Oxbridge Clinical School Transfer - risky?

I have been at Oxford the whole course so i only know what i have gleaned from the successful... To an extent it depends on where the applications go in your year. In my year only circa 23 applied to Oxford, all with 1sts, and 22 got in (although i only heard this from a cambridge transfer i know, not an official source). That would make it seem you are very likely to get in. However, clearly if in your year 50 people apply that is going to make things more competitive.

Re auto-rejects, as far as i'm aware only UCL definitively does that, plus as your 'home' uni i think that Cambridge would be more sympathetic to your application (as Oxford is to ours) and my gut feeling is that with a double first they would not reject you. However, a Cambridge clinical student with experience would be in a better position to inform on that.

And re not going to London... that's quite a common feeling and indeed i ordered my application: Oxford, UCL (guaranteed reject), Cambridge (effectively guaranteed reject), then the rest in the hope that they would see they were 4th choice downwards and get the message, and if everyone rejects you you end up back at where you were for pre-clinical

On a more positive note though, everyone i know in London has settled in well and likes it there, with adequate financial support where its needed, and back in Oxford seemingly virtually the entire cohort is looking to apply to London for jobs atm anyway, so staying in Oxford was only delaying the inevitable for many!

thank you so much, this is exceedingly helpful.

so since you've been in Oxford for the entire course, do you have any idea which colleges would be more sympathetic to transfers from Cambridge? I've seen this page: http://www.medsci.ox.ac.uk/study/medicine/clinical/collegesfolder/details, and it seems that spaces are very limited at each college, with the exception of GTC, which I understand is a graduate college?

So I know this probably gets asked every year, but I'm just hoping for some advice to clear up rumors and statements that I've heard.

I'm at Cambridge, got two firsts, but don't really have anything else particularly outstanding on my CV. I want to try to get into Oxford. I've been told I have a high chance of getting in if I put it as first-choice, but I'm a little worried.

Is it true that it's getting harder and harder to transfer to Oxford from Cambridge, even with two firsts? And I've heard that sometimes a university will auto-reject you if you put them as second choice, so if I put Cambridge as second choice would that be risky? I know I'm guaranteed a spot somewhere, but I really don't want to go to London for clinical school because it would be much more expensive for me. I have also been told that it's okay to mention 'financial reasons' in the clinical interview, although I'm not sure about this.

I'd be happy for any insights, thanks in advance.

Have you been told how many places Cambridge has now (I know they're expanding their clinical course?)?

Certainly, in the past, Cambridge would not accept you unless they were your first choice.

yeah, 160 places.

So does that mean I would essentially have to be accepted by my first choice? Because I believe that if the first two rounds are unsuccessful, you enter a clearing scheme, and I'm not particularly sure what this would entail. Do you get accepted by any university that has free spaces left, or do you default back to your pre-clinical school, as I've also heard?

yeah, 160 places.

So does that mean I would essentially have to be accepted by my first choice? Because I believe that if the first two rounds are unsuccessful, you enter a clearing scheme, and I'm not particularly sure what this would entail. Do you get accepted by any university that has free spaces left, or do you default back to your pre-clinical school, as I've also heard?

As I understand it, if you don't get into your first two choices, you are put in a pool with all the others who've been rejected by both, and the universities which still have places look at you all and decide who, if any, to pull out. If nobody can take you, then Cambridge will take you back. However I think this is very unlikely - if you have two firsts you are in a strong position to apply for Oxford and now that Cambridge clinical school is expanding, they may well take you there as 2nd choice.

I don't think it's expanded much this year though, from reading OP's post, - 160 places is fairly standard. I really don't think Cambridge would accept people who put them 2nd choice. OP should ask at the open day to clarify.

I thought it was about 130-140 normally, excluding grads?

Though I admit I have no idea what their position would be on people putting them second even with the expansion in places. Guess it depends if it's one of the years where they're over- or under-subscribed.

thanks for all the replies. so I guess right now I'm feeling like I should first find out more about Cambridge's attitude towards being put as second choice, before making a decision on whether I should go for Oxford, or just put Cambridge first-choice and be almost guaranteed entry.

Who might someone of authority be? Should I try to ask someone at the open day? I've asked my DoS for advice, and he reassured me that I had a high chance of getting into Cambridge even if I put it second, but I don't feel like he was basing this on actual experience or fact, and perhaps more just trying to be encouraging.

thanks for all the replies. so I guess right now I'm feeling like I should first find out more about Cambridge's attitude towards being put as second choice, before making a decision on whether I should go for Oxford, or just put Cambridge first-choice and be almost guaranteed entry.

Who might someone of authority be? Should I try to ask someone at the open day? I've asked my DoS for advice, and he reassured me that I had a high chance of getting into Cambridge even if I put it second, but I don't feel like he was basing this on actual experience or fact, and perhaps more just trying to be encouraging.