Oxford PPE 2016/2017 Applicants

I haven't spotted a thread for applicants to Oxford for PPE.

How is everyone feeling about applications?

And for comparison do people want to share their:
GCSE grades
AS grades
Predicted A2 grades
College

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1

patrickwahins

Mine are:
3A*s 4As 3Bs
AAABB
A*A*AAA (actually achieved as I didn't apply last year)
Hertford or Wadham

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 2

jecobbbb

Mine are:

4 A*, 7 A, 1 B
AAAB
AAA
Keble

Might be worth posting average TSA score too as that's arguably the most important factor. On which note, if anyone knows the rough threshold score for last year I'd be interested in knowing it.

Mine is ~70

Reply 3

patrickwahins

That's really impressive, I read somewhere that around 60 is the absolute minimum with 65 giving you a decent chance. I got 59.6 on the first one I did.

Have have you been preparing for it?

Reply 4

penguinpoptart

Hey! I'm an American student applying to PPE. I just wrote the first draft of my personal statement yesterday and have no idea how my qualifications will look to Oxford...
I have 5s on the Advanced Placement Art History, European History, Calculus AB, Psychology, Chemistry, United States History, and English Language and Composition Exams, and am taking Calculus BC, Spanish Language and Culture, English Literature and Composition, Micro & Macroeconomics, and Physics 1 this year. With a 2330 SAT score, does hoping for an interview sound feasible?

How are y'all preparing for the TSA, and how'd you choose what college to apply to, if you don't mind me asking?

Reply 5

sammelisa

Mine are 5 A*'s and 5 A's at GCSE

and History- A, English Lit- A Economics- A and Maths- A for my 4 A2's as well as another A for my Creative Writing AS and and A* in the EPQ- all my exams are Linear so no AS exams for me besides creative writing, which I have dropped this year.

I'm applying to Christ Church.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 6

will_cash

Original post by penguinpoptart

For the TSA I've just done a whole load of practice questions and essays. I chose my college based on the tutors, and their interests. (I'm also applying for PPE).

Reply 7

emccaughern

GCSEs: 10A* 1A

AS: 4As (Politics, Maths, English Literature, French)

A levels: Not sure tbh, aiming for A*A*A (Maths, English Literature, Politics)

TSA average: 70.7

College: Balliol!!!

Em x

Reply 8

Turtlebunny

Obviously all of you are doing the TSA (thinking skills assessment) for Oxford.

So I've created a facebook group, which anyone can join - dedicated for TSA prep.

Practicing TSA and sharing answers/solutions/explanations with others will be a way for all of us to raise our scores and increase our chances of getting an interview and getting an offer!

So if anyone wants to join, or knows someone who would benefit and is taking TSA here's the link:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/988924964567862/

Good luck guys :smile:

Reply 9

cdmcdm

GCSE grades: 4A*, 6A, 1B and 1C (taken two years early, dammit)
AS grades: AAAAB (Maths, French, Philosophy, English, Physics)
Predicted A2 grades: A*AAA (A* in Maths already achieved, AAA prediction for English, French and Philosophy)
College: Magdalen

Reply 10

Pursing skiesss

Original post by Turtlebunny

Hi,

I just sent a request to join in the group.
AS: Politics, History, Maths predicted grades 3As
Balliol
Quite confident with my TSA, personal statement and teacher references. Hope it'll pay off other factors.

Reply 11

username2026047

GCSE grades: 5A*'s, 5A's, 1B
AS grades: 4A's
Predicted A2 grades: A*AA
College: Trinity

Reply 12

will_cash

GCSEs: 10 A*s 1 A
AS Levels: 1 A (only took maths for AS). I had 'prediction exams' where I got As in all my exams, which were English Lit, History, and Economics.

Predicted A2: 4 A*s
Average TSA: I don't know what my average is, but the last paper I did I got 70.1, and that was pretty "average" as I know I've done better.

College: New

Reply 13

BleiYoung

GCSEs: 11A*s
AS: AABB (Maths, Religious Studies, Economics, French)
Predicted: AAB (Maths, Religious Studies, French)

Idk but I feel like not having the right predicted grades and dropping economics will get me a straight rejection?? I dropped econ because of my teachers rather than because of the actual subject itself. Any thoughts?

Reply 14

Whasupman

GCSE - 8A*, 2As
AS - 4As(Maths, History, RS, Economics)
A-level - 3A* (Maths, Economics, RS)
TSA average so far - 65, thus being pretty weak on it.

Reply 15

GCSE student 1

Anyone had any offers yet? Lol ahah

Reply 16

RK7000

Anyone here done the IB?
If yes, then what are your predicted grades?

Reply 17

RK7000

Anyone here done the IB?
If yes, then what were your predicted grades?

Reply 18

patrickwahins

Original post by GCSE student 1

Anyone had any offers yet? Lol ahah

"Invitations for interview will be based on your UCAS application and performance in the TSA, with interviews" so it'd be after the 2nd of november at the earliest.

Reply 19

kia29

Original post by BleiYoung

A document on the Oxford website states the following order of importance when making decisions on whether to interview:
- High: GCSEs, TSA score, A2 predictions
- Medium: UCAS reference
- Low: AS module grades, personal statement

Since your GCSEs are so good, it is likely it more than makes up for low AS level grades, but not sure about the A2 predictions.

95% of successful candidates last year had maths, compared to 48% in econ. They may ask why you dropped it in interview but I doubt it would be an issue.

Source is here, a really interesting read:
http://www.ppe.ox.ac.uk/images%5Ccourse_statistics_2016.pdf

(edited 7 years ago)