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Oxford History Students and Applicants

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Reply 20

Eric Arthur

jollyrogera

I don't understand, if the thread is so old then why is the first post dated 6th September 09?

That was from a different thread, I imagine. Must've been merged into this one.

Reply 21

Mook

ferdi.g

Now I know that there is a fair chance that I won't be getting an interview but some of us will.

How should one prepare for the interview? How should we proceed to answering some of the very strange questions (about places like Mongolia or Botswana :biggrin:

)?

If I mentioned a few books that I read in my PS, will they be likely to ask questions about them (one of them is in German and the other is in French, neither of them were ever translated)? Do they ask a lot of questions about the sent in written work? Does one require to know much about current events (such as the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall)?

Do they try to corner you and trick you?

I could go on, but I had to set a limit somewhere :p:

Any advice from current applicants and oxford history students would be great :biggrin:

Hi - I've quoted you in here, as it's really not worth starting up a whole new thread on the main forum when you can ask those kind of questions here. Anyway, please bear in mind that all of the following is just my own opinion from my personal experience of undergraduate admissions to Oxford ...

I'm afraid there is no set way of preparing for an Oxford History interview. The only preparation I really did was to continue reading around my A2 (French Bac. for you) History course, re-read briefly the one book I had mentioned on my personal statement and made sure I was familiar with my submitted essay.

Lots of things could come up in interview, but I strongly doubt that they will try to trick you. They're interested in bringing the best out of you, honestly. You will in all likelihood have at least two interviews, possibly more if you are sent to another college as well. From my own experience, and the annecdotal evidence of other Oxford historians, there is a strong chance that at least some part of at least one interview will involve you discussing a text you have been given to read beforehand. You will not be expected to have any particular background knowledge of what it discusses, rather just to understand the ideas and concepts presented and develop an opinion or interpretation of them.
Generally, however, each tutor will have their own interview strategy. Some will use the personal statement as a basis for questions, others your written work, and sometimes you might just get asked more random questions, although these will always have an aim or purpose to them which you can develop into a broader discussion. However, none of this is designed to trap you in any way. If you don't understand what you're being asked, ask them to clarify or rephrase the question - I certainly did in my own interview.

Above all, I'd really recommend you just try to stay as calm as possible. And be yourself. Tutors aren't generally expecting to find candidates who are the perfect student, perfecly polished in every way; they want people who have the academic potential and personal characteristics to be receptive to Oxford's style of teaching over three years.

Reply 22

Andy_The_Ninja

On a similar theme, any idea how interviews for History and Politics work? Is it two separate interviews or is it a combined one? And what about if you get pooled to another college... aware of anyone having 4 interviews do to this?

Thanks :smile:

Reply 23

Eric Arthur

Andy_The_Ninja

One history, one politics. Same again at another college if you get a second one, I believe.

Reply 24

rusth

Hi guys,
So I've gotten into Oxford for history, but I'm really curious to know what my HAT score is - not only am I just plain nosy, but I also think it would be useful to know how far I'm on the right lines etc.. Do we ever find out our HAT score and if not, do you think it would be ok to email my college and ask? If so, who do I email? Or would it be best just to let things lie..
Thanks for any answers! :smile:

Edit - Sorry, I probably should have asked this in one of the History threads currently going..

Reply 25

doivid

rusth

do you think it would be ok to email my college and ask? If so, who do I email?

I think it will be fine to ask, and I would suggest contacting the History tutor at your college.

Reply 26

rusth

Ok, thanks :tongue:

D'you think I should wait a bit - they might be rather busy delivering feedback etc? Sorry, I'm worried about being a bother and making them disposed to not like me before I arrive :rolleyes:

Reply 27

doivid

I think you are being too cautious :smile:

I would email them now, before they put all the application process to one side to concentrate on their current students/research.

Reply 28

toofaforu

obviously you guys here get this a lot, so i'll try and make mine pretty short and to the point.

basically, i'm interested in doing history at Oxford. my GCSEs were 6A*4As and a B.

so far in my AS modules i've got:
94 in History
84 in Critical Thinking (was asked to do - did not pick it)
72 in Economics
70 in Geography

i am predicted an A for English Literature as well. i am planning on retaking the economics next year and aim to get above 90. i don't think i will bother with geography - but could this affect my chances at Oxford?

do i stand any realistic chance against other candidates? i don't want to waste a spot on my UCAS.

p.s. yes i realised i put this in the wrong place... if someone could delete that'd be cool.

Reply 29

welshforever92

I dont see why not! Your grades are fine so it's worth a try! As long as you get predicted all A there not going to know what you grades so far are!

Reply 30

BigBadSaint

Yep you will get a look in so long as you are predicted A's. Don't worry if there are a few B's or anything like that on your record, so long as they are only a few. The HAT will determine if you're suited to the course.

Reply 31

Mook

toofaforu

do i stand any realistic chance against other candidates? i don't want to waste a spot on my UCAS.

As long as you are predicted 3 A's then you stand as good a chance as anyone on the basis of A levels, which are only one part of the admissions process. The HAT will be used to decide whether or not you are invited to interview, and after that I get the strong impression that it is the interviews and the submitted written work which tutors use to sift through applicants.

If you like the course, the university and the city then go for it! It won't be a wasted spot. Anyhow, the applicant :tongue:

lace ratio for History at Oxford must be one of the lowest amongst top universities; something like 5:1, compared to the closer to 20:1 for places ratio that I've heard from the likes of UCL.

Reply 32

rkd

Mook

Anyhow, the applicant :tongue:

lace ratio for History at Oxford must be one of the lowest amongst top universities; something like 5:1, compared to the closer to 20:1 for places ratio that I've heard from the likes of UCL.

I agree with the "go for it" theme, but I should point out that comparing applicant :tongue:

lace ratios is a bit misleading - Oxford will largely give one offer per place, whereas UCL will expect some people to turn them down (which far fewer people do at Oxford) and so give a handful of offers for every place they have. If you compared applicant :redface:

ffer ratios for the two (which is really what you want to worry about) they'd be a lot more similar.

Reply 33

JackTG

Hi, I'm in the lower sixth and going to apply for single honour history at oxford next year... the main question now obviously is the college.
I've visited and done a bit of research and top of the list is Lincoln, but is it supposed to be very competitive for history? Also considered: Hertford, Pembroke, Teddy Hall, Trinity, Keble but that isn't a final list.

Doing History, English Lit, RS and Maths for A level.

Basically, it'd be a great help to get any advice about history at different colleges and/ or what people think about the colleges themselves.

Cheers

Reply 34

Eric Arthur

They're all competitive. Don't play the numbers game. Pick where you like the most.

etc.

Reply 35

pinstriped.flower

Use the search function on this website:

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/search.php?searchid=19240361

There is certainly one thread where someone asks an almost identical question. There are so many threads with people asking about college choice - the answer really is that choose where you like most, but you might be put somewhere else anyway. A quarter of successful applicants hold offers from colleges where they did not initially apply, and they all end up happy at their college in the end.

Reply 36

moody28028

The course doesn't vary between colleges as you can have tutorials etc. with tutors from other colleges, and yeah numbers game doesn't work - I am a case in point. I was originally thinking of Balliol but my Head of 6th Form basically told me not to bother and it was one of the most well known and popular and I would have no chance - so I applied to Brasenose instead which ended up being the 2nd most oversubscribed college across the uni and had over 80 applications for 10 places. Just think about what is important to you (location, accommodation etc) and start from there.