Worcester College, Oxford have confirmed all UK offer holders regardless of grades

'Many members of our college community and beyond have expressed their concern for the potential impact of yesterday’s A Level results on this year’s incoming students. At Worcester we made offers in 2020 to our most diverse cohort ever, and in response to the uncertainties surrounding this year’s assessment, we have confirmed the places of all our UK offer-holders, irrespective of their A-level results. '

https://www.worc.ox.ac.uk/about/news

Worcester College at the University of Oxford have confirmed all UK offer holders no matter what grades they achieved, in a statement released today.

They may have been able to do this for a variety of reasons (and any Oxford experts please do let us know your thoughts!), but this is certainly an interesting precedent to set.

What do you think of the news?

Are you an offer holder at Worcester?

Let us know your thoughts!

Horrifically unfair. If one college does it, so should all. (really none of them should have done something like this in the first place)

Imagine how someone must feel who was pooled from Worcester - after all the guff about "college choice doesn't matter" thinking that it'll work out, missed the offer due to standardisation, then got rejected. Would feel awful for them.

(edited 3 years ago)

It's not really that strange a decision. They've interviewed every offer holder in detail and seen a lot more about them that most other universities do. They've made an offer so know the applicants are capable. The over offer rate is only something around 8%, and given there will be some level of drop out from PG and overseas students, the College will still have accommodation etc. All they are really doing is following their instincts about potential, without letting exam results mediate by a small percentage.

Original post by threeportdrift

It's not really that strange a decision. They've interviewed every offer holder in detail and seen a lot more about them that most other universities do. They've made an offer so know the applicants are capable. The over offer rate is only something around 8%, and given there will be some level of drop out from PG and overseas students, the College will still have accommodation etc. All they are really doing is following their instincts about potential, without letting exam results mediate by a small percentage.

But it remains that some people from other colleges that have missed out due to standardisation would have got in had they had an offer from Worcester, without the merit of their application actually changing. It may be a small number, but for them this system really hasn't done them justice.

Reply 4

CatusStarbright

22

I think this was quite a compassionate decision, but I do feel bad for those who were rejected from other colleges for dropping grades when they potentially had higher grades than some of those who have been accepted at Worcester anyway.

Reply 5

RogerOxon

21

Original post by StrawberryDreams

They may have been able to do this for a variety of reasons (and any Oxford experts please do let us know your thoughts!), but this is certainly an interesting precedent to set.

As @threeportdrift said, they've interviewed. Most will have submitted work or taken admissions tests, so they have their own, independent, and in-depth, assessment of the applicants, which most other universities do not.

It must be a big relief to their offer holders, and they appear to think that they can cope with their over-subscription. It'll be interesting to hear what the departments think though.

Reply 6

The_Lonely_Goatherd

20

Proud to be a Woostarite today! :rave:

stupid decision. now everyone will demand the same from other colleges and other universities. extremely unfair especially for people going to different colleges in Oxford

Reply 8

Fullofsurprises

20

Original post by Gent2324

stupid decision. now everyone will demand the same from other colleges and other universities. extremely unfair especially for people going to different colleges in Oxford

They won't be the only college to do this, they're just the first to say so.

Original post by Gent2324

stupid decision. now everyone will demand the same from other colleges and other universities. extremely unfair especially for people going to different colleges in Oxford

We don't know that lots of other Colleges haven't done this already but just haven't made it public :wink:

Reply 10

Saracen's Fez

20

Given how admissions are a college responsibility and so there's a degree of luck in the system anyway (though I'm not that familiar with the specifics of Oxford's reassignment system), I'm not sure I really buy the unfairness thing.

Presuming that Oxford offer-holder success rates are similar to Cambridge ones, they're unlikely to have over-offered substantially, but it says something about what their expectations are regarding numbers of international students.

Original post by Saracen's Fez

Given how admissions are a college responsibility and so there's a degree of luck in the system anyway (though I'm not that familiar with the specifics of Oxford's reassignment system), I'm not sure I really buy the unfairness thing.

Presuming that Oxford offer-holder success rates are similar to Cambridge ones, they're unlikely to have over-offered substantially, but it says something about what their expectations are regarding numbers of international students.

But "degree of luck" is inherently unfair. If only certain colleges accepted all applicants surely that places undue weight on a student's college choice, a choice they had the impression was insubstantial?

Original post by Fullofsurprises

They won't be the only college to do this, they're just the first to say so.

they shouldve done them all at once, its not even just in Oxford. now people who applied to Cambridge are at a disadvantage.

Original post by threeportdrift

We don't know that lots of other Colleges haven't done this already but just haven't made it public :wink:

so now every single college at oxford has to do this or else its unfair, and then cambridge has to do it because its unfair, then every other uni has to do it becuase its unfair. oxford have just broken admissions for 2020, extremely unfair on students.

Reply 14

Saracen's Fez

20

Original post by _gcx

But "degree of luck" is inherently unfair. If only certain colleges accepted all applicants surely that places undue weight on a student's college choice, a choice they had the impression was insubstantial?

The issue is that the most likely obstacle to every college doing that, even if the will were there, is providing enough accommodation – and that's very much a college responsibility and one where college choice is very much not insubstantial.

Original post by Saracen's Fez

The issue is that the most likely obstacle to every college doing that, even if the will were there, is providing enough accommodation – and that's very much a college responsibility and one where college choice is very much not insubstantial.

But this is why I say it shouldn't have happened in the first place - mainly talking about if this has happened over a few colleges and this isn't just an isolated incident.

It seems unfair that someone's acceptance could basically come down to college choice, a decision that is arbitrary for quite a few people. I know that this could happen usually, but these are generally specific/borderline cases and not as intentional as this?

Reply 16

tolulah

16

Admissions are a college-specific matter, so any ‘unfairness’ is kind of a non-issue as Worcester can’t control the decisions of other colleges. However, it’s likely that their decision will encourage other colleges to take the same action.

In terms of places, Worcester are not guaranteeing that all students with offers are going to Worcester specifically - just that they’ll be going to Oxford. I believe that several students have been pooled to other colleges.

Original post by tolulah

Admissions are a college-specific matter, so any ‘unfairness’ is kind of a non-issue as Worcester can’t control the decisions of other colleges. However, it’s likely that their decision will encourage other colleges to take the same action.

In terms of places, Worcester are not guaranteeing that all students with offers are going to Worcester specifically - just that they’ll be going to Oxford. I believe that several students have been pooled to other colleges.

Well, "difficult/impossible to resolve" due to the admissions being devolved doesn't mean its unfairness is a non issue. It's imo something they should still have considered.

Reply 18

liverninthered

12

Original post by tolulah

In terms of places, Worcester are not guaranteeing that all students with offers are going to Worcester specifically - just that they’ll be going to Oxford. I believe that several students have been pooled to other colleges.

Really? Evidence? That doesn't happen usually so I find it very surprising - unless you're just referring to open offers for which Worcester was the underwriting college.

Reply 19

EmeraldIsla

9

My friend lost out as he was an open offer holder at Worcester and was really hoping to go there. But with them accepting every offer he was reallocated to another college.

Worcester College, Oxford have confirmed all UK offer holders regardless of grades

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you