The Student Room Group
Reply 1
I'm assuming that you're referring to the Oriental studies course at Oxford? http://www.admissions.ox.ac.uk/courses/orie.shtml states that 41.7% of applicants in the past 3 years have been accepted. Read that page for more details.
Reply 2
Heh, really don't view it on statistics, for application to cambridge this year I know that there was about a 1 in 7 chance of getting in :P
Reply 3
The Cambridge Oriental Studies course is better in my opinion - it gives you a whole year in your country of choice, rather than Oxford's measley term.

As for competitiveness, I can only really speak for Japanese (and then only tentatively...) But at the Open Day I was told that there have been years when they've admitted about half a dozen less than the actual maximum for the course, due to a dearth of suitable applicants. In other words, you're not competing against 5 other students like you might be in Economics, you're competing against a set standard, which if reached should guarantee you a place. However, what with the growing popularity of Chinese, I imagine that it would be slightly more competitive.

What is your interest in China btw? Are you aiming for a business career, or are you more interested in the literary side? If you don't mind me asking that is.
Reply 4
It's true that they do have a set standard, but there is also a maximum number of 15 people taken each year. Also, Chinese has two terms away at Cambridge in your 3rd year, NOT a whole year
Reply 5
Tonheuru
It's true that they do have a set standard, but there is also a maximum number of 15 people taken each year. Also, Chinese has two terms away at Cambridge in your 3rd year, NOT a whole year


Ah - thanks for correcting me.

That's a pretty high number considering 40 is the maximum number accepted across all of the Oriental Studies options - do you know how many per year there are for Japanese by any chance?
Reply 6
Well in my year 9 were accepted, it's roughly the same I think
Reply 7
Ha - you're pretty handy - where were you during the application phase? :rolleyes:
Reply 8
Ha, probably madly learning Characters and writing essays about Shang dynasty Oracle bones :P
Reply 9
Tonheuru
Ha, probably madly learning Characters and writing essays about Shang dynasty Oracle bones :P


Oh please - that's the oldest excuse in the book :rolleyes:
Reply 10
Sorry, I didn't see your response and posted another thread !!:redface:
I'm currently studying Latin, Classical Greek and Spanish for A levels (I also did French and Japanese up to GCSE), and I'm interested in learning a new language from scratch at Uni. I'm doing loads of literature with Classics at the moment, so I don't think I'd want to go heavily into literature from the start, with Chinese. I'm not sure whether I am aiming for a business career at this stage.
I haven't been to China, and I don't know any Chinese - would this be a disadvantage? I'm reading Wild Swans & Mao at the mo, that's about all the knowledge I have of China. Do I need to read up on Chinese history and literature???
I went to SOAS open day, earlier this week, and I'm thinking of putting it down as my second choice. Are there other Unis you would recommend for Chinese, as back-ups?
Reply 11
newbie06
I haven't been to China, and I don't know any Chinese - would this be a disadvantage? I'm reading Wild Swans & Mao at the mo, that's about all the knowledge I have of China. Do I need to read up on Chinese history and literature???

Hell yes! You need to show passion, commitment, enthusiasm. You need to show that you've got off your butt, and found something interesting about your subject in your spare time.

No point in trying to learn about *everything*- you are going to university, after all, to spend 3 years doing that. Definitely a good idea to find something that motivates you though.
Are Chinese people allowed to take Chinese?

For obvious reasons...
Reply 13
That's a little like asking whether English people are allowed to study English!

(The answer is yes, but I'm not quoting any authority here)
Well no it's not.

In England, one assumes that English is not learning how to speak English.

I assume Chinese courses in England are language courses and not the same as English literature.