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Significance of Deputy Head Boy-ship

I was elected Deputy Head Boy of my school today (and I only stood for a laugh!), and was wondering whether or not to include it in my PS for English (2008 entry). Obviously, it's not particularly relevant to the subject, but I thought it might be good to mention it in passing; perhaps in the same sentence as my political involvement outside of school, just to indicate that I'm one of those fabled 'rounded individuals'. Thoughts?

Thanks,
Louis.

Reply 1

Wildebeest

13

Yes... why not? Though when I write my personal statement, I'm only going to allude briefly to these extra-curricular things, e.g. prefect, peer support, some music and such like. I've got the impression that Oxford and Cambridge place significantly less emphasis on extra-curricular activities than other universities (which is very lucky for me!) - I'll keep most of my statement to what I have read recently and might even mention work experience in passing.

Well done on the Deputy Head-Boy-ship! :smile:

Reply 2

--

3

It would probably make absolutely no difference to your application.

Reply 3

Franc Vouloir

OP

11

Wildebeest

Well done on the Deputy Head-Boy-ship! :smile:

Thanks. As I said, I only stood as a joke, and my friends took it upon themselves to produce and distribute a rather large number of embarrassing posters. It's quite disconcerting to have your face plastered on every wall of the school. :biggrin:

Reply 4

Phil.Murray

2

Add it by all means. But your popularity with either students (or staff, if they did the electing), as evidenced by your choice as Deputy Head Boy, will have no impact on your chances of gaining a place. Congratulations by the way!

Reply 5

Dan=)

5

don t think it would make any difference tbh

Reply 6

Nichrome

18

LGoddard

I was elected Deputy Head Boy of my school today (and I only stood for a laugh!), and was wondering whether or not to include it in my PS for English (2008 entry). Obviously, it's not particularly relevant to the subject, but I thought it might be good to mention it in passing; perhaps in the same sentence as my political involvement outside of school, just to indicate that I'm one of those fabled 'rounded individuals'. Thoughts?

Thanks,
Louis.

Heh, yes I was exactly the same position, I became dep. Head Boy for a joke, but I still whacked it down on my PS, just to beef it out and make it a little more rounded, although it did come up in my general interview and so I quickly made some stuff up about what I did during that time.....errr charity events etc...

Reply 7

FadeToBlackout

15

Trust me, the people who apply to Cambridge are geeks. Pretty much everyone is/was a head boy/girl, prefect, corridor monitor, library prefect, etc etc. Putting it on your form won't harm your application, but it unfortunately won't make you stand out. Sorry.

Reply 8

Ancient Monument

It might not make much difference at Cambridge but English is a hugely competitive subject - you can't bank on an offer from them. You will have five other unis on the UCAS form. Given that English is heavily over-subscribed at other unis - which may take extra curricular stuff more into account - mention it (but don't over-do it) as it might make a difference there.

Reply 9

Neutral_Tones

A friend of mine told me that Durham had 2000 English applicants for 100 places (approx) last year (for 2007 entry)... I reckon that anything that helps your PS would be good!

Reply 10

shootbangfire

they didn't even let me become a real prefect! i'm a biology prefect... i only get to laminate things, strip notice boards and the like... but I get gold stars.

Plus the prefect badges at my school suck, whereas these:

...do not. And i've got all 4 and regularly wear them. Take that, the man!

Reply 11

danfel

7

I was deputy head boy, put it on my personal statement in 2005, and didn't get into Oxford. Whether or not it affected my application, I can't say for sure - but I doubt it adds much to your extra-curriculars since you don't really have to do much for it other than sit on stage in assembly and turn up to a meeting once a week. However it is a sign of recognition that you're an upstanding individual. Whether it suggests that you're well rounded is debatable, though.

Reply 12

Alasdair

14

I had forgotten I was a prefect until now...suffice it to say it never goes on any applications I make. It's one of those things that as you get older and have more to put on CV's/Applications, it gets bumped further down the list until it disappears altogether.

Reply 13

Wildebeest

13

Neutral_Tones

A friend of mine told me that Durham had 2000 English applicants for 100 places (approx) last year (for 2007 entry)... I reckon that anything that helps your PS would be good!

Goodness, I imagine that is true as well! :eek:

It's lucky I don't feel like venturing up to Durham for university. I can't decide whether the collegiate system would give me an "I'm at Oxbridge feeling" or an "I inadequately never made it to Oxbridge" feeling.

I don't do sport or music really either, so they would never let me in! :rolleyes:

Reply 14

Alasdair

14

Wildebeest

Goodness, I imagine that is true as well! :eek:

It's lucky I don't feel like venturing up to Durham for university. I can't decide whether the collegiate system would give me an "I'm at Oxbridge feeling" or an "I inadequately never made it to Oxbridge" feeling.

I don't do sport or music really either, so they would never let me in! :rolleyes:

20:1 or 25:1 isn't that unusual for decent courses. Even my IR course at Sussex, which isn't such a ridiculously oversubscribed uni was 20 or 25:1, I think. And I got a BBB offer.

Reply 15

--

3

Also, the figures are a little skewed, seeing as most of those universities give out 6 offers (or so) for every place to make up for the people who decide not to go there, making it actually 8:1 ish.

Reply 16

Turdburger

16

Trust me, the people who apply to Cambridge are geeks. Pretty much everyone is/was a head boy/girl, prefect, corridor monitor, library prefect, etc etc. Putting it on your form won't harm your application, but it unfortunately won't make you stand out. Sorry.

Definitely true in my experience, out of the 26 people in my year who got Oxbridge offers, only me and one other guy weren't prefects.
(And most of our year aren't prefects.)

Reply 17

Jigglypuff

16

shootbangfire

they didn't even let me become a real prefect! i'm a biology prefect... i only get to laminate things, strip notice boards and the like... but I get gold stars.

Plus the prefect badges at my school suck, whereas these:

...do not. And i've got all 4 and regularly wear them. Take that, the man!

Ah, I love The Cribs. I have Ross' drumstick :smile:

Reply 18

shootbangfire

Jigglypuff

Ah, I love The Cribs. I have Ross' drumstick :smile:

snap!

I got one at the YGLU videoshoot, and one at Escobar. He signed it for me after :smile:

Reply 19

ukebert

13

Every little helps :smile:

But don't give it priority. Also if you're going to put it on, don't just put "I am deputy head boy" (Vice-captain where i am), more like "I was elected deputy head boy by my peers, and my duties include x y and x. Since elected I did this. This taught me that."

On second thoughts you'll run out of space for the important stuff.

Significance of Deputy Head Boy-ship

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