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[Official] Oxford Archaeology and Anthropology Applicants 2021

Hi guys I haven’t seen a thread for arch and anth applicants as it seems to be one of the less popular courses.

I think I am going to apply in october so I thought I would make a thread to discuss the application etc

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Hiiii, I am somewhat hesitating. What a-levels are you doing and what predicted grades did you get?
Reply 2
Original post by Jessieeeeeeeeee
Hiiii, I am somewhat hesitating. What a-levels are you doing and what predicted grades did you get?

Hi I’m doing Biology Chemistry and English Literature as I originally wanted to apply for medicine, slightly annoying but I have seen people get an offer with these A-Levels so not too worried.

We don’t have our official predicted grades yet but I’m hoping for A*A*A and an A/A* in my EPQ hopefully

And yeah I have only decided on arch and anth recently I was set on HSPS at Cambridge but realised I am not really that interested in Politics and Sociology

Wbu??
Original post by EvieRaja
Hi I’m doing Biology Chemistry and English Literature as I originally wanted to apply for medicine, slightly annoying but I have seen people get an offer with these A-Levels so not too worried.

We don’t have our official predicted grades yet but I’m hoping for A*A*A and an A/A* in my EPQ hopefully

And yeah I have only decided on arch and anth recently I was set on HSPS at Cambridge but realised I am not really that interested in Politics and Sociology

Wbu??

I really haven't made up my mind yet. I'm doing maths economics and history (no science subjects like Bio so I'm sort of worried), and I'm hoping for 3A*s, also hoping for an A/A* in EPQ.
Reply 4
Original post by Jessieeeeeeeeee
I really haven't made up my mind yet. I'm doing maths economics and history (no science subjects like Bio so I'm sort of worried), and I'm hoping for 3A*s, also hoping for an A/A* in EPQ.

I wouldn’t worry at all about not doing science, I thought the same about not doing history etc and economics is a social science and would be useful in the economic anthropology side of things.

What courses are you deciding between?

And I’m kinda nervous about the tiny cohort I honestly don’t know if I have a shot of getting in
Original post by EvieRaja
I wouldn’t worry at all about not doing science, I thought the same about not doing history etc and economics is a social science and would be useful in the economic anthropology side of things.

What courses are you deciding between?

And I’m kinda nervous about the tiny cohort I honestly don’t know if I have a shot of getting in

I'm also considering Oxford Law and Cam HSPS, literally can't make a decision.
Reply 6
Ooo what interests you about arch and Anth the most?

I wouldn’t worry I was very torn between subjects for ages I went from medicine to philosophy to English lit to HSPS and now arch and Anth and probs social Anth at other unis

I great piece of advice I got was to think about what is always on my mind in spare minutes e.g. when you’re sat on a train with nothing to do etc

For me I was in some way always thinking about humans what makes us who we are etc which made me realise anthropology was right for me.
I also realised I don’t like eng lit for the language and form but for the story it tells about humanity in each narrative.

Hopefully that helps I would defo think about what do you particularly like about your A-Levels etc

And that’s cool about law I’m thinking about doing a law conversion
Reply 7
So here's another person entering the small cohort of Arch and Anth applicants.

I'm currently studying Film Studies, English Language and History at college, with predicted A*AA. I only really decided on Archaeology and Anthropology in June (was planning on doing History before then), but once I did it was like an epiphany: everything made sense, and afterwards I just couldn't believe it hadn't come to me sooner.

I had always considered myself someone big into History for sure, yet what constitutes 'history' for most people, I just couldn't get into: dates, individuals, specific wars and events, when books started getting into those they just became less agreeable. But the houses people lived in? The clothes they wore, the decorations and material culture they surrounded themselves with? Once any book I read mentioned that kind of thing, I couldn't get enough.

Basically, I would never have considered it beforehand, but once I thought about what interested me most about history, and what the topics of all the books I'd recently been buying were (I'd actually had a few arriving that very day: Eric Cline's "1177 B.C" and a couple of Steven Mithen's works on the history of language and the mind), it just seemed blindingly obvious.

Oxford still remains an ambition that's "up there" (I'll be happy to get into Exeter, very happy to get into Durham the place where all Oxbridge rejects go) and my expectations of getting in are low, but hopefully I'll manage it all the same, and wish the rest of you the best of luck too.
Reply 8
Original post by EJS2003
So here's another person entering the small cohort of Arch and Anth applicants.

I'm currently studying Film Studies, English Language and History at college, with predicted A*AA. I only really decided on Archaeology and Anthropology in June (was planning on doing History before then), but once I did it was like an epiphany: everything made sense, and afterwards I just couldn't believe it hadn't come to me sooner.

I had always considered myself someone big into History for sure, yet what constitutes 'history' for most people, I just couldn't get into: dates, individuals, specific wars and events, when books started getting into those they just became less agreeable. But the houses people lived in? The clothes they wore, the decorations and material culture they surrounded themselves with? Once any book I read mentioned that kind of thing, I couldn't get enough.

Basically, I would never have considered it beforehand, but once I thought about what interested me most about history, and what the topics of all the books I'd recently been buying were (I'd actually had a few arriving that very day: Eric Cline's "1177 B.C" and a couple of Steven Mithen's works on the history of language and the mind), it just seemed blindingly obvious.

Oxford still remains an ambition that's "up there" (I'll be happy to get into Exeter, very happy to get into Durham the place where all Oxbridge rejects go) and my expectations of getting in are low, but hopefully I'll manage it all the same, and wish the rest of you the best of luck too.

Hi,

I think I spoke to you just before about written work?

What college are you applying to? And what other unis?

That’s cool about history, I’m interested in arch and anth as the cross section of arts and sciences which uses evidence to back up more abstract ideas etc.

I do Bio Chem Eng Lit predicted A*A*A and I got A* in EPQ.

Good Luck to you!!
(edited 3 years ago)
Reply 9
Original post by EvieRaja
Hi,

I think I spoke to you just before about written work?

What college are you applying to? And what other unis?

That’s cool about history, I’m interested in arch and anth as the cross section of arts and sciences whichevidence to back up more abstract ideas etc.

I do Bio Chem Eng Lit predicted A*A*A and I got A* in EPQ.

Good Luck to you!!


Yep, that's what made me think to see of there was actually a thread for Arch and Anth applicants at Oxford.

I'm applying to Magdalen College. The other Unis I'm applying to are Durham, Exeter, East Anglia and Bournemoth, all Archaeology and Anthropology. So far I've got conditional offers from both Exeter and Bournemoth (though admittedly the latter is one of my insurance Unis. As I think I said before, Exeter is my 'good, but still realistic' option, whilst Durham is 'ambitious, but still doable with hard work', and Oxford is 'why am I even applying here?')

Neat to hear about your topics, you certainly do sound quite capable of getting in (and it's interesting to hear the way you see what's fascinating about Arch and Anth). Really, I think my interest ultimately comes down to my being a bit of a materialistic kind of person if that makes sense, and that especially applies to the past, in any shape or form.

And thanks, good luck to you too!
Reply 10
Original post by EJS2003
Yep, that's what made me think to see of there was actually a thread for Arch and Anth applicants at Oxford.

I'm applying to Magdalen College. The other Unis I'm applying to are Durham, Exeter, East Anglia and Bournemoth, all Archaeology and Anthropology. So far I've got conditional offers from both Exeter and Bournemoth (though admittedly the latter is one of my insurance Unis. As I think I said before, Exeter is my 'good, but still realistic' option, whilst Durham is 'ambitious, but still doable with hard work', and Oxford is 'why am I even applying here?')

Neat to hear about your topics, you certainly do sound quite capable of getting in (and it's interesting to hear the way you see what's fascinating about Arch and Anth). Really, I think my interest ultimately comes down to my being a bit of a materialistic kind of person if that makes sense, and that especially applies to the past, in any shape or form.

And thanks, good luck to you too!

Ahaha yeah, its cool to see other people applying to such an unusual degree I spend half my time having to explain what anthropology even is.

I’ve applied to Hertford College. I’ve applied to Oxford and Edinburgh (my version of ur Durham) and then I have offers from Bristol, Queen’s Belfast and Birmingham (attainment offer which is like a nearly unconditional i think)

And I think we are all inherently materialistic which is what makes archaeology so fascinating. I love the idea that it is a physical expression of culture.
I'm so glad this thread exists!!! hahahah

I'm doing English Lit, History, & Classical Civilisation for A-Level, predicted 3A*s. Also doing EPQ but not sure how that'll turn out yet!! hahaha

i've applied to St Peter's, still waiting to hear about interviews. hope everyone gets good news this next week or so!!
Reply 12
Original post by Lissy__03
I'm so glad this thread exists!!! hahahah

I'm doing English Lit, History, & Classical Civilisation for A-Level, predicted 3A*s. Also doing EPQ but not sure how that'll turn out yet!! hahaha

i've applied to St Peter's, still waiting to hear about interviews. hope everyone gets good news this next week or so!!

Ahahah hi!!
I literally know nobody doing arch and anth so it’s nice that there are people on here!
What are you doing ur EPQ on??
And St Peters is so nice I was deciding between there and Hertford
Original post by EvieR02
Ahahah hi!!
I literally know nobody doing arch and anth so it’s nice that there are people on here!
What are you doing ur EPQ on??
And St Peters is so nice I was deciding between there and Hertford

I'm doing it on Tutankhamun - we only do EPQ in y13 at my school so it's still quite early in the works!!

I was actually debating between hertford & st peter's too, but peter's was gut feeling. good luck, let's hope we get positive news over the next week or so!! xx
(edited 3 years ago)
Reply 14
Original post by Lissy__03
the working title is "to what extent have scientific investigations of Tutankhamun's mummy enhanced our knowledge of him as a king?" - we only do EPQ in y13 at my school so it's still quite early in the works!!

I was actually debating between hertford & st peter's too, but peter's was gut feeling. good luck, let's hope we get positive news over the next week or so!! xx

Ahhhh that’s so interesting, I acc found the EPQ enjoyable in the end.
I did mine on ‘Is there a distinction between the male and female brain’ which was kind of biology, philosophy, anthropology and cognitive archaeology in one - by fluke tho - I chose it cos I originally wanted to apply for medicine - oooops

And Hertford was a gut feeling for me as well and I like how diverse and progressive it is. Best of luck to you, hopefully it will be good news for the both of us xx
Original post by EvieR02
Ahhhh that’s so interesting, I acc found the EPQ enjoyable in the end.
I did mine on ‘Is there a distinction between the male and female brain’ which was kind of biology, philosophy, anthropology and cognitive archaeology in one - by fluke tho - I chose it cos I originally wanted to apply for medicine - oooops

And Hertford was a gut feeling for me as well and I like how diverse and progressive it is. Best of luck to you, hopefully it will be good news for the both of us xx

yes! surprisingly same - I found it really difficult when I wasn't sure which direction to take my question in, but now I've decided I'm genuinely finding it so interesting!!

keep me posted when you hear xx
Reply 16
Original post by Lissy__03
yes! surprisingly same - I found it really difficult when I wasn't sure which direction to take my question in, but now I've decided I'm genuinely finding it so interesting!!

keep me posted when you hear xx

will do and you too xx
Just out of interest seeing as we have already applied now, what did you do your 500 word essay on? I think I found that the most stressful part of the application
Reply 17
Original post by Lissy__03
I was genuinely thinking of asking this HAHAHA I found it so stressful too!

I focused on the bronze age, talked a bit about everyday lives, trade routes, and then symbolic culture that we can gauge as a result of material culture. what about you?? :O

Ahahahah I didn’t want to come across like I was being nosey I’m just interested, and it can’t affect our applications now

That’s such an interesting direction to take!

I focused on dolls as items of material culture particularly in the Roman era and what that can tell us about gender roles, identity and aestheticism.

And omgg it was so stressful. The question was so broad and 500 words was so small it acc nearly broke me cos I felt like my application was riding on it cos I had handed everything else in 😭
Original post by EvieR02
Ahahahah I didn’t want to come across like I was being nosey I’m just interested, and it can’t affect our applications now

That’s such an interesting direction to take!

I focused on dolls as items of material culture particularly in the Roman era and what that can tell us about gender roles, identity and aestheticism.

And omgg it was so stressful. The question was so broad and 500 words was so small it acc nearly broke me cos I felt like my application was riding on it cos I had handed everything else in 😭

that sounds so interesting!! your EPQ must have helped with that

yes genuinely!! halfway through I nearly gave up and started writing one about present material culture instead hahahah. but glad I powered through, I was happy with it in the end :smile:
Reply 19
Original post by Lissy__03
that sounds so interesting!! your EPQ must have helped with that

yes genuinely!! halfway through I nearly gave up and started writing one about present material culture instead hahahah. but glad I powered through, I was happy with it in the end :smile:

Ahahah literally.

I wrote an initial one and realised how bad it was so had to scrap it in the end.
And yeah I though that since my EPQ was about present gender roles etc it would be interesting to use the 500 word essay to look at similar ideas but within the context of an ancient society particularly cos I don’t do history or classics, I did Latin gcse tho 😭

And tbh I am still uncertain about mine but I just went with my gut so hopefully it is good enough

What other unis have u applied to??

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