

Nuffield is a social sciences college - it's also got the most amazing library in the history of time if OLIS is to be believed

Templeton is miles away

Reply 7

swallows

You are indeed wrong. I have my A levels and am a Third year at uni, and judging by my 2nd year results I should get a First, unless something goes drastically wrong.

Reply 8

Wrangler

swallows

You are indeed wrong. I have my A levels and am a Third year at uni, and judging by my 2nd year results I should get a First, unless something goes drastically wrong.

Ah - it all makes sense now.

Reply 9

hungry_hog

You A-level grades are pretty irrelevant

It's about the area of research and the PhD supervisor you pick and the competition within that field, both for places and funding.
My offer was conditional on getting a first, but lots of people don't have them. In fact, met a couple of people with 2:1s from Hertfordshire, but this was for Chem, which has lots of places for PhD students, and thus a broader range of backgrounds.

Once you get into the Uni a place at a college is a certainty. Whether you get the college you want is another thing, and to be honest a bit of a lottery and there i no college interview as such. I put down Emma and Catz, and got into Emma.

If you put down somewhere like Trinity (Cam), which is well internationally well known, the chances of getting into that college are much smaller than (say) Fitz. Some people choose their supervisor's college.

Another point - nothing to stop you applying to both Oxford and Cambridge (unlike undergrad)

Reply 10

Cexy

What subject do you want to study?

As you'll have a BA, I'll assume it's a humanities subject. Finding a supervisor is the most important thing, as far as I can tell. It's more important to find someone doing really good work in an area close to the one you want to work in, than to try to find someone doing mediocre work in exactly what you want to be doing.

Reply 11

fleur-de-lis

JustaGuy

I am not sure about college acceptance rate at postgrad level, but the way I understand it is you are now *gauranteed* a college place if you have been admitted by a department. It does not seem to matter much (at least to me) which college you get admitted to since your supervisors could be anyone from any college. (My two supervisors were from two different colleges, none of which was from my college)

Most colleges' grad accommodation are not on-site either, so if being central is a concern to you, then I would apply to those colleges where their grad accommoation is in central oxford (eg. Merton, Balliol etc).

Oh, and I *thought* Templeton only admits MBA students?

Templeton is only for MBA students.

I am sure that this must have been mentioned in the posts above, but usually, you are first admitted by the department and then your dossier is forwarded to the college of your choice. Whether or not they decide to accept you, is another question. But inevitably, there would be some college which would be willing to give you admission.

And yes, most of the grad accommodations are not on site... but usually are at a distance under 3-4 kms from the city centre. Keble used to have on site accommodation but I believe that this has been moved to the Acland Site in Banbury Rd. I have heard that Jesus provides on site accommodation though... needless to say, graduate colleges such as Wolfson, Green, St Anthonys etc provide accommodation on site itself.

Reply 12

youngone

just a question

for humanities subjects (like english) if you want to apply for a research postgrad in oxford, how do you go about finding a supervisor? do you just submit your application and hope for the best? or do you actively seek one out beforehand?

Reply 13

JustaGuy

kalen

Yes, I think it does...as does Nuffield, I think...Where the hell is Templeton anyway?? (said the Wolfsonian...)

LOL

erm Wolfson is not exactly very central either, and many people have no idea where Wolfson is! :biggrin:

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youngone

Approach potential supervisors with similar (or closely related) research interests as you and find out if they are willing to be your supervisors *should* you get admitted by the university department. You'll need to have some research topic (that you intend to pursue) in mind before you approach them.

Reply 14

zoraster

JustaGuy

LOL

erm Wolfson is not exactly very central either, and many people have no idea where Wolfson is! :biggrin:

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Approach potential supervisors with similar (or closely related) research interests as you and find out if they are willing to be your supervisors *should* you get admitted by the university department. You'll need to have some research topic (that you intend to pursue) in mind before you approach them.

it's like a weird academic mating ritual.