Oxford MAT 2013/2014

I'll do the rest tomorrow in the company of the maths lot. I sincerely hope these are all right, to make up for the qualms with the MC questions!

I'll do the rest tomorrow in the company of the maths lot. I sincerely hope these are all right, to make up for the qualms with the MC questions!

Estimated my score to around 57-60...do I stand any chance..btw I am a CS Applicant..

Notice to all CompSci students.. Just spoke to my director of studies and he said MAT isn't that important for CompSci. A few years ago, they gave somebody an offer who got in the bottom 20%! They consider every application separately

I think this example is very misleading. The MAT is an extremely important part of the shortlisting process (ie deciding who we invite to interview) for Computer Science. But yes we do look at all the information we have about a candidate.

When the test scores are in we draw a rough line in the sand. Last year that was 53. It's about the average score for those taking that set of questions that year. (We do also factor in contextualised GCSE scores here.) We interview pretty much everyone who gets over that line. The tutors also have the freedom to call for interview people who fall below that line, where they think there is good reason to. So, for example if someone was ill on the day of the test, or there was a family crisis, but their application otherwise looked strong, they could still be interviewed and ultimately offered a place.

Most people have similar grades for achieved AS (or equivalent) or predicted A2s. We interview and get to meet people so the personal statement isn't as important as with other universities. The MAT and interviews are therefore extremely important part of the application process. The MAT is one of the few mechanisms we have to fairly compare all of the applicants, no matter which educational system they have through.

So yes, it is feasible that someone with a low MAT test score, who for reasons beyond their control performed badly on the day of the test, could be offered a place. But just because there is the odd case like this, it this reallydoesn't mean that the MAT unimportant for CompSci applications. It is.

I think perhaps I should have put an 'as' in place of 'that'. Even so, I understand that you are right. Sorry!

No worries. Clearing up little misconceptions like this is one of the reasons why we have an account on here :-)

Is there a mathematics department account as well?

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Yes there is - a newly formed one. OxfordMathsDept http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/member.php?u=1296338

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Hello, I was wondering if it's possible to shift from the course one is initially pursuing to related courses. Math to Math+Stat or Math+CS, for example? If so, what is the procedure?

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hello!
Do international students get offers/ interview confirmation before or after home students or Is there no difference between the way both of them are dealt with?



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Hi. Do you mean once you've started the course and you're actually here in Oxford? Or between putting in your UCAS application form and starting the course?

The former. Suppose I start the G100 Mathematics course at Oxford and a few months later, develop a keen interest in CS. In such a case, will I have any chance to shift to the Mathematics with Computer Science course?

Joint M&CS to either CS or M is relatively easy. The way the course is structured you do the core of each of the two single subjects. So you won't have missed anything. The tutors just need to agree it's ok. It happens a few times each year.

Maths to Maths & CS is harder. You will have missed out on some of the important core parts of the course. It really depends on your individual situation and how far down the track it is. (There is crossover between core Maths and core CS.) Sometimes - especially if it's a long way into the course - it can mean starting the first year again, in order to get the core Comp in. The process is talk to your tutor, who would then talk to the CompSci tutors, who would then talk to you and see what seems sensible.

Don't forget, as an Oxford student you can sit in on lectures in other Depts. (It's common courtesy to ask the course leader, but it's generally not a problem.) So if you started having doubts about your course choice over the summer you could feasibly sit in on the first few lectures of term if you were thinking about making the switch. Also, you can for example join things like the CompSoc - the Oxford Computer Science Society - and develop your interest that way.

Going back to your original question: for Maths and Maths&Stats it's very simple. To quote the Stats Admissions website "The Mathematics and Statistics course has essentially the same structure as the straight Mathematics
course, but with greater emphasis on statistically related subjects. For the first year and the first term of the second year, the courses are identical. <snip> A key feature of the course is its flexibility and transfer between Mathematics
and Statistics and the straight Mathematics course is possible until well into the
second year."
http://www.stats.ox.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0013/7114/BA_Leaflet.pdf

It all happens at the same time pretty much, no matter where you come from.

It's feasible that tutors might schedule the odd skype interview to an international student a day or so before the rest of the students come to Oxford for their interviews, just because it makes things logistically easier for them, but it's literally only a day or so. But all the decision making is done at the same time.

The colleges send out interview invites and final offers. Each college does this in its own way and own order. So for example, it's possible that Keble send out their CompSci offers then do Maths, then Classics etc, whereas at St Johns ComSci might be towards the end of the emails/letters that go out. Or they might do the O/S one first then UK. It's really up to the college and how they prefer to do things. But broadly speaking it all happens over the same few days.

On a slightly side note, but a question we often hear: If the colleges do send things by post, it's probably in whatever envelopes they have in the cupboard. There's no rule that says offers are in one colour and rejections in another.