Oxford Applicants 2016 Entry & Interview chat

Edexcell

Please try to avoid what I did, namely panic-revising FP3 in the 4 days preceding it! Yes, I got away with it, but I felt like a complete failure after that exam and was ready to give up on maths completely. The earlier you can get confident with FP3, the better, because that's the one exam above everything else where you really need to understand the content. As you say, particularly in the harder parts, there's not much content but the sophistication of the questions to which you need to apply that content to surpasses any of the other units I took. FP2 also has some tough-ish content but you can still to some extent get into the habit of answering questions mechanically with a set algorithm that you can just follow, which you simply can't get away with doing in FP3. And it seems that you dodged a bullet with that illness!

I did Maths, Further Maths, Physics, Chemistry (and German AS + EPQ). They went a lot better than expected, I ended up with a 99% average UMS across them which was a very nice surprise on results day! I'm about to start at Oxford doing Earth Sciences in a few weeks. What are you applying for, Physics?

Ah I did AQA so I think your FP3 is very different to mine!

Haha I did that for C3 C4 last year but would never take that chance on further maths, having said that I probably still will (famous last words). I totally agree. Its the exam where you have to do the most applying, there is very little memory work involved.. I found FP2 quite easy personally, in comparison to FP3 definitely! Well most thought that but I missed a pretty easy G485 (OCR Physics) paper apparently Also redoing some A Level modules might put Oxford as well as other top unis off, so I would have rather have been well thats for sure!!

Oh right, bar chemistry nice subjects! I did an EPQ too, am thinking this year to do a prize essay but am not sure if Oxford does a physics one? Haha take a bow son I was 3 off 100 ums overall in maths last year! Earth Sciences sounds cool, is it like natural sciences or completely different? Yep

I quite liked FP2, I really enjoyed the differential equation chapters although I actually got lower UMS in the exams than I did in FP2. You're not a fan of Chemistry I take it? It's very hard, certainly at A2, although I also really enjoyed it. Well done with your Maths results from last year!

I guess Earth Sciences is a little bit like Natural Sciences in that it's a very broad degree, there aren't really many other courses where everybody does Biology, Chemistry and Physics certainly to the end of second year and potentially throughout your degree, but of course everything is applied to planetary problems (broadly geochemistry, geophysics and paleobiology). It looks like a brilliant course because on the one hand, I can still study a broad range of scientific disciplines which I really like the idea of, but it's all applied to the Earth which is something I'm really interested in and passionate about.

My favourite in FP2 was complex numbers but I also like the differentials and polars! I am interested in chemistry and somewhat regret not carrying it on for A2 but I hated it at AS, henced why I dropped it . Now that you say it is very hard, it was probably the right decision in hindsight!

Fair enough, hope all goes well for you.

Ooff, I didn't like complex numbers at all and neither did anybody in my class but I fear it's going to be important for my degree since they've asked us to revise them specifically (and matrices). A2 Chemistry is hard but more because of the sheer amount of content you've got to cram into your head rather than difficulty. The big conceptual leap is from GCSE to AS - the added difficulty at A2 is more because of all the reaction conditions and colour changes you've got to memorise which frankly I think is a bit silly but there you go. There is a lot more physical chemistry at A2 though which is nice.

Same to you!

Hi, can I ask how many candidates applied, were interviewed and were offered places at Brasenose over the last few years for History & Economics ?
Could you also shed any light on the new HAT for HECO applicants, as we've been told the format will change but no further details have been given and my emails to the departments have been ignored.

Sorry another couple of questions... do predicted grades that surpass the requirements hold any weighting in the admissions process? E.g if the requirement is AAA, will being predicted A*A*A* be an advantage?

What's the standard offer for History&Economics for candidates with 4 A-levels?

If AS module scores are included on the UCAS form, are they ignored ?

Thanks so much

Hi, would you know the average grades for possible music students?

Will Oxford consider my application if I apply without TSA? (My country doesn't offer it)


Posted from TSR Mobile

Will Oxford consider my application if I apply without TSA? (My country doesn't offer it)


Posted from TSR Mobile

Have you checked that there isn't a test centre in your country here?

Yes I have checked and they say it's available however when I went today to check they said they don't offer this test


Posted from TSR Mobile

Would anyone mind if I ran my personal statement past them? I'm applying for engineering at Oxford and any advice would be very useful (preferably people who already have a place at Oxford)

Would anyone mind if I ran my personal statement past them? I'm applying for engineering at Oxford and any advice would be very useful (preferably people who already have a place at Oxford)

Please don't do this. Don't send it to anybody you don't personally know. If for whatever reason they leak it or use it, your entire application could be ruined.

Okay. I just felt that I'd get better advice off TSR than from my teachers; only one or two people apply for engineering every year from my school and people doing medicine, law, english etc. tend to get the best advice. But thanks