Oxford Applicants 2016 Entry & Interview chat

If you took a sample MAT test under exam conditions, 82% is a very good score as the following feedback provided by the Mathematics Institute demonstrates:

https://www.maths.ox.ac.uk/system/files/attachments/Mathsgroup%20feedback%202014.pdf

Oh I'd love to!It's very kind of you I'll start thinking about some questions these days.Where do I send them to you?

Also, is anyone else applying for Maths and CompSci? Do you know any good books to read?

You're welcome! You can PM them to me on here if you like! Or I can give you my Facebook/ email address :-)

What is a competitive MAT score for Maths and Computer Science at Oxford? Because I just got 82% in a practice paper and I have no idea how good that is.
Also, is anyone else applying for Maths and CompSci? Do you know any good books to read?

Thanks a lot! Yeah it was done in 2 hours 15 minutes, with no calculator or notes. Do you know much about CS applications?

How competitive is biochem at Oxford? Could anyone give me the typical GSCEs and AS's (AAAA-AAAB?) of a candidate who would get invited to interview? cheers

This is a bit dated (2010) but probably ball-park. The usual caveats about "averages".

http://www.stdominics.org.uk/media/uploads/Supporting%20Students%20-%20NI.pdf

For guidance, here is a sample of GCSE profiles for candidates invited to interview in 2014 who applied for Biochemistry (C700):

10A* | 9A*-1A | 3A*-2A-1B | 7A*-3A | 2A*-6A-1B-1C | 5A*-6A | 6A*-4A | 11A* | 3A*-4A-2B | 7A*-3A | 12A* | 6A*-3A | 8A*-2A | 11A* | 5A*-5A-2B | 8A*-2A | 8A*-2A-1C | 10A* | 9A*-3A-1B | 9A*-1A | 7A*-3A | 2A*-5A-2B

This is a bit dated (2010) but probably ball-park. The usual caveats about "averages".

http://www.stdominics.org.uk/media/uploads/Supporting%20Students%20-%20NI.pdf

Being an Oxford hopeful, I should probably write something here too, so hi everyone!

I'm an international student too, from Switzerland. I honestly have no idea how good my chances are... I have no idea what kind of grades anyone who's been accepted to Oxford from Switzerland has had, so hmm. Our grading system goes from 1 to 6, and Oxford says it expects a 5.0 in each subject. I have an average of about 5.5 at the moment, but then again, everyone on this thread has amazing grades, so yeah...

I also do some volunteering for political and LGBT organizations. Then there's typical hobby stuff, choir, theater, piano... and I did an exchange year in China. Does Oxford like languages? Do they take them into account during the admissions process?

I'm going for PPE, possibly at Magdalen, but I'm going to wait until after the Open Days to decide.

Went to Durham open day. Really, really disappointed. I was considering it as my second choice. I doubt It will even make the UCAS form now.

What disappointed?

I do not want to be negative, but they just didn't seem to make an effort.

I wonder if they don't really need to? They'll get plenty of applicants, whatever they do

My mum drove us about 500 miles (round trip), and paid for a hotel for us overnight, so we really did think Durham was going to be great and be at number 2 on the UCAS form.

I do not want to be negative, but they just didn't seem to make an effort.

There were some people around in yellow t-shirts, but they were not much help. We asked for directions to the faculty and they didn't know where it was and it wasn't on the map (but that turned out to be lucky - see below). We tried to find someone who did my course - but we couldn't find anyone.

Later we asked for directions to the bus for our 'park n ride' - the very nice young man sent us in the wrong direction. This was not a biggie, it was only 5 mins walk in the wrong direction and 5 mins back, and I don't blame him - why should he know? But it was symptomatic of they day. Just underwhelming!

We have been to lots of open days (mainly for my brother and sister) and there is usually a load of enthusiasm and great engagement (eg brilliant sample lectures). There are normally great talks by people who really know their stuff.

We sat through the most boring presentation about facilities and so on. I wanted to slit my wrists by the end - it was just awful. I do not think I learned anything new in that 40 mins.

There was no one around for my subject until the talk. The talk itself was OK, but really JUST ONLY OK - I didn't get a buzz from it they way I have with other presentations. I can think of other subject presentations I have been to, eg Nottingham/History for my sister a few years ago, which was just so brilliant I wanted to do the course myself and so did my mum (my sister did do it)! This talk was, well OK, alright, sort of the minimum required. It didn't make me want to go and study there.

It turned out that the faculty was shut because 'it was a Saturday' - are you kidding - this is the open day!!!

Even the catering facilities were a shambles like no one had anticipated that there might be a lot of people wanting a cup of coffee or a frappuccino.. We waited 5 mins in the 'wrong queue' (no signage at all), then 10 minutes in the right queue, only to be told when we got to the till that the ice machine was broken and so no cold drinks... It was sweltering.

Don't get me wrong. I am sure Durham is better in reality that the impression given at the open day. And I am sure that loads of brilliant Classicists will go there and have an amazing time and get a great degree. But it won't be me!

x

I agree, I was left hugely underwhelmed. Durham has gone from my 2nd to 4th choice now. I was also left starving yesterday due to the lack of any shops or fast food places nearby, it's very isolated.

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