University of Cambridge

Cambridge

Oxbridge Masters - dependent on undergrad university?

I'm not at the stage of even considering applying to a masters course, but I'm curious to know how Oxbridge select applicants for their masters programmes. I emailed Oxbridge postgraduate admissions office asking if a students undergraduate university would affect their chances of receiving a postgraduate offer. They completely evaded my question, and gave their usual links to generic online FAQs. Does a student's undergraduate university, like its position in the league table / reputation determine postgraduate chances, all else being equal like grade, and personal statement?

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Reply 1

oShahpo

I know someone doing a PhD at Oxford in Physics, having graduated from Royal Holloway. Anything is possible if you prove you're capable. Just find a way of proving that.

University of Cambridge

Cambridge

Reply 2

Voi

Original post by oShahpo

I know someone doing a PhD at Oxford in Physics, having graduated from Royal Holloway. Anything is possible if you prove you're capable. Just find a way of proving that.

Well Holloway isn't exactly an average university - it's quite good. What if a student was doing their undergraduate degree at London Met for example? Is there like a point in the league tables where the tutors draw a line and say - all universities below this one rejected immediately without consideration?

Reply 3

Kravence

Original post by Voi

I don't think they would do this because there are a lot of factors to why someone would go to a particular uni than their ranking for example it being local or having other responsibilities which they can't leave behind. If anything, applying to oxford from somewhere like London Met would make you standout to the uni as it's pretty unusual making them look further into your application.

Reply 4

gabriellakhan

Original post by Kravence

Yeah making them look further into the application wondering why they even bothered applying. :/ Obviously there are the exceptions but Oxbridge is what it is and it's not piss easy to get in that's for sure.

Reply 5

gjd800

If you did consistently well, they will consider you.

Reply 6

Kravence

Original post by gabriellakhan

I didn't say it was, but its obviously unfair to reject someone based solely on which uni they came from.

Reply 7

Voi

Original post by gjd800

If you did consistently well, they will consider you.

Consistently well in the degree, or throughout your entire school life too I..e gcse and a levels? Do they even take these into account at postgraduate?

Reply 8

Voi

Original post by Kravence

I didn't say it was, but its obviously unfair to reject someone based solely on which uni they came from.

It is and I hope they don't. If they do, the social justice warriors need to go at them and sort this out.

Reply 9

gjd800

Original post by Voi

Consistently well in the degree, or throughout your entire school life too I..e gcse and a levels? Do they even take these into account at postgraduate?

Degree, I think. Everywhere seems mostly interested in future plans and degree performance when it comes to Masters level. I didn't even put other scores down when I was applying around for my Masters courses, everywhere just wanted transcripts of my undergrad degree.

Reply 10

Voi

Original post by gjd800

Do you go through ucas for Oxbridge postmasters... or the other unis for that matter... or is it done directly to the uni itself?

Reply 11

gjd800

I went via each institution's online application system, no UCAS fussing.

Reply 12

Voi

Original post by gjd800

I went via each institution's online application system, no UCAS fussing.

If you had gone through ucas you most likely would have had to include all your education history under that nightmarish education section !

Reply 13

gjd800

Is there any benefit/point to going through UCAS for postgrad?

Reply 14

gjd800

In fact, I didn't even know that you could!

Reply 15

RogerOxon

Original post by oShahpo

I know someone doing a PhD at Oxford in Physics, having graduated from Royal Holloway. Anything is possible if you prove you're capable. Just find a way of proving that.

No you don't! Oxford don't offer a PhD :smile:

- it's a DPhil.

Original post by Voi

I emailed Oxbridge postgraduate admissions office asking if a students undergraduate university would affect their chances of receiving a postgraduate offer. They completely evaded my question,

It won't, but, you will need to be good. The best candidates are more likely to have gone to the better universities. However, individuals will be considered on their individual merits.

Reply 16

Voi

Original post by gjd800

In fact, I didn't even know that you could!

I don't know I'm asking you. I had no idea until you came along

Reply 17

Exceptional

One of my high school teachers did her BSc at UEL, MSc at Exeter and PhD at Cambridge. Anything is possible.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 18

gjd800

Original post by Voi

I don't know I'm asking you. I had no idea until you came along

It is four years since I applied for masters level study, so unless something has changed... I dunno, I just went via institutional process rather than UCAS. Nobody ever mentioned UCAS to me at that point, haha!

Reply 19

Camilli

The head of the Cambridge Group in their history department did his PhD at Cambridge, a master's at Oxford-- and a BA at the Open University.

Get good marks, good recommendations, and a reasonable proposal, and you have a fair chance.