How to interpret Oxford college statistics

Does this mean that there actually is a difference in your admission depending on your college choice? Or does Somerville just attract 'better' applicants than St Catherine? I'm not sure how to interpret these numbers. (Not really a math brain, applying as international student for law in October )

Hope TSR people can help me out!

There are more than 30 undergraduate colleges at the University of Oxford and you report a 10% spread between extremes. What would you imagine as normal under random distribution? How about in the heights of thirty 6-year old children?

We could speculate as to why these two should be 'outliers', though neither is that. Somerville plainly gets comparatively few applications in the first instance and I'm betting it gets few enough from overseas students. Because what do they fancy in it? But overseas candidates have a very high failure rate relative to domestic applicants. And Somerville doesn't offer Economics and Management, which is the Oxford course that knocks 'em back at the highest rate. And perhaps so on...

Unpartitioned data is very difficult to work with, but I think the good word from Oxford is anyway to just apply where you fancy. The interviewers all work for the university and a department as well for their colleges and if they like you they will see you installed somewhere.

It's almost certainly that it gets weaker applicants. e.g. St Catherine's has much more buildings than most colleges, which for a lot of people makes them a less desirable place to be than the several hundred year old colleges. Therefore some weaker candidates will apply there, wrongly thinking it increases their chances. (Of course this is speculative, but it shows that innocent explanations may well exist for these discrepancies.)

Conclusion: apply wherever you fancy, your chances of getting in aren't going to be affected

Thank you for both for your elaboration, I will indeed just choose one I fancy then. I'm currently considering New College (beautiful and good accommodation), Christ Church (beautiful, renown law library, but very competitive ) and Magdalen (beautiful site as well, but also competitive). Any comments on those choices perhaps?

as the law curriculum itself pretty much evens out for me at both universities.

If you cannot spot that there is a considerable difference between the two law courses, law might not be the subject for you.

Actually, I am aware of the differences between the course structures and examination systems. They just even out for me because I find both courses to have its advantages and disadvatages, that is what I meant.

Actually, I am aware of the differences between the course structures and examination systems. They just even out for me because I find both courses to have its advantages and disadvatages, that is what I meant.


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Thank you for both for your elaboration, I will indeed just choose one I fancy then. I'm currently considering New College (beautiful and good accommodation), Christ Church (beautiful, renown law library, but very competitive ) and Magdalen (beautiful site as well, but also competitive). Any comments on those choices perhaps? This weekend I will visit both Oxford and Cambridge to explore the cities and hopefully find out which of the two I prefer as the law curriculum itself pretty much evens out for me at both universities. Do you happen to have any recommendations on places I should really visit?

Not really a math brain, applying as international student for law in October

As for accommodation, New's is fantastic. I think every room is a single room and a huge number are en-suite. You can trade en-suite for access to a kitchen in the second year. While New doesn't provide accommodation to all 3rd year students (and Magdalen does) I saw this as an advantage. It prepares you for the next year when you'll be living on your own and facing the world. It's sort of a stepping stone since being part of New means you can access a lot of facilities. But some might see it as a disadvantage still.

I believe that this is true in every college.

It's not, e.g. Univ and Christ Church (but it's rare, and I'm fairly sure it would only be for people who want to live with a friend they've met in first year).

(Although we're talking here about individual bedrooms with shared living space, so it's not room sharing in a traditional sense.)

It's not, e.g. Univ and Christ Church (but it's rare, and I'm fairly sure it would only be for people who want to live with a friend they've met in first year).

I believe that this is true in every college.

As a Law Finalist, at the risk of sounding patronizing, I would really, really recommend thinking about:
(a) Are you okay with Jurisprudence as a compulsory module? I have friends who absolutely, absolutely abhorred it (Personally I'd say it's somewhat different from the other subjects, and reactions tend to be polarized).
(b) Would you prefer to have more options? You only get 2 at Oxford, Cambridge has more (and they also have half-modules I think). Personally, I would have preferred dropping Juris and taking a third option instead.
(c) Would you rather have exams every year or everything crammed into one massive exam right at the end? Finals sounds far away, but having just been through 6 consecutive days of exams for the past week, I can tell you it's nothing short of brutal and exhausting. And I still have another 3 papers to go before I finish next week. Don't underestimate this difference - it is much more intense and far harder than anything I ever did at A levels.

I would say that Finals alone would make me seriously consider going to Cambridge in retrospect, but I'm obviously biased at the moment. Also, if you're the sort of person who prefers taking more time to "ease in", Cambridge might be a better option because Law Mods takes place after 2 terms; I did feel like I was still trying to find my "law legs" back then (well, still trying to now actually).

Out of curiosity, which aspects of the Ox course do you find advantageous vis a vis Cambridge?

Forgot to mention: I'm also an international student (Indian) with other qualifications. I'll be reading Law at New this year

Thanks for your advice, after having visited however, I think I'll apply to Merton, spent about an hour in their gardens!
How did you prepare for the LNAT though, I had the opportunity to speak with a Brasenose Law tutor and he told me that the LNAT is extremely important for the decision whether you get an interview.