I was rejected by Oxford post-interview for physics this year but have been accepted into my next best choice Warwick, for maths. Now I know the Maths department at Warwick has a very good reputation, and the flexibility of the course really appeals to me, but after getting my results I'm in two minds about what to do next year regarding reapplying.
My grades were A*s in Maths, Further Maths and Economics, and a D1 (equivalent to 'above' an A*) in Pre-U Physics. I also got A's in my Spanish and Additional Further Maths AS's. I achieved a Distinction in AEA and a 1 in STEP (right on the 1/2 grade boundary), and my module scores are as follows:
C1 - 97
C2 - 88
C3 - 96
C4 - 97
FP1 - 95
FP2 - 98
FP3 - 100
S1 - 96
S2 - 96
D1 - 96
M1 - 93
M2 - 98
M3 - 100
M4 - 93
M5 - 100
Cambridge Maths is pretty much out of the question - I'd be very unlikely to get a 1,1 in STEP II and III, and whilst I get good grades, I'm not the sort who gets into all the BMO competitions and is naturally amazing. NatSci would also be a bit of a push (if not impossible) seeing as I haven't done Chemistry or Biology.
That leaves reapplying for Physics at Oxford, or applying for Maths at Oxford.
1) Will having my current grades put me at an advantage when applying a second time around? Or are they pretty much expected?
2) If I were to reapply to Oxford for Maths rather than Physics, would it be okay to apply to the same college as before?
3) Do you personally think it's worth rejecting my Warwick offer just to try and get the Oxbridge name (I will hopefully end up working in the city after uni, although I'm not sure yet)
4) Is the Maths/Physics workload at Oxford likely to be more than at Warwick for Maths? I've been told the Maths workload at Warwick is ridiculously high - on a par with Oxbridge maybe?
Obviously there are details about myself that will make the difference as well - I'd probably prefer the Oxford collegiate system, but also want a good social life so perhaps a lively campus is better for that. Regarding the course - I like the fact I can take lots of Physics modules under the Maths degree at Warwick, whereas Oxford's Maths and Physics courses seem much more restricted.
Anyway, any help would be much appreciated, sorry for the long post