Will Oxford offer me an alternative course?

does anyone know if universities can offer you a place on a course you didn't apply for if they rejected your actual choice. e.g.. lets say you apply to oxford for maths and get rejected, do you know if they would offer you a place on the physics course if you had the required grades???
This is all because i don't know whether to apply for maths or physics at oxford lol

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(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 1

mizzsnazzter

Original post by patrick_horro

does anyone know if universities can offer you a place on a course you didn't apply for if they rejected your actual choice. e.g.. lets say you apply to oxford for maths and get rejected, do you know if they would offer you a place on the physics course if you had the required grades???This is all because i don't know whether to apply for maths or physics at oxford lol

I've heard of it happening at other unis but not Oxbridge because it's just so competitive. For example a friend applied for Nottingham econ and they offered him maths.But I'd be very unlikely if Oxbridge offered it. They might do something like, you applied for French and Russian and they're offering you French but certainly not an entire degree change (I don't think!) but happy to stood corrected!

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 2

Doones

Original post by patrick_horro

does anyone know if universities can offer you a place on a course you didn't apply for if they rejected your actual choice. e.g.. lets say you apply to oxford for maths and get rejected, do you know if they would offer you a place on the physics course if you had the required grades???This is all because i don't know whether to apply for maths or physics at oxford lol

No Oxford won't offer you Physics if you are rejected for Maths.

And you'd do better to start your own thread with this question. So I've created a thread for you... :smile:

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 3

pdec20

cheers

Original post by jneill

No Oxford won't offer you Physics if you are rejected for Maths.And you'd do better to start your own thread with this question. So I've created a thread for you... :smile:

Reply 4

Plagioclase

Original post by jneill

No Oxford won't offer you Physics if you are rejected for Maths.And you'd do better to start your own thread with this question. So I've created a thread for you... :smile:

Original post by patrick_horro

Yep, the only exception to this (offering a completely alternative degree) that I know of is that applicants to Physics can be offered a place on Materials Science instead (if they indicate that they'd be willing to take it) because MS doesn't get enough applicants.

Reply 5

Jehaan

Similar but not the same- someone in my year applied for French and history and she was then offered French and she could maybe take up history in the second year
Something I had never heard of- when my dad applied (ages ago now) he applied for medicine but he got offered maths which in the end he didn't take as he got an offer from Birmingham but this was 30 years ago and it's probably rare if not impossible to happen now

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 6

mishieru07

Original post by Jehaan

Similar but not the same- someone in my year applied for French and history and she was then offered French and she could maybe take up history in the second year

That's different. In OP's case, Physics and Maths are distinct subjects. What you're talking about is joint schools (eg Maths and Philosophy, French and English). Sometimes, if you do better in one subject but not the other, the tutors can admit you for your stronger subject only (eg Maths only instead of Maths and Philosophy).

That being said, I imagine whether such a candidate can go back to joint schools would depend on factors like tutor availability, course structure, how well you're coping etc.

Reply 7

tiny hobbit

Original post by Plagioclase

I've come across this one too.

Reply 8

nexttime

I was rejected for medicine at Nottingham and was given TEN alternative offers instead (basically varying combinations of maths physics biology and chemistry +/- years in industry).

But at Oxford? No, with the exceptions mentioned above.