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Oxford Applicants 2016 Entry & Interview chat

Thats fair enough and I understand why you made that choice, but surely you must know whether you want to spend 3 years in a college close to town, with a large number of students, big grounds, cheap or expensive accomodation, large number of tourists? I went to visit Oxford on one of their open days and I ended up applying to a college I haven't even been inside before, despite visiting Oxford!

There's also the fact that I was planning to apply to Cambridge (Christ's) until two days before I submitted my application. As I said before, I'm neck deep in preparation for my finals and I didn't really want to spend my time over this. While I get that it's a pretty important choice, I've lived in a (near) third world country all my life and while I'm used to comfort, I don't think other factors would affect me that much.

Reply 3421

scblx

11

Original post by theonetruequeen

International applicant here. I didn't really know what to opt for. When I visited Oxford as tourist, I had no idea I'd apply and I really don't remember a lot of it anyway. So instead of choosing something randomly, I let Oxford choose for me.

I am an international applicant too and I have never even been to Oxford. So I based my decision on the information available online ( I visited all official college homepages etc.). This is also how I found thestudentroom - I ended up here when I was searching for pros and cons of different colleges. Btw, this article is really great and helped me a lot. :-)
I also had some criteria I searched for - like I wanted accomodation for all years, nice rooms (based on the pictures), low prices for accomodation, decent food (could not know about this but again - internet helped), not too far away from the city centre etc.

I finally applied to Merton college. :-)

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Reply 3422

9dobbo1

14

Original post by MathsAstronomy12

How long has everyone been preparing for the admissions tests?

Since July.

Reply 3423

user706

11

Original post by tamara98

As I said before - I'm an extremely flexible person. Had I been the type of person that easily gets annoyed at little things I wouldn't have sent an open application.

Also, anyone knows if people get a randomly allocated college or do they read through your personal statement and grades a bit ? Like is there a giant hat with our names in it ?

As far as I know, it all happens by chance. I remember reading somewhere that it was made by a computer randomly.

I am now thinking that it might just be done in a way that those colleges that receive less applications are compesated.

Reply 3424

TheFarmerLad

22

Original post by oliverdobbs

Since July.

Subject?

Reply 3425

theonetruequeen

9

Original post by scblx

I am an international applicant too and I have never even been to Oxford. So I based my decision on the information available online ( I visited all official college homepages etc.). This is also how I found thestudentroom - I ended up here when I was searching for pros and cons of different colleges. Btw, this article is really great and helped me a lot. :-)
I also had some criteria I searched for - like I wanted accomodation for all years, nice rooms (based on the pictures), low prices for accomodation, decent food (could not know about this but again - internet helped), not too far away from the city centre etc.

I finally applied to Merton college. :-)

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You seem really thorough, wow. I probably would have done something similar had I had time before submitting my UCAS. Too busy revising, unfortunately.

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Reply 3426

Plagioclase

21

Original post by tamara98

That's incredible, what's your course ? Is the atmosphere as friendly as what it seems like, judging by the website and student testimonies ?

Earth Sciences and yes, it's really great here. I understand why some people might find the grander, older colleges more exciting but personally I think St. Anne's is a breath of fresh air. It's completely unpretentious, relaxed, down to earth and absolutely friendly - everyone is very approachable here. I've stayed in several other colleges for residential summer schools and stuff and whilst they might have been prettier than St. Anne's (although we do have some nice gardens down the back), St. Anne's is by far the place I'd be happiest actually living in.

Reply 3427

tamara98

2

I have to pass the ELAT and MLAT - practiced the MLAT, now for the ELAT, since in French we have a similar exercice I'm not very anxious, however I've been reviewing my analytical skills in English like crazy.

Reply 3428

tamara98

2

Original post by Plagioclase

Earth Sciences and yes, it's really great here. I understand why some people might find the grander, older colleges more exciting but personally I think St. Anne's is a breath of fresh air. It's completely unpretentious, down to earth and absolutely friendly - everyone is very approachable here. I've stayed in several other colleges for residential summer schools and stuff and whilst they might have been prettier than St. Anne's (although we do have some nice gardens down the back), St. Anne's is by far the place I'd be happiest actually living in.

That's so nice to hear ! Man I think I was secretly hoping that I'd get a college I'd dislike to cope with the eventual rejection :biggrin:

Guess I'll study even harder now, crossing fingers !

Reply 3429

theonetruequeen

9

Original post by tamara98

That's so nice to hear ! Man I think I was secretly hoping that I'd get a college I'd dislike to cope with the eventual rejection :biggrin:

Guess I'll study even harder now, crossing fingers !

Hehehe I feel you so much!
As my dad just told me, "hope for the best but prepare for the worst!"

Reply 3430

username1421435

17

Original post by theonetruequeen

There's also the fact that I was planning to apply to Cambridge (Christ's) until two days before I submitted my application. As I said before, I'm neck deep in preparation for my finals and I didn't really want to spend my time over this. While I get that it's a pretty important choice, I've lived in a (near) third world country all my life and while I'm used to comfort, I don't think other factors would affect me that much.

Wow thats incredible. Mind if i ask what changed your mind about Cambridge? And i I understand your reasoning. What subject you for?

Reply 3431

tamara98

2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFRl1CCLLZM&feature=youtu.be

Do you know how hard it is to contain both excitement and disappointment after viewing this ? :frown:

Reply 3432

iscribbletoomuch

2

Original post by MathsAstronomy12

How long has everyone been preparing for the admissions tests?

Since yesterday lol a tad short sighted on my part

Reply 3433

skhuller

1

anyone applied to balliol college?

Reply 3434

theonetruequeen

9

Original post by Eux

Wow thats incredible. Mind if i ask what changed your mind about Cambridge? And i I understand your reasoning. What subject you for?

I'm for engineering, which Cambridge is better for than Oxford. But it also asks for crazy UMS because of which I was always reluctant (my average isn't that great), but Cambridge has the exact program I wanted (third year courses on earth/energy/environmental engineering) so I thought I'd stay put and let it be a dream, difficult to reach kind of uni.

Then I heard from a man my father's firm works with who recruits undergrads who did engineering at uni and he told me that the Cambridge course didn't prepare anyone much for a job in the specific environmental engineering stream - it's apparently quite wooly and abstract - and advised me that I'd be better off doing a civil engineering course. Since there was no reason left for me to keep Cambridge and essentially waste an option, I switched to Oxford - somehow a more realistic uni for me and yet absolutely world class.

Reply 3435

bookworm97

8

Have been allocated to Pembroke!!! I wonder what it is like on that college. :biggrin:

@tamara98 Serbian? :biggrin:

Reply 3436

tamara98

2

Original post by Nancy97

Have been allocated to Pembroke!!! I wonder what it is like on that college. :biggrin:

@tamara98 Serbian? :biggrin:

Sorry to disappoint you, I'm French ! :biggrin:

Reply 3437

pizzocalabro

At an Oxford Open day, an Admission tutor said that open applications are allocated (centrally) randomly to colleges (offering that course) which had fewer applications so that all the colleges would have roughly similar numbers to interview (based on past ratios of application to interview rates). So no human intervention at that stage. And the colleges do not know which applicant have applied directly, or have been allocated randomly.