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What are my chances of getting into Oxford?

Give it a go, is what I'd say!

I just got a offer from Mansfield College, Oxford, to read english, which I'm really excited about. It seems like a really nice college, and the tutors for english there are really lovely! Its a really small college, but it seems really diverse, so you might find its easy to fit in with people.

My hints for preparation....

Read some introductions to literary criticism/theory. It helps you to look at literature in lots of different ways, and its quite a good topic to discuss in interview.

Look at the research interests of the tutors who will be interviewing you. you can find thesew out on the websites.

Take AEA english!

Reply 41

Agrippina

OP

15

Take AEA english!

What's AEA English, what would it add to my UCAS form and how would I go about taking it?

Reply 42

fred86

Eeyore

Hi there! This is directed mainly at current Oxford students reading English Lit, but if anyone else has any advice fire away!
I am currently in year 12 at a pretty good state school, and I really want to go to Oxford to study English Lit. However I'm not sure how good my chances of getting in are.... I could use some advice, so perhaps if you could glance over the info below and get back to me? Thanks!
- I was home educated from the age of 8 til I joined the Sixth Form last September and consequently I'm very self-motivated and am quite happy with independent study having done it most of my life.
- I'm taking AS levels English Lit, Music, Psychology, Geography and General studies, and planning to drop geography next year to end up with full A levels in the first three, and also take history at AS next year too.
- I do quite a bit of reading around my subject - e.g. other books by the authors I'm studying in class, etc.
- At the beginning of my A level study I was writing A grade essays for English Lit while everyone else was writing E or U grade essays.
- I got A for GCSE English Lit and A* with a top five mark for GCSE English Lang.
- I play the viola at grade 6 standard (just got Honours, woo-hoo!) and flute at grade 7, plus a bit of piano.
- I play and sing in numerous music groups both in and out of school.
- I am about to start working towards my Duke of Edinburgh Award.
- I have lots of interests besides English Lit - obviously classical music, but also archaeology, horses, etc.

So, realistically, what are my chances? I'd really appreciate any advice.

Oxford is such a lottery these days. My best friend applied and he deserved more than anyone to read english but unfortunately got rejected. Basically you'll never know unless you apply - good luck!

Reply 43

Specialheffa

2

Eeyore

Lol, yeah, I see what you mean! But don't worry, I really love English Lit, that's why I want to go to the best university possible!

Sorry but you mentioned before your teachers are suggesting other reading.. well if you really love Eng Lit you should have already been doing that yourself, and yourself have the passion to read other non-exam texts...

Teachers have an element of input, but they will either give you their specific area of study or things that they feel will get you into Oxford..

Passion for literature should already have been there before A'Levels.

xx

Reply 44

fayzd

Eeyore

Take AEA english!

What's AEA English, what would it add to my UCAS form and how would I go about taking it?

AEA is Advanced Extension Award. It's like the old special paper. It expands on your current studies, and is meant to be for the top 10% of students. You don't have to study any more texts, it's supposed to measure your "deapth of understanding rather than breadth of knowledge" or something like that. It will be a single 3 hour exam at the end of your A2s.

It might not be something to put on your ucas form, but you could talk about it in the interview if you have already done some mocks. they might give you an offer like "AAA or AAB plus merit at AEA", which might increase your chances.
Also, if you don't get in this year and decide to re-apply the year after, then you will be able to put it on your ucas form.

If you want to take it, talk to your teacher. The exam board that provides the english AEA is OCR. When your exam entrance thingies are put in in year 13, the entrance for the AEA goes in as well.

Reply 45

Agrippina

OP

15

Specialheffa

Sorry but you mentioned before your teachers are suggesting other reading.. well if you really love Eng Lit you should have already been doing that yourself, and yourself have the passion to read other non-exam texts...

Teachers have an element of input, but they will either give you their specific area of study or things that they feel will get you into Oxford..

Passion for literature should already have been there before A'Levels.

xx

Reply 46

Agrippina

OP

15

Oops sorry! I'll try again!

Yeah I had been I read lots, I just got my teachers to recommend books related to the ones we're studying in school as (in some cases, e.g. Margaret Atwood) I didn't know much about other books by the same authors!

I certainly did already have a passion for it was otherwise I wouldn't have taken Literature at A level!!

Reply 47

Sazzle

1

Eeyore

I certainly did already have a passion for it was otherwise I wouldn't have taken Literature at A level!!

Well I took geography A-level, yes I liked the subject but I wouldn't say I had a passion for it.

Reply 48

Tek

7

Eeyore

I don't have two GCSEs I have 8: 4 A*s, 2As and 2Bs. And I'm not a he I'm a she! And I agree about Eng being something you acquire. And I'm glad I was home educated :-)

Not wishing to burst your bubble, but I notice you don't have a modern language at GCSE level, which I'm pretty sure precludes you from applying to Cambridge for an Arts course (although I don't know about Oxford).

Reply 49

*dave*

1

Tek

Not wishing to burst your bubble, but I notice you don't have a modern language at GCSE level, which I'm pretty sure precludes you from applying to Cambridge for an Arts course (although I don't know about Oxford).

What are you on about? Not having a language at GCSE wouldn't put you at a disadvantage at all! Its not like you learn anything at GCSE level anyway!

Reply 50

Tina

7

ohhhh margeret atwood dont like her books...the handmaid's tale is practially copied from 1984!

Reply 51

MadNatSci

12

*dave*

What are you on about? Not having a language at GCSE wouldn't put you at a disadvantage at all! Its not like you learn anything at GCSE level anyway!

Actually, the matriculation requirements at Cambridge do state 'a language other than English' at GCSE as being necessary.

http://www.cam.ac.uk/cambuniv/ugprospectus/applying/applying01.html

Reply 52

Specialheffa

2

MadNatSci

Actually, the matriculation requirements at Cambridge do state 'a language other than English' at GCSE as being necessary.

http://www.cam.ac.uk/cambuniv/ugprospectus/applying/applying01.html

Well i didn't have a language at GCSE!

Reply 53

MadNatSci

12

Specialheffa

Well i didn't have a language at GCSE!

That's what it says! Doesn't mean thy necessarily follow it - but that's what it says :smile:

Reply 54

dreamer

mansfield is very nice- my mate doing history there. enjoy!

Reply 55

Specialheffa

2

Eeyore

Oops sorry! I'll try again!

Yeah I had been I read lots, I just got my teachers to recommend books related to the ones we're studying in school as (in some cases, e.g. Margaret Atwood) I didn't know much about other books by the same authors!

I certainly did already have a passion for it was otherwise I wouldn't have taken Literature at A level!!

Well then surely YOU should have been capable enough to find out for yourself, this is the passion and drive for literature... you seem (obviously) really intelligent, but that would then imply that you maybe could not have been bothered to find out yourself. It's not hard to go on amazon or a library to find books from the same author.

And also extra curricular activities are not essential for an application in English (possibly drama, writing or debating), they are really looking for your passion and talent within English Literature.

xx

Reply 56

Specialheffa

2

MadNatSci

That's what it says! Doesn't mean thy necessarily follow it - but that's what it says :smile:

Absolutely, oxbridge are a league unto their own... they do what they like! :wink:

Reply 57

scanner

*dave*

What are you on about? Not having a language at GCSE wouldn't put you at a disadvantage at all! Its not like you learn anything at GCSE level anyway!

Not so. You do learn the basics at GCSE and not having a language is a disadvantage to an arts student. An A or A* GCSE in another language is useful. For an arts or humanities applicant a modern foreign language at AS/A2 is very useful indeed and highly regarded. Tutors like to see applicants with another language. It enables you to access texts in other languages and provide evidence of linguistic ability that is directly valuable in subjects like English, history and classics. Languages A levels are regarded as more demanding than most others arts/humanties. I think you will find a very high proportion of English and history students at Oxford have high grades in one or more languages at A level.

Reply 58

fayzd

Tina

ohhhh margeret atwood dont like her books...the handmaid's tale is practially copied from 1984!

That's a pretty sweeping statement! You could easily say that every bit of sci fi literature is based on 1984. Being influenced by another writer doesn't invalidate the whole body of an author's work. Are you willing to condemn everything that Tom Stoppard has written, because of "Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead"?

Have you actually read anything else by Margaret Atwood?

Reply 59

Tek

7

*dave*

What are you on about? Not having a language at GCSE wouldn't put you at a disadvantage at all! Its not like you learn anything at GCSE level anyway!

You quite clearly don't know what you're talking about, Dave, so be quiet.

Matriculation requirements
These are the minimum entrance requirements for all candidates regardless of course and age, designed to ensure you have had a sufficiently broad general education.

Qualifications are required in five subjects:

English, a language other than English, an approved mathematical or scientific subject, and two other approved subjects.
For candidates with GCSE and GCE, at least two of these subjects must be at GCE A level; the others in GCSE at grades A, B or C.

That means you really DO need a foreign or ancient language GCSE to study at Cambridge (especially for Arts subjects) but as I said above I don't know if this is true for Oxford.

What are my chances of getting into Oxford?

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