Balliol College (Oxford) Students and Applicants

Well, I guess I'll be seeing a lot of Balliol in the coming years! I still can't believe I got in! :biggrin:

ysbera

how many applied for Economics and Management though?

I was under the impression that there were around 12 applicants per place, so maybe close to 50?

Reply 143

Merry Christmas Balliol!!!

(Even if I am... twenty minutes too late!).

So, anyone else apart from asht a 'Balliolite Fresher' in 2009? And asht, did I meet you during the interviews...? (Long hair, red coat, short stature about sums me up :rolleyes:

)

Ahh! I can't believe I'm actually coming next year!! (IF I get my grades...) This is all totally surreal, I love Balliol so much, even if it doesn't quite compare to "Marvellous Merton" ( :rolleyes:

) in its TSR thread... :p:

Reply 144

HoVis

Merry Christmas Balliol!!!

(Even if I am... twenty minutes too late!).

So, anyone else apart from asht a 'Balliolite Fresher' in 2009? And asht, did I meet you during the interviews...? (Long hair, red coat, short stature about sums me up :rolleyes:

)

Ahh! I can't believe I'm actually coming next year!! (IF I get my grades...) This is all totally surreal, I love Balliol so much, even if it doesn't quite compare to "Marvellous Merton" ( :rolleyes:

) in its TSR thread... :p:

It's such a great feeling, isn't it?
Sadly, I don't think we met - I'm an international applicant so I got to do a phone interview here in Australia - but I visited Balliol last year and phwoar, it looks like everything I've ever wanted at uni.
(And Merry Christmas to you as well :p:

)

Reply 145

saliarific

4

Hey guys,

I'm an American with an offer to Balliol next year. Does anyone have any insight into life at Balliol? I know it has a lot of internationals, which is a big reason I applied, but do those internationals participate actively in college social life/make friends with everybody or stick to themselves? In general, are people pretty social or do they just study (ah, third on the norrington table...a blessing and a curse)? Anything else you think might be relevant, to an American/international or just in general?

Thanks a lot.

Reply 146

saliarific

Hey guys,

I'm an American with an offer to Balliol next year. Does anyone have any insight into life at Balliol? I know it has a lot of internationals, which is a big reason I applied, but do those internationals participate actively in college social life/make friends with everybody or stick to themselves? In general, are people pretty social or do they just study (ah, third on the norrington table...a blessing and a curse)? Anything else you think might be relevant, to an American/international or just in general?

Thanks a lot.

I'm probably not very qualified to answer this question, being an offer holder rather than a current student, just like you, but I'll tell you what I think anyway from my experiences of the open day / interviews (I'm guessing that you've never visited Oxford and had a phone interview or something like that?)

Well, I applied to Balliol because it seemed so friendly on the Open Day - all of the student helpers were, well, helpful, and this was exactly the same during the interviews. During the interviews the entertainment and stuff put on in the evenings was always pretty fun (ah, JCR Olympics - and the near-death of the disco ball... :o:

) and I think there was a lot more on than in other colleges during the interview period. None of the students I met struck me as the 'study study study' types and I think there were at least 2 international students helping out although I might have got that wrong... I don't think being an international student will disadvantage you in any way; after two days stuck in the JCR awaiting interviews together all of the prospective students were getting on really well and I'm sure this sort of sociability will be multiplied when we're all actually there for sure!!!

If you want my opinion (and yes, I know I'm biased!) I think you made a very good college choice, and I don't think you can judge what a college is going to be like by the Norrington Table - I mean, there'll be extremes everywhere (I'm sure even Merton at the top has a number of students who spend lots of time partying), from the very very studious to the very very sociable, but mostly I think people will be somewhere in the middle.

Anyway, feel free to ignore my very unqualified musings, which basically amount to my saying in lots of different ways how much I love Balliol.

And hey, you'll know at least one other undergraduate when you go next year now!!! (If summer exams go alright...)

:smile:

Reply 147

cvat

HoVis

So, anyone else apart from asht a 'Balliolite Fresher' in 2009? And asht, did I meet you during the interviews...? (Long hair, red coat, short stature about sums me up :rolleyes:

)

:

there's a few of us for maths going to balliol :biggrin:

, also theres a facebook group for us :smile:

Reply 148

cvat

there's a few of us for maths going to balliol :biggrin:

, also theres a facebook group for us :smile:

Could you link us to the facebook group?

Reply 149

Conor_

After extenstive detective work *cough*, I have found it!

Search for Balliol College, Oxford - Incoming 2009 on facebook!

Good find - someone has a promising career as a sleuth.

Reply 150

Oliviac

I just got my letter and have been accepted to Balliol.
I applied to do CAAH.
I'm going to look for the facebook group now.

Reply 151

saliarific

4

Hey HoVis--thanks a lot for replying. Sounds good--the more I look at it, I like Oxford and Balliol in particular.

Reply 152

AdSumma

just out of interest (and not that it matters greatly), does anyone know of the applicants per place ratio for PPE this year - or any other years for that matter?

Reply 153

Andy the Anarchist

10

AdSumma

just out of interest (and not that it matters greatly), does anyone know of the applicants per place ratio for PPE this year - or any other years for that matter?

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/good_university_guide/article525684.ece

The Times says 5.5 to a place

Reply 154

Calling all current Balliolites!

Not that the process of applying for student finance is worrying me at all, but I was just wondering...

Can you indicate a preference as to which price room you get in first year, or is this decided at random? Because, if given the choice, I would much rather go for the cheapest price band possible regardless of how small it is...!

I'm not panicking. :biggrin:

Anyway, this thread is a bit dead for such a sociable college... where are all the current and prospective Balliolites?!

EDIT: And this is all, of course, dependent on if I get my grades in the summer. :redface:

Reply 155

Finally a bit of activity in here to sweep away the cobwebs :yep:

Reply 156

0404343m

17

I think a *BUMP* is in order.

Where be everyone?

Reply 157

0404343m

I think a *BUMP* is in order.

Where be everyone?

I know!! Poor old show from Oxford's best college. What are you studying, person with cool sig?

Reply 158

0404343m

17

HoVis

I know!! Poor old show from Oxford's best college. What are you studying, person with cool sig?

Why thankyou- I lifted it straight from PhD Comics, so I deserve little credit for it...

I'm a historian- beginning postgraduate research at Balliol. I actually know a couple of the staff in the faculty, which will hopefully make the transition southward a bit easier. There's a get-out clause which will allow me to go back to Scotland and continue along the same lines at the end of next year should I really feel the need to, but hopefully it won't come to that.

Actually, it turns out that the scholarship of sorts that I hold has an annual dinner in honour of its founder every year in Balliol, if they ply the current holder of the said award with drink that evening, I shall not be complaining. Should I be worried that thats currently what I'm looking forward to most?

I see you have Edinburgh as your backup- another history department that I know pretty well- may I ask what made you choose there?

Reply 159