Oxford Economics and Management (E&M) Students and Applicants

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Megsy

Out of interest, what college?

The stronger E&M colleges really do strongly prefer Further Maths, and you'll find it difficult to get into any College with a B at AS. I'm not saying it's impossible, I'm just being realistic.

What are the 'stronger' colleges?

Reply 41

WokSz

Drogue

No. The questions on the test and at interview require logic. Admittedly having thought about economic issues is a huge help, but having done A level economics won't be of great help. It will help a little, but an interest and some wider reading is more important.

Surely, there must be atleast some mathematical questions?

Reply 42

Drogue

Yes, but they're mathematical-logic questions. They're not questions like "differentiate this", but more "here are two farmers with two profit-functions that have a certain possibility of a disease. Design a contract from which both farmers benefit" or some such. They don't require A level maths, but they do require you to be comfortable with numbers and algebra, and with mathematical ideas.

Economics isn't about massively hard maths, but about the application of relatively easy maths. Knowing what to use and when to use it, not how much of it you know.

Reply 43

Kingkong21

Can all successful applicants, please post their subjects. It would be a good indication of whether Oxford do prefer Further Maths

Thanks

Reply 44

Drogue

Would give a very skewed picture - most applicants don't post on here, and every person is considered as an individual. Plus most colleges only accept 2 or 3 people, so even knowing what all candidates had wouldn't tell you what the college preferred, as with 20 applicants and 2-3 places, the emphasis is on being exceptional as an individual, not what subjects you have or haven't taken.

The only way to know whether or not they prefer it is to ask the tutor at the college you want to apply to, who will tell you the college's policy.

Reply 45

sjuthani

Drogue

Economics isn't about massively hard maths, but about the application of relatively easy maths. Knowing what to use and when to use it, not how much of it you know.

Now you tell me. :rolleyes:

Reply 46

goodey7789

Hi, I got an offer with Maths, Economics and Biology to A2 and P.E. at AS level. Of all of the people I spoke to at interview, the majority did Further Maths; probably split around 60:40 of those who did to those who didn't. However, I don't know which of these got in so it's fairly useless information.

At Brasenose where I had my first interviews the tutor said they place a higher emphasis on maths ability and, predictably, there were quite a few maths questions in the interview. At Queen's, from whom I got an offer, there were no maths/logic questions in my interview, although it was a bit shorter. This shows that different tutors place more emphasis on different factors, but maths ability is still a major factor in selection.

If I could do sixth form again I would probably do Further Maths. My attitude then was that I won't need it for my uni course and didn't fancy 15 lessons of maths a week. I obviously hadn't done much research and it is a great thing to have for Economics. Maths at A-level is also, in my opinion, more enjoyable than GCSE maths.

But everyone is different and you should just do the A levels you think you will enjoy (within reason). They judge you as an overall package; the majority of interview questions can't really be prepared for. Good luck with it all anyway.

Reply 47

lorrybeep

Hi all

I'd like to know which Oxford college is the least competitive in area of economics at postgraduate level.

Reply 48

Jonesy_LJ

That surprises me about Economics and Management, as in my PPE Economics interview I did literally get the question 'differentiate this'.

Reply 49

Drogue

Really? Weird! Obviously every college is different, but I'd never heard of that being asked.

Reply 50

Drogue

goodey7789

Hi, I got an offer with Maths, Economics and Biology to A2 and P.E. at AS level. Of all of the people I spoke to at interview, the majority did Further Maths; probably split around 60:40 of those who did to those who didn't. However, I don't know which of these got in so it's fairly useless information.

At Brasenose where I had my first interviews the tutor said they place a higher emphasis on maths ability and, predictably, there were quite a few maths questions in the interview. At Queen's, from whom I got an offer, there were no maths/logic questions in my interview, although it was a bit shorter. This shows that different tutors place more emphasis on different factors, but maths ability is still a major factor in selection.
Very well said. As it happens, I know one of the BNC offerees, who does have further maths. But then she's just wonderful, so I wouldn't put it entirely down to the FM at all!

FTR: I did further maths, but failed it, as I got very disinterested in doing more inapplicable pure maths. I wish I'd put more time into it, but I've never found it a problem here, and I take most of the maths options too.

Reply 51

sebbie

The two people who have got in to E&M from my school in the last couple of years both did Further Maths... You're probably in a much better position if you did it as there's a good chance you'll then apply with an A in Maths A-Level already which shows some degree of intellectual capacity....

Reply 52

Jonesy_LJ

Yeah the guy I spoke with when I was being shown round Christ Church about a year ago said he was asked that question as well. Perhaps Housemen just have a particular love of calculus.

Reply 53

WokSz

Jonesy_LJ

That surprises me about Economics and Management, as in my PPE Economics interview I did literally get the question 'differentiate this'.

I thought so because otherwise IGCSE Mathematics would suffice.

Reply 54

Jonesy_LJ

The only difference I think for PPE is that if you've not done A Level Maths then they just accept that you won't be able to do that question, whereas I think Maths is more compulsory for E & M.

Reply 55

Suc-Cesc!!!

My mate doesn't have Further Maths and she got in for E+M at LMH I think. Her A-levels are: Economics, Maths, Media, Psychology and General Studies. Having 2, what I consider to be, untraditional subjects (not including general studies), perhaps Further Maths isn't as big an advantage as it is for Cambridge and LSE.

Reply 56

Drogue

WokSz

I thought so because otherwise IGCSE Mathematics would suffice.

For PPE it does. Most colleges let in at least one person each year without any A level maths for PPE. They usually end up doing Phil and Pol for finals though.

Reply 57

Kingkong21

Following upon Drogue's advice, I emailed an admission tutor at Christs and he told me that the admissions process was based upon the requirement of maths, with further maths having equal preference to subjects such as German

Reply 58

ktroo85

I'm a second year E&M at Hilda's and my A levels were Maths, Further Maths, Economics and General Studies. My interview had very little emphasis on maths, I had some very simple probability questions and then a logic puzzle to solve. I think I'm the only one out of the four of us at hilda's who did further maths.