The Student Room Group

Importance of PS for CS&Math Student?

I am applying for CS&Math ( I can average 70~80 on the MAT) and I have A* in all the relevant A levels partially because I did most of my education in a private school in Asia so I have strong foundation in STEM subjects.

However, that means my English is not very good, so I was wondering how important is the PS for a student applying to Oxford to read CS & Math. (I am not worried about the grammar part as grammar is easy to fix and learn but more worried about the content).

I don't have problem communicating as most of my classmates in the school speaks English but our English classes, in terms of reading and writing, are lackluster.

@gavinlowe Please help me with my inquiry. Thank you !
Original post by Overses
I am applying for CS&Math ( I can average 70~80 on the MAT) and I have A* in all the relevant A levels partially because I did most of my education in a private school in Asia so I have strong foundation in STEM subjects.

However, that means my English is not very good, so I was wondering how important is the PS for a student applying to Oxford to read CS & Math. (I am not worried about the grammar part as grammar is easy to fix and learn but more worried about the content).

I don't have problem communicating as most of my classmates in the school speaks English but our English classes, in terms of reading and writing, are lackluster.

@gavinlowe Please help me with my inquiry. Thank you !


The PS is a chance for you to explain what interests you about the subject, and to tell us some of your experiences. We'll assess you based on that. The quality of the English is less important, as long as we can understand you -- and based upon your writing above, that will not be a problem.

There are also formal language requirements https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/international-students/english-language-requirements?wssl=1, which would form part of any offer. Those are to ensure that your English is good enough to cope with your degree, and with everyday student life.

Gavin
(edited 7 years ago)
Reply 2
Original post by gavinlowe
The PS is a chance for you to explain what interests you about the subject, and to tell us some of your experiences. We'll assess you based on that. The quality of the English is less important, as long as we can understand you -- and based upon your writing above, that will not be a problem.

There are also formal language requirements <https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/international-students/english-language-requirements?wssl=1>, which would form part of any offer. Those are to ensure that your English is good enough to cope with your degree, and with everyday student life.

Gavin


I study at an international boarding school where English is the instructional language.So I believe that should satisfy the requirement. Can you provide some good advice on how to write a compelling PS. Or perhaps some sample essays that you thought were great that I can look at and see how I should write my essays as well.
(edited 7 years ago)
Reply 3
Original post by Overses
I study at an international boarding school where English is the instructional language.So I believe that should satisfy the requirement. Can you provide some good advice on how to write a compelling PS. Or perhaps some sample essays that you thought were great that I can look at and see how I should write my essays as well.


I'm not sure Gavin will be able to provide that sort of information but there is general information from Oxford on writing your PS here, and the relevant departmental websites have reading suggestions for prospective students hidden somewhere.

My advice would be to think about what you've done that's maths/CS related and try to articulate how you made the most of that experience and how it's influenced your academic aspirations. For instance: have you read any maths/CS-related books, especially something more academically-focused? Did any topics particularly stand out? What did you do to learn more about those topics?
Original post by BJack
I'm not sure Gavin will be able to provide that sort of information but there is general information from Oxford on writing your PS here, and the relevant departmental websites have reading suggestions for prospective students hidden somewhere.

My advice would be to think about what you've done that's maths/CS related and try to articulate how you made the most of that experience and how it's influenced your academic aspirations. For instance: have you read any maths/CS-related books, especially something more academically-focused? Did any topics particularly stand out? What did you do to learn more about those topics?


All the above is good advice. In addition, there's CS-related advice at
http://www.cs.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/how_to_apply/ucas.html.

Gavin
Reply 5
The advice from BJack about how to approach your PS is good. I would add, in answer to the question in your heading, that the PS is not very important for any Oxford course. Certainly it creates a bad impression if it is poorly written, but you should be able to run it by people for whom English is their first language for readability. But very, very few personal statements really stand out (and it's much easier to stand out by being awful than by being good) so don't worry that the PS is going to be your undoing because it's not.
Reply 6
Original post by gavinlowe
All the above is good advice. In addition, there's CS-related advice at
http://www.cs.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/how_to_apply/ucas.html.

Gavin


Thank you for your response.

If I were to get an interview at Oxford for Math/ CS Joint, will I have two interviews at my primary college (College 1) and two additional interviews at a random college (College X)?

Will the two interviews at College 1 be one CS and one Math? Or will both interviews be a combination of Math and CS as opposed to each interview being dedicated to a particular course? Also, if I am assigned to a random college for interviews that I don't wish to live at for the next 4 years due to distance, food, noise, and etc, can I ask to have the additional interview at another random college?
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Overses
Thank you for your response.

If I were to get an interview at Oxford for Math/ CS Joint, will I have two interviews at my primary college (College 1) and two additional interviews at a random college (College X)?


It varies from college to college. At most (probably all) primary colleges, you would get one interview on Maths and one on Computer Science. Most second-choice colleges will initially give you a single interview, but might call you back for a second interview.

[quote
Will the two interviews at College 1 be one CS and one Math? Or will both interviews be a combination of Math and CS as opposed to each interview being dedicated to a particular course? Also, if I am assigned to a random college for interviews that I don't wish to live at for the next 4 years due to distance, food, noise, and etc, can I ask to have the additional interview at another random college?

If you are worried about being allocated to a random college that you won't like, then you should apply to a specific college. But all colleges are a reasonable distance from the centre of town, all have reasonable (or better) food, and all try to keep noise down. The second college is allocated at random, and no, you can't request a particular college.

Gavin
Reply 8
Original post by gavinlowe
It varies from college to college. At most (probably all) primary colleges, you would get one interview on Maths and one on Computer Science. Most second-choice colleges will initially give you a single interview, but might call you back for a second interview.

[quote
Will the two interviews at College 1 be one CS and one Math? Or will both interviews be a combination of Math and CS as opposed to each interview being dedicated to a particular course? Also, if I am assigned to a random college for interviews that I don't wish to live at for the next 4 years due to distance, food, noise, and etc, can I ask to have the additional interview at another random college?


If you are worried about being allocated to a random college that you won't like, then you should apply to a specific college. But all colleges are a reasonable distance from the centre of town, all have reasonable (or better) food, and all try to keep noise down. The second college is allocated at random, and no, you can't request a particular college.

Gavin

Since I am doing the American education program. Will my conditions be on SAT Subject tests or AP or is it whichever one I prefer? I already have taken 3 subject tests, SAT Math Level 1 , Level 2, and SAT Physics. Would that already satisfy my conditions or do I need to take APs as well?
Original post by Overses

Since I am doing the American education program. Will my conditions be on SAT Subject tests or AP or is it whichever one I prefer? I already have taken 3 subject tests, SAT Math Level 1 , Level 2, and SAT Physics. Would that already satisfy my conditions or do I need to take APs as well?


You can take either: you just need to satisfy one of the conditions. It sounds like your SAT subject tests are enough, assuming your grades are good enough: note that we require at least 750 in Math 2 for CS and joint schools.

Gavin
Reply 10
Original post by gavinlowe
You can take either: you just need to satisfy one of the conditions. It sounds like your SAT subject tests are enough, assuming your grades are good enough: note that we require at least 750 in Math 2 for CS and joint schools.

Gavin


Since I am applying for Math & CS Joint, if I change my mind to focus on just one particular course either Math or CS, of course, either before the start of my first term or during a term, how easy would the switch be? If I decide to switch during a term, I would have to complete the year first or just the term?
Original post by Overses
Since I am applying for Math & CS Joint, if I change my mind to focus on just one particular course either Math or CS, of course, either before the start of my first term or during a term, how easy would the switch be? If I decide to switch during a term, I would have to complete the year first or just the term?


It's up to the college. They would need to be sure that switching was a good idea. Switching courses has an implication for teaching, so they would only allow you to switch if they have sufficient teaching resources.

It's difficult to switch during the year (after the first couple of weeks). The exams at the end of the year cover the whole year, so you need to have been studying the right subjects since the first term. Switching at the end of the first year is possible, although it reduces your options. It's not really possible to switch after that.

Also, within Maths & CS, it's possible to specialise 75%:25% (either way) in the third year (and that 25% could be close to the boundary between the subjects), and 100% in the fourth year.

Gavin
Reply 12
Original post by gavinlowe
It's up to the college. They would need to be sure that switching was a good idea. Switching courses has an implication for teaching, so they would only allow you to switch if they have sufficient teaching resources.

It's difficult to switch during the year (after the first couple of weeks). The exams at the end of the year cover the whole year, so you need to have been studying the right subjects since the first term. Switching at the end of the first year is possible, although it reduces your options. It's not really possible to switch after that.

Also, within Maths & CS, it's possible to specialise 75%:25% (either way) in the third year (and that 25% could be close to the boundary between the subjects), and 100% in the fourth year.

Gavin


I stupidly completed my application right before the deadline and then a laggy internet caused the application to be processed an hour later. So at 19 UK. I am not blaming UCAS or my internet, it is purely my fault

But I just want to ask will the application still go through? And if it does, do the admission tutors see the time of submission on the application and will it disadvvantage me having a late submission time?
Original post by Overses
I stupidly completed my application right before the deadline and then a laggy internet caused the application to be processed an hour later. So at 19 UK. I am not blaming UCAS or my internet, it is purely my fault

But I just want to ask will the application still go through? And if it does, do the admission tutors see the time of submission on the application and will it disadvvantage me having a late submission time?


Please send us an email at [email protected] with your name, UCAS number (ifyou know it), and college applied to. We'll then see what we can do.

Tutors don't see the time of submission of the application.

Gavin
Reply 14
Original post by gavinlowe
Please send us an email at [email protected] with your name, UCAS number (ifyou know it), and college applied to. We'll then see what we can do.

Tutors don't see the time of submission of the application.

Gavin


Should I contact the specific college or should I contact the main admissions office ? Do you know whether the offices are lenient with the deadline or is it very strict ?

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