Oxford application - submission of written work.
I know it's early to be thinking about this but I was reading about applications on the website and it says in addition to various aptitude tests for certain subjects, you have to submit two essays which have to be marked by a teacher.
Does anyone know what the purpose of this is? I'm kind of worried about this because my teachers have a tendency to write the same (vague and unhelpful) comments on everyone's work, generally along the lines of "good", "nice" with no tips on improvement.
Also, if you're applying for a subject you haven't studied in school, can you choose which subjects you write the essays about.
Does anyone know what the purpose of this is? I'm kind of worried about this because my teachers have a tendency to write the same (vague and unhelpful) comments on everyone's work, generally along the lines of "good", "nice" with no tips on improvement.
Also, if you're applying for a subject you haven't studied in school, can you choose which subjects you write the essays about.
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written work has several purposes! brings up a topic for discussion in the interview, verifying that you're as good as you're making out (if you submit amazing work but then can't back it up in the interview that starts alarm bells), as well as just helping to differentiate between a sea of candidates who are all relatively similar
your teachers' comments on the essay is relatively ignorable, they'll be scrutinising what YOU write, not your teachers.
you'll have to check the subject pages and admission information, if it's ambiguous directly ask your college (i had to do this about ab-initio russian, hadn't studied it before at college and so they asked me to send in a topic as close to linguistics as my A2 english language course took me)
good luck!
your teachers' comments on the essay is relatively ignorable, they'll be scrutinising what YOU write, not your teachers.
you'll have to check the subject pages and admission information, if it's ambiguous directly ask your college (i had to do this about ab-initio russian, hadn't studied it before at college and so they asked me to send in a topic as close to linguistics as my A2 english language course took me)
good luck!
It's also to get an idea of how you write and whether you'd be able to hack the constant essay-writing. So for example, my grades weren't as good as all the other applicants to my college that year but the tutor who read my essays realised staight away that I could write very very well 
As for your last question: check the uni prospectus, the guidance about written work is all in there
As for your last question: check the uni prospectus, the guidance about written work is all in there
They don't have to be relevant to your subject. I'd never studied philosophy before, and we didn't really write essays in German. I wrote an essay in preparation for my coursework which I definitely definitely would have written even if I hadn't had the Oxford application and the rest of the class definitely did...
and then sent in a history essay, which definitely wasn't lower sixth work. It's really harsh, though, because you only have about 6 weeks between being back in school and having to submit it, and they don't want one specially written, but they do want it written in upper sixth.
and then sent in a history essay, which definitely wasn't lower sixth work. It's really harsh, though, because you only have about 6 weeks between being back in school and having to submit it, and they don't want one specially written, but they do want it written in upper sixth.I sent in a specially-written Music one and an English one. They do say not to write things especially but I was damned if I was gonna have to discuss Louis Armstrong in an interview (the only essay we'd written the whole of Year 12 )
) Athena
For Human Sciences, I submitted some Y12 biology coursework, and a piece of geography class work that was intended to be a Powerpoint presentation, but which I wrote as an essay (despite my geography teacher telling me that Oxford would love something like a poster or Powerpoint instead of an essay )
)Well, all I can say is congratulations for not submitting a poster or a powerpoint.
I wrote an essay as part of my A2 course but seeing as I hadn't written any essays for AS level (my sixth form teachers hated marking) I knew I was going to have to submit that one, so I probably spent more time on it and my teacher knew it was going to get sent in. But you don't need to do something above and beyond the level you would normally do in class and tutors at Oxford don't expect your work to be perfect. They'll be more interested in the way you express arguments and how you are able to discuss and adapt your written ideas in a high-pressured situation and in response to new concepts.
Have a look at the back of the current prospectus. There should be a section about the written work requirements for each subject. If the OS section of this doesn't specify that the essays have to be OS-based, then it doesn't have to be and you should just send in work that best represents your ability to form and write a coherent and well-thought-out argument
(edited 3 years ago)
What about students coming from the educational backgrounds not comprising essay-writing?
In my home country, we barely write essays (edit: we do not) and although my school is a bit of a pioneering promoter of analysis brought into education here, the essays I have written as schoolwork are not of a standard expected of British students (said by someone who have been through both educational systems). I started practising essay-writing two months ago, however, I highly doubt I will have improved to the British level by the time I send in my essays, necessary for my subject. The only representative thing I have written so far is my History coursework containing 10,000 words (got 98% for it). I contacted a tutor at Oxford about the suitability of it and he said that an excerption is fine. On the other hand... If my essays are of a beginner standard (GCSE?), is it gonna HINDER me significantly?
In my home country, we barely write essays (edit: we do not) and although my school is a bit of a pioneering promoter of analysis brought into education here, the essays I have written as schoolwork are not of a standard expected of British students (said by someone who have been through both educational systems). I started practising essay-writing two months ago, however, I highly doubt I will have improved to the British level by the time I send in my essays, necessary for my subject. The only representative thing I have written so far is my History coursework containing 10,000 words (got 98% for it). I contacted a tutor at Oxford about the suitability of it and he said that an excerption is fine. On the other hand... If my essays are of a beginner standard (GCSE?), is it gonna HINDER me significantly?
Ivanka
What about students coming from the educational backgrounds not comprising essay-writing?
In my home country, we barely write essays (edit: we do not) and although my school is a bit of a pioneering promoter of analysis brought into education here, the essays I have written as schoolwork are not of a standard expected of British students (said by someone who have been through both educational systems). I started practising essay-writing two months ago, however, I highly doubt I will have improved to the British level by the time I send in my essays, necessary for my subject. The only representative thing I have written so far is my History coursework containing 10,000 words (got 98% for it). I contacted a tutor at Oxford about the suitability of it and he said that an excerption is fine. On the other hand... If my essays are of a beginner standard (GCSE?), is it gonna HINDER me significantly?
In my home country, we barely write essays (edit: we do not) and although my school is a bit of a pioneering promoter of analysis brought into education here, the essays I have written as schoolwork are not of a standard expected of British students (said by someone who have been through both educational systems). I started practising essay-writing two months ago, however, I highly doubt I will have improved to the British level by the time I send in my essays, necessary for my subject. The only representative thing I have written so far is my History coursework containing 10,000 words (got 98% for it). I contacted a tutor at Oxford about the suitability of it and he said that an excerption is fine. On the other hand... If my essays are of a beginner standard (GCSE?), is it gonna HINDER me significantly?
It wouldn’t necessarily be a problem if your essay writing isn’t as good as some people’s - the tutors can spot potential.
I wouldn’t risk sending in 10,000 words, or an excerpt. I’d write something shorter, but complete (around 1500 or 2000 words). The main reason is that the tutors will want to see that you can follow through an argument from start to finish. 1/5 of an essay (however substantial or brilliant) cannot demonstrate such lucidity and concision effectively.
wjcsibelius
I wouldn’t risk sending in 10,000 words, or an excerpt. I’d write something shorter, but complete (around 1500 or 2000 words). The main reason is that the tutors will want to see that you can follow through an argument from start to finish. 1/5 of an essay (however substantial or brilliant) cannot demonstrate such lucidity and concision effectively.
Is there a suggested length for the submitted work? I looked on the websites and was about to post it as a question when i found this.
I'm not applying yet, I'll do that next year, but I'd planned on sending the history extension and english extension II essays i'll write next year, which are both supposed to be 5-6000 words, but they're the only really incredible essays I'm likely to write - I get a year to work on each one, so they should be my best work. I guess I'll have a fair few essays around the 1500 word mark, but they're unlikely to be as good, since each one will only get about two week's preparation.
Thanks
and sorry to semi-hijack the thread. The post seems less relevant than i thought now that I read it back.
dancing_fleur
Is there a suggested length for the submitted work? I looked on the websites and was about to post it as a question when i found this.
I'm not applying yet, I'll do that next year, but I'd planned on sending the history extension and english extension II essays i'll write next year, which are both supposed to be 5-6000 words, but they're the only really incredible essays I'm likely to write - I get a year to work on each one, so they should be my best work. I guess I'll have a fair few essays around the 1500 word mark, but they're unlikely to be as good, since each one will only get about two week's preparation.
I'm not applying yet, I'll do that next year, but I'd planned on sending the history extension and english extension II essays i'll write next year, which are both supposed to be 5-6000 words, but they're the only really incredible essays I'm likely to write - I get a year to work on each one, so they should be my best work. I guess I'll have a fair few essays around the 1500 word mark, but they're unlikely to be as good, since each one will only get about two week's preparation.
According to the university website, pieces of written work shouldn't be more than 2,000 words long and they're specifically asking people not to send in extended essays or longer pieces of work: http://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate_courses/how_to_apply/written_work/written_work.html
Besides, I don't see how the fact that you only had two weeks for your shorter essays should be an issue, really. I mean, if you get into Oxford, you'll have just one week to write your essays, after all.
hobnob
Besides, I don't see how the fact that you only had two weeks for your shorter essays should be an issue, really. I mean, if you get into Oxford, you'll have just one week to write your essays, after all.
thanks.
I guess the main difference between them is that I actually get to choose a topic I like for the long ones (practically anything, as long as its original), but I usually have a couple of nice ones from the others. I mean, teachers like them, I just don't like that they often end up with ugly sentences, just to fit the word count... It seems slightly terrifying to hand in something I know is less than perfect, rather than my major works.
dancing_fleur
thanks.
I guess the main difference between them is that I actually get to choose a topic I like for the long ones (practically anything, as long as its original), but I usually have a couple of nice ones from the others. I mean, teachers like them, I just don't like that they often end up with ugly sentences, just to fit the word count... It seems slightly terrifying to hand in something I know is less than perfect, rather than my major works.
I guess the main difference between them is that I actually get to choose a topic I like for the long ones (practically anything, as long as its original), but I usually have a couple of nice ones from the others. I mean, teachers like them, I just don't like that they often end up with ugly sentences, just to fit the word count... It seems slightly terrifying to hand in something I know is less than perfect, rather than my major works.
I can see what you mean, but tutors need people to send in essays which have been under similar conditions and which are of similar length in order to be able to compare them, and they struggle to read all of the submitted work as it is (after all, the written work is submitted pre-interviews). If applicants started sending in 6,000-word essays, tutors would no longer be able to read them properly.
Just pick two good essays - preferably essays which you liked as well - and try not to worry too much about them being 'less than perfect'. They're not really looking for perfection at this stage.
ok, thanks sooo much, I can't believe I didn't see that on the page - I'd even read that one. I must've just skimmed it or something... and surely I'll like something I like over the next year and a bit. Otherwise, I just realised all my major works have to go with reflection statements which are usually about 2000 words, so they'd do at a pinch.
Has anyone ever tried to persuade their teacher to let them do their A2 coursework early so that they can get it done by the deadline? It's not that my AS coursework was bad, I got full marks in fact, but I just have a feeling that this little comparative essay of Piers Plowman and Church Going might be my magnum opus, as well as being a more accurate picture of the way my style's developed in recent months.
chebanana
Has anyone ever tried to persuade their teacher to let them do their A2 coursework early so that they can get it done by the deadline? It's not that my AS coursework was bad, I got full marks in fact, but I just have a feeling that this little comparative essay of Piers Plowman and Church Going might be my magnum opus, as well as being a more accurate picture of the way my style's developed in recent months.
One of my essays was a prep for coursework, supposedly. That doesn't sound too unusual though, and they do say they prefer A2 work.
I'm applying for French and History this year and need to send off something written in the language.
Only problem is I can't think of any work whatsoever I've done in French which is more than about 600 words, as the A2 essay (the replacement of coursework) specifically states 300-400 words iirc (obviously I still managed to overshoot it a fair way)
Only problem is I can't think of any work whatsoever I've done in French which is more than about 600 words, as the A2 essay (the replacement of coursework) specifically states 300-400 words iirc (obviously I still managed to overshoot it a fair way)
The only decent essays I've written in AS Lit were the alternatives for my coursework (we wrote two essays per text and submitted the best one for coursework).
They're 1,500 words each; would this be enough?
Edit: I'd naturally prefer to send A2 work but I don't know if we'll even have done much by November. I sit the January exam, so all work will be prep for that with maybe a few practice essays.
They're 1,500 words each; would this be enough?
Edit: I'd naturally prefer to send A2 work but I don't know if we'll even have done much by November. I sit the January exam, so all work will be prep for that with maybe a few practice essays.
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