Classics at Merton!?

Hey,
You absolutely should attempt to get an offer! there's absolutely no reason why you shouldn't. Firstly because if you really are Oxford material (and any tutor in any college can decide this) then you will get a place offered to you even if it's not at your desired college i.e. Merton may not make you an offer but you may receive one from a different college. Although Merton does have an exceptional record when it comes to the academic side of life, many applicants are unaware of this when they make their decision as to college preference so what I am basically trying to say is that, in my [entirely subjective] opinion, it is Merton that instils the high degree of academic success in its students rather than the students possessing it before they arrive and so tutors are looking for potential - as is every other college. It seems to be more of a myth that if you apply for an undersubscribed or even less famous college then your chances are improved, for example I know of someone who applied (this year) to read music at Christ Church they were the only person going for two places and were rejected. Choose a college on the basis of how in suiting with your wants it is and most importantly if you can see yourself spending three years of your life there!

Best of luck

My advice would be NOT to apply to Merton, but to another college. At Merton, from what I know from my friends who are first year classicists there, the tutors are very unforgiving and unsymphathetic. One of my friends recently dropped out just to do Modern Languages (she was doing the same course as me), whereas another, though she consistently gets solid 2.1s in everything she does, was recently told that she was a "disgrace" fore her poor work. Take from that what you will...

My advice would be NOT to apply to Merton, but to another college. At Merton, from what I know from my friends who are first year classicists there, the tutors are very unforgiving and unsymphathetic. One of my friends recently dropped out just to do Modern Languages (she was doing the same course as me), whereas another, though she consistently gets solid 2.1s in everything she does, was recently told that she was a "disgrace" fore her poor work. Take from that what you will...

Let's be fair now - as A's corridor neighbour, I can safely say she hated Greek (she had a Greek tutorials countdown list - i.e. 10 more days of horror to do!)

She also got a First in Collections, so she was clearly not doing badly. The reason she wanted to switch was because of lack of enjoyment, rather than her tutors telling her she was a disgrace...

Can people in general please get their stories correct before slagging off Merton!