PPE at Oxford or UCL?

Original post by Toughcookman

I retook some A levels and improved it to A*A*A. (An A in History, A* in Lit and A* in a foreign language)
AS was AABB.
My GCSEs are 1A* 6As and 5Bs.
My grades aren't the best but that's because I'm more of a knowledge person rather than an exam person.

Is it worthwhile to reapply to Oxford for PPE (I cpuld do well in the TSA as well as the interview) or should I stick to UCL (or even Manchester?).

You have five choices. Use them for as many universities as you fancy.

Reply 2

OP

Clearing and Applications Advisor

Original post by PQ

You have five choices. Use them for as many universities as you fancy.

No I know. I'm already in to Leeds but since I'm doing a gap year I was wondering if it's worthwhile applying to Oxford with those grades rather than get into a deferred entry to UCL through Clearings or Adjustments now.

Reply 3

PQ

Original post by Toughcookman

No I know. I'm already in to Leeds but since I'm doing a gap year I was wondering if it's worthwhile applying to Oxford with those grades rather than get into a deferred entry to UCL through Clearings or Adjustments now.

Clearing and adjustment are for filling 2018 spaces. Universities will usually not accept deferred applications.

I would suggest you reapply in your gap year and apply to every university you are interested in.

Reply 4

OP

Original post by PQ

Clearing and adjustment are for filling 2018 spaces. Universities will usually not accept deferred applications.

I would suggest you reapply in your gap year and apply to every university you are interested in.

What I meant in my question was not if I could apply for uni. Rather if I could get into Oxford with the above grades

Reply 5

luce12341

Original post by Toughcookman

What I meant in my question was not if I could apply for uni. Rather if I could get into Oxford with the above grades

I mean yes you could but there are a lot of other factors than your A level grades - theoretically unis aren't supposed to look at your A level grades because that would be unfair to other applicants who don't have them yet. So i guess they would put the same amount of emphasis on them during the application as is put on your predicted grades.

Reply 6

Martins1

Original post by Toughcookman

I retook some A levels and improved it to A*A*A. (An A in History, A* in Lit and A* in a foreign language)
AS was AABB.
My GCSEs are 1A* 6As and 5Bs.
My grades aren't the best but that's because I'm more of a knowledge person rather than an exam person.

Is it worthwhile to reapply to Oxford for PPE (I cpuld do well in the TSA as well as the interview) or should I stick to UCL (or even Manchester?).

If you want to, go for Oxford. In terms of your chances of getting in, your grades are fine. It really depends on your TSA and your interview. You definitely should prepare for your interview, but that won't help you know how well you will do in it - but preparing for the TSA will help you know how well you will do in that - so do a bit of TSA prep. If you don't think you can get 65+ in the TSA, then it's unlikely you will get in. If you can get 70+, you will be a strong candidate.

Hope this helps :smile:

Reply 7

OP

Original post by lucyv1234

I mean yes you could but there are a lot of other factors than your A level grades - theoretically unis aren't supposed to look at your A level grades because that would be unfair to other applicants who don't have them yet. So i guess they would put the same amount of emphasis on them during the application as is put on your predicted grades.

Well I'm very well read on the PPE subject - all three strains- and I am also invested in them. Is that what you mean?

Reply 8

OP

Original post by Martins1

If you want to, go for Oxford. In terms of your chances of getting in, your grades are fine. It really depends on your TSA and your interview. You definitely should prepare for your interview, but that won't help you know how well you will do in it - but preparing for the TSA will help you know how well you will do in that - so do a bit of TSA prep. If you don't think you can get 65+ in the TSA, then it's unlikely you will get in. If you can get 70+, you will be a strong candidate.

Hope this helps :smile:

I actually hoped to nail the TSA because it's an exam that can't really be prepared for. What I mean is that I'm not the type of student to be able to copy the teacher in exam (it's why my GCSEs aren't that great). So this exam I could potentially do well and, from what I've read, I could do well in the interview as well. My only worries really were my GCSEs and my retakes.

Reply 9

Martins1

Original post by Toughcookman

I actually hoped to nail the TSA because it's an exam that can't really be prepared for. What I mean is that I'm not the type of student to be able to copy the teacher in exam (it's why my GCSEs aren't that great). So this exam I could potentially do well and, from what I've read, I could do well in the interview as well. My only worries really were my GCSEs and my retakes.

Fantastic! This sounds like a good idea to me. I would highly suggest looking at practicing a bit of the TSA - it can be prepared for a bit (I sat it). I cannot stress enough that if you don't think you can get a good mark in the TSA (60 absolute minimum, 65 is a good mark, 70 is very strong), it's probably not worth applying.

Putting it simply: your current A levels are strong and you seem to suggest you could do well at interview. However, your GCSEs and retakes could disadvantage you. I would argue that Oxford would look past your GCSEs/retakes if you perform well in the TSA and then at interview - if you dont do well in the TSA, you wont get an interview, and if you dont do well at interview, you wont get in. If you do well in both TSA and interview, they will look past GCSEs/remarks and hopefully give you a place, especially since you already have A*AA :smile:

Reply 10

Doones

Original post by Toughcookman

What I meant in my question was not if I could apply for uni. Rather if I could get into Oxford with the above grades

Have you asked some Oxford colleges for their views on resits? How many subjects did you resit and what were your original grades?

e.g. @BrasenoseAdm

Reply 11

The_Lonely_Goatherd

20

I am under the impression that PPE at Oxford without having done a maths-y subject at A Level could be rather challenging :fyi:

so do take that into account

Reply 12

OP

Original post by Martins1

Fantastic! This sounds like a good idea to me. I would highly suggest looking at practicing a bit of the TSA - it can be prepared for a bit (I sat it). I cannot stress enough that if you don't think you can get a good mark in the TSA (60 absolute minimum, 65 is a good mark, 70 is very strong), it's probably not worth applying.

Putting it simply: your current A levels are strong and you seem to suggest you could do well at interview. However, your GCSEs and retakes could disadvantage you. I would argue that Oxford would look past your GCSEs/retakes if you perform well in the TSA and then at interview - if you dont do well in the TSA, you wont get an interview, and if you dont do well at interview, you wont get in. If you do well in both TSA and interview, they will look past GCSEs/remarks and hopefully give you a place, especially since you already have A*AA :smile:

Ok sure I'll prepare for TSA. Thanks for the advice!

Reply 13

Martins1

Original post by The_Lonely_Goatherd

I am under the impression that PPE at Oxford without having done a maths-y subject at A Level could be rather challenging :fyi:

so do take that into account

@Toughcookman Yeah, this is very true. That's not to say they won't accept you for not taking maths, but that in your interview and TSA, maths plays a strong part. I think if you still did well at interview (especially if you could prove in the mathematical part of your interviews that you can handle it), then you should be fine.

I did TSA and managed a decent grade without Maths, so I think you can get past that. However, in PPE economics interviews, they are VERY mathematical and pretty much focus on that. So, if you aren't very mathematical, you might struggle with some of these questions. Might be best to practice some econmaths in your spare time.

TLDR: as long as it doesn't mean you do worse in the TSA/interview, it's only a slight difficulty in terms of getting in. That said, do take into account that PPE at oxford is mathematical which you may not enjoy/be good at.

Reply 14

Doones

Original post by The_Lonely_Goatherd

I am under the impression that PPE at Oxford without having done a maths-y subject at A Level could be rather challenging :fyi:

so do take that into account

Indeed @Toughcookman

In 2017 89% of applicants interviewed who did A-levels had Maths. And 93% of placeholders.

https://www.ppe.ox.ac.uk/images/ppe_website_course_statistics_16-17_final.pdf

Reply 15

OP

I wanted to study Maths for A levels in my school but it conflicted with Eng Lit. I knew at the time I could do well in both but I was thinking of doing Law then so I didn't choose Maths. I can handle maths well, I read a lot on physics in my spare time and I have no problem handling the Mathematics of it, though that's a specific type of maths I know. In this gap year I'll be studying (nothing academic school-wise) and it involves a lot of logic and some maths as well.

In regards to resits, I didn't find anything on the website so I've emailed them to find out. Though I seem to remember reading somewhere that it's not a big problem -- but I'm not sure how true that is.

Reply 16

OP

Original post by Doonesbury

Have you asked some Oxford colleges for their views on resits? How many subjects did you resit and what were your original grades?

e.g. @BrasenoseAdm

I retook two subjects and raised their grades from AB to A*A*.

Original post by Doonesbury

Have you asked some Oxford colleges for their views on resits? How many subjects did you resit and what were your original grades?

e.g. @BrasenoseAdm

The options are to go to Leeds now, apply through clearing to another university for entry in 2018, and reapply via UCAS to universities for entry in 2019.

While selectors would prefer candidates to achieve required grades in a single sitting, applications are viewed in the round and test results as well as the A-level improvement over GCSE would also be considered.

If a reapplication is made, including some study plans for the gap year is worthwhile. Remember that applicants must be available to take admissions tests and attend interview in person if invited to interview in December.

Reply 18

Doones